By Samuel Matthews READ Matthew 5:1-4 (KJV). Loved ones, in this post we will look at the beginning of the sermon on the mount. Jesus begins this sermon by teaching on what has been commonly referred to as the Beatitudes. As we study the first 4 verses of chapter 5, we hope to make some practical application of these words spoken by Jesus. In our local newspapers we have a section of classified ads. Invariably these ads contain "Help Wanted" announcements. Here’s an example of one such ad from a bank: Cashier Wanted: Downtown area, full-time or PART time positions available, must be flexible and willing to work, polygraph required, apply in person... $15 per hour. An ad like this indicates that an employer is searching for someone. There's a job to be done and a need for someone to do it. When it comes to spiritual matters, God Himself is searching for someone. The New Testament presents us with a sort of divine "Help Wanted" announcement that reads something like this: “Servants Wanted - must go throughout the world, ONLY full-time positions available, must be willing to develop certain character traits, apply in person at the throne of God… blessedness promised.” Now when we say that a "Help Wanted" ad appears in the New Testament, we do not wish to be misunderstood. We are NOT suggesting that God is an employer, or that God is looking to hire someone. The New Testament does not teach that. Yet, the New Testament does teach that God intends to do a work in this world (Matthew 28:18-20). He purposes to do all that He possibly can to save men from sin. To accomplish this task God needs a special kind of people—servants. Even God's only begotten Son admitted this. Consider Jesus' own personal statement on why He came into this world: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Another sound Bible version says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” Plain and simple, Jesus came to be a servant. To secure man's salvation from sin, God needed a Son who would be a servant, willing to serve and give. Likewise, to continue God's saving work in this century, God needs a church consisting of both men and women, boys and girls. who are true servants. The Lord seeks human beings who will bear the distinctive marks of true servanthood. With this divine search for servants in mind, we want to center this sermon on the passage of our TEXT: Matthew 5:3-4, those familiar words that we call… The Beatitudes. After His 40-day fast and temptation in the wilderness by Satan, Jesus comes into Galilee and begins preaching, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Now in chapter five, He comes to this mount and begins teaching those who will enter into the kingdom how to prosper and be profitable as servants of God. Someone may ask, “brother preacher, why study this passage to learn about servanthood?” ANSWER: Because in these well-known words, God's Perfect Servant (Jesus) reveals the Distinctive Character Traits of servanthood. These distinctive qualities vividly portray the IMPACT of the Kingdom of God in the lives of men. When God is given His proper place in our lives, these Distinctive Character Traits will emerge. If we were to attempt to capture in a single sentence the idea that we wish to impress upon your mind from this study, it would be this: “Distinctive Character Traits mark the lives of God's true servants.” The Beatitudes present us with eight-character traits associated with true servanthood. True servants are (1) poor in spirit, (2) those who mourn, (3) meek, (4) they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, (5) merciful, (6) pure in heart, (7) peacemakers, ( they which are persecuted for righteousness sake. In this post we will only deal with the first two, but when all eight are mixed in your life, balance emerges. It is helpful to realize that this is not a "multiple choice" list where we are free to pick and choose our favorites. Our Savior has stated very clearly the qualities that together will lead to a DIFFERENT lifestyle from that of the world. If your aim is to be a servant of God that pleases the Lord, you can't pick and choose when it comes to these servanthood traits. Every single one of them must be present in your life in order to be pleasing to God. 1. POOR IN SPIRIT The pleasing lifestyle of a servant begins with being “poor in spirit.” The word "poor"(ptochos – Strongs 4434) comes from a verb meaning "to crouch like a beggar." It depicts extreme poverty. “Ptochos” describes a beggar who is totally dependent on the help of another for his basic necessities. Lazarus was such a person. In Luke 16:20, the Lord calls him “ptochos,” because his utter poverty forced him to beg. Lazarus was a deeply impoverished man. He was helpless and powerless to provide for his own physical needs. In the Beatitudes, Jesus applies this sense