Appreciating our baptism

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We watch spellbound as the magician, wrapped in chains and secured by padlocks, is lowered into a tall tank of water. The top is then closed and the magician’s assistant stands on top, draping the tank with a shroud of cloth, which she lifts above her head. After only a moment or two, the shroud is dropped and to our surprise and delight, the magician stands on top of the tank with his assistant now inside, chains securing her. This sudden, mysterious “exchange” happens right before our eyes. We know it’s an illusion, but how the seemingly impossible was accomplished is not revealed so that this act of “magic” can be repeated to the surprise and delight of other audiences.

Baptism of Christ by Davezelenka (2005). Creative Commons, used by permission. — *Baptism of Christ* by Davezelenka (2005). Used by permission, Creative Commons.

Some Christians view baptism as if it is an act of magic—at the moment one goes under the water, sins are washed away and the person is made new. But the biblical truth about baptism is far more exciting. It’s not the act of baptism itself that accomplishes salvation—Jesus does that as our representative and substitute. Nearly 2,000 years ago, he saved us through his life, death, resurrection and ascension.

It’s not in the act of baptism that we trade places with Jesus—exchanging our filth and sinfulness for his righteousness. Jesus doesn’t take on the sin of humanity each time a person is baptized. He did that once, for all, in his own baptism, life, death, resurrection and ascension. The glorious truth is that our baptism is a sharing, by the Spirit, in Jesus’ baptism! We are baptized because Jesus, our representative and substitute, was baptized for us. Our baptism is a sign and pointer to his. We put our trust in Jesus’ baptism, not our own.

It’s important to realize that salvation is not about what we do. As the apostle Paul wrote, it’s about Jesus—who he is and what he has done (and continues to do) on our behalf: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

With Holy Week only a few weeks away, thoughts of celebrating my baptism have begun to stir. The baptism I have in mind is more than my own in the name of Christ many years ago—it’s the baptism with which Jesus himself was baptized as the representative (vicarious) man I wrote about last week.

In his vicarious humanity, Jesus is the last Adam. As a human being like us, he was born, lived, died and was resurrected with a glorified human body and ascended into heaven. When we are baptized, we join Jesus in his baptism—his baptism applied to us by the Holy Spirit. In other words, when we are baptized, we are baptized into Jesus.

This baptism is fully Trinitarian. When Jesus was baptized by his cousin John the Baptist (see the painting above), the Trinity was present: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).

Jesus was baptized in his role as the one mediator between God and humanity. He was baptized on behalf of humanity, and our baptism signifies our participation in the full and vicarious humanity of the Son of God. Baptism has a basis in the hypostatic union through which God draws near to humanity and humanity draws near to God (hypostatic union is a theological term derived from the Greek word hypostasis, which describes the inseparable union of Christ’s divinity and humanity—making Jesus fully God and fully man at the same time). As Christ is fully divine and fully human, by his nature he draws God near to us, and us near to God. Here is how T.F. Torrance explained it:

For Jesus, baptism meant that he was consecrated as the Messiah, and that he, the Righteous One, became one with us, taking upon himself our unrighteousness, that his righteousness might become ours. For us, baptism means that we become one with him, sharing in his righteousness, and that we are sanctified in him as members of the messianic people of God, compacted together in one Body in Christ. There is one baptism and one Body through the one Spirit. Christ and his Church participate in the one baptism in different ways—Christ actively and vicariously as Redeemer, the Church passively and receptively as the redeemed Community.

When Christians think they are saved by the act of baptism, they are misunderstanding who Jesus is and what he has done as Messiah, mediator, reconciler and redeemer. I love the answer T.F. Torrance gave when asked when he was saved: “I was saved about 2,000 years ago in the death and resurrection of Jesus.” His answer articulates the truth that salvation is not in the experience of baptism but in the work of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. When we talk about our salvation, we are transported back in time to the moment in salvation history that had little to do with us, and everything to do with Jesus. It was the moment when the kingdom of heaven was inaugurated and God’s original plan to elevate us was sparked in time and space.

