The book of Revelation (the last book of the New Testament and of the entire Bible) is full of many wonderful and terrible things. Both in its introduction and in its conclusion it promises that those who keep the words of the prophecy of this scroll will be blessed (1:3; 22:7). What does this mean? How are we to keep the words of the prophecy of this scroll? Of course we must first read them. And while reading, we need ears to hear what God has spoken and is speaking to us through them. But then we must also be keepers and doers of these words, not just readers and hearers.
It appears that the majority of the things written in this book are to take place sometime in the future. Then how are we to keep them? Are we just to keep these things in our hearts and minds? Possibly. Yet I believe there is something even more essential in our keeping the words of the prophecy of this scroll. One of the unlocking verses in this book is 19:10 which ends with "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy." The testimony of Jesus is the vital breath, the true essence, the intrinsic revelation of the words of this prophecy. Therefore, I believe that the keeping of the words of the prophecy of this scroll must be related to and for the manifestation of the testimony of Jesus.
Based upon this understanding, I have listed twelve (a key number used frequently in the book of Revelation which symbolically means completion and perfection) practical ways in which I believe we can be not only readers and hearers of the words of this prophecy, but keepers.
I hope you will consider them prayerfully and take the time to open your Bibles to read the references that are listed. You will then be greatly blessed as, by the grace of God, you become keepers of the words of the prophecy of this scroll. Glory be to God!
To go to the twelve point document, click here.
To copy or download this blog, click here.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Pray, Walk, Speak
A true Christian is one who has been born of the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
A genuine Christian life is one that is lived in the Spirit and by faith.
To become a Christian is one thing; it is just the beginning.
To live the Christian life is another; it is a daily and lifelong matter.
It appears that a great number of true believers find it very difficult to live the Christian life. They somewhat know what the life of a Christian should look like, but to them it seems unattainable. They try and fail and feel condemned.
Then there are those who think they are doing well at living the Christian life because they go to church, read their Bible, and do good works. Yet, deep inside they still feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled. They think there must be something more they should be doing. Work harder. Give more. But nothing inside changes. They lack the reality and joy that is at the core of the true Christian life.
What's the problem? Has God really made it that difficult and complicated to live the life He saved us to live? Is it unattainable? Must we do more and work harder? Why do so few seem to have both the daily inward reality and outward testimony of the life of a redeemed child of God? Why so little joy? Why so much frustration?
A brief answer would be that we have not learned to live a life in the Spirit and by faith; we have either been misled or choose to do it our way instead of God's.
The New Testament clearly reveals the way of living a normal and overcoming Christian life. I would just like to use one small portion as an example, i.e., Colossians 4:2-6.
In verse two, we are told to persevere in, give constant attention to, and continue earnestly and steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12 instructs us to do the same. According to I Thessalonians 5:17, we are to pray without ceasing. Jude verse 20 says that we should be praying in the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is a life of unceasing prayer in the Holy Spirit.
Then verse five tells us to walk in wisdom. The word here for walk in the Greek is peripateite, i.e., our daily walk, encompassing all the activities of our daily lives, how we conduct ourselves. According to Ephesians 5:15, we should be careful to walk wisely. And where do we find this wisdom? First Corinthians 1:24 reveals that Christ is the wisdom of God. Then 1:30 says that Christ Jesus has become wisdom to us from God. And Colossians 2:2-3 makes known that all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ. Therefore, to walk in wisdom is to walk in Christ.
Lastly, according to verse six, we are to speak always with grace. Ephesians 4:29 says that we should let no corrupt word come out of our mouths, and that our speaking should give grace to those who hear. So what is grace? This is a great matter in the Bible. Basically, grace is what God is and what He has accomplished through Christ received and enjoyed by us in the Spirit. (For a further look at this topic, read the February 21st posting on grace.) To speak with grace and to give grace through our speaking is to speak according to God and to minister Christ to others through our speaking.
Notice the order of these three imperative statements: 1) Persevere in prayer, 2) Walk in wisdom, and 3) Speak with grace.
The source of a normal, healthy Christian life is a life of continual prayer in the Spirit, a life of unceasing fellowship with God through prayer.
Continual prayer/unceasing fellowship with God will produce a daily walk in wisdom, living and conducting ourselves in Christ.
A daily walk in Christ who is wisdom to us will result in speaking with grace according to Christ to dispense Him into others.
Persevering in unceasing prayer produces a daily walk in wisdom which results in a speaking which is full of grace. Our speaking should be the outflow of our daily life in Christ which comes from our continual fellowship with God.
If as believers in Christ, we are not pursuing to maintain a daily, moment by moment prayerful fellowship with the Lord, we will not be able to walk in Christ as our wisdom and our speaking will be something less than ministering Christ to others for the glory of God.
Persevere in prayer! Walk in wisdom! Speak with grace!
To download or copy this document, click here.
A genuine Christian life is one that is lived in the Spirit and by faith.
To become a Christian is one thing; it is just the beginning.
To live the Christian life is another; it is a daily and lifelong matter.
It appears that a great number of true believers find it very difficult to live the Christian life. They somewhat know what the life of a Christian should look like, but to them it seems unattainable. They try and fail and feel condemned.
Then there are those who think they are doing well at living the Christian life because they go to church, read their Bible, and do good works. Yet, deep inside they still feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled. They think there must be something more they should be doing. Work harder. Give more. But nothing inside changes. They lack the reality and joy that is at the core of the true Christian life.
