Believers Armed and Dangerous

As Christians we have differences with others: differences with brothers and sisters in the faith, even differences with political figures and policies. How do we handle these differences?

God is love, and we are to be loving (1 John 4:7-8).  Whatever our response to those with whom we disagree, it must be rooted in our love for our God and the love for others He commands us to display.

Let’s look at a simple disagreement with a Christian brother or sister that has resulted in bitterness.  Matt. 5:23-24 says our relationship with our fellow Christians effects our relationship with our God.  We should first settle the issue with our brother/sister before approaching God’s altar:

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Our job is to show the grace of God, to forgive and ask forgiveness.  Otherwise, bitterness will rise both in us and the person with whom we have the difference:

¹⁵ See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled^,  (Heb. 12:15)

If we have a difference with a brother that involves serious sin in their life or a difference in a major doctrine of the church, we have clear instructions. Once we follow these steps, there is nothing more to be said.  It is then a closed matter.

Matt 18:15-17 says this: ¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”.

Now, what do we do with political differences?  During the 60s a.d. when most of the New Testament was written, Rome was very hostile to the Christians.  Emperor Nero made sport of them feeding them to lions, even covering them with pitch, impaling them on poles, then setting them aflame to light his garden.  What was the response of the early church?

Paul says this in Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ² to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Wow! “To speak evil of no one.”  That includes politicians.  For some of us that’s a tall order even today.

The first Christian apologists wrote open letters to the Roman authorities.  They weren’t angry letters.  They were letters explaining how Christians were good citizens paying their taxes, working hard, and not disruptive.  They asked the Romans to end their persecution.  Is that how Christians act today?

Why is this important?

As I’ve said before, God has two major goals: To make heaven as full as possible and hell as empty as possible.  As Christians those are our goals too.

The commands of God dictate our behavior in such a way that we can influence the lost to come to Christ.  Angry Christians attract no one.  Christ told us His kingdom is not of this world, but we act as though it is.

Ephesians 2:19 tells us we’re citizens of the kingdom of God.  But, do we act like it?

¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

If our job is to share Christ, I wonder how much of what we are involved in is little more than distraction.

In 250 a.d. two things happened:  The Great Persecution began slaughtering Christians throughout the Roman Empire, and there was a severe plague in Rome.  5,000 Romans died each day, so the Romans who could, left the city.  The Christians stayed to nurse the sick.  Many Christians died.  Many non-believers were saved through the love that was shown by the very people they were persecuting.  The Roman common people’s view of Christians changed.  They became sympathetic.  Christians had sacrificed themselves for lost Romans. 

About 70 years later a Roman Centurion entered a church and demanded all its holy documents.  The pastor refused.  The Centurion returned to his unit and told his commander.  Rather than killing the pastor, the commander said to ask for just one document.  The pastor still refused, and the Romans left him alone.  Yes, the pastor took a stand but only after he was challenged.  God’s love changes lives.  The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:20)

I have only come to this realization recently and as a result am reassessing my Christian walk.  I now believe it is hearts that need changing as much if not more than minds.  God is interested in the souls of the lost.  Much of what we busy ourselves in is fruitless distraction.  What we do, we must do for God and do as imitators of Christ.

I turned 73 last October and recently watched a video of myself shot last week.  I thought, “Who is that old coot?” We kid ourselves looking in the mirror, but not when we see ourselves as others do.  When I go to the VA, I see men and women younger than I using walkers and in wheelchairs.  I got to thinking about what the Bible says about old folks.

We older folks still have much to offer.  God tells His people to find wise counsel by turning to an older person:

31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32 ‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded, and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. (Lev. 19:31-32)

I was interested that God doesn’t stop telling us how we can be of benefit to His kingdom just because we’ve gotten a little older.  Seems He doesn’t expect us to retire from service, we are to be examples and teachers:

² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:2-5)

So, older Christians have jobs to do.  We may not have children at home anymore, but we have many children and young adults in our realm we can influence for good through our actions, our words, and our examples. 

Our lives up to now are useful, too.  Each of us have different histories.  We’ve experienced things others are going through now or are dealing with the consequences later on.  We can come along side to help.

