Sunday, September 24, 2006

Is Baptism A Necessary Part Of The Gospel? Part One

Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
Is Baptism A Necessary Part Of The Gospel? Part One

Before begin study in this lesson I would like you to note that where the scriptural text appears it will be from the ASV, being the more literal translation, will be used in order not loose scriptural meaning. Now let us begin.

Following Jesus without denominationalism begins by heeding the call of the gospel. For the Lord "calls" us through His gospel - 2 Th 2:14 “whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” As we respond to the call, the Lord Himself adds us to His church (His "called-out" group of people), not some man-made denomination - Ac 2:41 “They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.”, 47 “praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.”

In the previous lesson, I presented the gospel of Christ as containing "Facts" to believe:
1) Jesus was crucified for our sins
2) Jesus was raised from the dead
3) Jesus is exalted as king and savior
4) Jesus is coming again
I presented the gospel of Christ as containing"Commands" to obey:
1) Believe the gospel concerning Jesus Christ
2) Confess your faith in Jesus as Lord
3) Repent of your sins
4) Be baptized for the remission of your sins
5) Be faithful unto death
I presented the gospel of Christ as containing"Promises" to receive:
1) The remission of sins
2) The gift of the Holy Spirit
3) The gift of eternal life
In most cases, I have found that there is very little exception taken to the above, save for one thing: the suggestion that baptism is a necessary part of the gospel of Christ. Many people have a problem with the idea that baptism is for the remission of sins; they believe Baptism has nothing to do with God's plan of salvation. They believe to suggest baptism is necessary is to deny we are justified by grace through faith. They believe to teach baptism is for the remission of sins is to teach a salvation by works, not by grace. This raises the question, "Is Baptism A Necessary Part Of The Gospel?" In other words, is baptism really for the remission of sins? If so, then how can we say that we are justified by grace through faith, and not of works?

I believe it is helpful to answer these questions by first observing a few quotations by certain individuals none would ever question of denying that we are saved by grace through faith, Augustine, Aquinas and Luther.

AUGUSTINE (A.D. 354-430)
Referring to the efficacy of baptism, he wrote that "the salvation of man is effected in baptism"; also, that a person "is baptized for the express purpose of being with Christ." (as quoted by Jack W. Cottrell in Baptism And The Remission of Sins, College Press, 1990, p. 30)
In regards to the necessity of baptism, he refers to the "apostolic tradition, by which the Churches of Christ maintain it to be an inherent principle, that without baptism...it is impossible for any man to attain to salvation and everlasting life." (ibid., p. 30)

THOMAS AQUINAS (A.D. 1225-1274)
"...Men are bound to that without which they cannot obtain salvation. Now it is manifest that no one can obtain salvation but through Christ..."
"But for this end is baptism conferred on a man, that being regenerated thereby, he may be incorporated in Christ."
"Consequently it is manifest that all are bound to be baptized: and that without baptism there is no salvation for men." (ibid., p. 31)

MARTIN LUTHER...
In answer to the question, "What gifts or benefits does Baptism bestow?", Luther replied in his Small Catechism, "It effects forgiveness of sins." He also wrote concerning the sinner: "Through Baptism he is bathed in the blood of Christ and is cleansed from sins." Again, he wrote: "To put it most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism is to save." (ibid., p. 32-34). In his commentary on Ro 6:3, he wrote: "Baptism has been instituted that it should lead us to the blessings (of this death) and through such death to eternal life. Therefore IT IS NECESSARY that we should be baptized into Jesus Christ and His death." (Commentary On Romans, Kregel Publications, p. 101). In his commentary on Ga 3:27, he wrote: "This is diligently to be noted, because of the fond and fantastical spirits, who go about to deface the majesty of baptism, and speak wickedly of it. Paul, contrariwise, commendeth it, and setteth it forth with honourable titles, calling it, 'the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost'. And here also he saith, that 'all ye that are baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.' Wherefore baptism is a thing of great force and
efficacy." (Commentary On Galatians, Kregel Publications, p.222).

