God says in Psalm 119:160, "The sum of Your Word is Truth." Jesus Himself also says "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt 4:4) This means ALL of Gods word is truth for us to learn ALL that He has to say about how to be gifted with Salvation. This lesson exposes many scriptures leading to a more complete understanding of Gods plan of salvation to mankind.
The following is the complete text version of this video lesson.
Jesus Apostles that He chose were Peter, James son of Zebadee, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus and Matthias (replaced Judas) who testified about the events they personally witnessed (1 John 1:1-4). They were gifted with the Holy Spirit from God in Acts 2:1. Later in Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus who becomes known as Paul was added as an Apostle for the Lords work to the Gentiles. These scriptures I am going to share here come from the inspired pen of some of the Apostles and the disciple Luke (Acts) after the great commission by Jesus to His apostles (Matt 28:18-20), and His ascension into heaven. Now an important note to remember is, though the Apostles and Luke were not perfect men, they had perfect teaching and understanding throughout the New Testament. And why was this? Because they each had the direct teaching and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore they all had the same plan of salvation teaching from the Holy Spirit and could not lie nor get it wrong. Since we know this to be true, teaching by all of them was exactly the same in this regard. In all of their missionary journeys, even the ones the New Testament is silent about that in fact occurred in first century history, the call for alien sinners to respond to the gospel in God’s plan of salvation was set for eternity. So, what we read and understand in the following examples of baptism as an essential element by command (Acts 2:38, 10:48) in God’s plan holds true in all of the Apostles teachings by devotion and preaching throughout Asia Minor. And finally, the command to be baptized for remission of sins unto salvation is also connected to all scriptures that describe how we are being saved in cases where just grace, belief and repentance are disclosed to save the alien sinner (example Ephesians 2:5-8). How do we know this? Again, Matthew 28:18-20 by Jesus and Acts 2:38, 10:48 to name a few. Peter and Paul's proclamations of the baptismal requirement in the handful of verses it is demonstrated is the Lords proof enough that all of their teachings pertaining to salvation includes baptism for the remission of sins. Otherwise the inspired Apostles teaching would have been contradictory in and of themselves of which is not possible.
Acts 22:16. The notion that the apostle Paul was saved before he was baptized, as believed and taught by many evangelicals, is simply not supported by scripture. Paul, after asking, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" was instructed by the Lord, to "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." (Acts 8:6) Paul himself recounts what he was told once he had gone into Damascus and found Ananias, a disciple the Lord had chosen to instruct Paul. He was told simply this, which ought to settle any question of whether he had already had his sins forgiven and been saved on the road to Damascus: "And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16) Had Paul's sins been somehow washed away on the road to Damascus? Obviously not, else Ananias would not have told him what to do in order to have his sins washed away. Also note between the words, "sins, calling," there is no ‘and’ as previous. And now, why do you wait? Notice the ‘ands’. Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. First, notice what Paul did not say. He didn't say rise and be baptized and wash away your sins and call on his name thereby separating the calling on his name from the previous actions. He didn't do it that way. Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, comma calling on his name. Why didn't he put an ‘and’ there? Here’s why. Because when you rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, you’re calling on his name! That’s what calling on his name includes. Rising and being baptized and washing away your sins. He didn’t separate it because it was never meant to be separated. That’s what baptism is. Baptism is a call to God that should not come as a surprise at all.
Romans 6:3-4. The Roman letter was
written to the Christians at Rome. All the saints had been baptized, since Paul
speaks of it as a past event. Evidently there were some at Rome who tried to
mislead the saints with the teaching that it is permissible to sin because the
more we sin the more God’s grace might increase. Paul puts their argument in
the form of a question in kind like the Master. Then he proceeds to show the
folly of their teaching. Paul answers his own question: "May it never be!" He says “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” The Roman
Christians had died to sin; they had all been separated from a life of sin.
Here he refers to a specific time when this took place; that is "when they
all had died to sin." When did this take place? Paul plainly reminds them
of it. "Or do you not know that all
of us who have been 'baptized into Christ Jesus' have been baptized into His
death, that in order as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of
the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." People do not
know this teaching primarily because the passage is ignored, as are the other
baptism passages in the New Testament. In telling the Romans, "Or do you
not realize that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been
baptized into His death," Paul drives home two important facts:
A)
They had been baptized into Christ, B) They had been baptized into His death.
To
illustrate this point further, Paul in Romans 6:4-11 compares two burials and
two resurrections.