We have people our own age who need the companionship of someone who understands their histories.  Nursing homes are full of them.  There are shut-ins who would like a visit, a kind word, a prayer.  We have the time to do these things.

A few years ago, Toby Keith wrote a song, “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”  It speaks of an old man who just doesn’t yield to the years he’s lived.  He gets up every day and makes it a point not to let the old man in.  Keith wrote the song after a conversation with the then 88 year-old Clint Eastwood who told him why he was so active at his age.

Why is this important?

I retired in 2016 at age 69.  I retired from gainful employment, but I don’t think we can ever retire from God’s service.  Every time I see something else He has for me to do, I think, “Well, I’ll be around a little longer.  God wants me to do this.”

It’s easy for older folks to give up and just await death.  We can think we can’t be useful anymore since often society treats us that way, our children are grown and have lives of their own.  We don’t see them much anymore.  Our job as parents is done. We can relax, exhale, and feelsorry for ourselves.  But, this is the time of our lives when we can be the most useful.  We have more free time.  We understand how things work, what needs to be done, and how to do it. 

We can leave the values and lessons we’ve learned to younger people who can carry them long after we’re gone.

Our days aren’t over.  We need to look where God has placed us and think of why.  We are where we are for a purpose.  If we have money, maybe God wants some of that money used for His work.  If not, maybe the situation we’re in can be used to further God’s work.  Most of us can host a Bible study, talk with our neighbors, write to shut-ins.  The opportunities are endless.  Even if you’re immobile, you can still pray for others.

My cousin used to have a bumper sticker that said, “Happiness is in inside job.”  So is unhappiness.  If you’re grumpy and depressed with your life, get active in God’s work.  A pastor friend used to say “The people on the front line are too busy to complain.”  Get on the front line.  Show them what an old coot can do.

You know how the Holy Spirit will bring a verse or passage of Scripture to mind?  It keeps coming up and you chew on it for a while.  Then it goes away for a bit then God brings it back, and you find more in that verse?  Well, that’s been happening to me lately with Jude 24.

I used to drive for a living and had long stretches with noting to think about but the passing scenery.  For a while, I memorized Scripture which included the book of Jude.  Since then, God reminds me of various parts of those 25 verses.  They come flooding back to point something out to me, to compare with something I’m reading, or for God to just teach me something new.  What He has been teaching me in verse 24 is impressive and still ongoing.

        Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,  and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,   (Jude 1:24)

Keep you from stumbling.  The obvious part of this is that God can keep us from sinning.  When we consider sinning, and we do, God is available to draw us back from the brink if we will just ask.  He’s a Gentleman, though.  He won’t act if He’s not asked.  He has told us this in 1 Cor. 10:13, where Paul tells us we will not be tempted beyond what we are able and God will give us an escape route.  We sin when we refuse to take that exit.

What’s been sticking with me lately, though, is the rest of the verse, that He (God our Savior, Who I’m assuming is Christ) will present us blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy.  Lots of stuff in there.

Faultless.  We will stand before God free from any blame for the sins we’ve committed.  A man I knew, Jim, died a couple of years ago, but about a year before he died, he gave his testimony to a men’s group.  Jim had been a pimp, a drug dealer, an alcoholic, generally a really “hopeless” sinner.  But, Christ broke through to Jim.  In his testimony, he told of a dream he had of Jesus coming to take him home.  In the dream, Jim started crying.  Jesus said, “What is it Jim?  Don’t you believe in me?”  Jim responded, “Of course I believe in You.  It’s me.”

I’ve lived a pretty clean life.  I’ve never done drugs, never been an alcoholic, or done any of the things Jim did.  But, when Jesus comes for me, I will probably react much as Jim did in his dream.  It’s not the greatness of God that will make me shrink from Him; it’s the ungodliness in me.

Jude says Jesus will present us faultless – faultless!  The Greek word means “without spot or blemish.”   How can that be?  I know what I have done, who I really am. It’s because Christianity has something no other faith has: grace.

Before the presence of His glory.  Just what is the “presence of His glory?”  It is the throne described by John in Revelation 4:2-6  At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³ And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶ and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

This is the throne where we will be faultlessly presented.

