City Life Starter

By Heather Mattingly

Repentance & Baptism

What is the first picture that comes to your mind when you hear the word repentance?

And what is the first picture that comes to your mind when you hear the word baptism?

Our Every Nation Purple Book explains that the connotation of these words is generally negative – especially with regards to repentance. Most people hear the word “repentance,” and think of someone on a street corner yelling at the populace and holding up a sign that says, “Repent! For the end is nigh!”

I used to have this exact mental vision of repentance. Repentance was a scary word to me: it meant judgement, punishment, condemnation, and that I would be found in the wrong yet again.

But this vision of judgment and condemnation is not the vision our Father means when He says “repent!” to us. All parents reading this know exactly what God’s vision of the word repent truly means: It is a loving word with a positive connotation to it. When God says “repent!” He, like a wonderful, loving Father, is physically holding His arms out to His child who is wandering off of His path while saying, “I love you more than My life; I want the best for you. Don’t choose this way that you’re choosing; this way leads to death. Choose Me – choose life. I am for you, not against you; come back home to Me!”

Repentance (or “metanoia” in Greek) literally means to “change your mind,” and the physical meaning is “to turn about-face.”

Did you catch that? Not only to change our mind but to physically turn about face. I can think of no more beautiful verse to describe repentance than Psalm 27:8, which says,

“When [the Lord] said, ‘seek My face,’

my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord,

I will seek.’”

This is true repentance. In our heart of hearts, we know nothing else can satisfy than to see His face and to hear His voice. (Psalm 16:11 says, “…in Your presence is fullness of joy…”) There is no other place, no other person, no other work, location, money, food, house – anything or anyone this world has to offer – where our hearts can find true rest, true refreshment…true fulfillment. Turning about face starts in our heart. Then, in order to physically see His face, we turn about face so our face can face His, and we can find this fullness of joy in His presence. And incredibly, it is only when we turn here do we find the miracle of His true delight and joy in us.

Repentance is a beautiful word. The purpose of repentance is not to revile you, but to restore you.

Similarly, baptism is so much more than taking a dunk in a body of water.

I used to think baptism was a check-box: something “to do” on my list for God so He would give me what I wanted.

Baptism is a visible symbol of a powerful invisible reality. Romans 7:4 says, “….you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another – to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”

You, beloved, have become dead through the body of Christ. You are a new creation! (2 Cor 5:17).  Baptism is a visible symbol of this death of your old life and your resurrection into His new life – you are in Him (John 15:5)!

Think of baptism as the wedding and sanctification as the marriage. Baptism symbolizes the event that occurred in you by faith. And sanctification is the working out and walking out of this event. This is a daily choice. But, by God’s grace, at the end of His working out in you what He began in you by your yes to Him and being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, you will be one of “…..the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14).

Repentance and baptism are simple physical concepts that carry tremendous spiritual weight: to repent – to turn an about face back to God, thereby turning back to the tree of life. To be baptized and allow oneself to be immersed into a body of water to emerge clean and pure, thus symbolizing you are a new creation living a new life. Very ordinary, simple things, if you think about them. Yet God has chosen these ordinary things to represent what He has extraordinarily done in you and for you. Do not discount the ordinary; God loves the ordinary. After all, God became a Man.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for Your incredible gifts of repentance and baptism. Teach me to love them. Just as a child isn’t really aware when he/she is wondering off of the right path, neither do I. Please help me to love  Your gift of repentance and realize that it comes when I am wondering away from you. Please teach me to repent daily and baptize me anew into You today, Jesus; I choose to abide in You. (John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”) Thank You that I am a new creation and not bound anymore. Please help me be obedient to You today with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. Amen.”