What's the problem? Has God really made it that difficult and complicated to live the life He saved us to live? Is it unattainable? Must we do more and work harder? Why do so few seem to have both the daily inward reality and outward testimony of the life of a redeemed child of God? Why so little joy? Why so much frustration?
A brief answer would be that we have not learned to live a life in the Spirit and by faith; we have either been misled or choose to do it our way instead of God's.
The New Testament clearly reveals the way of living a normal and overcoming Christian life. I would just like to use one small portion as an example, i.e., Colossians 4:2-6.
In verse two, we are told to persevere in, give constant attention to, and continue earnestly and steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12 instructs us to do the same. According to I Thessalonians 5:17, we are to pray without ceasing. Jude verse 20 says that we should be praying in the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is a life of unceasing prayer in the Holy Spirit.
Then verse five tells us to walk in wisdom. The word here for walk in the Greek is peripateite, i.e., our daily walk, encompassing all the activities of our daily lives, how we conduct ourselves. According to Ephesians 5:15, we should be careful to walk wisely. And where do we find this wisdom? First Corinthians 1:24 reveals that Christ is the wisdom of God. Then 1:30 says that Christ Jesus has become wisdom to us from God. And Colossians 2:2-3 makes known that all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ. Therefore, to walk in wisdom is to walk in Christ.
Lastly, according to verse six, we are to speak always with grace. Ephesians 4:29 says that we should let no corrupt word come out of our mouths, and that our speaking should give grace to those who hear. So what is grace? This is a great matter in the Bible. Basically, grace is what God is and what He has accomplished through Christ received and enjoyed by us in the Spirit. (For a further look at this topic, read the February 21st posting on grace.) To speak with grace and to give grace through our speaking is to speak according to God and to minister Christ to others through our speaking.
Notice the order of these three imperative statements: 1) Persevere in prayer, 2) Walk in wisdom, and 3) Speak with grace.
The source of a normal, healthy Christian life is a life of continual prayer in the Spirit, a life of unceasing fellowship with God through prayer.
Continual prayer/unceasing fellowship with God will produce a daily walk in wisdom, living and conducting ourselves in Christ.
A daily walk in Christ who is wisdom to us will result in speaking with grace according to Christ to dispense Him into others.
Persevering in unceasing prayer produces a daily walk in wisdom which results in a speaking which is full of grace. Our speaking should be the outflow of our daily life in Christ which comes from our continual fellowship with God.
If as believers in Christ, we are not pursuing to maintain a daily, moment by moment prayerful fellowship with the Lord, we will not be able to walk in Christ as our wisdom and our speaking will be something less than ministering Christ to others for the glory of God.
Persevere in prayer! Walk in wisdom! Speak with grace!
To download or copy this document, click here.
Monday, October 18, 2010
God Speaks
Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God spoke in the past in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets and has now spoken to us in the Son. Going back even further, all creation came into existence by the word of God, that is, God's speaking (Psa. 33:6, 9; John 1:1-3; Heb. 11:3; II Pet. 3:5). Genesis chapter one is full of "let there be" and "let the earth", and there was, and it did. Having created Adam and Eve, God blessed them and God spoke to them (Gen. 1:27-30). God's speaking is so powerful that it brought the entire universe into existence and yet is so personal that He can converse with those whom He creates. This is truly wonderful!
God spoke in the beginning, continued to speak in many different ways in Old Testament times, and continues to speak today. The question is, have you heard His voice; do you hear God speak? God has so much that He wants to say to us (John 16:12-13), but do we have ears to hear?
God's word was there from the very beginning and one day, miraculously, supernaturally, became flesh and was manifested in the person and life of Jesus the Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18). Jesus is God with us (Matt. 1:23). He is God manifested in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). If you have seen Him, you have seen God the Father (John 14:9). Today, God has spoken and continues to speak in and through Christ. According to John chapter ten, He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. And what about these sheep of His? They hear His voice and follow Him. Once again I would ask, have you heard His voice? Are you hearing His voice? Are you truly following Him?
There is an odd parallel between the life in the flesh and the life in the Spirit; in both cases, as you get older you may become hard of hearing. The writer of Hebrews warns us of this (Heb. 5:10-12). If our spiritual ears become hard of hearing, we will more likely not know the Lord and follow Him to the extent that we should.
So how is it that we have become or may become hard of hearing? The writer of Hebrews also addresses this matter: unbelief because of the hardness of heart because of the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:8-15). It is possible that we may even hear His word (in our spirit, through the Bible, from His Body, or out of our environmental circumstances or other people in our lives) but not believe because of the hardness of our heart. The hearing of His word must be received by a soft and open heart with absolute faith, believing that His word is faithful and true. Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your heart or you may miss God's blessing; you will come short of His promised rest, and live a live of something less than what God intends for you (Heb. 3:7 thru 4:11).
Seven times in Revelation chapters two and three Jesus says, "he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Brothers and sisters, do we really have ears to hear the Lord? Have we heard His voice? Are we hearing Him speak? Or have we become dull of hearing? Or maybe we just have selective hearing; we only hear what we want to hear and harden our hearts toward what we prefer not to hear. Should we not only be hearers of the word but also doers because we respond to His speaking with action based upon faith? He is our great Shepherd; we are His sheep. He knows us. We hear His voice. We follow Him.
