Fred Craddock writes about a time he was the guest preacher for a church in Oklahoma City. Just before he stood to speak a woman came up to him at the pulpit. She said, “Before you talk, I need to know something.” Craddock asked her what she needed to know. She said, “Are you a knocked-down, killed in the Spirit, washed-clean, picked-up, Spirit-filled charismatic Christian?” Craddock replied, “Well, I’m a Christian.” The woman protested: “That’s not what I asked you.” “What did you ask me?” Craddock replied. “Are you a charismatic?” the woman pressed. “Craddock said, “Yes, ma’am, I am.” She was very pleased, smiled big, and said, “What’s your gift?” She hoped he was going to say something like “Speaking in tongues,” or “Healing,” or “Prophesying.” But Craddock simply replied, “Teaching.” His charismatic gift was teaching. And the woman said, “Oh,” and left, disappointed. She seemed to value only the “flashy” gifts of the Holy Spirit. She didn’t seem to believe that the gift of teaching was worth very much. Sometimes even in church we devalue the service of others.

We find this taking place in the church in Corinth: 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? (1 Cor. 12:14-17 TNIV). We catch Paul in the middle of a section where he’s writing to the church about their acts of service. He uses the metaphor of a body. Paul imagines a body where a foot suddenly starts talking: “Hi there. I’m a foot. But I’m just a foot. See that hand way up there. If I could be anything, I’d be a hand. I mean, a hand gets to put food into the mouth, paints pictures, writes life-changing words, plays musical instruments, and carries heavy objects. Me, I’m just a foot. I’m dirty. I smell. And I frankly look funny.” Paul imagines a similar comment being made by an ear who wishes she were the eye. And finally, Paul imagines the eye commenting, “Just look at the pathetic ear. Look at that hopeless foot. Compared to me they are useless. I wish the whole body could be one big eye. Then it could really do something.”

This imaginary conversation reflects the real conversation among church members in Corinth. And the conversation seems to have taken two directions. First, some in Corinth devalue the service of others. In chapters 13-14 we can read how some of the Christians in Corinth who serve using their talent of speaking in tongues believe their service is superior to that of anyone else. They are like the eye who keeps telling the ear and the foot—“Too bad you’re not like me. Because what you do in this body doesn’t really amount to much.”

And it’s easy to do that in a church. It’s easy to think that those who don’t lead a Reach Group like you do just aren’t doing much. It’s easy to think that those who can’t teach a Sunday School class like you do don’t have much to offer. It’s easy to consider those who “only” watch babies in the nursery as a little less important than those who organize ministries for the poor. We sometimes devalue the service of others, even in church.

But the conversation taking place in the Corinthian church not only had to do with some devaluing the service of others. It also had to do with some devaluing their own service. Sometimes we devalue our own service. Because those able to speak in tongues are looking down on those who cannot speak in tongues, those who cannot speak in tongues are now thinking less of themselves. The feet are thinking of themselves as inferior because the eyes keep talking about how useless the feet are. Some of the Christians are beginning to think that their service matters little compared to the service of others in the church.

I wrestle with this. Sometimes I devalue my own service One of our elders, David Ralston, recently attended the Summer Celebration at Lipscomb University in Nashville. He brought back some CD’s of someone who spoke at that event. They contained two presentations given by Patrick Mead from Rochester, MI. I listened to both presentations. And as I listened I thought: “Man, I wish I could preach like him.” As he talked about ministries he was spearheading to reach non Christians, I thought, “Man, I wish I could lead like him.” After I finished listening, I considered him an eye and I felt like a foot. Do you ever do that? You ever devalue your own service? You ever listen to someone, watch someone, hear someone and say, “I wish I could do what they do? What they do is so much better than what I do.”

And in light of both of these struggles—devaluing the service of others and devaluing our own service—Paul turns us back to our baptisms: 1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Cor. 12:1-13 TNIV)

Here is what I think Paul is saying: Through baptism God’s Spirit empowers each of us to contribute valuably toward Christ’s work. Verse 2 of chapter 12 states that when it comes to understanding the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, the Christians in Corinth have been influenced by their pagan background of idol worship. Their pagan background would teach them that there are many gods and that spiritual things can be caused by any of those gods. But Paul wants them to realize that the true God is present and true spiritual things happen only in the Christian faith. The true Spirit is at work where people are saying, or “confessing” that “Jesus is Lord.” There were many forms of spirituality and supposed supernatural work in the religions in Corinth. But it is where Jesus is confessed that the true Spirit of is at work.

Paul then moves on to talk more about the Christian faith and how the true Spirit works in the Christian faith. In vs. 3, Paul mentions the Spirit of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit—the trinity. This reference to the trinity continues in verses 4-6 where Paul mentions the “same Spirit,” the “same Lord,” and the “same God.” In other words, in the Christian faith there are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of spiritual work, but they all rooted in the Christian godhead of Father, Son, and Spirit. In the Greco-Roman culture of Corinth, people believed that different gods were responsible for different spiritual activities. Paul counters this by teaching that all the different activities in the Christian faith are rooted in one God: Father, Son, and Spirit. Though God is at work in his church in different ways, it is the work of the same God.

And, Paul writes in verse 7, all of this different work—all of these different acts of service which the Spirit enables people to do—is for the “common good.” This work comes from one source—God—and is for one purpose—the common good of the body. In verses 8-10 Paul lists specific examples of the different ways in which God’s Spirit works through Christians for the common good.

Then, beginning in verse 12, Paul discusses this work using the image of a body. As I noted earlier, many Christians in Corinth seem to value only certain kinds of spiritual gifts or work. To address this, Paul speaks of “many parts” and “different” gifts, service, and working. Paul uses the body image to help everyone see the value and contribution of each part of the body. There are different body parts, there are different talents each of us have, but every part, every talent contributes valuably toward the work of the entire body.

In verse 13 Paul then reminds the Christians how they came to belong to this body: they were baptized “by/into one Spirit” and were “all given the one Spirit to drink.” Both images refer to the same thing—the water baptism experienced by every believer in Corinth. Both images involve liquid. One focuses on the outside—baptized by/into one Spirit. The other focuses on the inside—given the one Spirit to drink. In one image Christians are covered on the outside with liquid: baptized by/into one Spirit. In the other image Christians are filled on the inside with liquid: given the one Spirit to drink. In other words, Paul is saying that baptism was an experience in which the Christians were completely merged with the Spirit—inside and outside.

Thus, the argument goes something like this: the Christian faith is where true spiritual work takes place. That work takes place primarily by means of the Holy Spirit. And what does this Holy Spirit do? He provides different gifts. He enables different kinds of service. He makes possible different kinds of working. Each of these is valuable. None are more valuable than others. None are less valuable than others. Each contributes toward the “common good”—the building up and work of Christ. The Holy Spirit provides abilities so that every Christian can contribute valuably to the work of Christ. And that, in fact, is one of the primary identities given to us through baptism. Through baptism we were immersed into the Spirit and filled with the Spirit. We became people who live in the Spirit like a fish lives in water. We became people who are filled by the Spirit like a human is filled with air. And one of that Spirit’s primary functions is to enable each of us to take up our role in the work of Christ. Through baptism God’s Spirit empowers each of us to contribute valuably toward Christ’s work.

