Conscience and Dealing with Sin
Lives Changed by Jesus Christ
Certainly baptism is a big event. It's not just a significant event according to our understanding, but baptism is a big event according to the scriptures. In our previous study on how people became Christians in the first century, Biblical teaching always led to baptism.
Luke 15: 10--"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Jesus said. The culmination of a person's response to Him in repentence and baptism is a joyous celebration in Heaven.
There is life beyond just becoming a Christian. Jesus continues to change lives, change them for the better. One could only expect that to happen, for it was Jesus who said in John 10: 10 that He came "that man might have life, and that more abundantly."
Jesus leads people out of sin. He declared that those who were living in sin were enslaved to it:
Joh 8:30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Joh 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Joh 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Joh 8:33 They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
Joh 8:35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.
Joh 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Simon Peter said as much about the slavery in II Peter 2: 19: "They [false teachers--STW] promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. "
So how are our lives going to be changed--going to be transformed--by our contact with Jesus Christ? Let's study some passages.
| Scripture | Changed from . . . | Changed to . . . |
|---|---|---|
| I John 1: 5 - 2: 6 | Walking in darkness Defiled; sinful Walking alone and without God Sinners |
Walking in the light Purified; cleansed from all sin Fellowship with Christ Forgiven |
| I Corinthians 6: 9 - 11 | unrighteousness, greed, slander, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, drunkeness, idolatry, swindling, thieves (stealing) | righteousness, not greedy nor swindlers, morally upright, justified, not given to idolatry, not prone to steal, not slanderers. |
| Colossians 3: 1-20 | sin, lying, stealing, naughty words, fighting, sexual immorality, cheating, lust, coveteousness, gossipping, malice (revenge or hate), "hanging out" with bad people. | |
| Galatians 5: 19- 26 | ||
| I John 4: 16-21 | Boring; unhappy; nightmare; self-centered; dull; no life, no spark, no happiness in being with others; fighting; fear; crime; no hope for life hereafter; can't relate to anyone else; life without feeling; no fulfillment; no patience; | Live lives of love--agape' love Compare to I Corinthians 13 |
| Ephesians 5: 1-20 |
Okay, so the scripture is clear about how becoming a Christian will turn people away from the "big stuff" that would keep them out of Heaven. But what about some one who was basically a "good person" who stayed out of trouble and was nice to people, but just wasn't a Christian?
Jesus's visit with Nicodemus in John 3: 1-21 speaks to that situation. Nicodemus was just that kind of a "nice guy." He was doing a good job of living under the Old Law, although no one except Jesus ever kept the Old Law perfectly (Hebrews 4: 15). But Nocodemus still needed Jesus. He needed to be born again, born by the water and the Spirit (by baptism). Compare that passage to Romans 6: 1-11 and see that by baptism, the old person of sin (even what we might think of as "slight sins"), dies a symbolic death, and a new person is resurrected from the waters of baptism. So how does a young person who has been going to church with his or her parents live after baptism?
* continue to go to church, as you have been doing (Hebrews 10: 25)
* continue to read and study your Bible (II Timothy 2: 15)
* continue to pray (I Thessalonians 5: 17)
* begin taking the Lord's supper, something only members do (I Corinthians 11: 23-30)
* continue to treat others around you in loving ways (Matthew 7: 12)
* continue to obey your parents while you are still under their roof (Ephesians 6: 1)
Baptism has made a change. Through baptism you have put on Christ (Galatians 3: 27) whereas before baptism, you had not. Your faith in Jesus, which you have shown by doing what he asked to do in confession and baptism (Acts 8: 36-38), has made you a child of Christ (Galatians 3: 26).