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Respond with faith and follow Him! Glory be to God.
God spoke in the beginning, continued to speak in many different ways in Old Testament times, and continues to speak today. The question is, have you heard His voice; do you hear God speak? God has so much that He wants to say to us (John 16:12-13), but do we have ears to hear?
God's word was there from the very beginning and one day, miraculously, supernaturally, became flesh and was manifested in the person and life of Jesus the Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18). Jesus is God with us (Matt. 1:23). He is God manifested in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). If you have seen Him, you have seen God the Father (John 14:9). Today, God has spoken and continues to speak in and through Christ. According to John chapter ten, He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. And what about these sheep of His? They hear His voice and follow Him. Once again I would ask, have you heard His voice? Are you hearing His voice? Are you truly following Him?
There is an odd parallel between the life in the flesh and the life in the Spirit; in both cases, as you get older you may become hard of hearing. The writer of Hebrews warns us of this (Heb. 5:10-12). If our spiritual ears become hard of hearing, we will more likely not know the Lord and follow Him to the extent that we should.
So how is it that we have become or may become hard of hearing? The writer of Hebrews also addresses this matter: unbelief because of the hardness of heart because of the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:8-15). It is possible that we may even hear His word (in our spirit, through the Bible, from His Body, or out of our environmental circumstances or other people in our lives) but not believe because of the hardness of our heart. The hearing of His word must be received by a soft and open heart with absolute faith, believing that His word is faithful and true. Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your heart or you may miss God's blessing; you will come short of His promised rest, and live a live of something less than what God intends for you (Heb. 3:7 thru 4:11).
Seven times in Revelation chapters two and three Jesus says, "he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Brothers and sisters, do we really have ears to hear the Lord? Have we heard His voice? Are we hearing Him speak? Or have we become dull of hearing? Or maybe we just have selective hearing; we only hear what we want to hear and harden our hearts toward what we prefer not to hear. Should we not only be hearers of the word but also doers because we respond to His speaking with action based upon faith? He is our great Shepherd; we are His sheep. He knows us. We hear His voice. We follow Him.
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Respond with faith and follow Him! Glory be to God.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Our Mind
As Christians, we have been born of God in our human spirit (John 3:6). Jesus Christ now lives in us (II Cor. 13:5). His Spirit and our spirit have become one spirit (I Cor. 6:17). This is a fact and this is eternal. Although we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and forgiven of all our sins, we still possess the sinful flesh; this fallen nature remains in our mortal bodies (Rom. 6:12). Because of this, there is still the potential for Christians to live a sinful life (I Cor. 3:3). A genuine born again believer in Christ can chose to live, walk, and act in the flesh and not according to the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).
This is our struggle; this is our fight. Will we live according to the Spirit or according to the flesh? This will be determined by the position and condition of our mind. To live a Spirit-filled overcoming life, our minds need to be continually set on the spirit and daily renewed by the Spirit (Rom. 8:6; 12:2; Eph. 4:23). This is both a daily moment by moment exercise and a lifelong ongoing process. If we do not intentionally set our mind on the spirit, it will automatically gravitate to the flesh. The more we set our mind on the spirit, the more our minds will be renewed and function according to Christ.
Although we are eternally one with the Lord, we can still be alienated from Him and a hindrance to Him if we continue to operate out of an unrenewed mind set on the flesh. We have the mind of Christ because He lives in our spirit (I Cor. 2:16). But if we allow our mind to be set on the flesh and on the things of earth and man instead of the spirit, we will not have the mind of Christ in our daily practical application and experience (Matt. 16:23; Col. 3:1-2). Just because you have something doesn't guarantee you will use it.
The more we set our mind on the spirit, the more it will be renewed. As such, we will practically think and live according to the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is a sober mind; it is a mind that is consciously and continually aware of the need to deny itself and live according to the leading and will of God (John 8:28-29). The mind of Christ is a humble mind; it is not one that puts himself above others; it does not think more highly of himself above others; it is a mind of sacrifice for serving others (Phil. 2:3-8). God gives grace to those with lowly minds (I Pet. 5:5). This grace empowers believers to live Spirit-filled overcoming lives (I Cor. 15:10). An overcoming life is a life lived according to the mind of Christ.
The mind of Christ should also be the "one mind" in the Body of Christ (I Cor. 1:10; Phil. 2:2). The greatest frustration to the building up of the church for the past two millennial has been that there are too many minds. As the mind is the origin of most of our words and actions, so an unrenewed mind, which is according to the flesh, is a great hindrance to the building up of Christ's church. How many dear saints over the years have acted and reacted, spoken and gossiped, functioned and operated, led and followed, worked and served, taught and preached, fought and submitted etc. according to the flesh with an unrenewed mind? And how much damage, division, and disgrace has the church suffered as a result, and often with good intentions.
The mind of Christ is the only mind that should have preeminence in the church. Therefore, only those who live and work according to this mind, that is, according to the Spirit, bring true blessing and genuine building up to the Body of Christ. It is only in this way that there can be an adequate, practical, and genuine expression of the church. So, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!