Max Lucado tells of Charlie Steinmetz. Steinmetz designed the generators that first powered Henry Ford’s assembly lines in Dearborn, Michigan. At some point after the retirement of Steinmetz, the generators stalled out. The entire plant came to a standstill. Ford’s engineers couldn’t get the generators going again. So, Ford called Steinmetz. Steinmetz arrived, tinkered around for a few hours, and then threw the power switch. The generators hummed to life. Later, Ford received a bill from Steinmetz. The bill was for $10,000. Ford thought this was terribly excessive. He wrote Steinmetz: “Charlie: It seems awfully steep, this $10,000 for a man who just tinkered around with a few motors.” In response, Steinmetz sent Ford an amended bill. Here’s what the new bill said: “Henry: For tinkering around with motors, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990.” Sometimes we may view our talent, our service, what we are able to do and little more than tinkering around. Or others may view it as just tinkering around. But Paul wants to remind us that through baptism you received a gift, a talent. And even if it seems that your talent is just tinkering around, the truth it, it is invaluable. It is irreplaceable. It is priceless. The body just could not keep going without it.

Last Thursday four Highland elders and six Highland staff members gathered at our new property at Houston Levee. There, we prayed over and ate lunch with every worker and contractor associated with the project. I spoke briefly, and one of the things I emphasized was how important the work of each individual there was to the whole project. Afterwards, Rusty Linkous of Linkous construction, told me that was exactly what they needed to hear. He said it’s very easy as a construction worker to feel under-appreciated. Usually the only time you hear anything is when something’s gone wrong. Rusty said they really needed to hear that the job that every one of them performed was absolutely critical to the project. And as we walked around after lunch, we saw a man putting in electrical tubing, we watched a man unroll the waterproof fabric that will go in our baptistery area, we talked to the men who will start laying bricks in just one week, and we met the guys who will put in the ceiling tiles. I could see how one or more of them might devalue their own contribution. But I could also see how each person’s contribution was valuable and necessary if the building was going to be fully functional and beautiful. Paul is reminding us that the same is true when it comes to the church. Through your baptism into the Spirit, you’ve been given a job, an ability, a piece of the project of God. You may feel underappreciated. You may devalue your contribution or others may devalue it. But the truth is, without your part of the project, the church, the body simply cannot be what God intended for it to be.

If there is a coin that is devalued today, it’s the penny. When I see a penny on the ground, I don’t even stop to pick it up anymore. They just aren’t worth anything anymore. But an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution might cause us to rethink the value of pennies. For example, they calculate that if Coca-Cola just increased the price of each case of Coca-Cola by one penny, they could earn an additional $45 million a year. If we billed Delta Airlines one additional penny for each gallon of jet fuel they use each year, Delta would owe us an additional $25 million. If all the employees at Home Depot were given one additional penny for every hour they worked this year they would take home an extra $6.5 million. And if Krispy Kreme increased the cost of each donut by one penny, the company would earn an additional $27 million. We may feel like what we do in the church or in the kingdom is about as worthless as a penny. But a penny’s worth a lot more than we may think. And what you do, or can do, in the church and in the kingdom is worth a lot more than what you may think. Through baptism God’s Spirit empowers each of us to contribute valuably toward Christ’s work.

Each week in this series, I want us to make a confession and a pledge together.

Let’s say it together: I struggle with amnesia, but this week I will remember who I’ve become through my baptism. Remember this week that you’ve been given a talent, an ability, an act of service that absolutely essential to the work of Jesus Christ. Go, and live out that Identity.

And sometimes even we Christians do the same. We find our identity in things besides Christianity. For example, I recently signed up for our church Twitter account. If you are not familiar with Twitter, it is an Internet-based software which, in Highland’s case, sends news from Highland directly to your email account or to your phone as a text. When you sign up for Twitter, you write a brief description of yourself. You can only use a certain number of characters to describe yourself on your Twitter account. So, when I was signing up and reached this point in the process, I paused and wondered: how do I describe myself in a few words? After some thought, here’s what I wrote: husband of Kendra, father of Jordan and Jacob, preacher for Highland, author of 4 books. I thought that captured my identity. Then, I noticed that one of my friends was on Twitter. I clicked on his picture and noticed how he had described himself. His description began this way: “follower of Jesus…” Suddenly I realized what I had just done. When I had tried to summarize who I am for my Twitter account, I had completely left of my relationship with Jesus. I had defined myself by everything else but Jesus.

I’ll bet I’m not alone. Sometimes our identity is wrapped up in things besides Jesus. When we think of who we are or who we want to be, we often think of things besides Jesus.  

Paul opens 1 Corinthians by pointing to just such a group: 10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas “; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Cor. 1:10-17 TNIV)

Some from “Choe’s household” have travelled to see Paul so they can tell Paul about division taking place within the church at Corinth. Paul has already received a letter from some of the Christians in the congregation at Corinth. Now he also receives this verbal report from “Chloe’s household.” It is possible that Chloe was a businesswoman prominent in the congregation. Those from her household may either be members of her family or servants of hers whom she trusted.[2] They report that there is a group of Christians caught up in party loyalties.[3] They are grouping themselves into parties which define themselves by their admiration for a particular church leader: Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, that is, Peter. It’s not that these Christians have divided from one another over doctrine or theology.[4] It’s more that groups are aligning themselves with a particular church leader and defining themselves in terms of their devotion to that leader.

It may sound strange to us, but this was actually quite common in that culture. Similar party loyalties existed in ancient times.[5] It would be common for people in that culture to identify themselves with a financial supporter or a philosophical leader they admired. For example, we know that orators and philosophers were greatly admired in Paul’s day. One, Dio Chrysostom, records that when he visited an ancient city he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds who flocked around him. Chrysostom writes of seeing in ancient Corinth crowds of people gathering around their favorite orator or philosopher and fighting with people who followed other orators or philosophers.[6] Though this may be a silly analogy, we might think of the way today that some people are loyal to and fight over their college football teams. You fill a room with some fanatic Auburn fans, Ole Miss fans, Tennessee fans, and Alabama fans and you’ll eventually have some fussing and fighting. Why? Because these are people who have come to define themselves by their loyalty to a favorite team.

And at least some of these Christians were acting similarly when it came to Paul, Apollos, and Peter. They viewed these Christian orators with great respect and fought with the Christians who did not “follow” or admire their church leader.

Thus, what we have is a group of Christians whose identity is wrapped up in something besides Jesus. When church member “A” fills out a Twitter form about himself, he writes, “Acquaintance of highly respected and renowned speaker Paul. Attended all of Paul’s conferences. Read all of Paul’s letters.” And just like these Christians, sometimes our identity is wrapped up in things besides Jesus.

But not only is our identity often wrapped up in things besides Jesus. Often, we use these alternate identities to gain status. What drew these Christians to these speakers was the fame and renown of these speakers. Ultimately, they hoped that the fame and renown of these speakers to rub off on them. These Christians sought identities that would make them superior to other Christians. Those “of Paul” saw themselves as better than those “of Peter” or “of Apollos.” They were wrapping themselves in these identities because these identities promised a certain status.

In the old film “All About Eve,” a woman named Eve is a theater fan, star-struck by Broadway actors like Margo Channing.[7] When Eve is introduced to Miss Channing, she befriends the actress and the actress’s circle of famous friends. But Eve’s “innocent young fan” appearance is actually just an act. In the months that follow, Eve maliciously destroys Channing’s career, and takes center stage on Broadway for herself. And in one scene, Eve reveals why she’s done this. After a director admires how actors work so hard for so little, Eve responds: So little? So little did you say? Why, if there’s nothing else, there’s applause. I’ve listened backstage to people applaud. It’s like…like waves of love coming over the footlights and wrapping you up. Imagine, to know every night that different hundreds of people love you. They smile, their eyes shine; you’ve pleased them. They want you. You belong. Just that alone is worth anything. There is something that many of us want above anything else: attention, status, prestige, or applause. And we often pursue identities which we think will give us those things.

