A good friend of mine, Foy Forehand, was studying with a couple concerning the gospel plan of salvation. The wife had already been baptized but the husband continued to put it off. After Foy explained baptism he told the man, “Now my friend the monkey is on your back.” And the wife immediately responded, “And the only way to get him off is to drown him!” Though this is a humorous (but true) story it illustrates a profound truth. This article will examine a few of those truths.

• It is the job of the Christian to plant the seed. Notice 1 Cor. 3:6-8, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” Our responsibility is to take the seed (the Word of God, Luke 8:11) and sow it. Jesus said to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Some of us plant, others water but it is God who gives the increase. Our responsibility stops after the teaching. Now, as Foy would say, the monkey is on the back of the hearer.

 

• Once the seed is planted, and the gospel is heard, it is the responsibility of that individual to obey. There is no baptism by proxy. It is the responsibility of every individual to respond and be obedient to the message. There are two different responses that a man makes concerning the gospel’s plea. First there is the negative response which includes a noncommittal attitude like Felix responded, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you” Acts 24:25. Or the reaction of Agrippa, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” Acts 26:28. Paul had done his part and now the proverbial monkey is on their back. The second is the proper response. DROWN THE MONKEY! In Acts 2 the Jews were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. In verse 41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” They obeyed in baptism. The Samaritans were baptized after hearing “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” Acts 8:12. The Eunuch after having Jesus preached to him responded by asking, “See, here is What hinders me from being baptized?” Cornelius and his household were baptized. The Jailor from Philippi was baptized immediately. What does all of these individuals have in common, They all drowned the monkey

 

This expression of the monkey being on your back has to do with one’s personal responsibility to do what he knows he should do. Even as Christians we have the responsibility to know and to do good. If we choose to not do those things then we sin, James 4:17. If we know to do good then the monkey is on our backs to do it.