WHERE THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE – Part 2.
Author: Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
In my previous writing I began with explaining about the man on the cross who Jesus said the following to:
LUKE 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Let me first say something about the Christian baptism.
Concerning baptism, Jesus personally gave us the following instruction:
MAT 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
MAT 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Take a look at how His disciples proclaim and accomplish this instruction after only three years of training:
ACTS 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
As a child I was baptised. I was catechized and confirmed but when I repented, I felt that I must do the adult baptism. Because, according to my understanding of the Word, it is the desire of our Lord, that someone who accepts Him as Redeemer and Saviour, those people him/her must be baptised and it is our Lord’s desire that this is a decision that must be personally undertaken, if I am capable to do so and that I do it unashamedly.
Then also – All the people that Jesus called to Him while wondering here on earth, publically He called them and they, who accepted Him, had to publically take the steps to follow Him or not. Further Jesus says the following of His followers:
ACTS 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Did you see?
Jesus does not say that I will maybe or possibly be His witnesses. He says that all His children will be His witnesses.
For me my baptism was on Wednesday evening the 25th April 1973 the first step of my obedience and the beginning of the execution of my witnessing for Him.
Yes, for me baptism is a communication/explanation/statement/declaration publically to all people, spirits and forces:
“In this representation of the funeral of the old me and the raising of the new me, I give witness:
“I believe:
• That Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.
• I believe that He was buried.
• I believe that He rose from the dead.
• I accepted this Jesus, God who became man, as my Lord and Saviour.
• The old Sakkie is now dead.
• I am a new, blood washed, child of God and a disciple of Jesus Christ.”
ROM 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Now let us return to the original question.
On more than one occasion I have received letters where, for example, parents have shared their concerns about their children who do not want to follow/serve our Lord and they are very afraid that their children or a loved one will enter eternity without Jesus.
I myself have loved ones who I know that have not made right with our Lord and it seems that my speaking about it just seems to make the situation worse.
Now there are some of my loved ones that I now cannot even talk to them about our Lord, because it leads to unpleasantness.
Jesus did not do miracles in certain people’s lives who knew Him very well because these people used their own free will with which our Lord had created them to ignore/not listen to Him:
MAT 13:57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.”
MAT 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
That is why I do not talk to those loved ones in my own life about their way of life regarding their kind of life style anymore, but there are two things that I do and will not stop by the grace of our Lord and what I would encourage you to do as well and never quit and in this the converted criminal’s life and death on the cross is a wonderful incentive:
• Let us never stop showing through our own life style (the way we live and love) to our loved ones that do not want to listen to our words and in such a way ‘preach’ to them.
• Never stop praying for them.
How appropriate is that saying:
“Where there is life, is hope.”
Look at this criminal –
Look at how late it was in his life.
He was not only sentenced to death – he was already executed.
There is an English saying which says:
“He is a dead man walking.”
This man was already, you can so to say:
“A dead man hanging.”
Everything that was required to be done so that he paid with his life was already done.
In this life we will never know what transposed between this criminal and Jesus during the hours they hung on the cross but the Word tells us that the one first insulted Jesus and then as I have shown you, accepted Him as his Redeemer and Saviour and then his last hour before his death heard these wonderful words:
LUKE 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
So, continue to proclaim to your loved ones who do not want to listen to you but do it through your life style.
As an example of what I am saying I quote 1 PETER 2:21 but from an older translation (King James Version KJV), because in this case I think it says it better:
1 PET 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
The following is from the New International version (NIV):
1 PET 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
In belief continually pray for them. Because the following was written for us:
COL 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Concerning our own life style through which we preach to the people around us – we must always keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ our Lord:
HEB 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Greetings,
Sakkie