In the movie “Rocky,” Rocky’s girlfriend asks him why it is so important for him to “go the distance” in a boxing match. His answer? “Then I’ll know I’m not a bum.” Rocky found his identity in the status that would come by winning boxing matches. Similarly, in the movie “Chariots of Fire,” one of the main characters explains why he works so hard in preparation for running the 100 yard dash at the Olympics. He says that that when each 100 yard race begins, “I have ten lonely seconds to justify my existence.”[8] His identity was wrapped up in running the race because he believed the race might justify his existence, it might give him status.

In light of this, Paul points the Corinthian Christians and us back to baptism: 10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas “; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Cor. 1:10-17 TNIV) Paul points to baptism because in all this identity-seeking and status-seeking we’ve forgotten who we became in baptism. Paul reminds us: through baptism God gives us our greatest identity—that found in the name of Jesus.

Because baptism was such an important part of the spiritual experience of these Christians, they almost naturally assigned great importance to the person who did their baptizing. Paul does mention that he did baptize Crispus and Gaius and Stephanus. But though Paul did baptize them, his focus was more on preaching than baptizing. Paul’s statement in 17 is not meant to minimize the importance of baptism. It should be seen as something similar to the way that Jesus criticized pious acts like prayer and giving in Matt. 6 or the Old Testament prophets criticizing temple worship and fasting in places like Is. 1 or Jer. 7.[9] The problem wasn’t the act itself. It was the way in which the act was being done. Paul says what he says about baptism because these Christians were assigning too much importance to the ones who baptized them.

What Paul wants them to understand is that when they were baptized, they were baptized into the name of Jesus. These Christians are all concerned about the names of Paul, Apollos, Peter—names they hope to associate themselves with and thereby gain status. But they’ve forgotten that at their baptism, God associated them with the name of Jesus—the greatest, grandest, highest, and most renowned name of all names. At baptism their identity became wrapped up in the name of Jesus. Here they are trying to gain an identity connected to names like Peter, Paul, and Apollos. But they’ve forgotten that at baptism they got an identity connected to a person far above those three—the person of Jesus.

In the movie “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” Larry Daley is a night guard who follows some of the artifacts from his museum as they are transported to the Smithsonian in Washtington, D. C. Once at the Smithsonian, all the artifacts come to life, including a 3,000 year old mummy named Kahmunrah. Kahmunrah hopes to open the gates to the underworld, unleashing its supernatural army. He sees himself as a king above all kings. Not everyone, however, gives that status to his name. Here’s a clip in which Kahmunrah tries to explain who he is to night-guard Larry Daley. Kahmunrah had a name which he thought would bring him renown. But it did not. Often we strive for names and identities which we think will bring us renown. But we’ve forgotten we’ve already been given the name above all names—the name of Jesus. There is no name with greater renown. 

CNN once carried the story of Wilfredo Garza. [10] For more than 35 years, Wilfredo lived the life of an illegal immigrant. Year after year, he crossed the border from Mexico into the United States—some days finding work, some days not. He was caught by the Border Patrol four times and bused back to Mexico each time. The cycle would likely have continued for years if not for an amazing discovery. One day, Wilfredo walked into an immigration lawyer’s office. There, he found out that his father had actually been born in Texas and that he and his son Wilfredo were actually U. S. citizens. All these years Wilfredo believed he had one identity—and that caused him to live in fear and anxieity. But in fact, he had a completely different identity—one that opened up a whole new way of living. Too many of us live as if we have one identity, an inferior identity, one that gives us fear and shame and anxiety. But in fact, through baptism, God’s given us a new identity. He’s given us the name of Jesus , his own son, the greatest identity ever given to a people.

William Willimon writes about a young friend named Clayton who was asked what he wanted for his five-year-old birthday party.[11] Clayton responded, “I want everyone to be a king or a queen.” So Clayton and his mom went to work creating silver crowns from cardboard and foil, purple robes from crepe paper, and royal scepters made of gold-painted sticks. On the day of the party, as each young guest arrived, they were given their crown, their purple robe, and their royal scepters. Each was dressed as a king or queen. Everyone had a great time. After eating ice cream and cake they had a royal procession up and down the block. That evening as Clayton’s mother was tucking him into bed, she asked him what he wished for when he blew the candles out on his birthday cake. “I wished,” he said, “that everyone in the whole world could be a king or queen—not just on my birthday, but every day.” Paul is saying, “You’ve forgotten, haven’t you? You’ve forgotten that it’s possible for everyone to be a king or a queen. On your spiritual birthday, the day of your baptism, you became a king. You became a queen. You became associated with a royal name, the name of Jesus, the King of all Kings. And every day since that day, you have been royalty. Why would you seek an identity in anything or anyone else? Why would you strive for any other renown? You’ve already been given the greatest identity possible.

Each week in this series, I want us to make a confession and a pledge together.

Let’s say it together: I struggle with amnesia, but this week I will remember who I’ve become through my baptism. Remember that you’ve been given the greatest identity possible. You’ve been given the highest name available—the name of Jesus. So go, and live out that identity.

The good thing is to remain faithful to a difficult spouse. But the bad thing is that it may lead to months or years of challenging relationship work. The good thing is to discipline a child for a severe problem. But the bad thing is that it may lead to the child hating you. The good thing is to tell the truth on your IRS tax form. The bad thing is that could lead to you having to pay thousands in taxes. The good thing is to refuse to bribe or manipulate supervisors at work. The bad thing is that you may end up watching those who do bribe or manipulate getting the promotions. The good thing is making your Christian faith more than just “fire insurance” or about church attendance—making it something that impacts every facet of your life. But the bad thing is that this kind of Christian faith can get a little uncomfortable. Sometimes to do a good thing we have to suffer bad things.

There is a letter in the New Testament devoted to this very issue: 1 Peter. Our preaching apprentice Josh Ray is preaching out of 1 Peter on Sunday nights and will be preaching out of 1 Peter next Sunday morning. And one of the things you’ll hear this morning and next Sunday morning is this notion of suffering for doing good. Josh will be challenging us in this area next Sunday morning. I want to explore specifically what Peter writes about this in connection with baptism. Our text this morning begins in 1 Pet. 3:17: 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Pet. 3:17 TNIV). First, Peter states the obvious: if you are suffering bad things, it had better not be due to the fact that you’ve been doing bad things. If you’ve been busy hurting others, or lying, or stealing, or gossiping and are now suffering as a result, you’re just getting what’s coming to you. Peter says if you are suffering bad things, it better not be due to the fact that you are doing bad things. But second, Peter states there may be times when God wills that you suffer for doing good things. In other words, sometimes in order to do what is right there’s going to be risk, there’s going to be cost, there’s going to be a price to pay.

