Category Archives: Salvation

Consensus

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ARTHUR SCHPENHAUER IS credited with the insight, “All truth passes through three stages…
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
Perhaps an appropriate addendum would be, The fight against truth often involves the tyranny of consensus.
Within a large amphitheater style auditorium, silence recently reigned as riveted attention focused upon the scientists sitting at a series of tables on the stage. Each held a doctorate. Each were leaders on the controversial topic being discussed.
The opening statements from both sides of the discussion seemed reasonable enough, even convincing. Suddenly the nature of the evidence being presented shifted dramatically. As counter-evidence was presented, one side retreated to appealing to consensus with statements along the lines of, “Among those at research universities, I do not know of anyone holding that position.” The pattern continued as the spotlight shown brightly on additional data. One side asserted that if the scientists working in that field were to fill the auditorium, the opposing idea would be rejected.
At times, consensus simply provides an historically curious snapshot of a social barometer. Arthur’s insights and my proposed addendum lead me to reflect upon another scenario.
Confronted with the evidence that the New Testament beckons people to rely upon Jesus for salvation by being immersed, I encounter two typical responses. Some merely reiterate, “salvation is by faith.” In this case, they reveal that they either fail to grasp the discussion is focused upon how people are being instructed to initially express faith in Jesus and not upon the role of faith, or they possess no evidence to submit.
Others however, irregardless of where the evidence actually points, remain unmoved as they verbally seek refuge and security in the consensus opinion of Protestantism. As a principle, agreeing with the consensus opinion is not necessarily misguided. Most people agree 2 + 2 = 4. Conversely, neither is the unpopular the plumb line. What matters is not the degree of popular acceptance, but where the evidence actually leads. Barry Newton at http://www.forthright.net/hands-on_faith/the_tyranny_of_opinion.html
KneEmail: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16; cf. Acts 8:35-38; 16:30-33
Bible reading for 11.17.10: Hebrews 12; Ezekiel 5-7
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Intrusion

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zacchaeus.jpg WHEN I THINK of Zacchaeus, I see Danny DeVito–someone short, crooked, and a little flamboyant…
As an employee of the Roman government who made himself rich by skimming the tax money, Zacchaeus was ostracized from Jewish society. He’s scum. And since he manages the local tax collectors, he’s a crook managing other crooks. His mere presence disgusts his fellow Jews because he is a reminder that they are an occupied country. Roman soldiers stand next to his tollbooth, enforcing his collections.
But Jesus boldly intrudes into Zacchaeus’s life. He stops and looks up at him, and then invites Himself over for dinner and to stay the night. This is similar to the President stopping his motorcade to say he’s coming to your house–Jesus is the hottest thing to hit Israel in a few hundred years. If you were Zacchaeus, you’d be honored. Yet I doubt the President would say “I must stay” or “come down immediately” (literally, “hurry up”).
But in the first century “good people” didn’t eat with tax collectors because a meal was not just about eating; it was a sharing of life. Jesus’ willingness to eat with Zacchaeus told everyone that Jesus not only accepted the tax collector, He also forgave him. This disgusted the crowd. Jesus had broken a social taboo.
When we love, we get dirty. Here the dirt comes the opinions of people who look down on Jesus for associating with someone who has stolen from his fellow Jews and divided their money between himself and the Roman government.
Why does Jesus intrude? He’s on a God-directed mission to seek and save what was lost. Jesus sought out Zacchaes. He didn’t just wait for people to come to Him. He is an invading king. But what a strange kingdom: the poor, outcasts, prostitutes, Samaritans, and women! No wonder Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Paul E. Miller, “Saying ‘Yes’ To Gentle Intrusion,” Love Walked Among Us, 149-150
KneEmail: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
Bible reading for 07.23.10: Acts 24; Psalm 33, 34
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Advantage

