Evangelicals, Grace, and Baptism

https://www.christianpost.com/news/nfl-legend-jim-kelly-gets-baptized-god-changed-my-life.html

Alas, this story was troublesome on many points. A few things can be gleaned from it.

First, Kelly has been presented as a Christian hero for many years – and yet apparently he was never baptised? Once again, Evangelical confusion is on full display. No one seems to know what Baptism is for or why we do it. What does it mean? Apparently it's just an empty gesture or some kind individualised subjective experience – make of it what you will.

He has been through his share of trials to be sure and deserves some sympathy. A loss of a child and a battle with cancer are terrible enough – but even more difficult when you're a public figure. But that is and remains his choice.

His statements are telling. Aside from the highly problematic notion of a Christian NFL player – who obviously must miss a lot of church and is deeply invested in a corrosive cultural institution, he is quite open with regard to the fact that he doesn't really know much about the faith. He should be ashamed of this considering that he's been a professing Christian for decades. But once again, if this is the case why does the Evangelical community elevate someone like this and ask him to speak, lead, and inspire? Apparently he has nothing to say and should in fact start with a Christianity 101 class (as it were) – and that would include some teaching with regard to baptism and other things. I'm afraid Jill Kelly's explanations are (while perhaps better than her husband's) still wanting. And (it would seem) she's the spiritual leader of the family – another point of confusion and shame.

He has nothing worthwhile to say in terms of the faith and yet the Evangelical community in its desperation to claim celebrities puts forward Kelly and anyone else like him.

While I think some of the strict linguistic frameworks imposed by some branches of Calvinism to be beyond the pale of Scripture and in some cases unnecessarily restrictive – I will say the statements made by Kelly are disturbing and indicative (perhaps) of someone that has not really grasped the nature of the gospel and the meaning of salvation. His 'decision' language smacks of cheap grace and its consumer-style gospel presentation. Absent are the brokenness, repentance, renewal, and reconciliation that should characterize someone has gone through an adult conversion experience.

And what of his previous Christian status? Has this been wrestled with? Has something been repudiated? That was certainly the case with me. For years I had been led astray by the cheap grace and altar call-style system of the Fundamentalist and Evangelical circles I grew up in. I grew bitter and defeated and deep down knew that my understanding and status were superficial. Finally coming to the gospel and realizing that I had been deceived and harmed by a false system was overwhelming and transformative. My experience is not the standard but it leaves me wondering when I encounter conversions of the Kelly sort.

In terms of the gospel message – one does not find such language about 'the best decision I've made' in the New Testament and I would argue there's a reason for that. It smacks of the superficial and flimsy – which is in perfect keeping with typical Evangelical presentations and understandings of the gospel.

Frankly at this point in time I don't see a great deal of difference with the sort of Evangelical confession and the equally confused (but often sincere) expressions found in some conservative Catholic quarters. Baptismal Regeneration (as found in Romanism) and Decisional Regeneration (as found in Evangelicalism) are little different and the resulting tepid and confused Christianity is about the same.

His t-shirt Christianity and the 'Team Jesus' reference reminded me of someone I encountered recently while visiting a church. The guy was all zeal in a way that can be frustrating, encouraging and sometimes even convicting – all at the same time. He was bouncing around the place before the service got started with his 'John 3:16' baseball cap. Again, lots of zeal and energy and yet without knowledge.

And yet when I got home I found him on Facebook and discovered his Christianity to be little more than cheap grace operating within a FOX-Newsmax matrix and rather than Peter and Paul shaping his thoughts his real teachers are Levin and Hannity. His reading (or more likely non-reading) of the New Testament led him to a place in which the election was stolen, Christians are patriots and since the coup plotters are patriots – they are effectively persecuted Christians. And worse, Covid is fake and in fact it is the vaccines that have killed millions of people – never mind the fact that millions died before the vaccines went into circulation. And this only scratches the surface. Readers familiar with this trajectory will be able to add another dozen items to the list without me having to enumerate them. You already know what else he's caught up in.

I'm not saying this is Jim Kelly – I have no idea. The point is – cheap grace Christianity is quickly distracted, subverted, and manipulated. We see it time and again.

I sincerely wish Kelly the best and my purpose was not to simply criticize the man. I don't know him but I am troubled by the tone and ethos of American Evangelicalism and I fear it deceives a lot of people. I know I was one of them. I read this article and while I suppose I should rejoice, I'm afraid I winced and groaned internally. There's a danger in all this and some lessons to be learned.