(1)
Christ is buried,
We
are buried
(2) Christ rose,
We
are raised
(3) Christ rose to die no more,
We
are raised to serve sin no more
(4) Christ rose to live unto God,
We
are raised to live unto God
(5) Christ rose to the glory of the Father,
We
are raised to walk in newness of life
The
conclusion should be obvious. 1) We are dead to sin when we are buried in
baptism, 2) We are raised to walk in newness of life, 3) There is no walking in
newness of life until after baptism.
In
2 Corinthians 5:7, Paul says, "Therefore
if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away;
behold new things have come." 1) One is a "new creature" in
Christ, 2) But we are baptized into Christ, 3) Therefore, we must be baptized
to get "into Christ" (put Him on) where we become a "new
creature" or have "newness of life."
Galatians 3:26-27. This is one of only two
places in scripture where "baptized into Christ" appears (second in
Rom 6 above). Would you agree it is necessary to "get into Christ" in order
to be saved? Here the apostle Paul plainly tells "how" we become sons
of God - it is "by faith." There should be no question then how we
become a child of God. Every person in the New Testament who was saved or
forgiven of their sins, thereby becoming a child of God is an example of how
one becomes a son of God - by faith. Verse 26 not only tells us how but also
where we become a child of God, it is "in Christ Jesus." This means
in or connection with Christ Jesus. This passage locates salvation and tells us
where we must be in order to be children of God by faith. No one can be a child
of God out of Christ and without what God has provided in Him. Paul says in
verse 27, for and with this word he introduces the reason or the cause of
salvation by faith. "For as many of
you (Galatian Christians) as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Not everyone is a child
of God. Only those who have been baptized into Christ have the reason assigned
as to why they are what they are - children of God by faith. This also would
mean that as many that have not been baptized into Christ Jesus are not
children of God.
Colossians 2:11-12. This passage proves baptism by immersion is not a work. It is a very important passage that compares
what happens in baptism with what happened when the Jewish man-child was
circumcised. Paul wrote, ". . . in
whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the
faith in the operation of God, who had raised him from the dead." What
happens in baptism is not man working to earn his salvation; rather, it is the "operation of God." In
baptism, God acts to forgive man of sin. Hence, baptism is not a work of merit
by man; it's a work of God. It is crass to pervert a divinely given obligation
by suggesting that it is a work of human merit. In verse 12, underline the
expression “working of God." Modern man needs faith in the working
of God. God knows what He is doing and what he wants from mankind. It is not
faith in baptism, but faith in the working of God in and through baptism in
redeeming and forgiving man. Faith itself should be seen as the working of God
(John 6:28-29). What "God does" through the preaching of the gospel
is the working of His power to save everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). The
passive act by the new penitent believer being immersed is not performed by himself,
but with other hands. And the actual cleansing of his or her sins is reserved
for God Himself as Christ and His blood spiritually circumcises the obedient
sinner of their sins through baptism in water. Colossians 2:11-12 clearly
teaches this wonderful gift from God!
Titus 3:5. Paul wrote, "But after that the kindness and love
of God our Savior toward men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we
have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” The reference to
"washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" is very
similar to "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5). Practically
every commentary which one can consult will identify the "washing of
regeneration" with baptism. Notice that the "washing of
regeneration" (baptism) is carefully distinguished from works. It is a
part of God's mercy, kindness and love. Hence, baptism is not a work whereby
man earns his salvation; it is a gracious act of God in which He pardons man of
his sins.
1 Peter 3:20-21. In Noah’s ark eight
souls were saved through (by) water. Peter does not say they were saved from
the water of the flood, though they were saved by being in the ark. That is not
Peters point; he is not discussing the salvation provided by the ark. He is
talking of a salvation by water. He is relating the fact that eight people were
somehow and in some way saved through (or by) water. And he uses this to
represent how we are saved by baptism. There are two salvations discussed by the
inspired Peter showing the connection that baptism has with our salvation. God
and not man used the water of the flood to deliver (save) Noah from a wicked
world. “Corresponding to that, baptism
now saves you,” by delivering the sinner from his sins. In Noah’s day the
water drew the line of separation between the old world of sin and corruption
and the new world washed clean by the water of the flood. Water delivered Noah
and his family from the old world into a new one; it brought them into a new
sacrificial covenant relationship with God. These are precisely the functions
of New Testament baptism. Thus Peter can say that as Noah with his family were
saved through water, that “this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you
also.” It is in baptism where the sinner is separated from his sin. Assuming by
faith for 120 years Noah built the ark, and the water didn't come, Noah and his
family would have remained in that wicked world of sin with no hope of escape.
