MEET AND FOLLOW JESUS
THE PREPARATION
Preparing for Union with Christ in Baptism
As we saw in the last section the Christian is the dwelling place of Christ. When an important guest comes to visit us we usually make some sort of preparation. We get the house clean and tidy and we prepare ourselves psychologically for his coming. It would make sense to get things ready also for Christ who will dwell in us to empower us to follow him and to be like him.
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 40:3-5)
You will notice that these verses were also used in the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 to prepare for the coming of Christ 2000 years ago. It is the same today. We are to make his entrance straight and smooth by eliminating anything crooked, by raising the valleys and lowering the hills and mountains to create a smooth level pathway with nothing bumpy or rough. Each person needs to see within what might constitute a hindrance to the coming of Christ to take up his abode in us. When that preparation has been made we shall see within us the glory of the Lord.
Where the Lord is present that is holy ground. When we are fully aware of what it means to be the dwelling place of God and that we are sacred ground and that other Christians are the same, does this not change the way we relate to others and to ourselves?
Does this not enhance how we view ourselves? We do need to be prepared for such a reality. It is this sacred reality within that gives us a new identity, a new life and reveals our true worth and beauty and gives us the assurance of being loved. It is a new birth, a new beginning. It satisfies our inner needs because it unites to our origins having been made in the image and likeness of he who is within transforming us into his likeness. All things come together to bring us unity of being. We become aware of the sacredness of life. It brings together in us the human and the divine that is perfectly integrated in the person of Christ who dwells within. Looking within, to the God within, frees us from the obsession with self and we see ourselves immersed in the divine, in God: "your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). We no longer see ourselves only in relation to others but, more importantly, we see ourselves in relation to Christ and in him we reach out to others. This is what believeing in Christ is all about, speaking of his gospel John writes
these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)
In order to make a mature decision not based on some fleeting emotion we need to count the cost.
Counting the Cost
Becoming a Christian is an important decision; in fact, it is the most important decision of our lives. It must not, therefore, be the result of a superficial feeling or emotion, Jesus advises us to calculate the cost. In the Gospel of Luke we read
which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying, "Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish." (Luke 14: 25-33).
We need to know what is involved in following Christ, in becoming his disciple. We already have an idea but we need to be a little more specific. Everything of value comes at a price. First of all, knowing and following Christ is not just a Sunday pastime. Walking in his presence is not just a Sunday stroll in the park. It is a way of life, not just a once-a-week gathering to worship together with others.
Becoming the dwelling place of Christ and entering into the kingdom is of inestimable worth and cannot be taken lightly.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)
It means first of all putting God before everything else, before one's family, before success, before financial gain, even before one's own life. It is precisely putting God first that brings everything together in harmony by eliminating everything that is discordant and developing that which is in accordance with this fundamental relationship.
The greatest commandment is to love God and the next is to love your neighbour as yourself. The more important of the two is loving God because it is this vital relationship that holds the others together.
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
These words highlight the three types of relationships in life, relationship with God, with self and with others. The balance between these constitutes a well-rounded personality. All three are connected and need to be well-integrated. If one dimension is left out of the equation then the balance is lacking. It is the indwelling Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that makes this integration possible. All starts from within and works its way outwards. This is the key to healthy relationships, this is the key to happiness.
Your decision need not necessarily be accompanied by some pious sentiment. Feelings or emotions may be absent. This does not matter. Emotions do not constitute the foundation of our faith. Deciding to believe in Christ and putting God first should not be based on feelings as these are often unstable and change frequently. That would not be a firm foundation for what amounts to a completely new life. Feelings can be, and often are present when you make your decision but the decision cannot be based on them. The intensity of our emotions is not necessarily an indication of the seriousness of our intent.
The love of God involves the whole being: spirit, soul and body, intellect, emotions and will. We must make sure the decision is built upon the rock and not on the sand:
'Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!' (see Matthew 7:24-27).
“Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)
When the crowd saw the transforming effect of the Holy Spirit that filled the apostles on Pentecost it gave Peter the occasion to explain what was happening, how the crucified Christ had risen from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit as promised. The apostles were transformed from a fearful bunch, shut up in the upper room after the death of their leader, to a bold and outspoken group. Peter addressed the crowd in Acts 2:5-41
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know — this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up … This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. … Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. 3 (Acts 2:22-38)
Three connected events are mentioned here, the death of Christ, his resurrection and receiving the Holy Spirit. One derives from the other. These are three events that mark the pattern of life of the Christian. These events are seen in the context of a sense of guilt for having been responsible for the death of Christ who died died for the sins of man at the hands of those listening to Peter's words. Baptism brings these events together in the life of the Christian who repents. There is no death without life and there is no life without the power to live that life.
“What shall we do?” This question is relevant to our decision to follow Christ. The answer is given. There are three conditions: Believe that Jesus is Lord and Messiah (“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ”), “Repent and be baptized”.
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Next: Discipleship Part 3 - Repentance
Introduction to the Christian Faith - Index
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