Thursday, January 21, 1999
Thursday, January 21, 1999
I by my works will show you my faith.
(James 2:18
NRSV)
The deacons undertook to solve the problem through diplomatic means. They complimented him
on his pulpit skills and suggested to him that he was such a natural preacher that they wanted to
try an experiment. They wanted to hand him a piece of paper with a scripture lesson on it just
before he stepped into the pulpit. "We believe that you're so good," they said, "that you can
preach a great sermon with no preparation at all--just that slip of paper."
What preacher could resist an approach like that? So, the deacons got busy searching the
Scriptures for a text which was totally unrelated to baptism by immersion. They selected the
opening verse of Genesis: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." There was
absolutely nothing in that text that had anything to do with baptism.
When they handed the text to him, the old preacher read it aloud three times. Finally, he turned to
the congregation and said, "If I remember geography right, the earth is one-fourth land and
three-fourths water. Water brings me to my subject for the day: Baptism by immersion." Broad
hints don't work with some people, do they?
Do we get the hint? Our faith is of no value unless we use it!
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA
Down South they tell about one old Baptist minister who preached every Sunday on baptism by
immersion. His folks agreed with his doctrine, but they were tired of hearing the same subject
dealt with every week.
Prayer: Dear God, I don't want a dead faith. Help me to find ways to put it to use today.
Amen.
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