To ignore biblical baptism is to reverse the newness of the New Covenant. The problem addressed by Hebrews 8 returns, namely people claiming to belong to God without knowing Him. Today, people continue the pattern; they never fulfill God’s will for entering the spiritual kingdom. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they swell the ranks of the disobedient who will fulfill Jesus’ prediction.
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
“I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”
“Many” who use Christ’s name have never known Him nor entered His kingdom. Such a tragic deception can only happen to those unfamiliar with the New Covenant. For in the New Covenant “they shall all know Me” (Hebrews 8:11). Imagine the heartache of hearing Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from Me!”
The tragedy gets worse. Many non-Christians gain their idea of Christianity by watching ‘Christians’ who have no relationship with Christ. Bad examples and false teachings lead people away from Christ, not to Him (Acts 20:29 30; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:4). Here is an example: From the 11th century through the 13th century, soldiers called crusaders destroyed, looted, raped and committed atrocities, while claiming to honor Christ’s cross. Many still hate Christianity, not because of what it is, but because of what they think it is, as portrayed by European crusaders. History, both remote and recent, abounds with examples that prejudice the world against Christianity, causing them to reject Christ and His salvation. Many of these tragedies are rooted in errors about the biblical covenants. This is no small matter. It affects millions of souls in broader Christendom, and many more in the watching world.
The watching world rebels against what it thinks Christianity is.