“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his (own) father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters – [yes] and even his own life also – he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:25 AMP
Have you even wondered what the difference is between baptism by sprinkling or immersion? I used to wonder about that too. Some churches sprinkle a baby, child or even an adult. It is a ritual performed as a representation of being a believer and united with the Church. Parents dedicate their newborn baby and have it baptized because they believe the child can be assured of salvation and going to heaven when it dies.
Some churches only use immersion which they feel is the most accurate representation of baptism, taking John the Baptist’s ministry as example. They do not believe that baptism assures salvation but rather it is an outward sign of the individual’s inward faith that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. They believe that as the individual is dipped completely underneath the water it represents that they are dead in Christ and when they are raised out of the water then they are raised in Christ. These churches do not baptize infants because they feel that the person being baptized should be able to understand and make their own decision regarding accepting Jesus as their Savior.
Although I was baptized by immersion shortly after I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savoir I really did not give either form of baptism a thought until I heard these words a number of years later at a 12-Step meeting, “Half measures avail us nothing.” It seems to me that sprinkling is a ‘half measure’ and regarding anything to do with my relationship with God, I want it to be “all or nothing,” (to quote another euphemism.) The same could be said about our relationship with Jesus. Do We give Him part of ourselves or all of ourselves? We so quickly answer ‘all’ like good Christians should do but do we really give Him all? I like how Kyle Idleman puts it in his book, “not a fan”:
“…in Luke 14 Jesus defines the relationship by making it clear that if we follow him, we follow him and him alone. He won’t share us – not with money, not with a career, not even with your family…when Jesus explains that he will not share your affection or devotion, he isn’t just saying how he wants to be loved by you; he is making it clear how he loves you.” Then he goes on to give an example. “Let’s imagine that this week you walk into a restaurant and you see me sitting at a table having a candlelit dinner with a woman who is not my wife. You come up and confront me, ‘Who is this woman and what are you doing?’ I respond, ‘Don’t worry about it. I am on date with this beautiful lady tonight, but my wife knows that she always comes first.’”
Wow! Now that is a potent example, but sometimes we need to be hit hard with the truth. How serious is God about our relationship with Him?
“…for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,” – Ex. 20:5; Deut. 5:9 AMP
“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” –Deut. 4:24 AMP
“For the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God;” –Deut. 6:15 AMP
Believing in Jesus is not something to be taken lightly. God loves us fully and completely. He longs for us to love Him in the same way. “Half measures avail us nothing.” To become an “all or nothing” believer I find God calling me to give up some things. They are not ‘bad’ things, but they sometimes come first in my life. He loves me so and He does not want anything to separate us so He calls me to give them up. I choose to do so. I choose ‘all or nothing’. How about you? Are you willing to let him show you what has become more important to you than He is? Join me! Choose ‘all or nothing’.
