Lesson Seven: Wash Away Your Germs
For 2019, our theme is “Take it Home”. The last Wednesday of every month we cancel service and encourage every family to have a Family Bible Study night. Here’s the Bible study we provide for each family.
BEGINNING TOPIC
Did you know that a century and a half ago people thought that you could catch a disease by a person’s bad odor? That theory wasn’t disproven until 1860 when Louis Pasteur discovered something he called “germs”. These days there is hardly a child that couldn’t explain what germs are, because these microscopic viruses are shown to us at a very young age. But can you imagine trying to explain what a “germ” is to an adult in the 1800’s?
Similarly, it can be hard to explain the microscopic scraps of sin that has left stains on our hearts. This plague of sin has eaten at humanity since the first fall of Adam and Eve. In fact, the Bible tells us that we are born with it (Psalms 51:5).
A quick wiping of the hands together may remove the obvious dirt, just as repentance may remove the obvious sin. But this is about the microscopic layer of sin that can only be removed by washing it away in the name of Jesus Christ. We’re discussing baptism.
HISTORICAL SETTING
In Acts 22, Paul is addressing an enraged multitude. He had been falsely charged with endeavoring to prejudice people everywhere against the Jews, the Law, and the Temple (Acts 21:28). Seizing the opportunity to speak to the crowd, Paul did much more than attempt to exonerate himself – he took the opportunity to preach his testimony.
First, he related the history of his early life, including the fact that he was a Jew by birth, and enjoyed all the advantages of a Jewish education (verse 3).
Then he confessed his dark past of persecuting the church. Not only did he throw men and women in prison for preaching about Jesus, he also assisted in the stoning of Stephen and possibly others (verse 4).
Paul, who was first named Saul before his conversion, set off on his next campaign to imprison Christians. On the road to Damascus, he recalled being engulfed by a bright light which caused him to fall to the ground. From that light, he heard the voice of Jesus calling him to preach the gospel (verses 5-10).
Blinded due to the bright light, Paul stumbled his way to a Christian in Damascus named Ananias. It is possible that Ananias could have been one of the Christians imprisoned by Paul, if it had not been for the Lord’s intervention. But now, Ananias is being used by God to pray that Paul would receive his sight again. As if scales fell off his eyes, Paul was miraculously healed (verses 11-15).
Ananias then commanded Paul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord. By doing so, Paul would wash away his sinful nature and the dark past of persecuting and murdering Christians (verse 16).
VERSES TO CONSIDER
Peter told us to “Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). The word remission means, “released from bondage or imprisonment.”
You cannot enter the kingdom of God without being baptized (John 3:5). The Bible is clear that without baptism, we cannot be saved (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).
The only baptismal formula that the Apostles used in scripture is in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:48; Acts 19:5). By being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, we are symbolically buried with Christ (Romans 6:4) and put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).
CONCLUSION
Washing your hands in the sink with soap can’t do it. Washing your hair in the shower with shampoo can’t do it. Washing your floors in the bathroom with bleach can’t do it. The only thing to wash away the spiritual germs called “sins” is being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.