First Baptism of the Year

A new brother who was introduced to me last year had once asked financial help from me while I was in Hyderabad. Out of care and concern for his need, I lent him the money he asked for, as he promised to pay back the day after when he would receive his salarly from the new job he just joined in a new city, Noida. he natively is from Korba, Chattisgarh. But when he did not pay back as he promised I doubted his genuineness. I was a little upset as I did not expect from a new brother whom I never physically met, yet started asking for money. Truth be told, I did not trust him at all, henceforth. In fact, I would not want to follow up on him unless the Lord specifically lead me so. 

Last week, when he came to Gurugram to visit a brother who introduced me to him, I was reluctant even to meet him as he already created a very negative image of himself to me. But still he is a new person, I should not expect him to be a good person either. When he did come I was taking my own time to meet him, infact, very reluctantly. I was also informed before that he was considering taking baptsim, but within me it was a "no no."

When I met him the first time, I kept all my perception about him beside and preached the gospel. A brother and I led him to read through the Mystery of Human Life in Hindi. I explained point by point with my brother translating into Hindi. After the gospel preaching, we all prayed toghter. I was impressed by the fact that he could pray smoothly unlike other new person. Deep within me I sensed that he actually belived into the Lord Jesus Christ as His Saviour and Lord. There was no iota of doubt about his faith despite his character.

Meanwhile, I had just read that the only condition for our salvation is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That being the case, I should not place any other conditon before him. Other changes expected in a person would be the result of salvation. The results do not preceed the salvation but follows it. Therefore, it would be wrong to judge a pserson by his deed rather than by his faith, lest I fall into the falasy of salvation by works. Since he was quite asssured of his fatih in Christ and even shared his testimonies of the Lord's healing and shepherding, he was indeed qualified to be baptised. But still I did not bring up the matter of baptism though in the reading there was a mentioning of baptsim. I still felt he should wait.

After our  gospel preaching and prayer, he himself asked for baptism. Immediately I asked him why he needed baptism. His reply comforted me so much. He replied that that Bible says it so; after beliving into Jesus Christ one needs to be baptised. Then, I helped him to see  more clearly that he needed to be baptised by leading him through Bible verses in Mark 16:16, John 3, Matthew 3, and Romans 6. After a truth lesson on baptsim, we all prayed for his baptism; he also prayed for his baptism. Later, after lunch we baptised him!

When the time came the Lord brought the right "fish" into the net of the church. Such case I cannot deny. Since it was the Lord who initaited this work, I simply had to obey. This brother has now become the first one to be baptsied in the church in Gurugram.

May the Lord grace us to shepherd him and make him a remaining fruit in the church life!