I trust that we all know that these individuals believed strongly in justification by grace through faith, and not of works (see Ep 2:8-9). How then could they say such things about baptism? The key is to understand "who" is at work in baptism. Is it man, or is it God? The saving power involved in baptism does to sve because the subject merits salvation. Nearly everyone I talk to who takes issue with baptism being necessary, or having any part of the gospel plan of salvation, initially misunderstands this point. They assume that if baptism is necessary, one is saved by meritorious works. They assume that if one is baptized for the remission of sins, one has earned their salvation. The majority believe this because this is what they have been taught by the clergy of their denomination. But they need to listen carefully to Martin Luther. In response to those who would call this a kind of works-salvation, he said "Yes, it is true that our works are of no use for salvation. Baptism, however, is not our work but God's." (ibid., p. 32-34). Again, "Luther correctly describes the working of baptism thus: 'How can water do such great things? It is not the water indeed that does them, but the Word of God which is in and with the water (God's giving hand), and faith which trusts such word of God in the water (man's receiving hand).'" (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, page 398-399).

Baptism saves because “God” is at work. Note that Peter clearly says that "baptism doth also now save us" (KJV) - 1 Pe 3:21. But as observed by Luther, it is God who saves us in baptism:
He is the one at work in baptism - Co 2:11-13 ("the working of God") “in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;”

Other than possessing faith in Christ and God, MAN IS PASSIVE in baptism like a patient submitting to the skill of a physician to remove cancer. So we, seeking the removal of the cancer of sin, submitting to the Great Physician to cut away our sins by the blood of Christ, which He does in baptism It is God who makes us alive together with Christ, having forgiven all trespasses
- Co 2:13 (see above). As stated in ISBE: "Baptism does not produce salutary effects ~ex~opere~operato~, i.e. by the mere external performance of the baptismal action. No
instrument with which Divine grace works does. Even the preaching of the gospel is void of saving results if not 'mixed with faith' (Heb 4.2, AV)." It is not the "act" of immersion that saves, though salvation occurs at that time. It is GOD who saves in baptism, by virtue of grace, when one believes in Christ! But because God commands baptism, and saves us in baptism, it is proper to say with Peter: "baptism doth also now save us" - 1 Pe 3:21 and with Jesus: "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved..." - Mk 16:16. When we properly understand that it is God doing the work of salvation in baptism, then we can better understand why the command to be baptized is such an integral part of the gospel.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Accepting The Call Of The Gospel - Part Two

Following Jesus Without Denominationalism

Accepting The Call Of The Gospel - Part Two

Dear friend, has faith in what Christ did for you on the cross and sorrow over your sins moved you to the point that you have made the decision to change? If so, then you are ready for the culminating act of faith and obedience to the gospel of Christ. To be baptized for the remission of your sins. Baptism is clearly a part of the gospel message that Jesus wanted His disciples to proclaim - Mk 16:15-16 "Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned."; Mt 28:18-20 "Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world." Peter proclaimed baptism for the remission of sins in his first sermon - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit." Paul related that he was commanded to be baptized "to wash away sins" - Ac 22:16 "What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized, and wash away your sins by praying to the Lord."’ Not that there is anything in the act of immersion (the meaning of "baptizo") that merits or earns forgiveness, but it is simply the point of time in which God by His grace unites us with Christ in His death, and by His working in conjunction with our faith raises us to walk in newness of life! Ro 6:3-6 describes baptism as the point in time we are united into the death of Christ at which point we die to sin and thereby raised to newness of life. Co 2:11-13 reveals that in baptism we are buried with Christ and then raised through faith in God's working who makes us alive in Christ by forgiving us of our sins! Dear friend, have you been baptized for the remission of your sins? If not, are you willing to let God cleanse you through the blood of His Son and raise you to a new life?

Those who gladly received the preaching of the apostles were baptized, and the Lord added them to His church - Ac 2:41,47 "On that day about three thousand believed his message and were baptized." - "while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved." So while in one sense the "commands" of the gospel end with the command to be baptized, there is also the command of our Lord for faithfulness. Jesus wanted His disciples to teach others "to observe all things that I have commanded you" - Mt 28:19-20. Jesus exhorted His church in Ephesus: "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." - Re 2:10. The need for continued faithfulness is paramount: For believers can develop an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from God - He 3:12 "My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God." For believers can become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin - He 3:13 "You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn." And believers become partakers of Christ only "IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" - He 3:14 Therefore the need for such exhortations as the one given by Paul: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Co 15:58

Finally, to fully accept the call of the gospel, we need to receive the "promises" of the gospel. The first as stated in Acts 2:38 is to receive the remission of sins, so that your sins will be forgiven. As stated by Jesus, remission of sins was to be proclaimed among all nations - Lk 24:47-48 "They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, you must tell everything that has happened." Faithful to the Lord's charge, the early Christians offered this wonderful promise to those who would heed the commands of the gospel - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."; 3:19 "So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven."; 22:16 "What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized, and wash away your sins by praying to the Lord."’ In their epistles, the writers would often refer to this wonderful blessing - Ep 1:7 "Christ sacrificed his life's blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us." -- Don't you want the assurance that your sins have been forgiven, washed away by the blood of Christ? Then heed the commands of the gospel! - Ac 2:38

