KNOWING, THINKING, ACTING

Ephesians 4:17-32

Preached at Belmont Baptist Church of Broomall on August 15, 2010

What happened here (point into the Baptistry)? What did it mean to you (when you were baptized)? What did you expect? Some people just go through the motions, accepting it as a requirement for joining the church as if it were a club and baptism as an initiation rite. It happens more frequently that we would admit which is why pastors often refer to Baptism as people entering as dry sinners and leaving as wet sinners. But for you…what did it mean to you? What did you know at that time that led you to take that step? Why did you do what you did?

Outwardly, baptism is a symbolic act. We are not used to thinking of symbolic acts. For instance, in the Middle Ages some homes and most religious communities put a candle in the window as a symbol that this was a place of refuge where travelers could find rest and safety. Today, people put electric candles in windows—not to tell people that their homes are open for travelers. They simply use lights as decorations. A handshake used to be a symbol for showing that you were not hostile, but that you came in peace. Today, a handshake is just a routine—not a symbolic act. So what about Baptism for you? Did you just go through the motions? Or did it mean something?

From the very beginning of Baptists in England and Anabaptists on the European continent, they said that Baptism means something. It is a symbolic act, full of meaning that is the basis for and the beginning of our intentionally living a Christ-like life. Like this passage in Ephesians, Paul writes in both Colossians and Romans encouraging early believers to remember the steps they took in baptism and to follow up in their daily actions what they professed to do when they publically were baptized. So why did you get baptized? Do you remember? I remember clearly how my pastor, Rev. Neptune, explained that baptism was a separation from an old life to a new life—that when we go down into the water, we claim Christ’s death for our sins on the cross, that it is like we die and are buried in a watery grave, and then we are raised up to live a new life like Jesus’ resurrection life—a brand new life for God.

So what did you know when you were baptized? Historically, Baptists have said that when you are old enough to know what Jesus did in dying on the cross and being raised from the dead you are old enough to be accountable for your life before God. When you know that, you need to give your life to God and publically declare your identification with Jesus by being baptized. It all starts with “knowing.” That is also why throughout history the church has required those undergoing baptism to undergo instruction—catechism, if you like—so that they would know. In our scripture passage (verses 17 and 18), unbelievers are those who don’t know—their actions are built upon their thinking (futile thinking) which is because they don’t have knowledge of God (ignorance). But when you have knowledge of God, everything is different. That is the starting point of our faith—to know God revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

We in the modern church have really emphasized knowing. Our Sunday Schools are intended to help us learn the Bible stories and Bible truths. Bible studies, Bible memorization, Bible reading programs have all been part of our pietistic faith—helping us know more and more. And yet, knowing is not enough. Knowing should affect how we think and act. In reality, knowing doesn’t always affect how we think and act. I once saw a man striking a mowing attachment to a tractor with a hammer. As I got closer, I could see that there was a slip joint where the attachment fit onto the tractor that was tightened by bolts. After a minute, I asked the obvious: “wouldn’t it be easier to get a wrench?” To which the man replied, “Yes, but I only had this hammer with me and I would have to go back to the garage for my wrench.” What he knew didn’t affect his thinking or his actions.

Verses 20 through 24 begin to help us see the crux of the matter. Look at the emphasis: you did not come to know Christ that way (vs. 20), you were taught in him (vs. 21), you were taught to put off your old self…and to put on the new self (vss. 22-24). So what did you know when you were baptized? And how has that affected your thinking and acting?

I had a couple in one church where the husband traveled a lot with his job. They seemed to be a great couple with wonderful kids. He had gone to church occasionally but had never accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Shortly after coming to our church, he attended classes I held to prepare for baptism. But sadly, I learned later that it didn’t mean anything to him. He had earlier joined the Masons and saw joining church as just joining another organization. When he was out on the road, he continued his old patterns: he would see a woman, try to start up a conversation with her, develop a relationship which was strictly physical and, more times than not, was unfaithful to his wife. What he had learned did not affect how he thought and how he acted. As verse 23 says, he needed to be made new in the “attitude of his mind”—his thinking, and then put on the new self—a new way of acting because the old thinking and reasoning will always lead you the wrong way!

Some people may say “well, my affairs are my business and if I do something wrong I am only hurting myself.” But that is not true in the church. We need to follow what God instructs us in this passage because what we do eventually affects the community of believers. Verses 25 through 32 give some examples of actions that come out of knowing God. We need to speak the truth because it affects the whole Body of Christ. We will be angry at times—but we should never let anger take over our thinking because it will surely affect our actions—so don’t dwell on your anger. Get rid of it on the day it comes up in your life. Work not only to supply your own needs but also to share with others in need. Speak those things that will benefit others. (That is difficult for many people because we like to give a slant on what we say to make ourselves look good or others look bad.) Get rid of bitterness—thoughts that lead to hatred or revenge or alienation. Get rid of rage and anger—thoughts that lead from hatred and alienation to murder. Get rid of brawling and slander—of course, today Christians are good people who don’t brawl…but it is so easy to slander someone.

So how does what you know affect how you think and how you act? Do you know that in Jesus you are set free from the way of living that doesn’t acknowledge God—sin doesn’t have to control you any longer? Do you know that in Jesus you have a brand new life to live for God’s glory—you have been raised to new life? It is a life of kindness, of compassion, of forgiveness. We can relation to others in love just as what Jesus has loved us.

The story is told of a preschool teacher who saw one four-year-old hit another student. So she called the boy over and explained that he shouldn’t do that and he should go over and apologize—just say, “I’m sorry.” So she watched him go over and apologize. Hardly five minutes went by and she saw the same boy hit the same student again. She called him to come to her and asked him why he hit again. The boy replied, “It’s OK. I’ll apologize to him later.” What he knew was that he could apologize, and he thought that as long as he apologized later he could hit whenever he wanted. What he needed to know was that hitting was wrong, and apologize when he did something wrong and not hit whenever he felt like it.

When we know God, it should lead to godly thinking and acting. At your baptism, you publically said you know God through faith in Jesus. Let’s have what we know change how we think and how we act—both in the church and in our community.