This is our struggle; this is our fight. Will we live according to the Spirit or according to the flesh? This will be determined by the position and condition of our mind. To live a Spirit-filled overcoming life, our minds need to be continually set on the spirit and daily renewed by the Spirit (Rom. 8:6; 12:2; Eph. 4:23). This is both a daily moment by moment exercise and a lifelong ongoing process. If we do not intentionally set our mind on the spirit, it will automatically gravitate to the flesh. The more we set our mind on the spirit, the more our minds will be renewed and function according to Christ.
Although we are eternally one with the Lord, we can still be alienated from Him and a hindrance to Him if we continue to operate out of an unrenewed mind set on the flesh. We have the mind of Christ because He lives in our spirit (I Cor. 2:16). But if we allow our mind to be set on the flesh and on the things of earth and man instead of the spirit, we will not have the mind of Christ in our daily practical application and experience (Matt. 16:23; Col. 3:1-2). Just because you have something doesn't guarantee you will use it.
The more we set our mind on the spirit, the more it will be renewed. As such, we will practically think and live according to the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is a sober mind; it is a mind that is consciously and continually aware of the need to deny itself and live according to the leading and will of God (John 8:28-29). The mind of Christ is a humble mind; it is not one that puts himself above others; it does not think more highly of himself above others; it is a mind of sacrifice for serving others (Phil. 2:3-8). God gives grace to those with lowly minds (I Pet. 5:5). This grace empowers believers to live Spirit-filled overcoming lives (I Cor. 15:10). An overcoming life is a life lived according to the mind of Christ.
The mind of Christ should also be the "one mind" in the Body of Christ (I Cor. 1:10; Phil. 2:2). The greatest frustration to the building up of the church for the past two millennial has been that there are too many minds. As the mind is the origin of most of our words and actions, so an unrenewed mind, which is according to the flesh, is a great hindrance to the building up of Christ's church. How many dear saints over the years have acted and reacted, spoken and gossiped, functioned and operated, led and followed, worked and served, taught and preached, fought and submitted etc. according to the flesh with an unrenewed mind? And how much damage, division, and disgrace has the church suffered as a result, and often with good intentions.
The mind of Christ is the only mind that should have preeminence in the church. Therefore, only those who live and work according to this mind, that is, according to the Spirit, bring true blessing and genuine building up to the Body of Christ. It is only in this way that there can be an adequate, practical, and genuine expression of the church. So, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Baptism - Part Three
In the previous two lessons I have covered the basic teaching and practice of water baptism as recorded in the New Testament. Now, in this third and final installment, I will attempt to answer a few remaining questions.
1. Can a person be saved/born again/regenerated in their spirit by the Spirit of God, and have eternal life if they have not been baptized in water? Yes! The Bible is clear that justification and salvation are by grace and through faith (Rom. 3:22-28; 4:3-5; Gal. 3:1-14; Eph. 2:5-9). We are not saved by being baptized in water, but by having genuine faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. A biblical example of this is one of the criminals that was crucified alongside Jesus (Luke 23:39-43). And surely there are countless others who have had saving faith in Christ in the last moments of their lives on earth. It would be foolishness to believe that if they truly repented and believed in Christ but were not baptized in water, God would not forgive them of their sins and receive them into His kingdom. Mark 16:16 is also a confirmation of this matter; only he who does not "believe" shall be condemned. And then there is Romans 10:9-13; it is believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth that results in salvation with no mention of water baptism. So, let me repeat, we are saved neither by repentance nor by water baptism, but by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
2. If this is so, is it still important to be baptized? And if so, why? Yes! Firstly, because the Bible tells us so. We have both the clear teaching and the many examples of water baptism in the New Testament including the Lord Jesus Himself. Baptism is actually a response to, an act of, and an outward manifestation of our inward faith in Jesus Christ. Luke 7:30 tells us that refusing to be baptized is to reject the very counsel of God. If a professed believer refuses to be baptized according to the word of God, his saving faith in Christ would be very much in question. In a sense, water baptism is actually a confession of our faith, a confirmation of what we truly believe in our heart. It could also be considered our first act of obedience in our new life with Christ. Yet, if one is baptized without a genuine heart-faith in Jesus, it is in vain and plays no part in true salvation.
3. So why is there so much confusion over this matter of baptism? I believe the reason is twofold. Firstly, because of the non-biblical man-invented tradition of baptizing babies. There is no such teaching nor any examples in the Bible of someone being baptized before they have faith in Christ. Yet, this practice has been adopted and accepted into a large segment of Christianity. It is not according to the truth and is contrary to the most basic teaching of salvation in Scripture, i.e., "Believe and be baptized and you shall be saved!" (Mark 16:16). It is a crafty deceptive teaching from the Devil which gives people a false conception of salvation and cheats them into believing that this religious ritual has some impact on the eternal destiny of the child. Many then go on to believe they are okay with God because they were baptized as a baby even though they have not truly repented and believed in the gospel. It is a dangerous lie.
Secondly, and more related to genuine believers, in the New Testament, believing and being baptized was something that happened almost simultaneously. Remember the words "why delay" and "immediately"? Baptism was an immediate response of obedience in faith. It had spiritual significance and reality because of their faith. The water was a symbol of entering into Christ, into His death, and into the Body of Christ. It was their faith that substantiated the fact of this truth and immersed them into the triune God. It was not the water itself that saved them, but their faith in Christ that brought them into an organic union with Him. Unfortunately, this pure experience and obedience of baptism in faith has lost its meaning and impact with many believers today. It seems that rarely is a person baptized at the time they believe. Why? It may be that the one leading them to Christ does not have the biblical understanding of baptism and/or has been influenced by the traditions that have developed around baptism, i.e., there must be a certain kind of person or place or water etc. to do a baptism, or we must gather a group of people together and make it a kind of ceremony, or they must go through some kind of classes to get more educated first. Then there is the waiting for the once or twice or however many times a year a certain congregation is having a baptism service. Baptism is put off and eventually even ignored for many different reasons and therefore can lose the significance and impact it is intended to have.
