Wednesday, April 14, 2021
The phrase total dependence is redundant.
It could be said that there is no dependence that is not total. You cannot depend on something by half measures. Either you’re in or you’re out.
John’s baptism was with water, a declaration that the sinner engages repentance (that is, a turn). It is a desperate measure intentionally. Water baptism is entering into a fellowship of the awakened souls who understand their need for forgiveness; it is an appeal to heaven to make good on the promise that, to those who turn, there can be the remission of sin and the cleansing of the conscience.
Water baptism does nothing further, however. It is a symbol of spiritual realities.
John’s picture of the Christ in Matthew 3.11 shows us the Father’s intent. The washing we need isn’t anything water can do; cleansing the flesh isn’t enough. The flesh must pass through a more radical crucible. This is a gospel of death and resurrection; only fire will do.
That which is of the flesh is flesh; that which is of the spirit is spirit, and the destination of the flesh is the cross and the tomb and the regeneration of resurrection into everlasting life if we believe—and the second death if we refuse. Fire cleanses by consuming what can be—what was always intended to be—consumed. What it cannot consume, it purifies. This is the baptism Jesus came to deliver us with. And fire is an unequivocal thing. There are no half-measures when it comes to fire. Either we are in or we are out.
It is the same with dependence, which has nothing to do with us but everything to do with who it is focused on. And total dependence isn’t what eliminates our total depravity. Only the blood of Jesus works, and it washes us by heavy cost. It’s not like the elimination of our depravity is a meaningless erasure or a kind gesture. It cost Jesus everything. We must remember that our dependence doesn’t really do much. It is the correct response to the revelation of Christ, but Christ is the originator and destination.