Becoming the Body of Christ: an Ancient Promise, a Religion Birthed, then a Baptism by Fire!

This one is rather lengthy and for mature thinkers, but hopefully that's who you are!

While reading Galations this morning, listening to the struggles between Paul and Peter, two giants in the faith, I began the think more deeply about my own journey. As well, this journey we call Christianity, sadly now seen as simply another religion.

These "People of the Way" were fresh out of the Upper Room, apparently seen as radically different in how they approached life. It was in Antioch where they were first assigned the name, Christian. This better defined the "why" behind their beliefs. It was apparent that they had been with Christ and that Christ was in them!

I then began to think back to the basics of our Christianity. Long term, it was birthed out of a promise given to Abraham of a seed. Yes, as Paul describes it, singular, not because Abraham birthed only one son, as he birthed both Isaac and Ishmael.

The story is backdropped by an attempt at sacrificing his and Sara's long promised son, a humans attempt to please God.

His attempts failed, for at the last moment, a substitute ram was heard bleating, with an angel halting the knife in this fully committed father's hand! One can easily discern this moment as God's early staging of today's Christianity.

Then Moses, building upon the legacy of Joseph, both descendents of Abraham, crafts the next phase of this covenant. Moses providentially exposed to Joseph's thoughts while being raised in Egypt under the Pharoah. He was from the tribe of Levi, who was one of Joseph's brothers, all direct offspring of Abraham, Isaac, then Jacob, who was later named Isreal.

Can you see a pattern?

Abraham had earlier instituted the rite of circumcision as a means of setting apart his children to God. Now Moses would better craft the language of this covenant, receiving further inspiration and instruction after fleeing Egypt the first time. His rather dramatic calling out, was by way of a burning bush, at the age of eighty, which certainly gives me hope!

Humanity, at least in the geographic area surrounding the Middle East began to follow hard after the Mosaic Law, even the rite circumcision, though perhaps loosing the heart behind such ritual.

Soon, these nomadic Isrealites began to desire a king, an attempt to be like those whom they had witnessed while passing through various countries. No longer desiring to trust the called out ones, the priesthood established by the God who had provided for their needs in manna-like ways. They rather, prefered a King!

This then sets them on a journey with centuries of ruling monarchs, vascilating from those devoted to the God of Moses, as well as intermittently ruled by sons birthed into the lineage, some wretched, power hungry and more wicked than the kings who eventually carried them away to Babylon.

Yet, all along the way, prophets foretold of one who would come, a true deliverer, a Messiah. The prophets described with frustration how formalized religion had manipulated their covenant with God, the sacrifices and circumcisions now misguided, going so far as to languaged such as annoying to the God to whom offered!

Jeremiah's message was of impending divine judgment, forewarning of the nation's idolatry, social injustices, and moral decay.

Then comes the fulfillment of the prophet's word, but wrapped in a package quite different than the wrath they had hurled as from God. It was a babe born in Bethlehem, then later, the cousin of the Babe comes proclaiming an additional rite of spiritual passage, called water baptism.

This spiritual shift, the new baptism though offered by the maverick, John was an extrapolation of a Jewish ritualistic immersion practice offered in bathing areas during the Second Temple Period. Change was in the making!

John initiated his immersion rite in the Jordan, outside of the temple area, indicating a new order that was unfolding. His message stronger yet as he proclaimed, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

Though his cousin, Jesus, perhaps to the religious leaders even more lion-like than John, became to the masses as gentle as a Lamb. He would raise up a following of baptizers, although His personal baptism was a demonstration of obedience and humility. So much so that later, even John would later struggle over this kingdom strategy of meekness!

Jesus's true baptism would be an even deeper immersion of death, though raised up anew after three days. This would add a renewed meaning to what was behind this covenant of circumcision and rite of immersion.

Those men and women who had followed him would be instructed to gather again in the very upper room where he had held his foretold his death at his final supper with them. Jesus would become the singular seed of the covenant with Abraham, at least as Paul describes in Galations.

Still in keeping with the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs, fifty days would be allowed to pass after his Passover death, honoring the covenant made with Isreal, while opening to all, the Baptism promised by Cousin John. It was during the festival of Pentecost that the "baptism of fire" would descend.

Not only would they then be gifted with languages sufficient to share the gospel well beyond the geography of their once desired kingdom, but as well be empowered to perform the very works of Christ, thus the name assigned at Antioch.

Where am I going with all this verbiage and why? It occurs to me as I read Galations that we, at least within American Christianity, we may have gone the way of the disciples in Galatia, entangled again with the yoke of bondage (mere religion).

Could we now be in another transformational moment? Foreclosure was the term offered this Realtor on December 28, 2008, see photo above & book, entitled, Repo!

A return of the Body and her assets to their rightful owner?

Still called Christians, some fully immersed by way of baptism, others even circumcized (there were surprising medical benefits), we less and less fulfill the character of Christ as offered by the prophet Micah: "to do just, love mercy and walk humbly," let alone exhibiting the fire spoken of by cousin, John!

Paul might today say to us, that our profession of Christ, even our baptism "shall profit you little" if the life and works of Christ fail to manifest in our daily lives.

Those in Antioch saw more than mere professions of faith, the believers scattered after Stephen's stoning were into a new baptism, death if need be, demonstrating of a life change far beyond mere temple worship and a few slogans on the "t-shirts" of their time.

The very works of Christ were manifest, as opposed to some religious reinforcement of a Judaism now tweaked!

In today's case, tweaking religion for the sake of the industry of church can never fully provide the promise offered Abraham, nor moments of relationship with the I Am, as experienced by Moses.

Personal pursuit is the key to such truly transformational moments, as aptly witnessed across the millennia by way of ancient scripture.

The good news is that this is a progressive transformation still yet unfolding, leading toward the promise of a seed, a Body. One fully empowered, as the Christ again is become flesh, this time in us!

Yes, the Christ who first met in Abraham's tent, was at Moses's burning bush, and became flesh in Mary's womb. That Christ, alive and still present among us by the Spirit!

A new Baptism likely awaits us, if not a new understanding of what is meant by His reappearing!

Uhmmm?