WHY DID JESUS COME?

 

WHY DID JESUS COME?

 

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

 

  Jesus did eternal things in His brief walk among mankind, many being recorded in God’s Word. In reading the Bible we see him teaching love, compassion, correction; how to live abundantly . . . good things, but what of His primary mission? What was it? Though the world thereafter changed, was that central to His ministry?

  Overall Jesus came to do the Father’s will: “And seeing Him, they were amazed. And His mother said to Him, Child, why have you done so to us? Behold, your father and I have looked for you, greatly distressed. And He said to them, Why did you look for Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father's business? And they did not understand the word which He spoke to them.” (MKJV Lk.2:48-50; also note Jn.5:30)    

  Central and basic to His mission was to fulfill His Father’s plan of saving the lost, those “already condemned”. (John chapter 3; Mt.9:13; Lk.19:10) God providing salvation, we individually believing or remaining lost.

  Though it shall not be so, my prayer is that all would come to saving repentance.

EBB4

A COMMON QUESTION?

 

A COMMON QUESTION?

 

  A sister in Christ told Ann and I that their family’s church has a new pastor, and that he is insistent about every parishioner bringing their own Bible, and looking up the Scripture he is preaching/teaching on, and following along as he does so.

  My silent reaction was “Wonderful!” and remembering that prior to coming to Omaha in 84’, our family never attended a church where everyone didn’t carry their personal Bible, turn to the subject verses and follow along in preaching and teaching settings. (References given, you would hear the rustling of pages.) Nor until 24 years ago had we been around so many professing Christians that had difficulty locating books and passages in the Bible when required to do so.

  Is this because there is a common question that we seldom now ask or hear: Does the Bible say anything about this (event, stress, problem, need, want, habit, decision to be made et al)? Plus, if so, how do I find it?

  None of the above is meant to be holier-than-thou criticism on my part, but a call for those of us that claim Jesus is Lord, saying we believe His Word, to return to His Book. Consider the thoughts of some of our forerunners on this topic.

 

  St. Augustine (354-430) “The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.”

  Martin Luther (1483-1546) “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

  George Mueller (1805-1898) “The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts.”

  Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.”

  Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.”

  Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) “Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are all indebted for all the true progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future.”

  Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) “”I never had any doubt about it being of divine origin …. Point out to me any similar collection of writings that has lasted for as many thousands of years and is still a bestseller, worldwide. It had to be of divine origin.”

 

  Today you will note that I have done something unusual; no Bible references. I suggest you yourself consider what should be the common question in our lives, “What does the Bible say about this?” and look for relevant verses, ponder them, act upon them. EBB4

DESIRES OF THE HEART

 DESIRES OF THE HEART

Psalm 37:1-4 [A Psalm of David.] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 

  I was thinking about what I previously wrote and was reminded of Psalm 37:1-4. Many people seem to think this passage if they are Christians, they will get anything they desire. I believe it means that if we love and submissively serve God, He will give us the desires for our heart; the desire to do His will.

Leslie Nivens (12/12/1928 – 3/1/2020)

PS. Considering the overall tone of Scripture, I absolutely agree. EBB4

IS CETERNAL SECURITY A LICENSE TO SIN?

 

Is eternal security a “license” to sin?

  The most frequent objection to the doctrine of eternal security is that it supposedly allows people to live any way that they want and still be saved. While this may be “technically” true, it is not true in reality. A person who has truly been redeemed by Jesus Christ will not live a life characterized by continuous, willful sin. We must draw a distinction between how a Christian should live and what a person must do in order to receive salvation.

The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6). The moment a person truly believes in Jesus Christ, he or she is saved and secure in that salvation. It is unbiblical to say that salvation is received by faith, but then has to be maintained by works. The apostle Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 3:3 when he asks, “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” If we are saved by faith, our salvation is also maintained and secured by faith. We cannot earn our own salvation. Therefore, neither can we earn the maintenance of our salvation. It is God who maintains our salvation (Jude 24). It is God’s hand that holds us firmly in His grasp (John 10:28-29). It is God’s love that nothing can separate us from (Romans 8:38-39).