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teddy.jpg
GOD’S PLAN OF salvation has completely leveled the playing field…
In almost every area of life people have some kind of advantage. In the system called Christianity, all so-called advantages disappear. This is conclusive proof that God views the prominent people of society in the same way as factory workers and housewives. Men may put more value on the converted souls of the rich, powerful, well-educated and “well-connected,” but God does not.
An elderly couple had worked in Africa for many years. They were returning to the United States on an ocean liner. On this same ship was President Teddy Roosevelt (he was returning from a big game hunting expedition). The missionary couple watched the fanfare given the President and his entourage. When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet him. The Mayor was there to welcome him. Several newspapers had sent reporters to cover his return.
During the commotion the missionary couple slipped quietly off the ship and found a cheap apartment. They had no pension, were in poor health, and felt discouraged. The husband was especially disturbed. He could not understand how God would allow the President to be treated so well while the years of service he and his wife had offered seemed to be unnoticed and unappreciated. He claimed that God was being unfair to them. He bitterly complained to his wife. She finally turned to him and said, “We’re not home yet.” Brad Price
KneEmail: “And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption–that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’” 1 Cor. 1:28-30
Bible reading for 04.05.10: Luke 8:26-56; 1 Samuel 1-3
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Conversion

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change.jpg SOSTHENES (1 Corthians 1:1) WAS A common first-century name…
This name also appears in Acts 18:17. There Luke describes how someone with this name was beaten by a Jewish mob because he failed to make a case against Paul.
If the Sosthenes in Acts 18 is identical to the Sosthenes in 1 Corinthians 1:1, a remarkable conversion took place. Paul’s companion was the very man who had previously tried to prosecute him because of Christianity. If the two names refer to the same man, Sosthenes’ opposition to the gospel had been replaced by an active promotion of the gospel. The fact that only this man’s first name is mentioned indicates the Corinthians were very familiar with him. It is not too unrealistic to believe Luke and Paul described the same man. Brad Price, “First Corinthians,” p. 8.
KneEmail: “The all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.” Acts 18:17; “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.” 1 Corinthians 1:1
Bible reading for 03.04.10: Mark 9:1-29; Numbers 31-33
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Peace

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HO2.jpgON MARCH 10, 1974, Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, who had been a Japanese lieutenant in the Philippines during World War II, became the last Japanese soldier to surrender…
The war ended in 1945, but Onoda hid in the jungles of the island of Lubang for almost three decades, sucessfully avoiding all efforts to find him.
The Japanese and Philippine authorities, aware of his presence, repeatedly broadcast reports of this war in the Japanese language and left Japanese newspapers on the beach where he could find them. But Onoda thought all these were ruses to lure him to surrender, so he continued his one-man war.
THOUGHT: Onoda’s situation is similar to that of the sinner’s condition before God. Christ’s death on the cross does not automatically bring him peace and save him anymore than the peace concluded between Japan and the Philippines brought peace to Onoda. Onoda had to believe that peace had been made, then he had to surrender and accept it. In a similar fashion today, Jesus makes peace available to us, but we can only enjoy it when we surrender to the Lord, and and then accept it in faith and obedience to the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 5:8-9).
KneEmail: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle way of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” Ephesians 2:14-15
Bible reading for 01.15.10: Matthew 10:21-42; Genesis 36-38
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Believing