As the flood separated Noah and his family from a sinful world, so baptism
separates us from sin today. “Baptism which corresponds to this now saves you”.
Then before he tells us how it saves, he tells us how it doesn’t save. Not as a
removal of dirt from the body. Baptism saves you, but not in this way as a
bath. Then how does it save you? Baptism “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.”
Some
try to confuse this teaching by claiming that baptism only saves us
figuratively. With this sort of reasoning that sounds correct, they turn this
simple declaration of Peter into a meaningless statement. Peter did not say
that baptism is merely a figure of our salvation or that baptism merely saves
us in some figurative sense. Peter said that “baptism now saves you.” He is
discussing a salvation from sins that is just as real as “the resurrection of
Jesus Christ” which he points out. The text ties two events together: 1)
“baptism doth now also save us… 2) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Therefore, the conclusion is certain: “baptism doth now save us” through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Anytime
we do what God commands because He ordered it we are submitting to the will of
God (keep My commandments). This is
equally true of believing on His Son, repenting of sins, confessing faith in
Christ with the mouth, being baptized for remission of sins, partaking of the
Lord's Supper, or doing anything else of which God is the author.
Another
claim that baptism is not needed for salvation is that Jesus paid the price
once for all, that His work is finished on the cross. There is nothing to “add”
to be saved. Just believe in Him and the finished work of Jesus and His
resurrection will freely award salvation. Nobody is adding anything! The
penitent surrendering sinner is just following orders by the King. The missing
element in this practice is, after the Lords church was established on
Pentecost (Acts 2), God commands those that he calls to obey His gospel of
salvation, fully (Acts 2:38, 10:48). Obviously and with great reverence our
Lord paid a horrible price on the cross for our sins once for all. This is
essential to believe. But do not forget, He did it because He loved us and He
did it in obedience to the Father with whom He also loved even when the Father
turned away from Him after He asked the cup be taken away, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42. The
death we as penitent surrendering sinners undergo during baptism today is in
likeness to Christ. Have you died and found your cross?
The
following scriptures are often sighted by "Faith-Only, baptism not essential
believers," to legitimize their deceptive doctrinal stance upon new hearers.
They confuse the work of God with the work of man. This deception purposely
does not take into account the whole sum of God’s word (Psalm 119:160) because
they are afraid of Christ and His command to die to one’s self in a death like
His (Romans 6:5-8).
From the Gospels:
· Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are
gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
· Luke 23:43, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you
will be with Me in Paradise.”
· John 3:16, “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.”
· John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you
believe in Him whom He sent.”
· John 20:31, “but these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may
have life in His name.”
From the Epistles:
Acts
15:8-11, “So God, who knows the
heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the
disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe
that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same
manner as they.” This is in the context of
physical circumcision the Pharisees brought up in order to force Gentiles to
keep the Law of Moses. He makes it clear even the Jews under the old law
couldn’t bear it themselves (v.10). The giving of the Holy Spirit by God was
done to the Gentiles just like the Apostles, that is, through the gospel which
included baptism for remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirits
blessings. This has nothing to do with just believing and faith only to be
saved.
Acts
16:31, “So they said, “Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And what happened next? He and the jailors
household heard the word from Paul and Silas which was the gospel just as Peter
preached in Acts 2:38. Once they heard it they believed, repented, confessed
and were baptized for remission of sins. One must understand the whole context
right before hanging one’s beliefs on a single verse. Now that you are hearing
this message, resist feeding from spiritual milk.
Romans
4:4-9, “Now to him who works, the
wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but
believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for
righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom
God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless
deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord shall not impute sin.” Does this blessedness then come upon the
circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was
accounted to Abraham for righteousness.” Faith
here as with any scripture spoken by the Apostles in the New Testament (new
law) refers to an obedient faith that which includes the gospel of Jesus
Christ. It is only through the gospel that the power exists to be saved (Rom
1:16). This includes belief, repentance, confession and baptism for remission
of sins. Faith alone will not do in pleasing God in like manner of His Son
obeying the command to fulfill all righteousness. Just consider if Jesus did
not submit to baptism?