So, what shall we do? Well, as with many other matters of truth that have been lost or distorted from the Bible, we must come back to the clear and pure teaching of the truth and be willing to drop all the wrong doctrines and practices we may have picked up along the way. This in itself is an act of obedience to God. If you have genuine saving faith in Christ and have not yet been baptized in water, do so in faith as a confirmation and declaration of your faith in obedience to God's word. If you are with someone who has just repented and expressed genuine faith in Christ, find the nearest immersible water and baptize them. We do not need to argue and debate this matter with those who stubbornly hold on to their religious traditions. But we can come back to the proper understanding and practice of baptism for ourselves and those committed to us by God.
I do not claim to have answered all the questions we may have regarding baptism. But I do hope that having looked more closely at God's word and exposed some of the non-biblical teachings and practices, we could draw closer to a healthy understanding and application of this God-ordained and meaningful part of the Christian experience. Glory be to Him!
To copy or download this document, click here.
1. Can a person be saved/born again/regenerated in their spirit by the Spirit of God, and have eternal life if they have not been baptized in water? Yes! The Bible is clear that justification and salvation are by grace and through faith (Rom. 3:22-28; 4:3-5; Gal. 3:1-14; Eph. 2:5-9). We are not saved by being baptized in water, but by having genuine faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. A biblical example of this is one of the criminals that was crucified alongside Jesus (Luke 23:39-43). And surely there are countless others who have had saving faith in Christ in the last moments of their lives on earth. It would be foolishness to believe that if they truly repented and believed in Christ but were not baptized in water, God would not forgive them of their sins and receive them into His kingdom. Mark 16:16 is also a confirmation of this matter; only he who does not "believe" shall be condemned. And then there is Romans 10:9-13; it is believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth that results in salvation with no mention of water baptism. So, let me repeat, we are saved neither by repentance nor by water baptism, but by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
2. If this is so, is it still important to be baptized? And if so, why? Yes! Firstly, because the Bible tells us so. We have both the clear teaching and the many examples of water baptism in the New Testament including the Lord Jesus Himself. Baptism is actually a response to, an act of, and an outward manifestation of our inward faith in Jesus Christ. Luke 7:30 tells us that refusing to be baptized is to reject the very counsel of God. If a professed believer refuses to be baptized according to the word of God, his saving faith in Christ would be very much in question. In a sense, water baptism is actually a confession of our faith, a confirmation of what we truly believe in our heart. It could also be considered our first act of obedience in our new life with Christ. Yet, if one is baptized without a genuine heart-faith in Jesus, it is in vain and plays no part in true salvation.
3. So why is there so much confusion over this matter of baptism? I believe the reason is twofold. Firstly, because of the non-biblical man-invented tradition of baptizing babies. There is no such teaching nor any examples in the Bible of someone being baptized before they have faith in Christ. Yet, this practice has been adopted and accepted into a large segment of Christianity. It is not according to the truth and is contrary to the most basic teaching of salvation in Scripture, i.e., "Believe and be baptized and you shall be saved!" (Mark 16:16). It is a crafty deceptive teaching from the Devil which gives people a false conception of salvation and cheats them into believing that this religious ritual has some impact on the eternal destiny of the child. Many then go on to believe they are okay with God because they were baptized as a baby even though they have not truly repented and believed in the gospel. It is a dangerous lie.
Secondly, and more related to genuine believers, in the New Testament, believing and being baptized was something that happened almost simultaneously. Remember the words "why delay" and "immediately"? Baptism was an immediate response of obedience in faith. It had spiritual significance and reality because of their faith. The water was a symbol of entering into Christ, into His death, and into the Body of Christ. It was their faith that substantiated the fact of this truth and immersed them into the triune God. It was not the water itself that saved them, but their faith in Christ that brought them into an organic union with Him. Unfortunately, this pure experience and obedience of baptism in faith has lost its meaning and impact with many believers today. It seems that rarely is a person baptized at the time they believe. Why? It may be that the one leading them to Christ does not have the biblical understanding of baptism and/or has been influenced by the traditions that have developed around baptism, i.e., there must be a certain kind of person or place or water etc. to do a baptism, or we must gather a group of people together and make it a kind of ceremony, or they must go through some kind of classes to get more educated first. Then there is the waiting for the once or twice or however many times a year a certain congregation is having a baptism service. Baptism is put off and eventually even ignored for many different reasons and therefore can lose the significance and impact it is intended to have.
So, what shall we do? Well, as with many other matters of truth that have been lost or distorted from the Bible, we must come back to the clear and pure teaching of the truth and be willing to drop all the wrong doctrines and practices we may have picked up along the way. This in itself is an act of obedience to God. If you have genuine saving faith in Christ and have not yet been baptized in water, do so in faith as a confirmation and declaration of your faith in obedience to God's word. If you are with someone who has just repented and expressed genuine faith in Christ, find the nearest immersible water and baptize them. We do not need to argue and debate this matter with those who stubbornly hold on to their religious traditions. But we can come back to the proper understanding and practice of baptism for ourselves and those committed to us by God.