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baptism2.jpgIF YOU WANT to be saved from your sins, just believing in Jesus is not enough…
The first time the Gospel is ever preached is in Acts chapter 2. Peter preaches Jesus as a miracle-working teacher whom the Jews had crucified. But, Peter says, God has raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24).
Peter offers three forms of proof:
. King David prophesied the resurrection in the Psalms (Acts 2:22-31).
. The apostles have seen Jesus alive (Acts 2:32).
. Peter says Jesus is responsible for the miracles the Jews see and hear (Acts 2:33).
Then he reaches the climax of his sermon in Acts 2:36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Many of the people in the audience believe this message and cry out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).
These Jews believe the Gospel message of a crucified and resurrected Savior and want to make things right, but they’re still lost. Now note that Peter did not say in reponse, “Do?! Why my friends, you cannot do anything! If you do something you negate the grace of God.” Instead, he tells them in Acts 2:38 to “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” They believe (John 6:29) the Gospel, but they need to obey (e.g., “do something”) the Gospel to have their sins forgiven.
Acts 2:41 says those who received Peter’s message were baptized. That day, about 3,000 souls were “added.” To what? Verse 47 says the Lord added daily to the church those who were being saved. When believing, penitent sinners are baptized into Christ, the Lord simultaneously saves them and adds them to His church.
Many New Testament passages teach the necessity of faith in order to be saved, of that there is no doubt. But saving faith leads a sinner to comply with the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 6:17-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:8) commands to repent (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30), confess Christ (Acts 8:35-38; Rom. 10:9-10; Luke 12:8; 1 John 4:15), and be baptized (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 10:48; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:27).
Until we are willing to submit to Christ in Gospel obedience (Acts 10:35), we still bear the guilt of our sins. According to the Bible, even if we believe in Jesus as Savior, and even if we want to make things right, until we contact His blood in baptism (Romans 6:3-4; Revelation 1:5; Ephesians 1:7) we’re still lost.
Faith is essential, but faith alone is not enough (James 2:24). What Peter commands in Acts 2 still stands today, and will stand until the Lord comes again. “Repent, and and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”
If you are willing to do this, Christ will save you and add you to His church. (Nathan Brewer)
KneEmail: 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Acts 16:30-33
Bible reading for 01.05.10: Matthew 5:1-26; Genesis 13-15
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Saved

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baptism.jpgTO BE “SAVED” means to be made safe…
It implies that the unsaved person is in danger. Mark 16:16 speaks of salvation and safety from sin. When the term saved is used in reference to a Christian, it means he is made safe from the guilt and eternal consequences of his sins (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 15:2; Ephesians 2:15; Titus 3:5). This safety is brought about by God’s pardon, which can be affected in no other way. It means the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). This salvation is equivalent to the promise of pardon for those who believe and are baptized. Many religious people balk at the idea of placing baptism in such a connection with salvation (that baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sins). However, we must remember that it was Jesus Himself Who placed baptism in this connection. When a mind revolts at any of His words, it is not His fault but their fault. The stubborn heart bears sole responsibility for one’s failure to heed God’s Word. When considering the concept of being saved, one must take into account the power of God to deliver an individual from the bondage of sin by the power of the Gospel. H.D. Simmons
KneEmail: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16
Bible reading for 09.15.09: 2 Corinthians 8; Proverbs 22 – 24
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Health

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healthcare6.jpgTHE FUTURE OF our nation’s health care system is in the spotlight…
Congress has been asked to pass a package of legislation with an unimaginable price tag. No one denies that there is a need to make changes to our present system. The way to fix the system is where paths diverge.
But there’s another matter that should take even higher priority: our souls.
Jesus affirmed that truth: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NKJV).
One’s spiritual well-being, however, is low on the list for most people. As long as life is going reasonably well, why fret over religion?
Religion was not on the to-do list of the rich man of Luke 16. He “fared sumptuously every day”, according to Jesus, and didn’t notice the beggar lying at his gate (Luke 16:19-21).
When he died his perspective changed.
Finding himself in flames, his only concerns were a drop of water to cool his tongue and someone to warn his brothers — still living — not to come to “this place of torment” (Luke 16:24-28). Food, clothes and housing were no longer important to him.
How we need to hear the message of God’s word! Our lives are much more than the physical. As Jesus taught in the passage above, we each have a soul that can be lost.
If we lose that soul, nothing we attained or enjoyed on earth will matter in eternity.
Nothing.
Paul taught that the Lord’s supper is an opportunity for spiritual self-examination. If we discern the Lord’s body, he said, we do well.
But those who neglect this weekly appointment, or whose minds wander as the elements pass by, face a danger: “For this reason many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30).
Paul wasn’t discussing physical sickness.
John’s concern for those to whom he wrote must become our concern: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).
Yes, our physical health matters. But the prosperity of our souls is paramount.
Is it well with your soul? (Tim Hall at: http://www.forthright.net)
KneEmail: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
Bible reading for 07.17.09: Acts 20:17-38; Job 18, 19
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Daddy

