Right way to die
Have you heard stories where someone doesn’t want to be baptized, hinting at injustice?
Our Soviet Legacy and War
Our culture was shaped by the Soviet occupation. Throughout the 20th century, Ukraine was absorbed into the Soviet Union for 70 years. Socialism and totalitarianism killed millions of people in our country and always aimed to kill hope—to kill faith. Churches and religious buildings were destroyed, and Christianity was banned. Believers were imprisoned. Faith in God was regarded as Jewish and Western propaganda by the state. Socialism became the new “religion,” where man was at the center. Like all false religions, it was a constant deception.
Therefore, after gaining independence, people in Ukraine did not all suddenly become believers. People did not believe in divine judgment. People had no hope for heaven. This is something new for many people. That’s why people in our country don’t seriously think about death until they face it. When we hear the tragic news that someone has died, or we attend a funeral, we reflect on our future. Usually, these reflections are much deeper than conversations on this topic at other times.
The Revolution and War in Ukraine
The revolution in Ukraine began in 2013, and the revolution brought conflicts and death even before the war. Then, in 2014, the war began. War means many deaths. But it is also a series of events when a large number of people experience something for the first time. For example, artillery—a terrifying weapon in the early stages of war. Then rocket strikes. White phosphorus. Giant killer drones. Missiles of different sizes and massive bombs. Drones with liquid metal and missile systems with liquid fire.
Every time we in our country learned about the existence of such things, it was through their hits on orphanages, residential buildings, schools, hospitals, shopping centers, and maternity hospitals—all bringing death. Each time brings horror and makes us all think it could happen to us. This thought makes people reflect on this topic.
Jesus on Repentance: The Urgency of Change
I want to share one of the passages we read to people who come to church and realize they need to change if they want to gain hope, but they hesitate and doubt.
“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.’”
— Luke 13:1-5
These were people who had not repented, yet they came with questions that today would be called “whataboutism.” When people bring up examples of nonexistent people on a nonexistent island or situations involving the death of children or situations like in this story when people die. In this case, something happened for the first time with them. The blood of sacrificial animals was mixed with the blood of the Galileans killed by Pilate. This was undoubtedly a new, horrifying event then, and people came to tell Jesus about it.
Worshiping God did not save them from the injustice of this world. The repentance Jesus speaks of is a baptism of repentance, where people change their minds and attitudes and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The Greek word “metanoia” did not imply saying any words to anyone. It did not imply regret. Regret or grief over what has been done leads to repentance but is not repentance itself. Repentance is not words of confession of sin.
As Christians in 1 John 1:9, we have the condition that it is important:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
— 1 John 1:9
Confession of sin is also not repentance. Repentance is action.
Repentance is Action, Not Words
“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
— Luke 3:3
Baptism of repentance—how can you see that a person has decided to change and be obedient to God? It is visible in their actions. Therefore, both in the times of Jesus and today—baptism is a baptism of repentance.
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
— Luke 3:8
We read that John calls for producing fruit in keeping with repentance. Essentially, most of us repent once, when we show our change of mind through baptism. Afterward, we can confess our sins, and if we walk in the light and have fellowship with other Christians, we can receive forgiveness.
The Greek word “metanoia” was understood as a change in thinking that leads to a change in actions and behavior.
Bearing Fruit of Repentance: John’s Instructions
Look at what John tells the people who came to be baptized with the baptism of repentance:
”‘What should we do then?’ the crowd asked. John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’ Even tax collectors came to be baptized. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’ ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.’”
— Luke 3:10-14
Does he tell them they need to confess their sins? Does he emphasize that they must be deeply sorrowful or cry sincerely? No. He tells them they must change their mindset and express it through fruits, which are visible in their changed actions when someone, being disobedient to God, obeys Him in baptism. When John was arrested, Jesus and His disciples continued preaching the baptism of repentance.
“Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.”
— John 4:1-2
Baptism of repentance shows that a person obeys God. They are ready to put on their new self. They change their mindset so as not to live by earthly desires.
Modern Doubts and Delay in Baptism
Have you heard stories where someone doesn’t want to be baptized, hinting at injustice? Asking how God will judge people or whether a good person might end up in hell.
We now face such situations when we read several verses related to baptism every Sunday. We have many people from different religious traditions. The most common beliefs are those connected to traditions of baptizing infants or religious groups that teach the sinner’s prayer or a prayer of repentance.
Let me give two examples in case any of my blog readers are unfamiliar with the teachings of Scripture.
Baptism According to Scripture
“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.’”
— Acts 2:38
“and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Peter 3:21
In the case of infant baptism, we explain to those who come to us that children cannot change their lives and bear fruit in obedience to God. Children cannot make guarantees of a clear conscience or promise to live according to a good conscience or ask God to cleanse their conscience or receive the response of a good conscience. These are all variants of the translation of the word ἐπερώτημα, and since you may use different translations, I have listed all the variations, knowing that a child cannot ask for a cleansing of conscience or promise it. Surprisingly, in the English language, in various translations, it is mostly translated either as a request or a guarantee, while in Slavic languages, it is usually translated as a promise.
In the case of the prayer of repentance or the sinner’s prayer, a person believes that after the prayer, their sins are forgiven, that they have received the Holy Spirit, and that through this prayer, they now have a clear conscience or have promised to live in such a way that their conscience remains pure. When such a person is baptized, that baptism is no longer for the forgiveness of sins, to receive the Holy Spirit, or to promise to live with a clear conscience or have the guarantee of a clear conscience from God before Him. It means that this person is not a saved believer who needs to be baptized for the remission of his sin, receive guarantees of a clean good conscience, and receive a Holy Spirit. But it takes so much courage to admit that you’ve been fooled, or you fooled yourself.
In such situations, people tell their modern version of the story of Pilate and the Galileans to avoid baptism. What might our response be when someone hasn’t had the opportunity to be baptized with the baptism of repentance? Or as we would translate Acts 2:38 literally: “Change your mind” or “Come to your senses” and be buried for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
Jesus’ answer in Luke 13 is: if you do not change your attitude toward obedience to God, you will likewise perish.
And He gives them an illustration:
“Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?” “Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”’”
— Luke 13:6-9
A Final Warning: Repentance is Urgent
God has a reason for our existence. God did not allow the person who thinks he can decide for himself what is good and evil to live forever (Genesis 3), but at the same time, God initially wanted to live together with people. The gift of life is mercy. And in Ukraine now, there is a kind of Russian roulette where people don’t know if they will wake up in this earthly life or not.
God commands everyone to change:
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
— Acts 17:30
Paul writes about this in more detail:
“By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 6:2-4,6-8,18-23
We can see here that “change” = repentance.
I was able to finish this post because we had a very loud missile strike. And it’s a reminder that if people do not change to righteousness and obedience, they will perish in the same way. It was the same with the waters of the flood, in Sodom, and during the 40 years in the desert.