Though I did not fully understand this four-dimensional reality concerning salvation when I was baptized, it is no less real, no less true. The sacraments of baptism and communion are about Jesus uniting himself to us and us to himself. These grace-filled expressions of worship are not about our timing, but about what occurred in God’s timing. So whether we were baptized by sprinkling, pouring or immersion, the reality is what Jesus did for us all in his atoning sacrifice.

In GCI, we follow Jesus’ example and typically baptize by full immersion. However, that is not always possible—most prisons, for example, do not allow baptism by immersion. Also, many infirmed people cannot be immersed, and it’s appropriate that infants be sprinkled. Some humorously refer to Jesus’ encounter with the thief on the cross as baptism by “dry cleaning.”

Let me wrap this up with another quote from T.F. Torrance:

All this helps to make it clear that while baptism is both the act of Christ and the act of the Church in his Name, it is to be understood finally not in terms of what the Church does but in terms of what God in Christ has done, does do and will do for us in his Spirit. Its meaning does not lie in the rite itself and its performance, nor in the attitude of the baptised and his obedience of faith—even the secondary reference of baptism, by its nature as a passive act, in which we receive baptism and do not administer it to ourselves, directs us to find its meaning in the living Christ who cannot be separated from his finished work and who makes himself present to us in the power of his own Reality (Theology in Reconciliation, p. 302).

As I look forward to Holy Week and the celebration of Jesus’ passionate sacrifice for us, I find myself thinking fondly of the day I was baptized by immersion and how much better and deeper I now appreciate Jesus’ act of obedient faith on our behalf. My hope is that a better understanding that your baptism is a real joining with Jesus in his baptism will be a cause for celebration as you head into the Easter season.

Appreciating our baptism,
Joseph Tkach

U.S. pastors’ retreats

In 2015, GCI-USA is hosting retreats for lead pastors (and equivalent leaders) and their spouses. Doing so aligns with a primary goal Greg Williams (director of GCI-USA Church Administration and Development) set for the year—to facilitate closer relationships between pastors, and between pastors and denominational leaders, as the new regional structure is implemented.

Four pastors’ retreats have been held so far this year. The first was in Southern California (click here for a report) and three were held recently near Salem, Oregon; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Atlanta, Georgia. Each retreat focused on worship (prayer and singing), reflection on scripture, discussion and fellowship at meals along with relaxed conversation and solitude in the beauty of the retreat site.

Salem

The retreat near Salem, attended by 28 leaders from several Northwest states, was hosted and led by NW associate regional pastor Tim Sitterley. It was held at a Christian retreat center in the Cascade Mountain where GCI has held prayer retreats for 15 years running. One of the center’s leaders joined the group for opening worship and noted that he and his family had been praying for GCI long before GCI began meeting there 15 years ago. As a reminder that pastors run the risk of becoming ministerial “hat racks,” each participant came to Friday worship wearing a hat (see picture above). During prayer they removed the hats, symbolically setting down their titles and responsibilities for the duration of the retreat. Encouraged by prayer for each participant (see picture below), and guided by the words of Ephesians 4, the group picked up their hats on Sunday and headed back to their pastorates.

One of the highlights of the retreat was a ceremony in which Greg Williams commissioned Tim Sitterley as associate regional pastor (serving with regional pastor Lorenzo Arroyo)—see picture below.

Shreveport

The retreat near Shreveport was held at a Baptist camp and retreat center. Attended by 20 leaders from Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, the retreat was hosted by pastor Lee Berger and his wife Sue and led by regional pastor Ted Johnston. Time was devoted to getting to know one another since those attending formerly gathered in different districts. A highlight was the ordination of Kathy Houston as an elder (see picture at right). Kathy pastors the GCI church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She led the group in an “ice-breaker” discussion that was followed by a time of intimate sharing and prayer in small and large groups in which connections were made, friendships renewed, encouragement given and helpful advice shared (see pictures below). An emphasis that arose in the discussions was summarized by discussion leader, pastor Mike Booze, as “putting the communion back into Grace Communion International.”

