Treasure Digest

• Do We Put Off Baptism Because We Fear the Future?
• Benefits of Baptism
• The Beauty of Restoration
• Turning the Hearts . . ."Thou Shalt Not Narc"
• Children's Corner - Children Bring Honor to Parents [See PDF version]
• Share Your Treasures!

Do We Put Off Baptism Because We Fear the Future?

Years ago, a man came to me and said that he wanted to be baptized. He knew he was a sinner. He knew he needed God's grace, forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. But something was hindering him from going forward. He told me: "I want to be baptized, but how do I know that I will endure to the end? I don't know what the following years will bring in my life. How do I know that I will be as committed to Jesus Christ then as I am now?"

None of us knows all the details as to what the future will bring. But should we put off baptism indefinitely because we cannot predict what we will face in the future?

The answer deals with the matter of faith, the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). At baptism we are asked this question: "Have you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?" Then, the minister states in part: "As a result of your repentance…and your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, your Lord and Master, your High Priest and soon coming King, I now baptize you…"

To understand what our spiritual future holds for us is to understand Jesus' role as High Priest. As our High Priest, Jesus daily intervenes for us. He started the process of intervention at our calling, and He will continue this until the last day of our lives (Philippians 1:6).

Yes, we study repentance, obedience and counting the cost as we consider baptism. We strive to obey God's laws. But do we also realize how big a role faith in our High Priest must play? We are given this life-lasting promise: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).

Like Paul, we know that we are "carnal, sold under sin." We know that we are wretched and wonder who will save us from this body of death. And the answer: "I thank God—through Jesus Christ" (Romans 7:14, 24-25).

Our High Priest is both the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is the great High Priest who will give us mercy, grace and help in our time of need, no matter what our spiritual plight is even after baptism (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Yes, Jesus Christ will stand by us to the very end.

—Vince Szymkowiak
Pastor, Rolla and St. Louis, Missouri, and Fairview Heights, Illinois, congregations

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Benefits of Baptism

The awesome gift of the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift a human being can receive in this life! Just think—God is willing to share His very own Spirit!

Becoming baptized doesn't make life more difficult. It brings about the greatest possible help for dealing with all of life's problems! You are no longer alone. You are no longer relying on puny human strength. God is with you and in you 24/7!

Notice the sequence in Matthew 28. Verse 19 says to make disciples and baptize them. After that (verse 20), "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." So it's a mistake to think that a great amount of knowledge is needed before baptism.

However, one does need basic understanding, which forms the foundation for his or her faith and repentance, the two primary conditions for baptism. According to Mark 16:15-16, "he who believes" the gospel is ready for baptism.

When tempted to procrastinate about being baptized, think of the example of the Ethiopian in Acts 8:26-39. As soon as he understood the gospel and the grace made available by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, he eagerly asked, "What hinders me from being baptized?"

—Don Hooser
Pastor, Sedro-Woolley, Washington, congregation

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The Beauty of Restoration

I rarely schedule time to watch television, but one of my greatest media indulgences is to watch one of the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. I appreciate the moving and typically moral messages that are behind these films, as well as the fact that you can cry during the entirety of the show, and then during all of the touching commercials in between.

One aspect of a recent movie has stayed with me, and that was the concept of restoration.

The main character picked out an antique box that she hoped to have restored. The outside of the box was faded due to age and handling, so it had lost its original sheen. It had old, yellowed music and newspaper clippings inside the lid that were tattered and torn. While some may have seen the box as aged and worthless, she saw the potential to make it beautiful once again.

Artists who restore old artifacts have to have both vision and investment in the pieces with which they work. They must ascertain a piece's value and character, and then devote their time and efforts to bringing it along to something as beautiful, or possibly more beautiful than before.

This takes a real investment of self going into each piece. The finished product was, in fact, quite beautiful after the artist restored it through steadfast precision and great attention to detail.

