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October 25th, 2015

10/26/2015

And the Bible Says...
1 Peter 3:20-21
   Last week, I closed the article stating I would illustrate baptism in water’s part in salvation. I will start here with Peter’s own illustration, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”. The text states that 8 souls were saved by water “in like figure”. Genesis 6-9 is the narrative referred to with Noah and the flood. But, I thought it was the water that destroyed those not on the ark. The truth is the water was the same water. But did the water save separate and apart from the ark? And would the ark have saved if God had not told Noah how to build it and what the materials were to be? Did faith of Noah in God not have any bearing on those 8 souls? But their baptism was water according to the text! I believe we all know it wasn’t just water. It was all the above.
   Let me illustrate another way. A mother has a daughter that will have a birthday, so the mother bakes a birthday cake. What makes it a birthday cake? (salvation). Was it the flour? egg? Water? flavor? The mixer perhaps? The bowl? The pan? The oven? Perhaps mother’s loving hands? What ONE thing made the cake? All were involved was it not? But these were not all. These simply make a cake! The daughter’s birthday made it a birthday cake.
   In like figure, Baptism is just the point where salvation is culminated as “should be saved”, Acts 2:38. But that salvation included many other ingredients to complete. It included “Faith” which without it, a person was condemned Mark 16:16, and “Repentence” Luke 13:3,5, and “Confession” Acts 8:37 and Romans 10:9-10, then “Baptism for the remission of sins”, Acts 2:38, and “Faithfullness- to live overcoming sin by confession of that sin”, 1 John 1:9. To face God in judgment having done all of these, I am without sin and prepared to give account of my life in the day of judgment. But not any ONE of these grants salvation alone. Ie. Repentence is just that, a change in my life, but I’m still with all my sin, guilty before God. Faith is just that, knowing what God wants me to be and that I am a failure in doing so. There is no change in my life of sinning. I hope you seen the picture.
   It takes my doing all that God commands I do to be faithful to Him and please Him. Then no matter how bad my life was, it is history and removed from my record through Christ’s blood, that by faith I apply in my baptism of water. I rise up to walk a newness of life. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
   I hope this clarifies that H20 does not save, but faith in water baptism, applying the blood of Christ, and guidance of the Spirit’s word, grants salvation. My spirit is regenerated being cleansed of my sin, and I now have a relationship with God, being without sin. Water alone is just a bath of the flesh friends.

October 18th, 2015

10/19/2015

And the Bible Says...
Christ’s Blood Redeems
   Recently I wrote on the importance of baptism for salvation. I received a reply from a reader wanting clarification on baptism. So I hope to do that in this article. There was a question about whether 1 Peter 3:21, was a “spiritual regeneration baptism” or a “water baptism”? I believe the answer rests with both. Water baptism is the means of having the spiritual regeneration of our soul. It represents the new birth of John 3 with Nicodemus’s discussion with Christ. That to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of “water and spirit”.
   My prior article stressed the importance of baptism for salvation, but didn’t delve into the facets of how baptism works. Many stress the issue of “water” in baptism. But understand, Christ was baptized in water to “fulfill all righteousness”. Here was a man without sin, yet was baptized to establish its part in righteousness. Mark 16: 16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not will be condemned”. The passage ties faith to the act of baptism in water. It delves in the matter of accepting what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1. NO, H2O does not save. BUT, when we tie the faith, the water, the spirit, and the blood of Christ together in baptism, THAT my friend is what saves, by forgiving us of our past sins. There are many passages talking about Christ’s blood was shed for a sacrifice for our sin, Hebrews chapters 9,10 is just one text on the sacrifice needed. Check out these texts also: 1 Cor. 15:3; Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:14 (parallel to 1 Pet. 3:21); 1 Peter 1:18,19; 1 John 5:6,8. You see by these texts that all are tied together for remission of sins, our redemption. All are applied in baptism through our faith in the scriptures, which is the work of the Spirit of God. Romans 6:3-4 says that in baptism, we are baptized into Christ’s death. This chapter bears reading and study, and the benefits of baptism. It expressed it as a burial, representing I have chosen to stop the life of sin, and to live a life in Christ of righteousness. While I don’t know how God applies this, I know He does through faith in what He said.
   For these reasons, every case of conversion in the book of Acts consisted of water, the faith of the believer, and teaching from the Spirit, and the redemptive blood of Christ. Every case that believer walked away knowing they were freed from their sin. Next week I’ll illustrate this further.