And it’s for this very reason that we don’t always do the good thing—because we don’t want to suffer bad things. I’m sure you remember the horrible pictures that flowed out of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.[2] One of those prosecuted for abusing prisoners was Lynndie England. There were scandalous photos showing England smiling next to abused prisoners. A judge asked her about the photos. How could she have done such a thing? And England explained that when her fellow soldiers first asked her to pose for the photos she said “No way.” She knew it was wrong. “But,” she told the judge, “they were being very persistent, bugging me, so I said, ‘OK, whatever.” She gave in to the peer pressure and agreed to the photos. The good thing would have been to at least refuse to be in the photo if not blow the whistle on the entire scheme. But the bad thing was that she would have had to endure rejection from her fellow soldiers who were bugging her to be in the photo. And in the end, she just wasn’t willing to suffer the bad thing in order to do the right thing.

Some parents don’t want to face the rejection of their child for punishing the child, so they don’t punish, they don’t do the right thing. Some spouses don’t want to endure the difficulties of keeping a marriage together, so they bail, they don’t do the right thing. Some employees don’t want to suffer the lack of opportunities that only come to those who bribe and manipulate, so they start bribing and manipulating. Sometimes we don’t do the good thing because we don’t want to suffer the bad things that happen for doing the good thing.

The Barna Group conducts research into the Christian faith of Americans. Earlier this year they published a piece in which they described the largest group of Christians in America. According to their research, two of every three adults in America are what they call “Casual Christians.”[3] The defining quality of Casual Christians is “faith in moderation.” Casual Christians are happy to practice Christianity, but only to a point. Their faith is one that is undemanding and one in which they never have to take difficult stands. It is the best of both worlds: it encourages them to be a better person than if they had not become a Christian, yet it does not demand any price. In other words the largest group of Christians in this country are those who fail to do the good thing because they don’t want to face any bad things. It’s those unwilling to risk anything for the sake of faith, integrity, godliness, and compassion. 

Perhaps with this very thing in mind, Peter tells us a story: 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body… (1 Pet. 3:17-18b TNIV) Peter tells us the story of a man named Jesus. And what he highlights is this:  Jesus was willing to endure bad things in order to do the good thing.  Jesus did the very best thing: he brought us to God. But in order to do that, Jesus had to endure very bad things: he was put to death in the body. He is the ultimate example of someone willing to pay the price to do what’s right.

And Peter could stop there. He could end the story right there, hoping that Jesus’ inspiring example will inspire us. But Peter doesn’t stop there. He goes on: 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 In that state he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built…22 [Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Pet. 3:17-20, 22 TNIV). This is a very difficult passage. Let’s walk through it slowly. First, Peter’s words that Jesus “was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit” refers to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. In Jesus’ crucifixion Jesus was put to death in the body—that was the price he paid to do the good thing. But, in Jesus’ resurrection he was made to live again under the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, in vs. 18 Peter tells us about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

In vv. 19-22 Peter then tells us what happened after Jesus was resurrected.[4] These verses are often misunderstood.[5] First, some view these verses as a reference to Jesus, after his crucifixion but before his resurrection, going to Hades and preaching to the souls or spirits of people who had been disobedient during Noah’s day. But the reference is not to “spirits of humans” who disobeyed but to “spirits” who disobeyed. Peter’s not describing people in the days of Noah but spirits in the day of Noah. And, as I’ve stated, vv. 19-22 refer to events that happened after the resurrection. Others view vv. 19-22 as a reference to Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, inspiring Noah so that Noah could preach to disobedient people. Again, this fails to recognize that Peter writes of “spirits” not “spirits of humans.” It also fails to recognize that these “spirits” were “imprisoned.” Whatever spirits Peter is describing, they were imprisoned. None of the people in the Genesis account of Noah were imprisoned.

Here’s probably what Peter meant: Jesus, after the resurrection, preached to supernatural beings—spirits—who had been disobedient during the time of Noah. This agrees with texts like Jude 6 and 2 Pet. 2:4 which refer to fallen angels in Noah’s time. We don’t really know much more about these spirits than this. But here’s what we do know: Jesus died in the body—he paid the ultimate price to do the ultimate good. God then raised Jesus from the dead—Jesus was made alive in the Spirit. Then Jesus preached. The word “proclamation” can mean simply “to proclaim victory.” The resurrected Jesus proclaimed his victory.[6] And his audience included supernatural spirits who were part of the chaos that led to the flood. And as he proclaimed his victory over these spirits and all powers, he ascended to heaven, to God’s right hand. And now all angels, authorities, and powers are in submission to Jesus. In short, Peter says this: God saved Jesus from bad things. This is Peter’s complicated way of simply saying that after Jesus suffered the bad things for doing the good thing, God saved Jesus. God vindicated Jesus.

Here is a man who’s willing to do the right thing no matter the cost. So he does the good thing and winds up dead. But, that death was not the end. Those bad things he suffered weren’t the last chapter—because God raised this man from the dead. And then he placed this man so high that all bad things are now in submission to him.

What this means for Peter’s readers and us is this: Jesus suffered in order to do the right thing. If you want to do the right thing, you may also have to suffer. But, just as Jesus was vindicated over that suffering, so will you. God will grant you victory over whatever you suffer to do the right thing.[7] Just as Jesus was vindicated after his suffering, Christians who suffer for doing the right thing will also be vindicated.[8] In other words, God will save us from bad things. Just as God saved Jesus from the bad things he endured for doing right, God will save us from any bad things we endure for doing right.

What exactly does this mean? First, this means that God will bring those bad things to an end. Jesus suffered horribly for doing the right thing. But God brought that suffering to an end. He only allowed Jesus to remain dead for three days. After that, God said, “Enough!” He wasn’t going to allow the bad consequences of doing good to endure forever. In the same way, you can be sure that God will bring bad things you suffer for doing good to an end. He will not permit those bad things to afflict you unendingly.

The “Long Walk Home” is a movie starring Sissy Spacek and Whoopi Goldberg. [9] It tells of the relationship between a white housewife, Miriam, and her black housekeeper, Odessa. The movie takes place during the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Odessa, the black housekeeper, has to walk 9 miles to and from work because of the boycott. Miriam, the white housewife, begins giving Odessa rides. She defies  her racist husband and the White Citizen’s Council in order to drive Odessa twice a week to work. Then, she asks Odessa if she can participate in an underground carpool where people like Miriam provide other black women rides to work. Odessa warns Miriam that if she starts giving more blacks rides, the police are going to pull her over and ticket her. Odessa also tries to help Miriam see where all of this is heading. She asks Miriam, “And what about when it isn’t just the buses? When it’s the parks and the restaurants? When it’s colored teachers in white schools? How about when we start voting, Mrs. Thompson, because we are? And when we do, we’re going to put Negroes in office. What about when the first colored family moves into your neighborhood? You know, Mrs. Thompson, ain’t nobody going to think any less of you if we just turn around and go back to the house.“ The camera focuses on Miriam’s face. She looks worried as she contemplates all that Odessa has said. What’s going to lead a person to do the right thing in a situation like this, in a situation where many bad things might happen as a result? Peter hopes it’s this: God will save you from those bad things. He’s going to bring them to an end. They aren’t going to last forever. Whatever price you have to pay to do the right thing, you can be sure that price won’t be permanent. Just as God did with Jesus, God will bring those consequences to an end.

And perhaps even more inspiring is the second implication: Good will win out in the end.  Jesus took a stand for what was right. And even though evil seemed to win the day, good won the war. When the dust settled and the war was over, good won. God raised Jesus from the dead, Jesus preached his victory sermon, and he was placed as head over every angel, authority, and power. Good won out in the end.