With exceeding joy.  I used to think this was speaking of my joy in being there before God’s throne faultless, but I no longer believe that.  Look at what Hebrews 12:2.  It says it is Jesus’ joy:   looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus Himself will be “exceedingly” joyful at our being presented before the presence of His glory. 

One more point that excites me: the Greek word for “you” here is singular.  It is not saying “you all” but “you as an individual.”  Each of us shall stand before the presence of His glory with Jesus exceedingly joyful we are there. We will be addressed and blessed individually, not corporately.

Why is this important?

Many Christians look at themselves as the sinners they are and think they can never stand before God in such a state.  Others believe they will just make it by the skin of their teeth with the smell of smoke still on their clothes.  They believe they’ll be standing in the back of a crowd hoping no one spots them and throws them out.

They’re wrong!  The truth is God has sacrificed everything for us, for the joy that was set before Him.  You are that joy.

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We’ve all heard “All roads lead to God.  Christianity is just one of them.” 

Jesus said differently.  He made the claim only He is the way to God the Father, but how can we show that to others we meet.

Let’s look at the major religions and their gods one at a time:

Theravada Buddhism teaches that God is not a person at all.  In fact, Buddhism at it’s purest form is atheistic.  The Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path of Buddhism teach not a god but a lifestyle they believe will lead to peace.

Hinduism has millions of gods.  There are three major gods: Vishnu, Siva, and Brahma.  On top of those, there are all the other gods, but these three are the center piece.  Hinduism is polytheistic.  They have many gods.

Islam has only one God and is extremely monotheistic to the point of destroying any idols of other gods they come across.

Judaism’s God is personal.  He communicates with His people.

Hinduism’s gods are invisible, non-physical. 

Christianity’s God in the Person of Jesus is very physical.

So, if all roads lead to the same god, he is singular and multiple.  He is physical and non-physical (and doesn’t exist in Theravada Buddhism)   And, he is personal and impersonal.  This idea is akin to a belief in square circles, married bachelors, and living corpses.  It makes no sense at all.

No, there is only one true God.  So, how do we know it is the God of the Bible?  Here is one way:

The Universe is not eternal nor has it always existed.  Scientists tell us there was a Big Bang about 15 billion years ago, that the entire universe was once compressed into a particle smaller than an electron.  Steven Hawking called this particle “infinitely dense.”  With that particle so dense and so powerfully held together with all the matter of the universe and its accompanying gravitational pull, how could it explode?  The Bible says there was a time when even the particle didn’t exist, that God made the universe out of nothing and spoke it into existence out of nothing at all.

So, there was a time when the universe was not.  Then how did it come about?  Well if it had a beginning, it needed to have a cause for that beginning.  Conditions must have been right in order for the universe to come into existence.  But, that wouldn’t bring it into existence.  It needed an Agent.

Think of the beginning of universe like striking a match.  All the materials are there, the match, the striking surface, the oxygen, the fuel of the wooden match.  The match will still not strike itself.  It must have an agent to decide to strike the match.  In the same way, if all the conditions and materials were ready before the universe came into existence, it would still not exist unless an Agent “struck the match.”  In our case, that is described in the first verse of the Bible.

Now think of what that Creator God must be like.  He must be greater than the universe He created (omnipotent).  He must be incredibly intelligent to create this universe and all the laws governing it (omniscient).  He must exist outside the time He created that our universe depends upon (eternal).  He must be personal to decide to “strike the match.”  Since the universe is governed by laws and not chaos, He must be a God of order and unchanging (Immutable). 

Now which God does that sound like?

Why is this important?

We are confronted regularly by skeptics who have “all the answers” as to why they disregard the God who made them.  It is our job to help them understand what they believe is irrational.  “All roads lead to God” is just a silly statement.  It shows the person’s ignorance of those “roads.”

The God we serve as Christians, the God we want to share with others, is greater than we can imagine.  He has communicated with us in His Word.  We are of all people favored.