of deep poverty to spiritual matters. "Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ." The Lord is saying, "Blessed are those who freely admit their spiritual poverty, spiritual inadequacy, and spiritual destitution because of sin. Blessed are those who see themselves for what they are—spiritually bankrupt." Jesus is saying, servanthood means open acknowledgment that YOU and "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23), "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6), and remember, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). A true servant sees his own sad condition in these words. He acknowledges that he is spiritually undone, inadequate, desperate. He feels helpless, powerless impotent. He realizes that his only hope is to cast himself totally on God's mercy. A true servant is willing to humble himself before God and cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). In this world you may be climbing the ladder of success. You make more money than you ever dreamed; you live in a fine house; two cars are in the garage; a boat is out back. Your closet may be filled with the finest clothes; your children do not fret over money for their college education. But don't let material success hide the reality of your spiritual poverty! Whether you're a chairman of the board, an assembly line worker, or a homemaker; whether you're a banker, a nurse, a secretary, or a preacher; you need to come face to face with, and daily admit, your spiritual dependency on God. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 2. THOSE WHO MOURN Another distinctive character trait of a true servant is seen in Jesus' words: "Blessed are they that mourn... " The word "mourn" is a form of the Greek word pentheo (Stro. 3996). “Pentheo” describes mourning for the dead (Mark 16:9-10). It is bereavement, the utter grief and sorrow which accompanies the loss of someone dear. “Pentheo” means to grieve with a grief which so takes possession of the whole being that it cannot be hid. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word is used to express the overwhelming grief of Jacob when he believed the false report of Joseph's death (Genesis 37:34). There is no stronger word for mourning in the Greek language than pentheo. Even today, the modern Greeks use this same word to indicate bereavement. One other matter should be noticed! The mourning described in this passage is not a one-time matter. Nor is it an every once in a while kind of grief. It is continuous! Literally, the passage reads, "Blessed are the ones who keep on mourning. . . " Jesus commends an ongoing experience of passionate sorrow, a condition of the heart. Now, let's put this all together. God's Perfect Servant (Jesus) reveals still another distinctive mark of true servanthood. It is an inner quality of the heart, a deeply felt sorrow that abides at all times within the servant. But to what kind of sorrow does this refer? What kind of sorrow must the servant of God feel every day of his life? In context, it's not the sorrow associated with the loss of a loved one, but the sorrow resulting from sin. This is a distinctive trait of a true servant. It is one thing to be spiritually bankrupt and admit it; it is another to be grieved by it. Jesus would have you to realize that you cannot serve God without being intensely sorry for your own personal sins. You cannot be God's servant until you sense the destructive nature of sin. Almost two thousand years ago, the only perfect man who ever lived was taken and brutally killed on a hill near Jerusalem. Because of sins which were NOT His own, Roman soldiers executed our Lord. Because of my trespasses and yours, cruel man nailed the loveliest person in all the world to a wooden cross. Like the prophet said about seven hundred years before that dark day: “5 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. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). Because of our sin, a lonely, desperate cry was heard from the cross: "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Sin crucified Jesus. Sin made it happen. A day should never pass that you and I don't fall down on our knees and, before God, grieve because of the price which had to be paid because of our sins. If we did that, it would cause us to think twice about giving in to the next temptation to sin (to show undue anger, to use cursing language, to show unconcern for the lost). If we grieved over our sin, we would quit minimizing sin, wouldn't we? We wouldn't joke about it. We would hate it for what it is—the only thing in this world that would make it necessary for the Son of God to be nailed to a cross. “Blessed are they that keep on mourning: for they shall be comforted.” To be continued in Part 2 - Blessed are the meek… To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel.
