Be Ye Reconciled To God
We have seen so far in this study that in order for one to be reconciled back unto God one must have his or her sins forgiven. We have seen that the blood of Jesus Christ is that which cleanses one from his or her sins. So the question is “How does one come into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ?” We saw last week that just belief only does not put one into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ. Coming into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ requires more than just believing or confessing in God or Christ. Is the answer, prayer, as some profess today? There are those who say that all you have to do is repeat a prayer that simply states that you are a sinner and that when this prayer is recited then your sins will be forgiven and you will be reconciled back unto God. So then, does simply reciting a prayer, acknowledging that you are a sinner put you into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ?
Let us take a look at this. Saul (later known as Paul) was in the beginning a very definite force against Christianity. To say that he persecuted the Lord’s way would be to put it mildly. At the stoning of Stephen, Saul was at center stage. Acts 7:57-8:3. “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” We can see that Saul was definitely not a Christian; in fact he fought against the Christian religion. Was Saul a sinner? Most certainly. Even Saul himself said this in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
As the life of Saul folds out before him there is a reckoning that takes place while he is on his way to Damascus. Acts 9:1-3 ”And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:” After the rebuke from Jesus, Saul asks this question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” The answer from Jesus was “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” So Saul went into the city and “he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.” However, the Lord also told Ananias, who he was sending to Saul, what Saul was doing “And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth.”
Notice, Saul was praying during those three days. I am sure that Saul was very sincere in his prayers but remember that Jesus told Saul that he would be told what to do. Saul’s prayers did not put him into contact with the blood of Jesus. Even talking to the Lord face to face did not put Saul into contact with the blood of Jesus. After talking to Christ, and even praying for three days, still didn’t put Saul into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ. Saul could not just simply pray unto God, confessing that he was a sinner and receive forgiveness of his sins. Christ told Saul that it would be told to him what to do in Damascus. Surely, if we could just say the “sinners’ prayer” then this is the time that Jesus himself would have told someone, especially Saul, to do just that. But scripture does not reveal this because this is not how one comes into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ.
In Saul’s retelling of his account in Acts chapter 22, he tells us just exactly what was told to him as Jesus had directed him. Acts 22:11-16 reads, “And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord’.” Did you catch that? “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins”. Baptism washes one’s sins away. That which puts me into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ is baptism. The blood of Jesus Christ gives forgiveness of sins. Baptism washes away sins; therefore in baptism I come into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ.
But someone will be quick to say that I didn’t finish the part about “calling on the name of the Lord”. To “call upon the name of the Lord” simply means to do something according to his authority. Jesus requires us to be baptized in order to have the forgiveness of our sins, and if I submit to that authority in baptism then my sins will be forgiven. Did Saul call on the name of the Lord? Yes. Jesus told him that he would be told what to do. Ananias told Saul to be baptized. Saul obeyed the message of Ananias from Christ. Look at Paul’s statements made in Romans 6:3-6: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” My symbolic death, burial and resurrection in baptism is what puts me into contact with the blood of Jesus Christ. In baptism I receive the forgiveness of my sins. I am truly reconciled back unto God in baptism. Have you been truly reconciled back unto God? Have you been baptized truly for the remission of your sins, or have you simply been baptized because your sins have already been forgiven in some other way?
Larry Bumgardner