Every time you stand for what is right, regardless of the cost, you can be sure of this: good will win out in the end. Every battle you engage in for truth, justice, righteousness, holiness, integrity, and love is part of a much larger conflict. And you can be sure that in the end good will win out. Peter wants you to know that every time you stand for what’s right, you stand on the winning side. No matter what the score looks like right now, at the end of the game, you’ll be on the winning team.

Bill is a former member of the Highland church. I’ve met him and been in his new home in Dallas. I visited his first wife in the hospital days before her death. When Bill was still in Memphis and at Highland he was the Chief Financial Officer of a major hotel chain. He was very talented. And he strived to do his job with the integrity that flowed from his faith in Jesus. I’m sure Bill encountered many moral dilemmas as a CFO. One of the worst, however, was when the leadership of the hotel chain proposed to bring in gambling. Bill was deeply convicted that this would be immoral. He knew the kinds of activities that grow up around gambling. He believed the right thing, the good thing, was to oppose the decision. And he did just that. In the end, however, his opposition cost him his job. And he couldn’t find another job in Memphis. In the end he had to leave his church and his friends and his city. He moved to Atlanta. He paid a high price to do what he believed was the right thing. But that’s not the end of the story. Years later I met Bill. Can you guess what he was doing? Over the years he had found a lot of work. He had become very wealthy. And now he was using his experience and wealth to help a ministry that was leading hundreds of people to faith in Jesus every year. God had completely vindicated Bill. The consequences Bill paid to take a stand were ultimately short-term. And, in end, Bill was on the winning side.

But here’s the thing: we tend to forget this truth. To help us regain our memory, Peter points us back to our baptism: 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 In that state he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Pet. 3:17-22 TNIV) The mention of Noah and the ark now gives Peter the opportunity to write about baptism. Just as Noah and his family were saved “through water” so these Christians have been saved through baptism. This saving did not happen merely because of the external properties of baptismal water—not the removal of dirt from the body. It happened because the baptism was accompanied by a particular attitude—the pledge of a good conscience toward God.[10] The word “pledge” may best be translated “answer” or “response.” Baptism is our response to God in which we pledge ourselves to him. And this pledge or response is to be full-hearted—from a good conscience.[11]

Peter’s point is this: through baptism these Christians have been joined to the resurrected and reigning Christ. Through baptism we become participants in the saving story of Jesus. Baptism is our gateway, our entryway, into the story of this Jesus who died for doing the right thing but then was vindicated. Baptism is how his story becomes our story.

Baptism reminds us who we’ve become. And who have we become? Through baptism we’ve become members of God’s winning movement. The story of Jesus is the story of God once and for all beginning the end of the suffering that righteous people endure and ensuring that good wins out in the end. And when we were baptized, we became part of that movement. When Peter says baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus, he’s drawing attention to the way in which baptism incorporates us into the victory of Jesus’ resurrection. What Jesus experienced we will now experience. Through baptism we become members of God’s winning movement.

June 6, 1994, was the 50th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy.[12] T he major TV networks ran programs that included interviews with aging veterans. One program paired two contrasting interviews. The first interview was with a marine who had landed on Omaha Beach. The veteran recalled looking around at the bloody casualties surrounding him and concluding, “We’re going to lose!” The next interview was with a U.S. Army Air Corps reconnaissance pilot who had flown over the battle area. He viewed the carnage on the beaches, but he also witnessed the successes of the marines, the penetration by the paratroopers, and the effectiveness of the aerial bombardment. He concluded, “We’re going to win!” When we do the good thing and end up suffering, it’s easy to conclude “I’m going to lose. I’m going to lose.” But Peter points us to the resurrection of Jesus and our baptism which connects us to that resurrection. Peter wants us to remember the victory that resurrection represents. He wants us to remember that our baptism ensures our own victory. Rather than thinking, “I’m going to lose, I’m going to lose,” Peter wants us to think, “We’re going to win. We’re going to win.” Through baptism we all become part of God’s winning movement. And that makes it possible for us to pay any price it takes to do what’s right in any situation.

Each week in this series, I want us to make a confession and a pledge together.

Let’s say it together: I struggle with amnesia, but this week I will remember who I’ve become through my baptism. Remember that you’ve become part of God’s winning movement. Any bad thing you suffer for doing what’s right, he’ll bring to an end. Any good you do in spite of suffering is part of God’s movement that’s going to win out in the end. Remember who you are this week. Go and live out that identity.

And for those of you who may have never been baptized, I invite you to take that step today or this week. Enter into the victory over evil made possible by the resurrection of Jesus.

I like the way Carl Sandburg once put it:[1] There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud. Don’t you feel like that? There is a part of us that wants to be heroic, and godly, and courageous. But there’s also a part of us that wants to be selfish, fearful, and greedy. Even for us Christians, part of us still wants to wallow in the mud. Even we Christians struggle with sin.

One of the many sins I struggle with is anger. It’s such a battle that my own kids recently confronted me. One night at home a few weeks ago, Jordan and Jacob ganged up on me. “Dad,” they said, “you yell too much.” “No I don’t!” I yelled. “Yes, you do,” they replied. “You raise your voice too much.” And after some debate, I realized they were right. I do yell too much. I do raise my voice in anger too much. So, we agreed on a plan. Every time I yelled in anger I would pay my kids fifty cents. Our conversation ended and I thought to myself, “I can do this. This is going to be no problem.” But you can guess what happened, can’t you? The next day Jordan said, “Dad, you just yelled.” And sure enough I had. Fifty cents. The next day, “Dad, you just yelled.” Fifty more cents. This wasn’t as easy I thought. When we are honest with ourselves, we all struggle with sin.

This struggle is reflected in Romans. Listen to Paul’s words in Rom. 6:1: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (Rom. 6:1 TNIV). In chapter 5 Paul’s been writing about God’s grace. Essentially, he has said that when Christians sin God’s grace covers the sin. But this now leads some of the readers to wonder: does this mean I can just keep on sinning? Does this mean I don’t have to keep up my fight against sin? The question comes in the context of Christians who are struggling with sin but now wonder if God’s grace means they can quit the struggle.  

We find another struggle with sin in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In 1 Cor. 5:11 Paul writes about the following: fellow believers [who] are sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters or slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. (1 Cor. 5:11 TNIV). In other words, there are members of the church in Corinth who are still involved in sexual immorality, greed, idol worship, slandering, drunkenness, and swindling. Both in the Roman church and in the Corinthian church Christians were struggling with sin.

But when we are really honest with ourselves, we admit that not only do we struggle with sin. Many of us actually tolerate sin. It seems that the Christians mentioned in 1 Cor. 5 have intentionally turned back to these sins. It doesn’t sound like they are trying to be good, but failing. It sounds more like they’ve embraced these sins. And if we took the time to read the whole letter, we’d find the reason they are tolerating this sin is that this is what their culture does. They’ve gotten involved in the same kinds of sinful activities as the rest of culture.  Sometimes we tolerate sin because our culture tolerates it.

I’ve been in communication with a Christian man recently who is living with a woman he’s not married to. He told me he knows it’s wrong. But he’s not willing to give it up. And it occurs to me that one reason this man tolerates this sexual sin is that this what our culture does. Sex outside of marriage is so common in the media and in practice that it’s no wonder this Christian man tolerates the same sin in his own life.