No matter what we've been through in the past months, years or even our lifetime, God allows us a personal restoration each year, called the Passover. Our personal trials, failures and stumbling blocks are evident to Him, just like the imperfections of the unrestored box are to the human eye. A broken latch, scratched interior and faded appearance speak to the box's imperfections in much the same way that we bring our spiritual and human inadequacies before God each Passover.

And just like the artist, God has a deep, personal investment of Himself in each of us as we seek renewal. Restoration is about working with the flaws a piece has, while accentuating the strength and character of the piece, and then incorporating them all into a pleasing finished product.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Paul writes: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them" (New International Version throughout).

What a blessing it is to have a Father who will not abandon us even when our glory may not yet be totally evident. He has given us the extraordinary gift of repentance and forgiveness through Christ's loving sacrifice, which we humbly partake of each Passover. We are all works in progress, and fortunately, God is not finished with us yet. "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:10).

—Sharon VanSchuyver
Houston North, Texas, congregation

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Turning the Hearts . . .Showing Respect to Others

"Thou shalt not narc" is a commandment that has been diligently kept by young people. Depending on where and when you were in school, the act of reporting someone to the authorities has been called many things: tattling, ratting on, betraying, snitching, squealing or being an informer.

No one wanted to be known as a tattletale unless he or she was the teacher's pet. Older individuals are often affected by this "commandment" as well.

In truth we should not "narc," but we should "remark." Let me explain what I mean. More difficulty may arise if matters are not handled properly.

First, consider this example. The names have been changed, but the situation is real. Two girlfriends, Mary and Liz, noticed that Jane was losing weight. Jane made excuses when it came time to have dinner together. If she did come to dinner or ate with them, she soon visited the washroom. On several occasions, it was noticed that Jane had been throwing up and that her body was becoming emaciated.

Mary and Liz did not know what to do. They sought advice. They were counseled not to "narc" on their friend Jane, but to "remark" to her that they were concerned. They advised Jane to get help and that they would go with her to the counselor. They were afraid that Jane would reject their advice and then reject them as friends. They also realized that Jane's behavior was such that she was hurting herself badly and needed help.

They confronted Jane gently, and Jane agreed after some resistance to seek help. All three came to my office and, as Jane tearfully related to me what was going on with her eating disorder, her friends sat beside her with tears in their eyes. I reminded all of them of the wonderful friendship that they had. Mary and Liz were willing to risk a wonderful friendship to help their friend. They all shed a few more tears and they and I were able to help Jane on the road to recovery from the dreaded eating disorder.

They did not "narc" on their friend, but they did "remark" that they noticed a behavior that was not good for her. They then helped her to get help and accompanied their friend for comfort and support.

If you saw your friend getting ready to ride a sled over a cliff, would you reach out to tell him or her, "Don't do it"? Or would you merely stand by and watch the person hurt him or herself? We don't like difficult, touchy situations, however, when we encounter such situations, we must appropriately deal with them. That is brotherly love.

So, if you see your friends or brothers in the faith hurting themselves by behaviors that are unhealthy or sinful, don't "narc" or "tattle" on them, but go to them in humility and help them get help. Don't just ask them to get help. Offer to go with them. Give them a deadline to make up their minds. If they are unwilling, then you must seek help for them or figuratively watch them slide right over the cliff to destruction.

The apostle Paul wrote to the churches in the region of Galatia and said, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness considering yourself lest you also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). Jesus' half-brother James wrote this: "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20).

So, the next time you learn of friends or brothers or sisters in trouble, don't "narc" or "tattle," but do help them by "remarking" to them about their situation and then helping them to get the help they need!

"Thou shalt not narc" but "thou shalt love your brothers and sisters" enough to help them out of their difficulties!

—Gary E. Antion

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Share Your Treasures!

Do you have any short items of biblical wisdom, humor or practical information that you would like to share in this section? Or if you have any suggestions, please contact United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 or mike_bennett@ucg.org.

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