Matt. 19:26  But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Back when I used to smoke, I tried several times to quit.  My problem was that I kept a pack or two around just in case I failed.  As a result, I didn’t actually quit until I threw five packs of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter into a dumpster after coughing all the way to work one day.  I couldn’t reach for that reserve pack I normally had stored away. So, I was able to quit.

We do this with sin, too.  The drug addict keeps a few pills tucked behind the bathroom mirror “just in case.”  The porn addict keeps a few pictures hidden somewhere “just in case.”  The serial adulteress keeps her address book just in case she needs to get a hold of one of those men.  Not all these provisions are quite so damning.  The gossip refuses to stop hanging around with other gossips, and so on.

We say we’re going to clean up an area of our lives, but we leave something that leads us back into the pit. Satan tells us it’s better to “taper off,” to “leave a little in case you can’t really overcome this temptation.” We fall for that again and again.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)

There is a progression to sin.  Temptation is not a sin.  Giving in to temptation is.  So, why keep temptations around when you want to quit cold turkey.  Rather than not trusting your self-control, trust in God’s power to fill you and help you break the addiction to sin no matter what form that sin takes.

In Matt. 9:43-47, Jesus says “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.”

Of course cutting off your hand or plucking out your eye is a little hyperbolic, but we get the point.  We have no business preparing to fail.  God is a God of miracles.  He can give us the strength to overcome the sin Setting aside seeds for temptation is only going to drag us back into our failure once again. 

Why is this important?

I heard a story once of a little boy who used to fall out of bed several times a night.  His loving father would always come, comfort him, then tuck him back into bed.  One night the father asked the boy, where in his bed he was sleeping.  The boy said he was sleeping on the edge to which his father told him to sleep as far from the edge as possible, back against the wall, then he would be less likely to fall.

As Christians we need to spend time examining ourselves.  Are we living life so near the edge, so close to temptation and sin it’s easy to fall?  Or, are we willing to move away from the edge and trust God?

Provision for sin is planning to fail.  As Christians, we should be looking to shed the old man and take on the new life Christ has promised.  Let’s set aside the provision for sin and place our eyes on the race.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.  (Heb. 12:1)

A friend pointed out to me the original version of this post (posted Feb. 7) seemed to leave out the Holy Spirit in my attempt at compassion. I’ve done a couple of minor edits to show how God is always there to create in us a Christ-like heart and how He worked in mine.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  (Gal 5:22-23)

While Galatians 5 doesn’t give an exhaustive list of all the fruit of the spirit, it is a pretty good start.

Luke 6:43-45  says: ⁴³ “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

That’s Jesus talking there, and He’s telling us we should be producing fruit, good fruit, the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

I was thinking the other day, “Why isn’t compassion listed in Galatians chapter 5?”  In reality, compassion is in the list of fruit.  It’s right in there with love, patience, kindness, and gentleness.  In fact, there are theologians who believe “fruit” in the passage is singular, that the passage is speaking only of love and the others: joy, peace, patience, and so on are produced by that love; are aspects of that love.

Since God is love.  Again, He’s not just loving, He’s love the Bible tells us (1 John 4:8).  Compassion is a display of God’s love in us.  So, what if I don’t feel compassionate?  What can I do?

I’ve had issues with compassion since childhood.  I was raised to believe I am responsible for my own actions and so are others.  If I get myself into a tough spot, I’ve always thought it was up to me to get myself out.  I expected the same from other people. 

Once we had a guest teacher take over my Bible class, and he spoke on Barnabas: Son of Encouragement.  During the lesson, he put his hands on my shoulders and suggested to the class if they had a problem they would certainly come to me with it.  Everyone in the class smiled but shook their heads, “no.”  They saw I was not a model of compassion to say the least.  They knew my attitude was “everyone is responsible for their own actions.”  But, that attitude doesn’t seem to align well with the Christ-likeness I’m seeking.  So, I decided I needed to change – but how? 

There is a story of an evangelist in New York who used to go door to door in the tenement housing.  He would share the gospel with the people who answered.  If they listened but weren’t sure they wanted to accept Christ, he told them to pretend to be a Christian for 30 days: pray, read your Bible daily, and follow its teachings; and he would come back at the end of the 30 days to see how things went.  Strangely enough, many had turned their lives over to Christ upon his return.  Moral of the story?  If you don’t feel drawn to Christian acts, fake it and it may become a part of your life.