Jesus had spoken of those who believe in Him receiving the Spirit in a special way - Jn 7:37-39 "On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, "If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say." Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory." Thus Peter offers the gift of the Spirit to those who will obey God - Ac 2:38-39 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live."’; 5:32 "We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God." The blessing of having the Spirit in our lives is related to His indwelling. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit - 1 Co 6:19 "You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own." With the aid of the Spirit, we are able to put to death the deeds of the flesh - Ro 8:9 "You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him.", 11-13 "Yet God raised Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit. My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires." Indeed, the Holy Spirit is an instrumental agent by which the Father imparts strength to the Christian - Ep 3:16 "God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers", 20-21 "I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen." -- Dear friend, God does not expect you to live the Christian life solely by your own strength; don't you wish to receive all of the aids (the Holy Spirit is only one such aid) that God affords His children? Then heed the commands of the gospel! - Ac 2:38

The last promise we want to look at is the gift of eternal life. The expression "eternal life" is an interesting one, evidently used in two different ways in the scriptures. It is used to describe the reward of the faithful, received on the day of judgment. Jesus used it this way in Mt 25:46 "Then Jesus said, "Those people will be punished forever. But the ones who pleased God will have eternal life."’ Paul, likewise, describing it as gift from God through Jesus Christ - Ro 6:23 "Sin pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord." (See 6:22; also 2:5-8). It is also used to describe the spiritual life we now enjoy by virtue of our knowledge of (or fellowship with) the Father and the Son. Jesus describes it as such in Jn 17:2-3 "And you gave him power over all people, so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent." As well as His beloved disciple, John, in 1 Jn 5:11-13 "God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. And so, if we have God's Son, we have this life. But if we don't have the Son, we don't have this life. All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have written to let you know that you have eternal life." Thus the gift of eternal life is one that has "promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (to borrow a phrase from Paul)-- Aren't you tired of the shallow life this world has to offer? Don't you wish to receive that "abundant life" that Jesus came to give (see Jn 10:10)? Then heed the commands of the gospel! - Mk 16:16 "Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned."

These wonderful promises (and there are many more) can be received by anyone who is willing to heed and accept the call of the gospel of Christ. Those who do, will not only receive these blessings, but they will also be added by the Lord to His church, that great assembly of "called-out" ones who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Have you accepted the "call" of the gospel? Have you believed the "facts" of the gospel? Obeyed the "commands" of the gospel? Thereby received the "promises" of the gospel? It is possible that you have only obeyed some of the "commands" of the gospel. Many have believed, repented, confessed, but were never baptized. Because you rarely hear preachers stressing that aspect of the gospel in their preaching. Sadly, I fear that many have reacted to one "perversion" of the gospel (adding meritorious works) by going to the other extreme where they commit another "perversion" of the gospel (taking away a command of God). I plan to discuss the subject of "baptism" more closely in the next lesson, but if you are convinced that you need to obey Christ in this regard, why not do so today?


God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Accepting The Call Of The Gospel - Part One

Following Jesus Without Denominationalism

Accepting The Call Of The Gospel - Part One

In the last lesson I proposed the following as the way out of religious division. First, follow the example of Jesus and maintain a "non-sectarian"relationship with God. Living under the Old Covenant, He was simply an Israelite, as the Law intended. Living under the New Covenant, His disciples were simply called "Christians", and so should we! - Ac 11:26; 1 Pe 4:16. Second, to ensure that we are truly members of Christ's body, the church (i.e., His "called-out" ones), let us be sure that we have answered the call of the gospel, by which He adds us to His Church (and not some denomination begun by man) - 2 Th 2:14; Ac 2:41,47. Let us follow the example of the early church, who "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" - Ac 2:42

An important key, then, is that we properly answer the call of the gospel. For through the gospel Christ is calling us into His church. When we accept the gospel call, by God's grace we receive salvation and the Lord adds us to His church. Unfortunately, there have always been those who have "perverted" certain elements of the gospel. In the first century, Paul wrote of those who had perverted the gospel by trying to add elements of the Old Law to it - Ga 1:8-9 "I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed."; Ac 15:1 "Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved, unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught.", 6 "The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles." Later, others attempted to change the basis of salvation by teaching a salvation of works, rather than by grace through faith. Even today, many pervert the gospel by the manner they call upon people to respond to the gospel, leaving out the proper response as taught by Christ and His apostles. -- For this reason, it is important that we understand the gospel of Christ, and how to properly accept the call of the gospel!