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By Samuel Matthews
“30 But when he (Peter) saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31). Loved ones, doubt is an experience common to all people. Even those with faith in God struggle with doubt on occasion. A working definition of doubt is “to waver in opinion, to lack confidence, to consider unlikely.” Doubt is an obstacle which needs to fly away for a Christian to be of real service to God. The Bible has much to say about the cause of doubt and provides examples of people who struggled with it. God knew we would doubt and has built into His word truths to help combat the sin of unbelief, “which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1). The very first expression of doubt in the Bible is in Genesis 3, when Satan tempted Eve. God had given a clear command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and had specified the consequence of disobedience: “16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Satan introduced doubt into Eve’s mind when he asked, “Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” He wanted her to lack confidence in God’s command. When she affirmed God’s command, including the consequences, Satan replied with a denial, which is a stronger statement of doubt: “Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:1-5). Doubt is a device of Satan to make us lack confidence in God’s Word and consider His judgment unlikely (2 Corinthians 2:11). However, we cannot lay all of the blame on Satan, for the Bible clearly holds us accountable for our own doubts. When the angel of the Lord told Zacharias his wife would have a son (John the baptizer), he doubted the word given to him. He logically assumed that he and Elisabeth were too old to have children. In response to his doubt, the angel said, “Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season” (Luke 1:11-20). Zacharias doubted God’s ability to overcome natural obstacles – many of God’s people today share the same doubt. Any time we allow human reason to overshadow faith in God, sinful doubt is the result. No matter how logical our reasons may seem, God has made foolish the wisdom of this world, and His (seemingly) foolish plans are far wiser than man’s (1 Corinthians 1:20, 25). The remedy for doubt is faith. Faith is trusting God even when His plan goes against human reason or experience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). God gave us the Bible as a testimony of His works in the past, so we will have a reason to trust Him in the present. “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11). Contrary to the humanistic view that doubt is essential to life, the Bible says that doubt is a destroyer of life. James wrote: “5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (doubting). For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord” (James 1:5-7). If we doubt God’s ability to respond to our request, what would be the point of asking in the first place? God says that if we doubt while we ask, we will not receive anything from Him, because we are unstable: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). In order for us to have a faith that is pleasing and approved by God, we must diligently study His word to know what He has said (2 Timothy 2:15). Once we understand what God has done in the past, what He has promised us for the present, and what we can expect from Him in the future, we can come and bow before our Lord Jesus in faith instead of doubt (John 6:44-45). The most famous doubter in the Bible was the Apostle Thomas. When the others told him they had seen the resurrected Lord, he declared he would not believe in His resurrection until he could see and touch Jesus himself. When he later saw Jesus and believed, he received the gentle rebuke, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:24-29). Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We can have confidence even in the things we cannot see, because God has proven Himself faithful, true, and able. Dear friends, we will close this post with several divine truths to remember when you find yourself doubting God. 1st Truth: Christ died for you. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). If God was willing to sacrifice His Son for you, there is nothing that He won't do for you! 2nd Truth: God loved you even when you were still dead in sin. “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). God already knew your sins past, present, and future and loved you anyway. He still loves you now. 3rd Truth: God is your heavenly Father. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). Your Heavenly Father is in control of ALL circumstances; therefore, you can rest in His love and provision no matter the circumstance. 4th Truth: God has compassion on you. “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15). Your bad days do not disqualify you from His love or His faithfulness. His compassion will woo you back to Him in confession and repentance. 5th Truth: God has good plans for you. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). God has an expected end for your faith, works, trials, and afflictions. You can trust with hope because your future is with Jesus. 6th Truth: You must pray. “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). God wants your honesty. He already knows what you are thinking and feeling. Being honest with the Lord will increase your faith and grow your walk of obedience. 7th Truth: You must be still. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). When all else is in chaos and you find yourself doubting God and His plan, remember that God is the center of the story, NOT you. Trust His word, for It has power to still you before His holy presence. May we all grow stronger in our faith and may our times of doubting God diminish as we apply all the powerful truths of the Holy Spirit’s word (Ephesians 6:17). To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel. By Devadas Prakash