But there are other reasons we Christians tolerate sin. Sometimes we tolerate sin because we believe our God tolerates it. That’s basically the issue in Rom. 6:1. Paul writes, Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? That’s apparently what some readers believed. They just kept on sinning because they believe grace just keeps increasing—God tolerates sin.

But there is a more fundamental reason we Christians tolerate sin. In both letters, Paul will point to baptism and say this: we tolerate sin because we have forgotten who we’ve become through our baptism. In both letters, Paul points Christians back to their baptisms to remind them who they became. Because if we really remember who we became in our baptism, we won’t tolerate sin in our lives.

Here’s what Paul writes to the Corinthians: 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11 TNIV). Paul reminds these Christians of the sin they were involved in before they knew Jesus. As we’ve heard in 1 Cor. 5 some of the Christians continue to engage in these sins. But now to empower these Christians to stop sinning, Paul points to their baptism. Even though Paul never uses the word “baptism” in this text, most believe this is what Paul is describing. And Paul uses three words to describe who they’ve become through their baptism: washed, sanctified, and justified.

Who have they become through their baptism? They’ve become people once muddy, now clean. They were washed, implying they were stained. Before they knew Jesus, they were involved in behavior that was “dirty.” But that dirt, that stain has been washed from them. That’s what happened in their baptism. They are people once muddy, now clean. And the “so what?” is this: why would a clean person want to get muddy again? If your identity is wrapped up in the word “clean” why would you want to get involved in anything contrary to that identity?

One summer we visited Kendra’s parents at their lakeside home in Brownwood, TX. Kendra’s Dad had a pile of dirt near the house. Jacob and his cousin Conner, about five at the time, spent the whole week in that pile of dirt. They’d play for a while in the dirt, get filthy, and then jump in the lake. Not long afterwards, they’d be back in the dirt, getting filthy. That may be OK for little boys. But it doesn’t make sense for followers of Jesus. We’ve spent enough time playing in the dirt pile in. Through our baptism, Jesus and the Spirit have washed us. Why would we return to the dirt? We are people once muddy, now clean. That’s our identity.

Second, Paul reminds them they’ve become people once common now holy. Paul writes that they’ve not only been washed through their baptism, they’ve also been sanctified. The word “sanctified” literally means to be made holy. The word “holy” carries the idea of being set apart for sacred use. For example, in the temple there were vessels that were sanctified—they were set apart for use only in the temple. You wouldn’t find a priest taking tongs his family used to tend the fire in their home and then using those tongs to tend the fire at the temple. In the Old Testament there were “common” objects and “holy” objects. Common objects were used in everyday life. Holy objects were set apart for use in sacred activities.

Paul is saying that through your baptism you became a person once common now holy. Through your baptism God set you apart for sacred purposes. You’re no longer on this earth for common purposes. It is God’s intent to use you for the kinds of things that are truly divine. For example, in my house we have three kinds of plates. First, we have paper plates. Sometimes we use them for lunches. Or if I have to scoop up a dead bug, I might use one. Second, we have our regular plates. We use those most days for most meals. But third, we have our nice plates. We set those plates apart for times when we have guests or family over. Similarly, when you were baptized you went from paper plate to nice plate. God set you apart for very special purposes. And the “so what” is this: why would you return to common purposes? When we tolerate sin in our lives it’s like going back to paper-plate status, or, for that matter, toilet-paper status. Why would we do such a thing? We are a people once common now holy. That’s our identity.

Third, Paul reminds them that they’ve become people once guilty now innocent. Not only were they washed. Not only were they sanctified. But they were also justified through their baptism. This word “justified” refers to the verdict of a judge. Through our baptism Judge God declared us “innocent” even though our sin made us “guilty.” He could do this because Jesus took our guilty sentence upon himself. Our guilty status became his and his innocent status became ours. For this reason, at our baptism, God could declare us “innocent.”

Last Christmas, my mom and step-dad were in town and we took them to Shiloh, the Civil War battlefield. On the way back as we passed through one of the small towns where the speed-limit drops quickly, I failed to notice the change in the speed-limit. And sure enough, a cop caught me. I was guilty and ended up paying an expensive fine. But what if the police officer had walked up to me said, “Sir, you were speeding. But I tell you what…I’m going to pay this fine for you. I’ll mail my check but have it applied to your account.” I would have been shocked. Even more, I would not have sped again. After something like that, how could I speed again? Through your baptism God declared you to be a person once guilty but now innocent—because Jesus applied his death to your account. After something like that, why would we ever want to tolerate sin? It goes against all that we are.

Paul provides two more images in Rom. 6: 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin…22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:1-23 TNIV).  

Paul uses at least two images in this text about baptism. First, Paul reveals how they’ve become people once alive to sin now dead to sin. Paul writes that we died to sin (2); we were baptized into Jesus’ death (3); we were buried with Jesus through baptism (4); we were united with Jesus in his death (5); we were crucified (6); and we died (7). Paul is saying that through baptism our break from sin was so radical it was as if we died to that sinful way of living. We died to that life and have been raised into a different life. And we simply cannot return to that other life.

I read about a woman in Nashville, TN who was accidentally declared dead.[2] The problem started when someone else in Florida died. But rather than that dead woman’s Social Security number being typed into the records, a typo was made. And the Social Security number typed into the dead Florida woman’s records was the Social Security number of a very alive Laura Todd back in Nashville, TN. And this created all kind of trouble. Todd tried to refinance her house and SunTrust called and said, “Your credit report says you’re dead.” She sent in her tax return to the IRS, but the IRS wouldn’t process it—their records showed that she was dead. Her bank closed her credit card account and sent a note of sympathy: “Please accept our condolences on the death of Laura Todd.” Laura Todd was just trying to live the life she had always lived, but she couldn’t because everyone kept telling her she was dead. When we tolerate sin in our lives, we’re like Laura Todd trying to live life like we always have. But Paul is saying, “You can’t do that. You’re dead. When you were baptized you died to that life.” We are people once alive to sin now dead to sin.

Second, Paul reminds them that through their baptism they’ve become people once enslaved now free. Paul writes that we should no longer be slaves to sin (6); that sin once ruled us (6); we have been set free from sin (7); and that freedom leads to holiness (22). Paul is acknowledging that there is a power to sin. And once we give in to it, sin enslaves us. And it is a cruel master. It will not stop until it destroys us and anyone around us it can. All that mess going on right now around Mark Sanford the governor of South Carolina demonstrates this. Over the years Sanford gave in to sin and had inappropriate relationships outside of marriage. Then he gave in and started a long affair with a woman in South America. It led him to skip out of town and visit her and no one in South Carolina knew where he was. Suddenly his family is shattered. The national Republican Party is reeling because they thought Sanford might make a run for the presidency. And the South Carolina government and people are dealing with the consequences as well. Sin is a cruel master.

But through baptism God set us free from that enslavement. That doesn’t mean we don’t still struggle. But it does mean that through that water God liberated us from that master. And the “so what” is this: Having been set free, why would we return?