Any denial of eternal security is, in its essence, a belief that we must maintain our own salvation by our own good works and efforts. This is completely antithetical to salvation by grace. We are saved because of Christ’s merits, not our own (Romans 4:3-8). To claim that we must obey God’s Word or live a godly life to maintain our salvation is saying that Jesus’ death was not sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus’ death was absolutely sufficient to pay for all of our sins—past, present, and future, pre-salvation and post-salvation (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Does this mean that a Christian can live any way he wants to and still be saved? This is essentially a hypothetical question, because the Bible makes it clear that a true Christian will not live “any way he wants to.” Christians are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). First John 3:6-9 clearly states that a true Christian will not live in continual sin. In response to the accusation that grace promotes sin, the apostle Paul declared, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2).

Eternal security is not a license to sin. Rather, it is the security of knowing that God’s love is guaranteed for those who trust in Christ. Knowing and understanding God’s tremendous gift of salvation accomplishes the opposite of giving a license to sin. How could anyone, knowing the price Jesus Christ paid for us, go on to live a life of sin (Romans 6:15-23)? How could anyone who understands God’s unconditional and guaranteed love for those who believe, take that love and throw it back in God’s face? Such a person is demonstrating not that eternal security has given him a license to sin, but rather that he or she has not truly experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6).

GotQuestions.org

INFANT BAPTISM?

 

What does the Bible say about infant baptism / paedobaptism?

  There is much confusion about baptism in the various Christian denominations. However, this is not a result of the Bible presenting a confusing message on baptism. The Bible is abundantly clear of what baptism is, who it is for, and what it accomplishes. In the Bible, only believers who had placed their faith in Christ were baptized - as a public testimony of their faith and identification with Him (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience after faith in Christ. It is a proclamation of faith in Christ, a statement of submission to Him, and an identification with His death, burial, and resurrection.
  With this in view, infant baptism is not a Biblical practice. An infant cannot place his or her faith in Christ. An infant cannot make a conscious decision to obey Christ. An infant cannot understand what water baptism symbolizes. The Bible does not record any infants being baptized. Infant baptism is the origin of the sprinkling and pouring methods of baptism - as it is unwise and unsafe to immerse an infant under water. Even the method of infant baptism fails to agree with the Bible. How does pouring or sprinkling illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
  Many Christians who practice infant baptism do so because they understand infant baptism as the new covenant equivalent of circumcision. In this view, just as circumcision joined a Hebrew to the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, so baptism joined a person to the New Covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ. This view is unbiblical. The New Testament nowhere describes baptism as the New Covenant replacement for Old Covenant circumcision. The New Testament nowhere describes baptism as a sign of the New Covenant. It is faith in Jesus Christ that enables a person to enjoy the blessings of the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 9:15).
  Baptism does not save a person. It does not matter if you were baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling - if you have not first trusted in Christ for salvation, baptism (no matter the method) is meaningless and useless. Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience to be done after salvation as a public profession of faith in Christ and identification with Him. Infant baptism does not fit the Biblical definition of baptism or the Biblical method of baptism. If Christian parents wish to dedicate their child to Christ, then a baby dedication service is entirely appropriate. However, even if infants are dedicated to the Lord, when they grow up they will still have to make a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.    GotQuestions.org

REBAPTISM?

 

I was baptized unbiblically. Do I need to be rebaptized?

  The Bible is very clear about baptism. There are two points we all need to understand. (1) Baptism is to take place after a person has received Jesus Christ as Savior, trusting in Him alone for salvation. (2) Baptism is to be by immersion. The word baptize literally means to "immerse / submerge in water." Baptism by immersion is the only method of baptism that adequately illustrates what baptism symbolizes—believers dying, being buried with Christ, and being raised to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
  With those two key points in mind, what about those who were baptized unbiblically? For the sake of clarification, let’s divide this into two categories as well. First, in the instance of someone who was baptized before he/she became a Christian. Common examples of this are those who were baptized as infants, or those who were baptized later in life, but did not truly know Jesus as Savior when they were baptized. In these instances, yes, such a person definitely needs to be rebaptized. Again, the Bible states that baptism is post-salvation. The symbolism of baptism is lost if a person has not truly experienced salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
  Second, in the instance of those who were baptized after faith in Christ, but in a method other than immersion. This issue is a little more difficult. It would seem to come down to the fact that such a person did not truly receive baptism. If the method was sprinkling or pouring, it does not fit the definition of baptism. Again, the word baptize means "to submerge in water." However, the Bible nowhere specifically addresses those who have been baptized but not immersed. This issue, then, is a matter of a believer’s personal relationship with God. A believer who has been baptized unbiblically should ask the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5). If the believer’s conscience is unsure, it would be best to go ahead and be rebaptized biblically to put the conscience at ease (Romans 14:23).