What is the relationship between the kingdom and the Lord’s Supper. Our Lord promised those disciples in the first century that the kingdom would come in their lifetime. Read the following words carefully as though you were standing in the presence of Jesus. What would you have understood when He said, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1)? Jesus taught the Lord’s Supper would be part of the kingdom. It was in the upper room that Jesus promised He would eat the Lord’s Supper with His followers when the kingdom came. Jesus said, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). He and eighty-three other Divinely sent messengers had proclaimed that the kingdom was about to be established. Now in the upper room, what Jesus said placed a time limit on the time it would come. He said, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God . . . I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:15-18). His words clearly state that the cup with the fruit of the vine as part of that feast was ending and was about to be fulfilled when Jesus would assemble with the disciples at His table, His supper—the Lord’s supper. The Passover, as a God-appointed feast, was within a year of coming to an end. The Lord’s Supper became part of the promised kingdom for He made it part of His kingdom, the church. Within two months of His words in the upper room the church began. Peter proclaimed that Jesus ascended on high as an exalted king (Acts 2:20-33). His promised kingdom had come and notice what immediately happened. “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Jesus had become part of the communion at His table in His kingdom! The Lord’s Supper will end when Jesus returns. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Cor. 11:26). The words “till He comes” proclaim that at His coming the Lord’s Supper will end. Those who see the establishment of the kingdom as a future event cannot reconcile these Divine words with their teaching. The kingdom has come, as He promised, and He meets with us every week at His table “till He comes.” By Samuel Matthews
Read John 3:16-17 (KJV) Loved ones, in the above text we learn that God loves the world. The “world,” in this case, refers to the people living in the world for whom Jesus died. Jesus’ death burial and resurrection will saved (or justify) those people who believe and obey Him (Romans 5:1; John 8:24; Matthew 7:21). They then can live by faith in Jesus (Hebrews 10:38). Many people say they believe in Jesus, and thus they THINK they are saved by “faith only.” With love, we must tell you the truth – they are DECEIVING themselves (Galatians 6:3). We say this because faith is shown in action (James 2:14-26). We must show our faith by what we do (Acts 2:37; 9:6; 16:30) – by our obedience to God (Romans 1:5). There are many believers who are NOT saved because they have NOT obeyed the Gospel of God (Romans 10:16; Luke 6:46). Jesus will give eternal salvation ONLY to those righteous souls in the world who show their faith by obeying Him (Hebrews 5:9; Matthew 25:46). As in the days of Noah, the world has become exceedingly wicked and thinking only of evil (Genesis 6:5). Righteous conduct will never be popular in the world; however, once saved, Christians must be DIFFERENT from the world. God commands Christians to: “15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17). The world’s way has no future promise – it is “passing away.” God is telling His children to show they do not love the world by being different from the world! Those who desire God’s spiritual blessings and rewards must be willing to be DIFFERENT. We must seek God and live His way (Acts 17:24-28). That means we will not be the “usual” people in the crowd. We will be a purify “peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). If “usual” or “typical” represents the majority (the many), and “different” represents the minority (the few), the wise Christian would rather be with the few. The “usual” or “typical” people who are conformed to this sinful world are NOT heading in the right direction. According to Matthew 7:13-14, they are with the “many” who are going down the broad way to destruction. Only the “few” that are willing to be different find the narrow way that leads to life. Christians should all choose to be “different.” We must decide to do what is right, and stick with our choice (James 4:17). Those who purpose to be DIFFERENT from the world are the wise hearers who do God’s will by honoring and respecting His word (Matthew 