I do not claim to have answered all the questions we may have regarding baptism. But I do hope that having looked more closely at God's word and exposed some of the non-biblical teachings and practices, we could draw closer to a healthy understanding and application of this God-ordained and meaningful part of the Christian experience. Glory be to Him!
To copy or download this document, click here.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Baptism - Part Two
"By grace you have been saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). The salvation spoken of here is that which having been "dead in our offenses and sins" (Eph. 2:1) we were "made alive together with Christ" (Eph. 2:5). This "regeneration" (to be covered in a forthcoming lesson) is not by repentance nor is it by baptism. In other words, you are not made alive by repentance and you are not made alive by baptism. Regenerating salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
That being said, we can now go on to take a further and deeper look at how baptism relates to this matter.
Note: In this lesson, I intend to focus mainly on the significance of being baptized in water at the time one first believes (according to the examples in the Bible). I have decided to cover "being baptized in the Holy Spirit" once we have finished with this aspect of baptism.
In "Baptism - Part One", the examples given in the four Gospels and the Book of Acts should have clearly answered many questions concerning water baptism. Now we must begin to address the more difficult and serious questions, such as, Why is water baptism so important if we are saved by grace through faith? Can a person be saved if they have not been baptized in water? And if so, why then is there the need to be baptized? Let's begin by seeing what else the Bible says about baptism from the letters of the apostles Paul and Peter.
According to Romans 6:3-4, those who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into His death. In fact,through baptism they have been buried together with Him. This surely indicates that baptism is a deep and spiritual matter.
In First Corinthians 1:13-17, Paul writes of some who were baptized (obviously in water) by him in Corinth. Yet, his emphasis and concern was not for the act of baptism, but for the name in which they had been baptized, that is, Christ, and no other. He also made it clear that he was not sent to baptize, but to announce the good news of Jesus Christ.
First Corinthians 12:13 tells us that it was in one Spirit that we were all baptized into one body (the body of Christ). This Spirit is the Spirit of truth apart from which there is no reality in the matter of baptism. Biblical baptism is not a religious ritual; it is a spiritual reality.
Knowing Galatians 3:26-27 is also essential for a proper understanding of baptism. It is through faith in Christ that we become sons of God; it is into Christ that we are baptized.
According to Ephesians 4:5, there is just one faith and one baptism. This corresponds to the previous verses from Galatians. The one faith is in Christ; the one baptism is into Christ. Our faith and our baptism are not in or into any other person, ministry, or Christian sect, but in and into Christ alone.
Note: In Hebrews 6:2, the word "baptisms" comes from the Greek word baptismos not baptisma. Although baptismos is a closely related word, it refers to ceremonial washings and not the unique baptism of believers into Christ. It is also used in Mark 7:4, 8 and Hebrews 9:10.
As in Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12 also shows us that we were buried together with Christ in baptism. It goes on to say that "we were raised together with Him through the faith of the operation of God.
First Corinthians 10:2 and First Peter 3:20-21 present two examples of water baptism foreshadowed in the Old Testament. One is that of Moses and the children of Israel passing through the Red Sea, and the other, of Noah and his family surviving the flood of God's judgment. The Israelites, having by faith and obedience followed God's instruction regarding the Passover, were led out of Egypt, passed through the Red Sea, and continued on their journey back to the land promised them by God (Exo. 12-14). Noah, by faith and obedience to God's word did all that God commanded him in building the ark to prepare for the coming flood of His judgment (Gen. 6:22) after which he and his family would have an entirely new beginning.
Chapter 11 of Hebrews, the rightly called "faith chapter", speaks both of Noah and the building of his ark (v. 7) and Moses who led the children of Israel out of Egypt (vv. 27-29). In both cases, it was faith and obedience to God's word that enabled them to experience a kind of salvation.
In order to receive and experience the salvation God intends for us all, we also must have faith in and obedience to God's word.
Partly because of what seems to be an acceptable length for a blog, it appears that I must continue this topic with a Part Three in the next lesson.
Some matters that still need addressed:
1) So, can someone be saved if they have not been baptized in water?
2) What about the thief on the cross?
3) What about death bed experiences?
4) What about the second half of Mark 16:16?
5) What about portions of the Bible like Romans 10:9-10 that talk about how to be saved with no mention of baptism?
6) My thoughts of why there is confusion about baptism among believers today.
To be continued.
To copy or download this document, click here.
That being said, we can now go on to take a further and deeper look at how baptism relates to this matter.
Note: In this lesson, I intend to focus mainly on the significance of being baptized in water at the time one first believes (according to the examples in the Bible). I have decided to cover "being baptized in the Holy Spirit" once we have finished with this aspect of baptism.
In "Baptism - Part One", the examples given in the four Gospels and the Book of Acts should have clearly answered many questions concerning water baptism. Now we must begin to address the more difficult and serious questions, such as, Why is water baptism so important if we are saved by grace through faith? Can a person be saved if they have not been baptized in water? And if so, why then is there the need to be baptized? Let's begin by seeing what else the Bible says about baptism from the letters of the apostles Paul and Peter.
According to Romans 6:3-4, those who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into His death. In fact,through baptism they have been buried together with Him. This surely indicates that baptism is a deep and spiritual matter.