So, I started faking it, you know, practicing compassionate behavior without feeling the urge to be compassionate all the time praying for the Holy Spirit to fill me with compassion.  It worked.  I now find myself looking for ways to help others, to ask the store clerk if there is anything I can pray for, for instance.  I find myself looking for ways to bless others.  I text my children every day telling them I prayed for them that morning.  I text, call, and/or visit sick or struggling friends giving them support.  God has changed my heart and the fruit I produce.  I’m not faking it anymore.

Why is this important?

When we reach out to people who need help or just need to be remembered, we bless them as well as ourselves.  More importantly, of course, we bless the God who had compassion on us by sending His Son.

This isn’t just true with compassion, it’s true with all Christian behavior.  I have a Christian friend who hated Latinos.  Through a series of events, he ended up working at an orphanage in Mexico.  He told me the moment he picked up a hurting Latino child and placed him on his lap, he felt his hatred melt away, and God replaced it with love not just for the child but for the people as well.  He had sort of faked it until the love of God in him became evident.

Maybe it’s not compassion with you.  Maybe you find another Christian behavior difficult to practice.  Step out, and give it a try.  Pray, then fake it.  It may just make you a better Christian.

Psalm 128:1  ¹  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

Last year I watched a TED Talk by A.  J. Jacobs on the subject of his book The Year of Living Biblically.  Mr Jacobs spent a year trying to live by the rules and laws in the Bible, Old and New Testaments.  Some of what he went through as an agnostic was funny, but the best parts were how his life changed through taking seriously some of what the Bible teaches.

Now, he did get a bit messed up trying to live the Old Testament Law in 21^st Century America, but overall, it was a good experience for him.  He gave shepherding a try and found it very relaxing.  As a work a-holic, it meant a lot to Mr. Jacobs.

Giving thanks was a new experience.  He found His attitude toward life changed by just giving thanks for the dozens of good things that happen every day rather than just thinking about the few bad things.  Gratitude, he discovered, is the key to happiness.

He came to understand reverence and ritual have “something good and beautiful” about them.  When we begin to value rituals more, we can see advantages to us mentally.  He asked a Conservative Jew why he separated his clothing so he did not mix fibers.  The Jew said he didn’t know, but God knows.  Jacobs said he told the fellow he was crazy.  The Jewish man asked, how much more rational is it to set fire atop a birthday cake only to blow out the candles?

Rituals cause us to remember things, events, moments that mean something to us.  When I go to a wedding, the ritual reminds me of the ritual my wife and I went through over 50 years ago.  I remember the purity of the bride walking down the aisle toward me.  I remember declaring my love for her before dozens of friends and family members.  I remember the friend I hadn’t seen for years.  It warms my heart, and I am grateful for that memory.

Jacobs also said how observing the Sabbath, taking one day off each week to do nothing taught him to slow down and enjoy life more.

He learned not to stereotype people.  Once he set aside his preconceived notions, he found it much easier to talk with people he didn’t know or understand.  He learned a lot about others and about himself.

All of this prompted me to think about what else living biblically does for people.  Of course, our greatest benefit is our eternal life by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus.  Think, though, of the troubles in our world today.  Universal biblical living would go a long way to solve those issues. 

Don’t commit criminal acts, and you won’t end up in jail, you won’t have children who would need to grow up without you or parents who weep nightly for you.  Don’t have sex outside of marriage, and you won’t have to deal with unwanted pregnancies resulting in a lot of terrible consequences: children growing up without a father, mothers having to live in poverty because they had to leave school to support a single parent family.

Commitment to a Christian walk prevents these things and so many more.

Why is this important?

Mr. Jacobs learned even as a non-believer, living by biblical standards leads to a much happier and fulfilling life.

There’s an old philosophical axiom: “God doesn’t say things because they’re good.  They’re good because God says them.”

