Public Allegiance

By Ho Chye Hoi

Mark 1 : 4
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River.

Have you ever asked your father not to send you all the way to school or not come to some school event? Maybe he could just drop you some distance from the school gate? It is common for teenagers to feel embarrassed of their parents. It is hurting to parents, of course. But somehow the peer pressure or the social expectation - spoken or perceived - lead teenagers to behave thus.

The baptism of the people by John the Baptist was carried out as an expression of the confession of their sins. It was a public repentance of their sins before God and before other members of the public and friends. This showed that God intended that repentance of sins precedes forgiveness. Our salvation is made possible when we repent of our sins and trust the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross to atone for our sins.

We ought not be embarrassed or ashamed to be identified as believers who repent of our sins and who declare what the Lord did for us. We recall the verse that teaches that Jesus will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of Him.

In Luke 9, Jesus taught that
“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected ... and be killed” and that those who wants to be His disciples must take up the cross daily and follow Him. Then Jesus said (v 26) “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Taking up the cross and following Him is the expression of our repentance of our sins and acceptance of His redeeming grace. These are inseparable parts of our discipleship.

The Lord has suffered our shame and laid down His life for us freely and without us meriting it in the least. In return are we too ashamed to be associated with Him? Is this an embarrassment or inconvenience for us - compared to the promise of the love, life, freedom and weight of glory to come?

Will the Lord not be ashamed of us?

But the Lord knows our weakness and propensity to crumble even in our firmest resolutions. We are easily swayed by the values around us, shaken by perceived social expectations and distracted by our sinful pride and ego. To help us stand against the tide, He has given us His Word to instruct and transform our value system, His Holy Spirit to prompt, counsel and help us through challenging circumstances, and brothers and sisters in Christ -to encourage and hold us accountable.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank you for dying on the cross for our sins. May we never be ashamed of you or hesitate in our allegiance. Help us to be the community that study your Word diligently, that commune daily with you through your Holy Spirit, and that meet regularly for worship and encouragement. Lest we slip.

Amen