7:24-27). Unfortunately, excuses are being made by some Christians to justify sinful-wanderings. Young people who are encouraged in worldly successes more than righteousness, ARE BEING DECEIVED. Much of their wickedness falls back on the example of their parents who have embraced the world and are NOT following God’s directions (Ephesians 6:4). Christians must choose and determine to be “different from the world now” and “saved in Heaven then,” rather than the opposite, which will be an eternal-disaster (Matthew 25:46). We can listen to God, maintain righteous conduct, and be morally good, even if no one else around us does. Peter wrote, “1… For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2). God commands us to be DIFFERENT and to not love the world. Our love for God, shown by keeping His commands (Matthew 22:37-40), will make us different from the world. We are then assured of this promise: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Romans 1:18-32 describes why God rightfully condemns the “world” and some of what He has done about it. Humanity's fall is pictured as a downward progression. It starts with rejecting God as creator, then refusing to see what can be known about Him by what He has made (vs. 18-20). The world also rejects the fact that He is our provider; and thus, has stopped giving Him thanks. They worship His creation instead of Him (vs. 21-25). Finally, God acts by giving this unbelieving world over to the unchecked expression of their corrupt sexual desires and all other kinds of sin (vs. 26-32). In part, He expresses His wrath by giving sinners what they want and condemning them to suffer the painful consequences. Christians must learn to be “different” and turn away from such foolish living! Paul wrote, “1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Like God’s people of old (Deuteronomy 7:6), Christians should be different from the people of the world. WHY? Because “9 Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10). HOW WE SHOULD BE DIFFERENT In the wisdom of God, He has not left it up to His people to figure out how to be different; He has plainly told us in many ways. Please search the below Scriptures to clearly learn HOW. Philippians 2:14-15 Psalm 1:1-2 Proverbs 1:9-16 Proverbs 4:5-7 Jeremiah 29:12-13 Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 6:24-34 John 15:3-5 John 15:18-19 Romans 1:14-16 Romans 12:1-2 Romans 14:13 John 7:24 1 Corinthians 1:10 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 1 Corinthians 16:14 2 Corinthians 5:7, 17 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 6:1-2 Galatians 6:4 Ephesians 4:22-32 Philippians 4:13 Colossians 3:1-10 1 Timothy 2:1-2. 2 Timothy 1:7 Hebrews 12:1-2 James 3:13 1 Peter 1:14-16 1 Peter 2:5 1 Peter 3:13-16 1 Peter 4:7-11 1 Peter 5:6-7 1 John 4:16-17 Dear Friends, success in being DIFFERENT requires a change of heart from being self-centered, to self-denial (Matthew 16:24-25); from being self-serving, to focusing on what God wants (Psalm 119:97-105); from being self-guided, to willingly-instructed by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). True success is eternal success, and it requires diligence. God’s way is difficult, but it is worth it (1 Peter 4:1-5, 13-16). Life is full of choices; how we choose now will make all the difference in eternity. God’s way is NOT the world’s way; it is DIFFERENT… different conduct, different hope, for a different home. God’s “different” people are those who will be saved in Heaven in the end (1 Corinthians 15:24). How will you choose? You can be like most of the world and chart your own course that will never get you to Heaven (Jeremiah 10:23). Or you can choose to be DIFFERENT, righteous, and filled with the hope that comes with seeking and pleasing God (Hebrews 11:6). So, WHICH WILL IT BE? To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel.
By Samuel Matthews “36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-37). KJV Loved ones, are you S. A. V. E. D? Is Jesus your SAVIOUR? Has Christ ATONED for your sins? Do you have the VICTORY in Jesus? Are you assured of ETERNAL life in heaven? Are you DELIVERED from Spiritual death? In this brief series, we have with love been discussing the Bible’s teaching as to how one becomes just a Christian. The question should now be asked, “What must I do to be added to the ONE faith and ONE body of Christ”; in other words, “What Must I Do To Be Saved?" (Acts 16:30). Friends, the Bible says there is “ONE BAPTISM" (Eph. 4:5). Jesus commanded His disciples to go and teach all the world the saving Gospel or good news of His death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Mark 16:15-16). Jesus said to teach them, baptize them, and keep on teaching them... everything else that He's commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). The one baptism must then be something man administers! Man cannot baptize you with the Holy Spirit or with fire, both of which were given as a promise, NOT as a command to be obeyed (Matt. 3:11; Luke 24:49). Man can only baptize with water! Therefore, the one baptism spoken of in Eph. 4:5 and Matthew 28:19 is water baptism. In keeping with the Lord's command, Philip baptized the eunuch with water (Acts 8:35-39), and Peter commanded