October 11th, 2015

10/12/2015

And the Bible Says...
Progress Toward Salvation: Stop the Life of Sin
   Friends, welcome back to our study on “salvation”. This term implies that there has been something I did that causes me to be “lost” and have a need for saving. As we have studied thus far, since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, man has had to deal with the problem of sin. Certain men lived lives trying to overcome their temptations and committing the sin. Just like Noah and his family, they chose to serve God, while God had determined the rest of the world of mankind were wicked continually, Genesis 6:5. There was another man, living amongst these wicked men, Enoch, who because of his righteous life, God took him, and he was spared death! These lived in a time called the “Patriarchal Age”, where God gave commands to specific men, without a national/world law, and only the natural laws
   Then under the “Old Law/Moses’ Law”, God gave them a national law, for Israel, and the rest were still under that natural law. Under this law, God condemned men many times, to death, following their sin. It was very quick and very public, to demonstrate to others the plight of committing sin. Under this law was several god-fearing men, like David, and certain prophets. One of these was Elijah, who professed God’s judgments before men, and lived a righteous life. He, too, was taken by God, but in a different manner, in the clouds. There is a common thread, that God’s people will strive to overcome this life of sin, and live faithful to God’s Word. BUT these laws had no release from the bonds of sin Their hope was in a Savior, the Messiah, who would be the sacrifice for sin, taking away the sins committed.
   Now, as we have been studying, in the New Law/Christ’s law, there is forgiveness of sin, when a person reads and accepts God’s Word, the New Testament, building faith, then repents, confess Christ as the Son of God (and our authority), and is baptized “for the remission of sins”. This grants us salvation. But to keep our salvation, we have to live faithful. Like those under the old law, some were known for their righteousness, only later to turn away from God, dying in sin. We too, must overcome sin. 1 John 2:1-2 tells us that this book was written to teach us how to “stop sinning”. It is a battle we must fight as we are born into Christ at baptism, to walk the new life, Romans 6:4. This chapter teaches the change we must make in our life. Verses 1-2 said we are not to continue in sin. But what do I do if and when I sin? When writing to true Christians in James 5:16, we are told to repent and confess our faults/sin to each other, and ask in prayer that God forgive us. In 1 John 1:9, John says that by doing this, confessing my sin, Christ will cleanse us from all/whatever the unrighteousness I’ve committed. Doing so, I am forgiven and free from my sin. Revelation 2:10 says we must overcome sin and the world, to receive our crown of life and home in Heaven.
   Friend it is important how I live my life and you live your life. To please God, it’s His way, or else! So we must study to know God’s expectations of man.

October 5th, 2015

10/5/2015

And the Bible Says....
Progress Toward Salvation: Baptism
   Friends, our next step toward our salvation involves somewhat a controversial subject. But consider what God says in the Bible, as our articles are titled.
   Thus far, we’ve learned the importance of hearing God’s Word (the Bible), believing it to establish faith, then changing our thinking and life by repenting, confessing our faith in Christ as the Son of God. But we have noted none of these activities, according to the Bible, were able to remove of forgive a person of their sins. So having done all of these things, which we MUST do, it leaves a person knowing how to live, and living the life God approves, but still guilty of the life I have lived in sin. I’m still guilty before God, unworthy to be in His presence, and lost. So what would a person do?
   I know many religions downplay the importance of “Baptism” for salvation. Many say baptism is just to join a religious organization/church. My point is that there has been much talk about it and many have their opinions about it, but again, what does the Bible say?
   There are 3 different uses of the term in the New Testament. The greek word is “baptidzo” which would be translated as “a burial”. (1) There was the baptism of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus to His apostles, John 14 and 16, which enabled them to preach and prove their speech was from God. This would end when the truth was all delivered and made perfect, 1 Corinthians 13. This was not the baptism to remove sin obviously since it was not for every sinner. (2) There was the baptism of John, which was a baptism of repentance, not removing sin. Those who were baptized of John’s were to be baptized again “for the remission of sins”, of Jesus’ baptism, Acts 19:4,5. (3) Lastly, there is the baptism of Jesus. In Matthew 28:18-20 , Jesus was given full authority by the Father. He commanded the apostles to go and preach His gospel, and follow it up with baptism. Mark refers to the same conversation, Mark 16:15-16, but this baptism couple with the faith, granted salvation. When the disciples started their work in Acts, after the Lord’s death, they waited in Jerusalem for the aforementioned power. In Acts 2, they received that power and were thus guided by the Spirit promised. After the sermon, certain men were convinced of their sin and death of Christ. They sought help, and in verse 38 were told what to do, “Repent and be baptized for the remission of sin”, in chapter 3:19, these were to “repent and be converted (baptized), blotting out their sin.” In every case of conversion that followed the same facts were seen, faith, repentance, and baptism for remission of sin. Romans 6:3,4 explains that by faith we contact the Lord’s blood sacrifice, and vs. 16 talks about Christians having obeyed the form of doctrine. We put on Christ, Galatians 3:26-27, and walk in newness of life, knowing how to live now.
   I know some have said there isn’t a passage saying baptism says, but there is: 1 Peter 3:21. “Baptism doth also now save us, not...” . It isn’t a bath, but it cleans our soul, our conscience, AND it does save, but when fulfilling the other aforementioned actions also.
   Next we will consider our next step toward salvation. Now as a Christian, and knowing how God feels about sin, what if I do commit sin?

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