In First Corinthians 1:13-17, Paul writes of some who were baptized (obviously in water) by him in Corinth. Yet, his emphasis and concern was not for the act of baptism, but for the name in which they had been baptized, that is, Christ, and no other. He also made it clear that he was not sent to baptize, but to announce the good news of Jesus Christ.
First Corinthians 12:13 tells us that it was in one Spirit that we were all baptized into one body (the body of Christ). This Spirit is the Spirit of truth apart from which there is no reality in the matter of baptism. Biblical baptism is not a religious ritual; it is a spiritual reality.
Knowing Galatians 3:26-27 is also essential for a proper understanding of baptism. It is through faith in Christ that we become sons of God; it is into Christ that we are baptized.
According to Ephesians 4:5, there is just one faith and one baptism. This corresponds to the previous verses from Galatians. The one faith is in Christ; the one baptism is into Christ. Our faith and our baptism are not in or into any other person, ministry, or Christian sect, but in and into Christ alone.
Note: In Hebrews 6:2, the word "baptisms" comes from the Greek word baptismos not baptisma. Although baptismos is a closely related word, it refers to ceremonial washings and not the unique baptism of believers into Christ. It is also used in Mark 7:4, 8 and Hebrews 9:10.
As in Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12 also shows us that we were buried together with Christ in baptism. It goes on to say that "we were raised together with Him through the faith of the operation of God.
First Corinthians 10:2 and First Peter 3:20-21 present two examples of water baptism foreshadowed in the Old Testament. One is that of Moses and the children of Israel passing through the Red Sea, and the other, of Noah and his family surviving the flood of God's judgment. The Israelites, having by faith and obedience followed God's instruction regarding the Passover, were led out of Egypt, passed through the Red Sea, and continued on their journey back to the land promised them by God (Exo. 12-14). Noah, by faith and obedience to God's word did all that God commanded him in building the ark to prepare for the coming flood of His judgment (Gen. 6:22) after which he and his family would have an entirely new beginning.
Chapter 11 of Hebrews, the rightly called "faith chapter", speaks both of Noah and the building of his ark (v. 7) and Moses who led the children of Israel out of Egypt (vv. 27-29). In both cases, it was faith and obedience to God's word that enabled them to experience a kind of salvation.
In order to receive and experience the salvation God intends for us all, we also must have faith in and obedience to God's word.
The Lord Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Our faith is in Christ; baptism is our obedience. Luke 7:29-30 says that by not being baptized, the Pharisees and the lawyers had rejected the counsel of God. Those who had been baptized were those who acknowledged that God was righteous. Baptism is a physical manifastation of our faith in Christ; it is obedience to His counsel and our acknowledgment of His righteousness. So then, Believe and be baptized and you shall be saved!
Partly because of what seems to be an acceptable length for a blog, it appears that I must continue this topic with a Part Three in the next lesson.
Some matters that still need addressed:
1) So, can someone be saved if they have not been baptized in water?
2) What about the thief on the cross?
3) What about death bed experiences?
4) What about the second half of Mark 16:16?
5) What about portions of the Bible like Romans 10:9-10 that talk about how to be saved with no mention of baptism?
6) My thoughts of why there is confusion about baptism among believers today.
To be continued.
To copy or download this document, click here.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Baptism - Part One
Salvation is a gift of God received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8). It is not based upon our works (Eph. 2:9), but His (Eph. 2:4-7). Although this is the absolute truth, and there is no other way to be saved (Acts 4:12), there are other matters closely related to salvation. One is repentance which was covered in the preceding lesson. Another is baptism.
Greek - baptisma, baptism, consisting of the process of immersion, submersion, and emergence, (from bapto, to dip).
Greek - baptisma, baptism, consisting of the process of immersion, submersion, and emergence, (from bapto, to dip).
(from The Expanded Vines, by W.E. Vine)
Baptism is a topic that seems to have caused some confusion and even division in the Body of Christ. There appear to be many different views and understandings of this matter along with many questions. Some of the more common questions might be: Do we need to be baptized in water to be saved? When should someone be baptized? Should babies be baptized? By whom and where and how should we be baptized? Does there need to be special water? Should it be in a religious building? Should it be a kind of ceremony where we wait and arrange for people to attend? Must a person have a thorough understanding of the meaning of baptism before they are baptized? Can a person be born of God if they truly believe in Christ but have not been baptized in water? What does it mean to be baptized in the Spirit?
My hope for this lesson (there will be two parts) is that just by looking at what the Bible says, at least most of these questions could be answered, and that this would decrease the amount of confusion and division among God's children over this matter.
John's Baptizing: (Matt. 3:1-6, 11)
He preached repentance for the kingdom of the heavens.
His ministry was a preparation for the coming of Jesus.
He baptized in water that Jesus would be manifested (John 1:31).
He baptized in a river.
Those being baptized were confessing their sins.
He baptized in water unto repentance.
He foretold that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Jesus Being Baptized: (Matt. 3:13-17)
Came intentionally to John to be baptized in the river.
He said this was to fulfill all righteousness.
Coming up out of the water, the heavens were opened, the Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father spoke His affirming delight in His Son.
He also referred to His crucifixion as a kind of baptism (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50).
He did this with His disciples.
He did this to make disciples.
His disciples actually did the baptizing.
