Almost Doesn’t Count

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. If I aim to make $100 for a task and make $99 instead, I did not fulfill my goal and, by definition, was unsuccessful. It seems harmless to negate or downplay the lack of success in most situations, but continuous celebration of the “almosts” can be suffocating. Accepting our shortcomings over and over, creates an atmosphere of decreased expectations. We lower the bars we set for ourselves and apathy sets in. Apathy is exactly what the enemy wants to see invade our culture.

Mark 8:22-25 tells the story of a blind man’s healing. “… and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.” Jesus attempted healing the blind man and in the next verse it says he could “see,” but not completely. This could have been an opportunity to celebrate an “almost,” but Jesus wouldn’t stop there. A full healing is what Jesus was after, so, “He put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”

Our Lord isn’t in the business of celebrating the almosts and is clear on His expectations of us. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His expectations of us won’t change, nor will His plan. His Word gives us two options for our future. We can fulfill His plan of salvation and live eternally with Him in the promised kingdom, or we can choose the unsuccessful path and spend eternity in torment with Satan and his demons. The almost won’t cut it when it comes to our salvation, and it is our job to make sure we understand what we are aiming for in order to be successful.

I felt led to write this blog post after watching an almost occur. Scrolling through Facebook a few days ago led me to watch a video of a baptism at a local church. Baptisms excite me. I love baptisms so much that I have been baptized three times myself. Just kidding. I have been baptized three times, because the Lord finally gave me a full revelation of His plan of salvation. My first baptism was a sprinkling as a baby. In my early 30’s after straying from church, the Lord guided me back and showed me the true definition of the word baptism (baptizmo) and it’s meaning to be fully emersed; so, I got emersed. At that point, I thought I was all good.

Then, the Lord gave me a deeper revelation. He used loved ones close to me that He knew wouldn’t celebrate an almost. He pressed me to search for truth and guided me to the pages of Acts. The church that baptized me the second time didn’t have a full revelation. Maybe they didn’t know better. Maybe nobody ever showed them the things I learned in those pages. Maybe they did know better and were just fine with celebrating the almost.

Matthew 28:19 says “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The video I watched the other day followed these words exactly, as did my second baptism. What they failed to understand from this verse is that Jesus was asking His disciples to go out and baptize in the “name.” Father is not a name, Son is not a name, and Holy Ghost is not a name. They are all titles. For consideration, even if Jesus wanted us to equate those three titles as names, then He would have said names instead of the singular word “name” that He did use. Well then, what is the name?

I challenge you to read through the book of Acts where the disciples took Jesus’ command of baptism and applied it. You won’t find a single baptism in the titles. What you will find is baptism after baptism in “the name of Jesus Christ.” Jesus is a name. Jesus is the name. Jesus’ name evokes power. Just before Jesus says baptize “in the name of,” He states in Matt 28:18 that, “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Without Jesus, you have no power. Without the power, you have an almost. An almost baptism isn’t what Jesus prescribed. After revelation, my third baptism was in the powerful name of Jesus. If Jesus says do it, I’m doing it. My aim is eternity with Jesus, and I will walk successfully on the streets of gold.

Lord, open our blinded eyes to clearly see Your plan of salvation. Lead us to a place of full submission to You. Open our mouths to share the revelation You have given us so that others can reach beyond the almost into eternity with You. In Jesus’ mighty, powerful, wonderful name.