Lecture 1 | How To Receive Jesus Christ?

First Lecture
How To Receive Jesus Christ?

Many people love Christ and want to live according to His commandment and receive Him in themselves. But they either haven’t found anyone to hand them the key to the right path or have been given a key whose teeth are broken and do not open the way that leads them to receive Jesus’ salvation, the grace of the new nature, and eternal life. For example, preachers told them to believe and don’t doubt that Christ came to die for their sins. So they believed in Christ’s death and resurrection, but despite this faith, they did not overcome the bondage of sin and its temptation that dwells in them. Another example is that they said they would receive the new nature when get baptized, but after being baptized, they could not get rid of the bondage of sin and its slavery as they told them. These preachers did tell them the truth in the Gospel. However, still, they did not give them the way they must walk through to receive eternal life, ready to receive the new nature, become a temple of God, and be indwelled by Christ in the Holy Spirit, who conquers all the chains of the devil and saves them from his death and destruction.

The beginning starts from the sin that dwells in us and must come out and be replaced by the new nature. Let us see what the Early Fathers of the Church, who were the first to receive the faith from the Apostles, did before they baptized anyone. St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote twenty-three lectures given to catechumens in Jerusalem, being prepared for and after baptism. When we read these lectures, we see clearly that baptism is a great event that happens in a true believer’s life, and it is not just a ritual to be done to become a Christian but a crucial step in his life. Before getting baptized, he must go through six stages, including learning what baptism is, training to live a pure life, exorcism of all unclean spirits, confessing all the sins, repentance, and finally, making a covenant to live in Christ and Christ in him. All this may take at least six months and sometimes extend for three years. Whoever adheres to these stages advances baptism. Unfortunately, these days we have lost all these procedures that prepare us to receive Christ in us in baptism. As for baptizing children, we have lost the best man who spiritually cares for the child and disciple him. 

If you want Christ, then there must be a person who has Christ in him to covey and transfer the light and life of Christ to you. You may ask me why I do not receive Christ directly from Him. My answer is this is the New Testament. There must be a body of Christ with members, and their head is Christ. And this has a significant meaning to communion in the body of Christ, I.e., the church. Christ Himself did not baptize Cornelius( Acts 10) but sent His angel to tell him to go to Peter, and Peter baptized him. Also, the Lord did not baptize Saul (Acts9) but sent him to Hanania to baptize him. So no one can baptize a person unless he is a member of the body of any church. The priest authorized to baptize believers must have Christ in him, and his life testifies to this to transmit Christ to them. This priest teaches and prays with the believer to deliver him from all the bondages of the evil spirits to prepare him for receiving the eternal life of Christ and the grace of the new nature in baptism. You may tell me that many believers were baptized and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit though they did not do all these steps. Yes, that’s right, and that is why there are many believers and ministers whose lives do not witness receiving the new life and the power of resurrection, and they are often stumbling blocks for people with their deeds and decisions.

Any believer about to be baptized must be ready to receive Jesus’ transforming life and His overcoming power over all evil sins. How do I get prepared to receive Jesus’ eternal life in baptism? In one sentence, the answer is to give up everything in your life against Christ and His commandments. Doing this proves that you sincerely want the life of Jesus to be in you. First, your will must choose Christ and align with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Second, when the priest prays for your deliverance, you must also pray for Jesus to release your bondage of sin.

May our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ make us worthy to receive His holy presence.

Amen