Jesus Giving Instruction to Baptize: (Matt. 28:19)
Given to His disciples after His resurrection.
Based upon all authority having been given to Him.
They were to go to disciple all the nations, baptizing them.
They were to baptize people into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
They were also to teach them to observe all the Lord had commanded them.
3000 Being Baptized On the Day of Pentecost: (Acts 2:37-41)
Having heard Peter's preaching of the gospel.
Pricked in their hearts, they asked the apostles what they should do.
Told by Peter to repent and be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Then they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Those who received Peter's word were baptized.
A Group of Samaritans Being Baptized: (Acts 8:4-12)
Having heard Philip announce the gospel of the kingdom of God and of the name of Jesus Christ.
Having believed Philip, both men and women were baptized.
Simon Who Had Practiced Magic Being Baptized: (Acts 8:13)
Having believed the gospel preached by Philip.
An Ethiopian Man Being Baptized: (Acts 8:27-39)
Having heard the gospel of Jesus preached by Philip.
Having believed with his heart and confessed with his mouth (Rom. 10:9) that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Having come upon some water on the side of the road.
Went down into the water and was baptized by Philip.
Came up out of the water.
Saul/Paul Being Baptized: (Acts 9:17-18; 22:12-16)
By one brother, Ananias.
Having received the word of the Lord spoken by Ananias.
In a house.
Having received his sight (he had been blinded by the Lord on the road to Damascus) he rose up and was baptized.
There was no reason to delay.
He was exhorted by Ananias to call on the name of the Lord as he was being baptized for the washing away of his sins.
Cornelius, a Centurion of the Italian Cohort, With Some of His Relatives and Close Friends Being Baptized: (Acts 10:44-48)
Having heard Peter announce the good news of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit having fallen upon all those hearing the word.
Peter brings up the matter of water, charging them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Lydia and Her Household Being Baptized: (Acts 16:14-15)
Having been listening to Paul's speaking by a river.
The Lord having opened her heart to give heed to Paul's words.
Was baptized (apparently in the river) along with her household.
A Jail Guard and His Household Being Baptized: (Acts 16:27-34)
Asking Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved.
Being told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ along with his household.
Paul and Silas spoke the word of God to him with all those in his house.
He believed in God with all his household.
He and his household were immediately baptized.
Crispus, a Ruler of the Synagogue, With His Whole Household, and Many Other Corinthians Being Baptized: (Acts 18:8)
Having heard Paul's testifying that Jesus was the Christ.
In the home of Titius Justus.
He and his whole household having believed in the Lord.
They and many other Corinthians having believed were baptized.
Some Disciples in Ephesus Being Baptized: (Acts 19:1-6)
Having been baptized in John's baptism of repentance.
Hearing that they were to believe in Jesus.
They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Paul then laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Having now looked at all the specific cases of those baptizing and being baptized, it appears to me that at least some of the above questions should already have been answered:
1) Being baptized in water is clearly something taught and exampled in the New Testament.
2) Repenting and believing the gospel must precede baptism.
3) Therefore, baptizing babies is not scriptural. The Bible teaches us to believe and be baptized to be saved. There is neither teaching nor example of babies being baptized. To use the households that were saved in Acts 10, 16, and 18, to argue baby baptism is unjustified. First of all, we cannot ignore the clear teaching of "believe and be baptized", and second, both with the Jailer and his household and Crispus and his household, their households also believed. It is a stretching and twisting of God's word to use those portions to argue for baby baptism. It is not according to the clear word of God but according to the traditions of man. Many have been deceived into believing that because they were baptized as a baby, they are okay with God. This is a lie from the Devil. I hope that all true believers would reject this false teaching and stand for the clear truth and examples in the word of God.
4) The time to be baptized is at the time one repents and believes in the gospel. "Why should you delay", "what prevents me", and "immediately", are the examples given in God's word. There is no need to wait. No special teaching or training are needed for one who has repented and believed to be baptized.
5) And there is no teaching or even example of waiting to gather a group of people and turn it into some kind of ceremony.
6) No special water is needed. A river, water along the road, and water in homes are examples from the Bible.
7) This also indicates that no special place or "religious building" is needed.
8) Going into the water verses being sprinkled with water ought to be quite clear. Along with all the examples, the Greek word itself means immersion.
9) Believe it or not, some in the past have even argued that you must be baptized in a certain way, such as, forward, or backward, or three times (once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son, and once in the name of the Holy Spirit), or that you must be baptized in their water by their particular sect or by their official holy leader for it to really count. Some have even insisted that you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, others, the name of the Lord Jesus, and still others, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. These are just some examples I would give to show how foolish are the ways of man and how far off we can get if we don't know both the word of God and the Spirit of truth.
If you refer back to the questions at the beginning of this writing, you will notice a few have not yet been answered. I consider them to be the more difficult or spiritually deeper subjects regarding baptism. In the next lesson, I will attempt, with the help of God's word and His searching and revealing Spirit, to address these matters. I also intend to include the other verses from the New Testament on baptism (mostly from Paul's and Peter's epistles) that have not been referenced in Part One.
I believe that if we all come to the Lord and to His word with a pure and humble heart, He will have a way to break through all the wrong concepts we may have and the traditions of men that we so ofter cling to. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen.
As always, I welcome comments and discussion from those who are genuinely seeking the truth.
To copy or download this document, click here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)