the household of Cornelius to be baptized with water (Acts 10:46-47). You too as a penitent believer must be immersed in water to be born again… saved from your past sins (John 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:21). My friends, the blood of Jesus frees us from sin (Matt. 26:28; Rev. 1:5), and Jesus shed His blood in His death (John 19:34). But how do we get into the death of Jesus so that the merits of His shed blood might be ours? The Bible says, “we are buried with him (Christ) by baptism into death” (Rom. 6:3-4). Therefore, the one baptism is a burial or total immersion in water into the death of Christ (Col. 2:12). You have NOT been baptized if you were only sprinkled with water while an infant, or had a little water poured on your head. A person must be totally immersed (buried) under the water in baptism. The one baptism puts you into Christ (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3). Notice the powerful thought contained in Rom. 3:24: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” In Christ we are: saints (Phil. 4:21), new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), fellow workers (Rom. 16:3-9), one body... not 300 different denominational bodies (Rom. 12:5). In Christ we have SALVATION (2 Tim. 2:10), all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3), and the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39). The Bible says we get into Christ by grace through faith as we do God's will (Eph. 2:4-8; 1 Cor. 1:30; John 6:65). God's grace teaches us (Tit. 2:11-12). We are taught to believe in the name of Jesus (John 2:23; 3:16; 8:24; Acts 4:12), love and obey Jesus (John 14:15), repent of our sins (Acts 2:38; Luke 13:3), confess Jesus as Lord, the Son of God (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10), and be immersed (buried, baptized) into Christ (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27)... where salvation is found (2 Tim. 2:10). Baptism into Christ is God's plan for man's new birth (John 3:3-5). Baptism washes away our sins by the blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16; Matt. 26:28). Baptism saves us NOW (1 Pet. 3:21; Mark 16:16). Baptism puts us into the one body, the church (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:47), the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13). Loved ones, for believers to be one we must teach, believe, and obey only the Bible. We receive the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit when we are immersed in water (Acts 2:38; 5:32), after having repented of our sins and confessed our belief that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 17:30; Matt. 10:32-33). We arise from the watery grave of baptism IN CHRIST... a new creature... a Christian... a child of God (Rom. 6:4-7; Gal. 3:26). In the days of the great flood, God used only one Ark to save the people... all who were saved were inside that one Ark (1 Pet. 3:20; Gen. 6). When the Israelites crossed the Jordan and fought against the walled city of Jericho, God used only one house to save Rahab's family... all who were saved were inside that one house (Joshua 2:12-14; 6:25). Today, if you desire to have eternal life; to be saved from the wrath of God to come; to escape the burning fires of hell; then you must get inside God's spiritual Ark... the house of the Lord (Heb. 3:1-6)… the church of Christ. The churches of Christ are a fellowship of Christians who believe the Bible to be God's communication to man (2 Tim. 3:16), and therefore have responded to its teachings (Luke 24:46-47). We acknowledge Jesus as the only head (ruler, monarch, sovereign) of the church (Eph. 5:23). We are organized according to the biblical example with elders (bishops) and deacons (Phil. 1:1), and we worship God according to biblical instructions (John 4:22-24). As Christians, we are approved of God and not ashamed to do His work because we study His word diligently (2 Tim. 2:15); grow spiritually (Phil. 1:9); pray always (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 18:1); assemble with the saints (other Christians) whenever possible (Heb. 10:25), but always on the first day of the week – Sunday (1 Cor. 16:1-2); sing without mechanical instruments, making melody in our hearts (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16); partake of the Lord's Supper every Sunday (Acts 20:7, Matt. 26:26-29); cheerfully give as we purpose in our heart (2 Cor. 9:6-8); become living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1-2); continue in good works (Gal. 6:9-10; 2 Tim. 3:17); and are faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10). Our plea is that all mankind might become, “fellow-heirs, and of the same body” of Christ (Eph. 3:6), according to the eternal purpose of God which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph. 3:11). We pray that you will choose the truth of God's word as you work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). Please humble yourself and visit a congregation of the churches of Christ at your next opportunity (Rom. 16:16), and remember, you can be JUST A CHRISTIAN (Acts 26:27-29)! To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel. |
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