There is a very obvious sense that all time is to be used to God’s glory and so no time can be ‘Christian’ or ‘not-Christian’ time. A Christian is called to honour the Lord all of the time.
Nevertheless, how we use our time speaks volumes about our heart, maturity and spiritual progress. In Redeeming the Time, we explored what it looks like to not pass our time as the world does but instead to redeem it and use it for noble things and purposes.

Time is so important. Next to life itself it is the greatest gift. How we use it reveals who we honour, determine our spiritual health and chart the course of every other area of our life. Here I mean Christian time for ways in which we overtly spend our time engaged in public means of grace: weekly, monthly and yearly (there is of course daily too: personal and family reading of Scripture, prayer and singing).

(*What follows are the main public meetings of the church that we should intentionally build into our lives and is expressed in our church covenant pledge, “to attend all public meetings of the church.” 3.5). 

Monthly: Each month we also have the monthly corporate prayer meeting. While we pray together in other ways, this is an opportunity to gather expressly to pray for the life of the church and revival, etc. This is rooted in Acts and has a long history in our Reformation movement. It is when the church not only worships but prays together that you can see her heart (and her heart is in turn transformed in a common experience). A praying church is always a growing church.
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Yearly: Our quarterly members’ meetings are our opportunity to not only gather in fellowship (and usually teaching and singing) but to discern God’s will for our church. As elders-led congregationalists this is very important. We want to hear from and help our elders. We want to discuss the largest matters facing our church. We want to hear and discuss things together before the Lord, our head. As members of a local body it is vital that all members gather under Christ to discern His will.

These are the appointed main public gatherings of our church, which we should prioritize to attend regularly before we consider other ministries. (We should also have at least one area of the church in which we are serving). When we ‘seek ye first’ (Mt 6:33) God’s kingdom and righteousness in these ways, our week, month and year have a solid foundation from which to do other things.

Other: Once we are engaging in the basics then ask, what other time might I have to devote to other ministries. Maybe a receiving ministry (e.g. a special teaching event)? Maybe a  giving ministry (serving at King’s Kids)? Maybe one that gives and receives (like discipleship at a Life Group. We also need to be free to have enough time to respond opportunities to help others, invest in relationships or speak with those interested in Christ as they arise

Yet when we are redeeming the time and our Christian time is firmly rooted, we won’t have less time but the Lord will anchor and bless us so that we still have time for other things (c.f. Mt 6:33).  
How do you spend your Christian time? Please prioritize our morning and evening worship gatherings, our monthly prayer meeting and quarterly members’ meetings and build upward from there as you are able. 

Every believer receives the promised gift of the Holy Spirit at their conversion. The Spirit is given as a gift when they turn from sin and trust in the Gospel (Acts 2:38).
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Consider the following verses:

• Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. Ro 8:9b
• For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. 1 Cor 12:13a (note the synonymous use of baptism with conversion)
• In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Eph 1:13
• Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Gal 3:2–3 (v. 27 mentions baptism in the spirit as a synonym)
• These and many others represent being ‘baptized in the Spirit,’ which outwardly is followed by the ordinance of Baptism (Mt 3:11; Acts 1:5; 1 Cor 12:13)

But what about verses that seem to suggest a second experience (sometimes called ‘baptized in the Spirit’).[1] Here a simple principle of hermeneutics is most helpful. The principle is this: understand the less clear in light of the clearer. The clearer is that believers receive the Holy Spirit at conversion.

• Acts 2 is not normative because it was part of the inter-covenantal period and bore witness that the promised Holy Spirit had come. (Tongues passages also need to be understood in their context of real languages).
• Acts 8 is marked by tongues again as proof that salvation had broken a barrier and gone to the Samaritans.
• Acts 10 is again marked by tongues as proof that salvation had broken yet another barrier and gone to the Gentiles.

Do we all need to be baptized in the Spirit? Absolutely! And we are when we believe the Gospel! Like Acts 2:41–42+, this is progressively evidenced by new love for God and others (especially believers), a desire to grow in holiness, employing gifts for service, etc.

But what about experiences that look like a second experience? Someone’s spirituality that looked like a flatline and then suddenly, it spiked. How do you explain that? Sometimes it is in fact a nominal Christian being converted and at other times it is a sudden leap in Christian maturity.
What is clear is that all believer’s receive the Holy Spirit at conversion and then go on being filled with the Holy Spirit throughout their Christian walk (Eph 5:18).