The movie “Blood Diamond” tells of the turmoil of Sierra Leone’s civil war in 1999.[3] Ruthless gangs would kidnap children and enslave the children in their armies. At one point in the movie, Dia Vandy, a sweet young boy, is taken away by a merciless military leader. Dia is forced to kill and rape and murder. Toward the end of the movie, however, Dia comes face to face with his father. His father has been declared an enemy and Dia raises his gun to murder his father. Solomon, the father, say: “Dia, what are you doing? Look at me. You are Dia Vandy. Of the proud Mende tribe. You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. Your mother loves you so much. She waits by the fire making plantains and red palm oil stew with your sister N’Yanda and the new baby. The cows wait for you. And Babu, the wild dog who minds no one but you. I know they made you do bad things, but you are not a bad boy. I am your father, who loves you. And you will come home with me and be my son again.” Dia puts the gun down, and Solomon hugs him. Watch this clip: That’s what happened in your baptism. You were enslaved to a cruel master who led you to do bad things. But your Father freed you. Your father reminded you that you are his son. You are his daughter. And he wants you to come home and live with him. Why would you ever want to leave his loving hands and return to that merciless master of sin? You are a person once enslaved now free.

Each week in this series, I want us to make a confession and a pledge together. Here is it:

Say this out loud: I struggle with amnesia, but this week I will remember who I’ve become through my baptism. Remember this week that in your baptism you’ve become a person once muddy now clean; a person once common now holy; a person once guilty now innocent; a person once alive to sin now dead to sin; a person once enslaved, now free. So go live out that identity. And if you’ve not been baptized, come to the front and let us help you do that today. Let us help you experience cleansing, becoming holy, being declared innocent, dying to sin, and being freed from sin.

Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up and not know who you are? Can you imagine forgetting your identity? Perhaps you have experienced this, although not in a Jason Bourne way. For example, one Sunday in my Sunday School class we were sharing stories. One of our class members said, “When I was young, every time I left our house, Mom would say to me, ‘Don’t forget who you!’” Was Mom afraid that Susie was going to get to the neighbor’s house and suffer retrograde amnesia? No. She was afraid that Susie might get into a situation with friends and not act herself, not act like the little lady she is. Mom was afraid that Susie would forget that she is a responsible Christian young woman and ought to act as such.

Have you ever done or said something and then later exclaimed to yourself, “I can’t believe I just did that?! I can’t believe I just said that?!”? Why do we have that response? It’s because what we just did or said is not consistent with who we are. We momentarily forgot who we are and acted or spoke like someone we aren’t.  Last September I spoke for the 50^th anniversary of the church I used to preach at in New Mexico. As I prepared my speeches the campus minister from the church contacted me and told me that a leader in the church had just confessed to having an affair. When he told me the leader’s name, I couldn’t believe it. That’s just not who this guy was. I served with him for four and half years. He was a loving father, devoted husband, and tireless servant. All I could conclude is that for a brief moment, he just forgot—he forgot who he was. He acted like someone he isn’t.

This morning we begin a series which explores that kind of amnesia. In fact, it is a series which suggests that one of the greatest challenges we face in the spiritual life is amnesia. We leave the house and forget who we are. This is a series on baptism. But it’s not a series on why we get baptized. It’s a series on who we become when we are baptized. The majority of texts on baptism in the New Testament are written to Christians who have forgotten who they are and thus need a reminder of the identity given to them in baptism. It is my hope that this series will help us remember who we became in our baptism and equip us to live out that identity.

We begin with two letters from Paul that we might entitle, “Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Colossians” and “Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Galatians.”  Let’s begin with Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Colossians. Paul is writing to a group among whom insecurity has been growing. The insecurity is summarized by Paul in Col. 2:8:  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. (Col. 2:8 TNIV). The key phrase is translated “elemental spiritual forces.” The phrase refers to the polytheism of ancient Colossae, the city in which Paul’s readers live. Like a lot of cities in Paul’s day, Colossae was filled with people who believed there were many gods–polytheism. [2] There were local gods and national gods. There was a god for this and a god for that. Some of these gods were more powerful. Some were less powerful. When we think of the spiritual beliefs in Colossae, we might think of a ladder. A ladder has many rungs. Similarly, those in Colossae believed in many gods. Each rung represents a different god. A ladder has some rungs higher than others. Similarly, those in Colossae believed some gods were higher or better than others.

And it seems that someone’s been telling the Christians in Colossae that the Jesus they follow is fine, but there are some other gods higher up on the ladder to whom they also need to express devotion. If they want the full spiritual life, they need not only Jesus but some of the other gods who are on higher rungs. And this was creating uncertainty in the minds of the Christians. Here’s the uncertainty of Colossians: am I really at the top of the ladder? When I decided to follow Jesus, did I end up following the god at the top? Out of all the gods I could have followed, did I make the right choice?

In his book The Reason for God Timothy Keller shows just how contemporary this uncertainty is.[3] Keller, who started a church in New York City, has been asking people for two decades: “What is your biggest problem with Christianity?” Keller says that one of the most frequent answers given is this: the biggest problem with Christianity is its exclusivism. Keller tells of Blair, a twenty-four-year old woman living in Manhattan: “How could there be just one true faith? It’s arrogant to say your religion is superior and try to convert everyone else to it. Surely all the religious are equally good and valid for meeting the needs of their particular followers.” There is a strong opinion in American culture which takes the Colossian spiritual worldview one step further. In American culture, not only are there many rungs, that is, many gods. But, no rung is better than another. And if Christians claim that Jesus is better other gods, they are intolerant and closed-minded.

And in that kind of climate, we Christians wrestle with uncertainty. I’ve chosen the Jesus-rung. But was that the best choice? Was that the only choice? Are there better rungs? Are all these rungs just the same?

And to resolve the uncertainty in Colossae Paul points to baptism—not to argue they should be baptized again but to remind them that what happened in their baptism has a bearing on their current uncertainty. Paul changes their uncertainty into certainty by pointing to their baptism. Here’s what Paul says happened when the Colossians were baptized: 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you also were circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your sinful nature was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col. 2:8-12 TNIV). Paul associates baptism with circumcision. In baptism Jesus “cuts off” that part of us which has separated us from the top God of this ladder. Jesus removes it. Paul goes on to describe that “cutting off” as a “burial.” Through our baptism that sin-filled part of us is buried. It dies.[4] Finally, Paul says that through this baptism, Jesus resurrects us. Jesus raises us to live a new kind of spiritual life. And all of this was done by Christ, the fullness of the deity. Our only role in it was “faith”: through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Paul wants to remind us of this truth: If my relationship with God is like the ultimate ladder, I reached the top through trust. This is what happened when you were baptized. First, you were brought into relationship with the One who is at the top of the ladder. There is no one higher than Jesus. He alone is the fullness of the deity. There is no need for any other rung. Jesus alone is the gateway to a new way of life. And when you were baptized, you came into relationship with that One at the top rung. Second, the only thing required of you to enter that relationship was trust or faith—trust or faith that Jesus was the top rung. Everything that happened in baptism was Jesus’ work, not yours.[5] This whole relationship was brought about because of his work, not yours. All you had to do was trust. Thus, if my relationship with God is like the ultimate ladder, I reached the top through trust.

Paul is saying, “You have forgotten who you became in your baptism. You have lost your identity.” And what is our identity? Simply this: I have become a person secure in my relationship with God. Say that out loud with me: I have become a person secure in my relationship with God. I don’t have to worry any more about whether or not I’ve chosen the right God. I don’t have to worry any more about whether or not there are spiritual paths better than the Christian path. If my relationship with God is like a ladder, I’m at the top. There is no higher rung. There is no better rung. I expressed my trust in that when I was baptized. And nothing has changed. There have been no new gods to arrive on the scene since you were baptized. Jesus hasn’t lost any fullness of the deity since your baptism. That day you were baptized, you reached the top rung. You expressed your trust that Jesus, and Jesus alone, was Lord. And that day you became a person secure in your relationship with God.