Atlanta

The retreat near Atlanta was held at a Presbyterian camp and retreat center. Attended by 25 leaders from Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, the retreat was hosted by pastor Dennis Wheatcroft and his wife Sidni and led by regional pastor Ted Johnston. One of many highlights at the retreat was a discussion about rallying as a family of churches in support of pastor Rannie Childress who recently left his career with the State of Alabama to focus more of his time on developing the newly planted GCI church that he now pastors in Attalla, Alabama.

Comments

Here are representative comments from Salem-area retreat participants:

The prayers of blessing and encouragement we offered for one another and for other local churches capped the retreat wonderfully for me. It was three hours of divine communion with our Lord and with each other. During our time of prayer, the Spirit inspired me with these words, “Lord, open our minds that we can contemplate on your wonders and mysteries. Open our eyes that we can see that the fields are ripe for harvest. Open our mouths that we can praise you and proclaim the gospel. Open our hearts that we can love unconditionally. Open our arms that we can embrace all kinds of people.” – Dee Bulante

It was wonderful to become better acquainted with our fellow elders and to make new friendships. I used to feel intimidated around ministers, now they are all my friends and always show care and concern for individual members. Praise God for His grace and Love. – Jim Harries

I am still floating and full of the Spirit and treasuring every minute of it…what a blessing. – Anne Gillam

I enjoyed the fellowship, prayers and the worship more than I can explain. I wish we could have this kind of meeting every week. – Dan Winger

Journey with the Master

New Hope Christian Fellowship in Eagle Rock, California, recently hosted a Journey with the Master weekend attended by about 50 churched and unchurched teens and young adults, along with a score of older adults. The focus was to discover and deeply understand one’s identity in Christ.

Anthony Mullins, national coordinator of GCI Generations Ministries (GenMin), led the weekend using a guide for the first part of the four-part Journey with the Master, entitled “Epic Story.” Through a variety of speakers together with videos, conversation, games and testimonials, participants were helped to hear and reflect on what Anthony referred to as “the mind-boggling [epic] story that God is telling us.”

On the second day, everyone was invited to take a relationship styles assessment based on the book The Platinum Rule. The assessment shows not just what makes a person “tick,” but how they relate to others—helping them understand how God places each of us in the body of Christ to complement and work together. Along the way there was plenty of food, fellowship, and fun.

Many said they can hardly wait for the next part of the Journey! The older adults who attended were greatly encouraged by the variety and commitment of the youth who participated.

GCI-Philippines

Here are links to updates concerning a single’s event and reopening of a church in GCI-Philippines:

Joining Jesus in the Father’s mission

As followers of Jesus, our high calling and privilege is to join with Jesus in his continuing disciple-making ministry, which, through the Spirit, is fulfilling the Father’s mission to the world. The March issue of Equipper (https://www.gci.org/files/Equipper10.3.pdf) focuses on this topic, looking at its theological foundations and ministry applications.

You might also find helpful two articles that address various aspects of this topic:

Death of pastor’s son

We were saddened to learn of the death of Michele (Mike) Bertuzzi, 51 year-old son of deceased GCI pastor Bob Bertuzzi and his wife Coco. Mike died in a one-car accident late last Saturday night in Deltona, Florida while returning from visit with a long-time friend. He is survived by Kimberly, his wife of ten years, their son Robbie, several step-children, Mike’s mother Coco, and Mike’s sister Erin.

Bob Bertuzzi formerly pastored the GCI church in Orlando, Florida. Though they no longer live nearby, Coco and Erin often attend the Melbourne, Florida church. We extend to them, and all the family, our deepest sympathy.

Cards may be sent to:

Kimberly Bertuzzi
3464 Saddle Brook Drive
Melbourne, FL 32934

Coco Bertuzzi
2107 Hidden Grove Ln. Apt. 36A
Merritt Island, FL 32953