GotQuestions.org

CREDOBAPTISM?

 

Does the Bible teach believer’s baptism/credobaptism?

  Baptism has been a topic of debate within Christian circles for many years. In fact, it was already an issue in the early church. Paul addressed it in 1 Corinthians 1:13–16. The Corinthians were boasting about which apostle had baptized them, arguing about whose baptism was better. Paul rebuked them for their sectarianism and concluded with, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” From this statement it is clear that there is a marked difference between receiving the gospel and the act of baptism. They are linked but are not the same in importance.
  According to the bulk of Scripture, water baptism is an important first step in following Jesus as Lord. Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:21) and told those who professed His name to follow His example as evidence that their hearts had changed (Acts 8:16; 19:5). Believer’s baptism is the act by which a believer in Jesus Christ chooses to be baptized in order to give testimony of his faith. Believer’s baptism is also called “credobaptism,” a term that comes from the Latin word for “creed,” indicating that baptism is a symbol of a person’s adopting a certain doctrine or creed.
  Believer’s baptism is clearly taught in Acts 2. In this chapter, Peter is preaching the gospel message on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly proclaims Jesus’ death and resurrection and commands the crowd to repent and believe in Christ (Acts 2:36, 38). The response to Peter’s gospel presentation is recorded in verse 41: “Those who accepted his message were baptized.” Note the order of events—they accepted the message (the gospel of Christ), and then they were baptized. Only those who believed were baptized. We see the same order in Acts 16, when the Philippian jailer and his family are saved. They believe, and then they are baptized (Acts 16:29–34). The practice of the apostles was to baptize believers, not unbelievers.
  Believer’s baptism is distinguished from infant baptism in that an infant, who has no understanding of the gospel, cannot be a “believer” in Christ. Believer’s baptism involves a person hearing the gospel, accepting Christ as Savior, and choosing to be baptized. It is his or her choice. In infant baptism, the choice is made by someone else, not the child being baptized. Those who baptize infants often teach that water baptism is the means by which the Holy Spirit is imparted to an individual. They base this idea primarily upon Peter’s words in Acts 2:38: “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.” Those who hold this doctrine believe that the act of baptizing an infant sets the child apart and secures salvation. Nowhere in Scripture is the practice of infant baptism even implied. Some point to the few references of the apostles baptizing “households” (Acts 11:14; 16:15, 33), with the assumption that the households included infants, but this is going beyond what the text says.
  In the New Testament, baptism by water was the natural result of saving faith and commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord (Acts 2:42; 8:35–37). Since infants and small children cannot make an informed decision to profess Jesus as Lord, their baptism has no spiritual significance. If infant baptism made a baby right with God, then only children whose parents desired it would be “saved.” Those who did not have believing parents would be condemned as infants, an idea with no biblical foundation. Scripture is clear that God judges the heart of every person and judges or rewards each based on the decisions made by that individual, not by his or her parents (Romans 2:5–6, Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 16:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
  Others teach that water baptism is a requirement for salvation, equal to repentance and confession of Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:8–9). While biblical examples show that baptism usually immediately followed conversion, nowhere did Jesus teach that baptism would save anyone. At the Last Supper, He said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Faith in the power of His shed blood is all that is required to make guilty sinners right with God. Romans 5:8–9 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”
  If baptism were required for entrance into eternal life, then Jesus was wrong to say to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The thief had no opportunity to be baptized before facing God. He was declared righteous because he placed his faith in what the Son of God was doing on his behalf (John 3:16; Romans 5:1; Galatians 5:4). Galatians 2:16 clarifies the fact that nothing we do can add or take away from the finished work of Christ on our behalf, including baptism: “A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
  Water baptism is an important first step of obedience in following Christ. Believers should be baptized. But, baptism is the result of salvation not a contributor to it.  GotQuestions.org