Let’s move now to “Paul’s Letter to the Insecure Galatians.” The insecurity of these Christians is summarized by Paul in Gal. 2:16: So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Gal. 2:16 TNIV) There are preachers in the Galatian church telling people that if they want to have a compete relationship with God they need to observe the Jewish law.  Their sermons go something like this, “You’ve come to faith in Jesus. But if you really want to belong to God, you also need to be circumcised, observe our food laws, and observe these special Jewish holidays.” And these preachers were framing the issue in terms of family. We see a hint of this in Gal. 3:7: Understand then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Gal. 3:7 TNIV) Abraham was the revered father-of-faith in the Old Testament. God appeared to Abraham and promised to make him into a great nation. And it was Abraham’s descendants who eventually became the twelve tribes of Israel. In Jewish thought, the ultimate spiritual badge was to belong to Abraham’s descendants, to belong to Abraham’s family. What you needed most in your spiritual life was to belong to Abraham’s family. And these preachers in Galatia were sowing seeds of uncertainty. “Just because you have faith in Jesus doesn’t mean you are a part of Abraham’s family,” they were preaching. “If you really want to belong to Abraham’s family, you need to undergo circumcision.”

Here’s the uncertainty of Galatians: am I really in the family? If the spiritual life in Colossae can be represented by a ladder, the spiritual life in Galatia can be represented by a kitchen table and chairs. This is the family table. This is where the family boundary is defined. If you have a chair at this table, you are in. If you don’t have a chair at this table, you are out. And the preachers in Galatia were saying, “Your faith in Jesus doesn’t give you a place at this table. If you really want a chair, you need to also keep the Jewish law.” They were causing Christians to wonder: am I really in the family?

We don’t face temptation today to start practicing Jewish laws. But we do still wrestle with the uncertainty found in this question: am I really in the family? Have I done enough, have I been obedient enough, to deserve a chair at God’s table? Garrison Keillor tells imaginary stories of the folks of Lake Wobegon in his books and on the weekly radio program “Prairie Home Companion.”[6] The stories often feature the Lutheran church in Lake Wobegon. Keillor once told of Larry the Sad Boy. “Larry the Sad Boy…was saved 12 times in the Lutheran church, an all time record. Between 1953 and 1961 he threw himself weeping and contrite on God’s throne of grace on 12 separate occasions—and this in a Lutheran church that wasn’t evangelical, had no altar call, no organist playing “Just as I Am Without One Plea” while a choir hummed and a guy with shiny hair took hold of your heartstrings and played you like a cheap guitar. This is the Lutheran church, not a bunch of hillbillies. These are Scandinavians, and they repent in the same way that they sin: discreetly, tastefully, at the proper time…Twelve times! Even we fundamentalists got tired of him…God did not mean for us to feel guilt all our lives. There comes a point when you should dry your tears and join the building committee and start grappling with the problems of the church furnace and…make church coffee and be of use, but Larry kept on repenting and repenting.” There are some of us for whom our life is just like Larry the Sad Boy. We live with a constant sense of guilt and uncertainty. We’re never really able to take our chair at God’s family table because we’re always afraid we’ve never done enough, we’ve sinned too much, we haven’t demonstrated our worth to sit at this table. We live with uncertainty.

And just as he did in Colossians, Paul addresses uncertainty by pointing the Galatians back to their baptism. Paul changes their uncertainty into certainty by pointing to their baptism. Here’s what Paul says happened when the Galatians were baptized: 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal. 3:26-29 TNIV). The first and last verses are the most important: in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith..you are Abraham’s seed. To be “children of God” is to be in God’s family—to have a chair at this table. To be “Abraham’s seed” is to be in Abraham’s family—it’s to have a chair at this table. Paul is reminding the Galatians what happened in their baptism: they came into relationship with Jesus and Jesus made them children of God; Jesus made them Abraham’s seed; Jesus gave them a chair at this table. Here’s what Paul wants them to realize: If my relationship with God is like the ultimate family, I became family through faith. Paul writes, So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. The only things we had to “do” was to have faith that Jesus could invite us to this table. That’s it. That’s the only “work” required. Jesus did everything else. We didn’t have to go through circumcision. We didn’t have to obey Jewish food laws. All we had to do was have faith in Jesus.

And when we expressed that faith through baptism, we became clothed with Christ. To be clothed with Christ is to belong to Christ. Everything of his is now ours. And since he has a chair at this table, he is able to give us a chair. We are no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. That is we are no longer just defined by our race, our gender, or our occupation or income. We are now defined by one thing: we are in the family. That’s all that matters now. If my relationship with God is like the ultimate family, I became family through faith.

Paul is saying, “You have forgotten who you became in your baptism. You have lost your identity.” And what is our identity? Simply this: I have become a person secure in my relationship with God. God does not want us to live in a constant state of anxiety and worry that our spot at the table is in danger. The Christian way is not a way that says, “You’re place at this table will be reviewed each and every day. And if on Monday you read the Bible, you serve the poor, you tell the truth at school, and you pray for thirty minutes, you will still have a place at this table. But if on Tuesday, you don’t read the Bible, you don’t serve the poor, you entertain some unholy thoughts, and you lie to someone, your chair will be given to someone else.” Isn’t that how we sometimes feel? And Paul is saying, “You’ve forgotten who you became through your baptism.” When you expressed your faith in Jesus in baptism, Jesus made you a member of his family. And it had nothing to do with how good you were and how obedient you might be. It was all Jesus’ work. Paul is saying in language that is the strongest in the New Testament: “Don’t ever think that your place at this table has anything to do with what you do or don’t do. You got here by faith. And you stay here by faith. Remember who you’ve become in your baptism. You’ve become a person secure in your relationship with God.”

Each week in this series, I want us to make a confession and a pledge together.

Let’s say it together: I struggle with amnesia, but this week I will remember who I’ve become through my baptism. Remember that you reached the top through trust. Remember that you became family through faith. You’ve become a person secure in your relationship with God. Go and live out that identity.

And for those of you who may have never been baptized, I invite you to take that step today or this week. Enter into a new life with the God who is at the top of this ladder. And take your chair at God’s table. It’s all waiting for you. Just express your trust and your faith through baptism.

For example, before I was baptized I had engaged in vandalism and property destruction (I especially remember one night when a group of us rode around tossing rocks at people’s widows).  I had also engaged in sexually immoral behavior.  The worst Jordan’s ever done is fail to make her bed or get grumpy at her little brother.

Before I was baptized I had only attended church services for about a year.  I had not read a single entire book of the Bible.  I did not know anything about the Old Testament and very little about the New Testament.  Jordan, however, has attended church services and classes her entire life.  She’s read multiple books of the Bible.  She’s covered vast sections of the Old and New Testaments.

Our difference is, I think, well illustrated by John Mark Hicks and Greg Taylor in their book “Down to the River to Pray.”  They suggest that for some, like me, baptism is a U-Turn.  It represents a radical change in life-direction.  But for others, like Jordan, baptism is a Signpost.  It represents a significant life-moment when a person affirms their desire to continue moving in a certain direction: toward God.

I’ve had people in Jordan’s circumstance tell me they wish they had a U-Turn experience in baptism.  I, however, am grateful to God that Jordan does not have that experience but has instead been nurtured in faith each of her twelve young years and comes to baptism with so much more than I ever did. 

What’s your experience: u-turn or signpost?