God doesn’t give us commandments because He wants to punish us or because He wants to see us squirm.  God’s commands are good.  They produce good results when followed.  Christians are, as a rule, happier people than non-believers.  We have hope in the darkest of times.  We have joy even in unhappy circumstances.  A good Christian life is not a perfect one, but it seldom causes the damage a non-Christian life often does.

Christians can be blessed whether rich or poor, famous or unknown, heads of families or children, employers or employees, healthy or sick.  God wants us to be blessed, and following what He tells us is the shortest road to that blessedness.

Psalm 119: 1-3  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

This is the second of two blog posts on baptism and if it is necessary for salvation.

There are a number of passages which support the idea that salvation does not require baptism.  The thief on the cross, for instance, was not baptized, yet he was saved. 

When Peter preached to Cornelius and his family, they accepted the gospel and displayed the gifts of the Holy Spirit showing the Holy Spirit dwelt within them, they were saved.  After that they are baptized:

Acts 10:44-47 (ESV) ⁴⁴  While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵  And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶  For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ⁴⁷  “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

So, salvation came to the gentiles followed by baptism.  Baptism was not required.  Cornelius was first saved, then baptized.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul lays the gospel out completely yet without mentioning baptism.   If baptism were that important, Paul would have included it.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

In fact, in the first chapter of that very book, Paul says this:  ¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Paul thanked God he didn’t baptize.  If baptism were necessary for salvation, would Paul have said this?

In Ephesians, Paul says there in one baptism.  Now there are two candidates for that one baptism, water baptism or baptism of the Holy Spirit which we receive upon acceptance of Christ.  Which do you suppose Paul is speaking of?

Ephesians 4:4-5 (ESV)   There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Scripture is best explained by Scripture.  From what we’ve seen, baptism is in no way required for salvation.

Why is this important?

The answer to the primary question here is “No.  Baptism does not save you nor is it necessary in any way for salvation.  It is a command of our Lord, a part of the great commission.  Disciples are to be baptized:

Matt. 28:19  ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Though it is a command and therefore is a sin if not followed, our salvation does not rest upon it.  It is a public display and declaration that a Christian has dedicated his life to Christ.

Anytime someone tells you salvation comes through Jesus plus something else, they’re lying to you.  We are saved by grace alone through Christ alone and by nothing else.  To add something to this is to say Christ’s sacrifice was not enough.  We must do something else.

Does Baptism Save? Part I

Does baptism save us?  I’ve had a number of conversations of late with people who think we must be baptized to be saved.  The fancy term for this is “baptismal regeneration” (BR).  They often list a number of verses they believe support their view and ignore those that don’t.  Let’s take a look at them all and see what the Bible teaches:

One of the primary verses used is Acts 2:38, “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”  This seems definitely to show baptism is needed for forgiveness, but let’s think about this.  The key word in understanding this verse is “for.”  “For” can mean “in order to” as in “this hoe is for removing weeds.”  That’s the meaning the BR folks apply to this verse.  But, there is another meaning of “for.”  It can also mean “because of” as in “wanted for murder.”  I would pose this is the meaning in Acts 2:38.  We are to be baptized because of the forgiveness of our sins as a sign of that forgiveness.  So, if it might mean either, this verse is not definitive, so examination of other passages is necessary. 

1 Peter 3:21 (ESV)  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

This is another verse used by the BR proponents to support their view.  The passage itself says it’s not speaking of water baptism.  There are two baptisms for the Christian: water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11) which comes at the point of salvation when we are immersed in God’s Spirit.  The baptism in this verse is baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:16 (ESV)  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

This passage in Mark has some issues.  First, the end of Mark beginning in vs. 9 does not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament.  It may be an addition by an early copyist for his own use and then copied by others as though it were in the original.  The fact is doesn’t appear in early manuscripts is not the only issue, though.  The end of Mark seems to teach something contrary to the rest of Scripture.  Verse 12 says Jesus “appeared in another form” which is not true.  Jesus appeared to Mary in the same body that died on the cross.  If you have a modern translation or a study Bible, there should be a note recognizing the problems with the end of Mark.

But, even if this weren’t enough to discount the BR belief, note the baptism is not included in the second half of the verse.  So, not being baptized does not mean condemnation, only lack of belief.

