As usual I’m up late at night picking theological “fights” with people I don’t even know. On this particular night the lucky blogger was Pastor Leo Acosta from Miami, Florida. Mr. Acosta (and his friend Mike) has been more than friendly toward me as I “gently” challenged his view that Christian Baptism is a “mere symbol” of the inward reality of the Christian experience of conversion. In his post my interlocutor espouses a traditional Baptist view regarding the meaning of baptism, and for his kindness and humility I am thankful.
Pastor Acosta asserts:
Christian baptism is, according to the Bible, an outward testimony of what has occurred inwardly in a believer’s life. Christian baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Read his short post on the meaning of baptism, along with the following interaction and debate as I argue for a stronger and more scriptural view of baptism and tell me what you think. Pastor Leo’s post can be seen here.
Thanks for weighing in.
Time magazine has listed “The New Calvinism” as on the “top ten ideas changing the world right now.” The New Calvinism was listed third. It is encouraging to me to see an article such as this for various reasons. Primarily, It shows that this “new” group of “young, restless, and reformed” Christians is making an impact (for better not worse) on the culture around them. Also, it points to a resurgence of Christian theology in the life of the church. Even a Time magazine author can see the lack of biblical truth in many moderns movements and point out “Evangelicalism’s loss of appetite for rigid doctrine — and the triumph of that friendly, fuzzy Jesus.” Third, Time magazine offers a warning (albeit unwittingly) to these New Calvinists, namely that they should be careful of pride, arrogance, and ”classic protestant backbiting.” It is encouraging to know that the Reformed movement is large enough within the modern evangelical church to get the attention of a largely secularized syndicate.
“Its too bad Christianity is not true.” That is what Scott, a highly educated, relatively wealthy scientist with multiple degrees from multiple universities said to me as we talked about Jesus over lunch. “It would be the greatest thing to have ever happened in the history of the world,” he said, “if only it were true.” Due to his presuppositions about the universe there was no room for God in Scott’s thinking. He wished it were true, but knew that it was not. At least that’s what Scott wanted me to think. I don’t know, he may have actually believed that what he was saying accurately pictured the desires of his heart. Somehow, I don’t think that Scott’s “wishful thinking” was really rooted in a clear understanding of who Jesus claimed to be. What Scott did not say is that he wished Christianity were true so that he could give his whole life to Christ, be ridiculed by the scientific community, lose all his prestige and money, and perhaps even die on the mission field someday. He did not wish for that. So, what is it about Christianity that Scott wished to be true? 
I actually like this message (although I wouldn’t really put it on a church sign). This message actually states a truth that more churches need to follow. Jesus is the Head Pastor of all our churches and we are simply serving as under-shepherds to His greater headship. When we begin to see the church for it what it really is then we will have more awe and reverence for the Bride of Christ. The ideas of “casual” worship will leave our vocabulary because we can never come before the Righteous King with a casualness. This does not mean we have to wear specific clothes or say certain words but it does mean that our hearts should be bowed before Jesus. 
