Matthew 4:17
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Everything on this site rests on something that comes before it. The books are about renewing the mind. This is about what the mind is being renewed toward, and how a person comes to be under the rule of the King in the first place.
The gospel begins with God revealing the King and His kingdom. That revelation brings understanding. Understanding calls us to repentance. Repentance turns us from our old way of seeing and living, and faith turns us toward Jesus Christ as Lord. And that response to the gospel also includes baptism.
Baptism is the public, obedient identification of the believer with the Christ whom God has revealed. It declares that I am no longer identifying with the old life, the old kingdom, and the old way of seeing. I now belong to Christ. Romans 6:3–4 pictures baptism as identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, while Matthew 28:19 places baptism directly within the making of disciples.
Acts 2
Cut to the heart
So when Peter preaches the gospel in Acts 2 and the people are “cut to the heart,” they ask, “What shall we do?” Peter answers, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” Revelation had come through the preaching of Christ. Understanding and conviction followed. Repentance was demanded. Faith turned them toward Christ. Baptism became the outward response of identification with the One they had now believed.
The movement of the gospel
Eight movements
1
Revelation
God reveals Christ and His kingdom.
2
Understanding
I understand what has been revealed.
3
Conviction
That truth exposes where I have been wrong.
4
Repentance
I repent and turn toward God.
5
Faith
I believe the gospel.
6
Baptism
I identify publicly with Christ through baptism.
7
Obedience
I begin walking in obedience to what God has revealed.
8
Godly wisdom
Living under the rule of the King.
Why baptism is not an afterthought
And that is important because baptism is not merely a church ceremony added later to the Christian experience. In the New Testament, baptism belongs to the response of discipleship. It is the believer saying publicly, “I have seen the truth of who Jesus is. I believe Him. I am turning from the old life, and I now identify myself with the King and His kingdom.”
That brings us right back to Jesus’ proclamation: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The King has been revealed. The gospel has been heard. The response is not merely to admire the message, nor merely to feel sorrow over sin. The response is to repent, believe, be baptized, and begin walking in obedient wisdom under the rule of the King.
Then the renewing begins
Obedience and godly wisdom are where the eight movements end and where the books begin. A mind that has been handed a new King still has to learn to think like it. That is the work every one of these books is about.
Living by the Word 