Galatians 3:27 (ESV)   For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

This is circular reasoning.  The BR people believe this means water baptism.  There is nothing in the passage that indicates that.  They are reading their conclusion into the verse to prove their conclusion.  Spiritual baptism is “baptism into Christ Jesus.”

Acts 22:16 (ESV)  And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

This is Paul retelling his experience on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9).  The original recording of this event tells us a little more about it:

Acts 9:17-18 (ESV)   So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”   And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;

This added information tells us Ananias prayed over Paul.  Scales fell from his eyes as he received the Holy Spirit and then was baptized.  If one needs to be baptized to be saved, this would contradict that.  Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was baptized.

John 3:5 (ESV)  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

This is the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus.  Remember the verse before this?

John 3:4 (ESV)  Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

So, Nicodemus asked if “born again” meant he would have to go through natural child birth again.  Jesus said (paraphrased), no you are born once by woman (water breaks) and again by the Spirit of God.  It’s that simple.

That is what born-again means: Galatians 4:29 (ESV)   But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

Next week we’ll look at passages that show the Bible teaches we don’t need to be baptized to be saved.

Why is this important?

Belief that baptism is required for salvation lessens the sacrifice of Christ.  It says Jesus’ death wasn’t enough, that we need to do something in addition.

Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient.  Baptism is a command, yes, but not a requirement for salvation.  Our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ and nothing else.

I’ve done my best to keep politics out of my blog posts, and I will try to do so in this one.  I ask as you read this to remember it is read by people all over the world from China to Saudi Arabia, from Vietnam to Nepal, From the US to Norway, on all five continents and in 48 countries last year.  True the majority of readers is in America but the second largest group of readers, interestingly, is in Communist China. 

We’re told in Scripture that God gives us government leaders He wants, and we are to submit to their authority:

Romans 13:1-7 says: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

This wasn’t talking about times of freedom and liberty.  When this was written, all of the Mediterranean was under harsh Roman rule.  Even so, the text tells us through Paul as he was led by the Holy Spirit that Christians were to follow Roman rule (so far as was biblical).

In Acts 5:28-29, the apostles tell us we are to obey God’s commands when they contradict man’s:

 “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

So, as I see it, our duty is to obey the laws of the land so long as they do not interfere with God’s commands.  If they do, God’s commands win out.

This is easy for an American to say, I know, but it stands as a biblical principle even if you must hide your obedience to God from the state.

Why is this important?

Many who read this blog are under oppression of various levels even now.  In China, pastors are captured, imprisoned, and sometimes tortured.  Even parishioners are often detained.  In Nepal and Afghanistan, you will suffer death for preaching the Christian gospel on the street, but people still do it.

Christians are so oppressed in some Muslim countries no missionaries are allowed in, and most refuse to sneak in.  It would mean certain death to be discovered.  Yet God is reaching these countries with the gospel through radio, TV, and even dreams.  The followers of Christ meet in secret.  Many are beheaded or worse.  In the Sudan, our brothers and sisters are captured and sold as slaves. Yet, the Christians follow the law so long as it does not contradict God’s law.

As I’ve said in earlier blogs, we were created most importantly to find Christ and to share Christ.  The thousands of Christians martyred in the first three centuries of the church have shown us how to submit to authority only after first submitting to God.

Christians in America think we’re persecuted because we see bumper stickers telling us we’re fools.  TV shows and movies portray us as simpletons and hypocrites.  Yet ours is not real persecution when women are being dragged from their homes and set aflame or beheaded in the town square simply because they have accepted Christ.

Church tradition tells us the apostle Andrew was nailed to an X-shaped cross (called St. Andrew’s Cross now) and took three days to die.  He was deprived of food and water, yet he did not cease to preach Jesus and Him crucified to those who would surround his cross.

In the United States we are about to have a changing of the guard.  Many think this will bring major changes, unchristian – anti-Christian changes, to our country.  If this is true, let’s keep in mind those in other nations who know what oppression truly is and face any oppressors with the love of Christ.  There is no prohibition to trying to bring a Christian worldview to our nations, of course. We need to remember, though, many would give all they have to live in America no matter who is in office.