There are several good ways to summarize the gospel that makes it easy to remember, and one was that suggested by Walter Scott. Not Sir Walter Scott, the British author who wrote "Ivanhoe", but a kinsman born in Scotland (1796), who came to America and proclaimed the gospel throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky. In his study of the gospel, Walter Scott summarized it as containing:

1) Facts to be believed

2) Commands to be obeyed

3) Promises to be received

Indeed, accepting the call of the gospel involves a person accepting the "facts," "commands," and "promises" contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To elaborate, let's consider first of all that to accept the call of the gospel one must believe the facts of the Gospel. Fact, Jesus was crucified for our sins. The death of Jesus for our sins is a fundamental part of the gospel - 1 Co 15:1-3 "My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing. I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say." It was foretold by Isaiah - Isa 53:4-6 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (ASV). It's necessity is seen in that all are sinners, and the wages of sin is death - Ro 3:23 "All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory."; 6:23 "s28 For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." But in love, God sent His son to be a propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins - 1 Jn 4:9-10 "God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven."

Fact, Jesus was raised from the dead. Together with His death and burial, the resurrection of Christ is fundamental to the gospel - 1 Co 15:4 "He was buried, and three days later he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say." In the first gospel sermon recorded, Peter centered his message around proving that God raised Jesus from the dead - Ac 2:22-32. Without the resurrection of Christ, the gospel is meaningless - 1 Co 15:14-19 "And if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. If the dead won't be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying that he raised Christ to life, when he really did not. So if the dead won't be raised to life, Christ wasn't raised to life. Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else."

Fact, Jesus is exalted as King and Savior. Peter proclaimed at the climax of his first gospel sermon - Ac 2:33-36 "Jesus was taken up to sit at the right side of God, and he was given the Holy Spirit, just as the Father had promised. Jesus is also the one who has given the Spirit to us, and that is what you are now seeing and hearing. David didn't go up to heaven. So he wasn't talking about himself when he said, "The Lord told my Lord to sit at his right side, until he made my Lord's enemies into a footstool for him." Everyone in Israel should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to death on a cross." All has been put under His feet, and made subject to Him - Ep 1:19-22 "I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything."; 1 Pe 3:22 "Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control." Therefore He is truly "the ruler over the kings of the earth"! - Re 1:5

Fact, Jesus is coming back again as prophesied in the Book of Revelation - Re 1:7 "Look! He is coming with the clouds. Everyone will see him, even the ones who stuck a sword through him. All people on earth will weep because of him. Yes, it will happen! Amen." As proclaimed by the "two men in white apparel" when Jesus ascended to heaven - Ac 1:9-11 "After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them. They said, "Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go."’ The purpose of His coming? To execute judgment and be glorified! - 2 Th 1:6-10 " It is only right for God to punish everyone who is causing you trouble, but he will give you relief from your troubles. He will do the same for us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with his powerful angels and with a flaming fire. Our Lord Jesus will punish anyone who doesn't know God and won't obey his message. Their punishment will be eternal destruction, and they will be kept far from the presence of our Lord and his glorious strength. This will happen on that day when the Lord returns to be praised and honored by all who have faith in him and belong to him. This includes you, because you believed what we said. God chose you, and we keep praying that God will make you worthy of being his people. We pray for God's power to help you do all the good things that you hope to do and that your faith makes you want to do."

Certainly there are other elements of the gospel necessary for us to believe (such as the virgin birth of Christ, His deity, etc.), but in the preaching of the gospel as recording in the book of Acts, the facts which I have described were emphasized time and again. Do you believe the "facts" of the gospel? If so, that is wonderful, for when you have such faith you will be prompted to accept the call of the gospel and to obey the "commands" of the gospel.

Command, we are to believe the gospel message concerning Jesus Christ. Yes, this sounds redundant, but it is important to stress two things:

That there are indeed "commands" one must obey to be saved,

And that the first command is to "believe"!

Unless one believes the gospel, there is no hope - Mk 16:15-16 "Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned." The gospel is God's power unto salvation, but only to those who believe - Ro 1:16 "I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles." Faith (along with confession) is a necessary step leading to salvation - Ro 10:9-10 "So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others." Without faith it is impossible to please God - He 11:6 "But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him." Without faith, one will not act upon the other conditions of the gospel (such as confession, repentance, etc.). Do you lack faith? Then I direct you to the four gospels (Matt, Mark, Luke, John). For they were written to produce faith - Jn 20:30-31 "Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life." For faith comes from hearing the Word of God - Ro 10:17 "No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ."

