The promise of the power of baptism is sure. When we are baptized in the name of the Triune God then we have forgiveness of sins, because we are part of the Body of Christ, and we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Unfortunately, this does not equate to “once baptized, always saved”. Even if we would withhold baptism until a person is more intellectually on board, we cannot guarantee that the person would either completely and openly fall away or become a cultural Christian only. What goes wrong?
The reality of being a Christian in culture only is observable, but it is also confirmed by this passage:
25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’
Luke 13:25-27 (ESV)
The people speaking to “the master” obviously thought they belonged. Being a part of the culture of Christianity is not the same as being a part of the body of Christ. What has gone wrong?
I don’t know if I want to be told that I have done something wrong or that there was nothing I could do. Nobody can come to Christ under their own powers. The Holy Spirit must reach them. Once we are part of the body, the means that God has put in place to help us overcome the internal and external pressure to fall away does include a measure of our effort and is assisted by the efforts of others. In the end, the power is there to receive Christ and remain in Him. A person who is left outside knocking has only themselves to blame.
The first concern is remaining in faith yourself. It is not beyond comprehension that anyone could fall away. I currently have no doubt about the Gospel and my destiny. I also understand how I could put myself outside of God’s grace if I were so stupid as to desire that. The disciplines of prayer, confession, worship, studying Scripture and the Lord’s Supper are there for a reason. We need to form strong “roots”. We need to help our children form strong roots. Many don’t.
Many people fall back on the Proverb:
Train up a child in the way he should go;
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
A proverb is a generally true statement, not a promise. If parents neglect their child’s spiritual development, the likelihood of falling away or cultural Christianity only rises. External forces can also undermine faith development (i.e. divorce, parental hypocrisy, unloving religious training, overexposure to the world). In the end, spiritual malformation can also be a function of the person themselves.
The Parable of the Sower indicates that the soil (i.e. the person) is the problem or can be. It is frustrating to think that someone could be inherently shallow and there is nothing to be done about it. It might be pushing the analogy, but maybe the rocky soil can be worked to make it good enough to sustain the plant of faith.
Do any of our practices lend themselves to producing weak Christians or cultural only? I have seen failures from forcing too much on a child to exposing them too little. A disciple isn’t someone who is enculturated. They develop a relationship with Jesus. Their sinful nature will be resistant to developing any disciplines. But the practices of a disciple mentioned above are the means by which this happens.
Relationships also matter. Of course, the relationship with the parents is key, but bonds with other Christians of all ages make a huge difference. We all need to be aware that Christians work as a body to sustain each other. Good modeling, love, mutual encouragement are all important. If a person segregates themselves from a congregation, this is all lost.
That is the dangerous route many have taken. I will grant you that the internal dynamics and sometimes the theology of certain congregations make them not worthy of our presence. Also, hanging anonymously on the fringe of a congregation will not be that beneficial. But staying away from any congregation is not the answer. I may have a bias, but I believe this to be true.
A spiritually well-formed person is someone who is baptized into the body of Christ. They communicate with God in prayer and perceive His answer. They know they have a God-given mission and pursue it daily. They are aware that they can grow in the qualities of Jesus because they share the divine nature. They have healthy relationships with other Christians, which ideally includes their parents. They resist sin and confess their failures. They understand that they are stewards of many things and seek to excel in their stewardship. They have confidence in their salvation because it is all a gift from Jesus. All of the above is living the gift.
Giving Christ 