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little-girl-crying-300x201.jpgIT LOOKED AS if the rain would never stop…
The clouds were laden and heavy. The thunder rumbled across the sky, and there was even an occasional flash of lightning. The day was gloomy enough, but the funeral that I was about to preach made it even more depressing.
I was the new preacher in town and this was my first week at work. The young man lying in the casket was in his early thirties. An automobile accident had cut his life short. Standing beside me were his wife and five-year-old daughter. The parents and other loved ones stood nearby.
As we stood there I felt a small hand slip into mine and tug downward. Kneeling down, I looked into the tear-stained blue eyes of a beautiful blonde-haired little girl. The pathetic look on her face was enough to make the angels weep. She whispered, “May I ask you a question?” I assured her that it would be okay. As he eyes looked pleadingly into mine and through uncontrollable sobs, she asked, “Did Daddy go to heaven?”
Tearfully I explained to her that we are not the judge in such matters, but only God will be our judge. Then I inquired as to why she had asked such a question. She replied, “Daddy never went to church with us; he was never baptized and I’m worred that he didn’t go to heaven.” I believe she knew the answer.
Death is ugly. Such a wound in this little girl is so deep that no amount of time will ever entirely heal the hurt within her. Almost every time a mother or father dies and leaves children behind, the question is asked, “Did Mommy/Daddy go to heaven?” Even though we cannot be the judge, we do know that Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16), and “…Be faithful unto death and will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). These words are just as true now as they were when given some 2,000 years ago.
Fathers and mothers, if you were to die suddenly, would there be any question in your children’s minds as to the place of your eternal abode? Will they be asking, “Did Mommy/Daddy go to heaven?” Don’t leave this life with your children knowing that you lived in rebellion to God. Teach them that the Christian life is the greatest life in the world. If we are true Christians, not only will our children have confidence in where we spend eternity, but they will want to follow. (via Randal Jones)
KneEmail: “When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” (2 Timothy 1:5)

John 3:16

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john 316b.jpgWITHOUT QUESTION, THE best-known verse in the Bible is John 3:16…
Martin Luther called it the Bible in miniature, and some even go so far as to say that if the Bible were lost except for John 3:16, we would have all the Scripture we need in order to be saved. Here is how the Golden Text reads: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Is John 3:16 all we need? Jesus didn’t think so. John 3:16 is JUST ONE VERSE in a lengthy conversation with Nicodemus. And when we look at the WHOLE picture, we are better able to flesh out what Jesus meant to summarize in this verse.
John 3:16 has often been cited to support the idea that a person can be saved by faith alone. Those who make this claim have not carefully studied the whole chapter.
The following information gives context to what Jesus proclaimed in John 3:16:
Near the beginning of His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). “Water is clearly a reference to baptism. Later in the narrative we read of Jesus and John baptizing in the Jordan River (John 3:22-23; 4:1-2)
In the two verses prior to John 3:16, Jesus alluded to the bronze serpent Moses lifted up in the wilderness as a symbol of the crucifixion. In consulting the original account of that event, it is evident that the case of the bronze serpent was one of obedient faith: those who were bitten by the fiery serpents were not healed by merely believing in the bronze serpent; they had to look upon it to live (Numbers 21:9).
In the verses FOLLOWING John 3:16, Jesus explains what He meant by “believe” in terms of “coming to light.” In verse 21 He says, “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” What is meant by, “does what is true” and “works” in this statement if these words do not apply to the conditions of salvation?
Finally, the last verse of John 3 reads, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” The close observer will notice that John the Baptist, who is speaking here, uses the terms “believes” and “obey” interchangeably. THE FAITH OF JOHN 3 IS LIKE THE FAITH THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT–AN OBEDIENT FAITH.
John 3:16 will remain the favorite text of Christians. But if we are not careful, we will damage a priceless piece of revelation with reckless interpretation. We must be careful in our excavations not to separate the Golden Text from its context. (Drew Kizer)
KneEmail: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:14-18
Bible reading for 06.02.09: John 13:1-20; 2 Chronicles 17, 18
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