In addition to the command to believe, there is the command to confess Jesus as Lord - Ro 10:9-10 "So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others." This means to acknowledge that you believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God, who is "King of kings, and Lord of lords". An example of such a confession is found in Ac 8:37 "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (KJV) Without confessing Jesus before men, we have no hope that He will confess us before His Father in heaven - Mt 10:32-33 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Are you willing to confess that you believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God?

We have the command to repent. To "repent" means to have "a change of mind", in which case you make the decision to turn from your sins and turn toward living for God. It is brought about by a "godly sorrow" for your sins - 2 Co 7:10 "When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death." And it will produce a visible change in one's life - 2 Co 7:11 "Just look what God has done by making you feel sorry! You sincerely want to prove that you are innocent. You are angry. You are shocked. You are eager to see that justice is done. You have proved that you were completely right in this matter." Jesus said that "repentance" should be preached in His name among the nations - Lk 24:46-48 "He told them: The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later he will rise from death. They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, you must tell everything that has happened." Indeed, the apostles Peter and Paul both stressed repentance in their gospel preaching - Ac 2:37-38 "When the people neheard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Friends, what shall we do?" Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."; 3:19 "So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven."; 17:30-31 "In the past, God forgave all this because people did not know what they were doing. But now he says that everyone everywhere must turn to him. He has set a day when he will judge the world's people with fairness. And he has chosen the man Jesus to do the judging for him. God has given proof of this to all of us by raising Jesus from death."


God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, September 03, 2006

The Way Out of Religious Division - Part Two

Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
The Way Out Of Religious Division - Part Two

When we read what the Bible says to us about the Lord's church, we learn that by responding to the gospel and paying close heed to the "apostles' doctrine" (cf. Ac 2:42), people in the first century were able to be Christians only, without all the confusion prevalent today. Is it possible for us to do this today? Yes! Here is the way out of religious division. Accepting the call of the gospel is the first step.

Remember, Christ calls us into His ekklesia (church "a called-out group, an assembly, a congregation") through the gospel. Therefore, we can begin by obeying the same instructions that Peter gave on the Day of Pentecost - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit." Repenting of our sins, and being baptized for the remission of our sins, we then receive the same blessings as did the 3000 on that day: salvation! By being saved in this manner, we know that the Lord truly adds us to His church just as He added them - Ac 2:47 "while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved."

What then...? Follow the example of the early Christians. The early Christians continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine - Ac 2:42 "They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together." They joined no other religious organization, and neither should we! In Christ, we are automatically united with all others who are in Him! As members of the Lord's church, we should study carefully the New Testament description of the church that continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. This description is found in the Book of Acts and in the Epistles which follow it. It is here that we will find instruction from the Lord's apostles on HOW:

1) To worship the Lord acceptably

2) To be scripturally organized as local congregations

3) To live and work together as Christians, spreading the gospel of Christ through word and example.

Since the apostles were guided by the Holy Spirit, we may be sure their instructions were exactly what Jesus wanted them to be! If we duplicate the early churches by following the apostles' instructions, we will simply be "Christians", and we can be certain the Lord is pleased with us. As Jesus said to His apostles about those who would receive or reject their instructions: "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." - Lk 10:16

Simply being a Christian, and duplicating a New Testament congregation is not as difficult as one might think. There are literally thousands of such congregations throughout the world. There is likely one in your area right now! (Feel free to contact me if you would like to try and locate the nearest one.) There is also the option of starting a congregation in your own home. By following the example and teachings of Jesus, as revealed by His apostles, we can be led out of the religious confusion that dominates the religious world today! Do you want to be simply a Christian, a member of the Lord's church we read about in the New Testament? If so, then I plead with you to first render obedience to the gospel of Christ as proclaimed by Peter and all the apostles - Ac 2:36-38. You have the assurance of God's Word that you will then be added by the Lord Himself to His church - Ac 2:47. Then, you have the responsibility to learn and follow the apostles' doctrine as you serve the Lord Jesus in your life - Ac 2:42. If you have not yet responded to the commands of the gospel as put forth by Peter in Ac 2:38, why not let the reaction of those who did on the Day of Pentecost describe your actions today:

"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." - Ac 2:41


God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

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Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
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