[1] This theology also produces a Christian caste system not dissimilar to Catholicism (laity, clergy, saints). However, there are two types of Christians just those at differing level of maturity. 

This is a most important question given the importance of this ordinance/sacrament.
There is a spectrum of responses (Baptist context):

What does God’s word say?
Acts 2 is helpful. Peter preached the Gospel (Acts 2:38- repent and be baptized…). A great number responded and believed (Acts 2:41a-So those who received his word). Those who believed were baptized by immersion (Acts 2:41b) and consequently joined the church as members (Acts 2:41c- and there were added). Baptism is the Christian rite whereby someone visibly becomes a Christian member of the Church. Subsequently, baptized believers of the Jerusalem church partook of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion (Acts 2:42- They devoted themselves…to the breaking of bread). The meaning of the ordinance is connected with its order. The rite of entry is a prerequisite for the rite of participation. This is why our Statement of Faith says “in the following order.”

Being a baptized member is part of what it means in 1 Cor 11: 27- in an unworthy manner. Participating would be doing something reserved for believers who have been baptized and are in fellowship with the church. We wait until we’ve been baptized and then partake.

Yet there is still another layer of examination that would fall under ‘an unworthy manner’:

1. Unforgiveness with your brother or sister. Mt 5:23–24 says, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
2. Unconfessed personal sin (not the public kind that could be addressed). 1 Jn 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Why does it matter?
When communion is observed, we are not only remembering and communing with one another, Christ is present with us spiritually. While a joyful time (1 Cor 11:24) it is a solemn time.

Paul tells us to partake in “an unworthy manner” will make us “guilty” and so we should “examine” ourselves lest we bring “judgement” upon ourselves, including ill health (1 Cor 11:27–31). Jesus died for sin, therefore sinning while partaking invokes judgement.

Paul deals with a number of other practical matters in 1 Cor 11. Here are some others.

We observe the Lord’s supper the 1st Lord’s Day morning and the 3rd Lord’s Day evening; all members are encouraged to attend (indeed should attend whenever the ordinances are observed).
The Lord’s Supper is done together (“I commend to you…when you come together” [plural], 1 Cor 11:17). If we are ill/housebound and cannot attend the officers of the church delight to bring the Lord’s supper to homes and hospitals.

Sometimes, sadly, the elders may withhold communion from someone if they are under discipline (but haven’t been removed from the church). This is a sorrowful thing, for they are then cut off from experiencing the blessing of Christ.

Some churches ‘fence’ the table, doing something so that only those who they believe make partake actually do. We do something different. I clearly say who we believe it is for and then leave it to the persons conscience before the Lord. If they drink unworthily, they have chosen to drink judgement. We fence the table through words.
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Thus, who may take communion?:
To summarize:

• A believer in the Gospel;
• Who has been baptized by immersion;
• And who is a member in good standing of their church (not perfect, but persevering in the faith toward the goal, i.e. is demonstrating the fruit of faith); and
• Who has no unrepented sin.

Continuing in our series on our church covenant (find earlier blogs here and our actual covenant here), we press into 1. 3.9:

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Saviour, to secure it without delay; and

Fellowship is actively sharing in the common Christian life; life with the Father, in the Son, by the bond of the Holy Spirit.

The imagery of the church as a body can be both skeletal (institutional) and fleshly (relational). Here in our covenant we commit to four very fleshly things—what it looks like to watch over—or actively prefer each other. The final point wraps up the totality of the covenant.

1. Prayer. We think about and remember to pray for those whom we love. We do this not only corporately but also privately. We should feel covered in prayer.
2. Help. We help those—benevolence—who are in need. Whether they have been sick, lost a loved one or a job, etc. We’re practically there for each other as a body and member-member. We should have to turn away help.

     3.Speech. Speech reveals the heart. Do we have compassion and understanding toward others in        the above situations? We should. Not only this, do we convey it. We should be so encouraged by         words and actions we doubt no one’s heart.
     4.Relationships. We’re fellow sinners and so some thick skin is needed. However, if we’ve caused         offence we ask for forgiveness and should be quick to offer it. The closeness of our relationships        should cause others to desire to join us (Zech 8:23). 

These, any everything in our covenant we should be mindful, or aware of, and do without delay. Like Josiah discovering the law, if we discover that Jesus requires something of us toward our brothers and sisters—do it. Let us have humble hearts that are every growing in a knowledge of God’s will such that we are ready and willing soldiers.