Romans
5:1, “Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Paul here is speaking to baptized disciples in the Roman
congregation! Justification by Faith is the result of obeying the gospel under
the new law, not the Law of Moses. Verse 5 here shows Gods mercy in pouring out
the Holy Spirit among the Roman disciples that came by their response to Paul’s
preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider the whole word of God, don’t
cherry pick or micromanage Gods word! This practice is dangerous.
Romans
10:13, “For whoever calls on the name
of the Lord shall be saved.”
For this to mean just calling or
believing in faith only is an elementary understanding that is easily
explained. Please read on… Verse 14, “How
then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher?” Again, it comes back to hearing the gospel and responding to it
just like Peter preached and all of the Apostles preached in Asia Minor, and
even today in the Lords New Testament church. You have to take into account the
whole word of God, the whole gospel in the New Testament beginning with
believing in Jesus through to the command to be baptized finalizing the saving
process.
Ephesians
2:5-8, “…even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” To stand on just grace through faith to be saved is
missing the mark again. It is God’s grace to mankind that He even made
available the gospel of Jesus Christ (and even let Him die) available to sinful
man! The grace that saves alien sinners is the free undeserved goodness and
favor of God; and he saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith
in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings
of the gospel of which they must respond to through preaching. The gospel, the
full and complete gospel is all the Lord asks!
Galatians
2:16-20, “…knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not
by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be
justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if
I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For
I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me.” Apostle Paul has just got into Peters face for removing
himself from eating with the Gentiles so the arriving circumcision group would
not see him sitting with them, showing a bad witness to the gospel. He openly
charged Peter, the Ephesian Jewish Christians and Barnabas as being hypocrites.
He reminds them we (baptized) believers and disciples of Christ are justified
by Christ. We are crucified with Christ at our conversion rising from the
waters of baptism to walk in newness of life. This is the meat of understanding
what Paul is trying to teach again to even another Apostle – Peter! The gospel
which includes more than just faith and belief is always the under toning
message in all of these kinds of verses pertaining to salvation. How do we know
this? Because that’s what the Lord commanded them to do in Matthew 28:18-19 and
which Peter confirmed in Acts 2. It is the sum of all truth spoken in Gods holy
Word.
Galatians
3:9-11, “So then those who are of
faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of
the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does
not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do
them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident,
for “the just shall live by faith.” Faith here
is all encompassing to receiving Christ as savior. The Galatians were foolish
in being swayed by somebody who detracted them away from Christ being crucified
from whom they originally believed and were baptized into. They recently heard
and obeyed the gospel but are turning away. Paul is reiterating the fact that
we cannot be justified by works, but by faith in Christ. Now these Galatian
Christians need to repent and embrace their first love, that is Christ
crucified for the cleansing of their sins he died for on the cross. These are
some of Paul’s children in the faith! He is exhorting them to return and
reminds them of his apostleship and his duty to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised.
He reminds them we are justified by faith in Christ, meaning, His resurrection
from being sacrificed pleasing God in order to grant us redemption through the
cross where Christ gave Himself for us in which the gospel is preached. Verse 1
is a stern reminder that they aren’t obeying the truth. That works won’t get
the job done and faith in Christ is the only way of justification before God.
But, underneath all this, it was the gospel which included baptism for
remission of sins that these Galatian Christians heard when they first
converted from darkness.
1 Peter
1:23, “…having been born again, not
of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and
abides forever,” Read verse 22. It says they
obeyed the truth that is the gospel which included baptism for remission of
sins. The full gospel that Jesus and the Apostles preached included the plan of
salvation, that is: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, Baptize, and Walk. This is
the underlying truth of all scripture bearing out how one is saved and added to
the Lords church. Anything short will not do.
How does the bible student handle silence of the command of
God to be baptized for remission of sins in other scriptures
surrounding salvation?
The principle of adding together all God's revelation is vital in Bible study. It is easy to err if one teaches a conclusion before weighing everything the Scripture says on a topic.
The principle of adding together all God's revelation is vital in Bible study. It is easy to err if one teaches a conclusion before weighing everything the Scripture says on a topic.
When
the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they
replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Is that all there is to it? Many
think so. But when the Jews on Pentecost asked Peter the same question, He
answered, "Repent, and each of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins"
(Acts 2:38). Further reading in Acts 16 implies that Paul went on to tell the
jailer the same thing. Neither Acts 16:31 nor John 3:16 nor any other verse
contains all that God says about salvation.
Again,
Psalm 119:160 says, "The sum of Your
Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting."
The emphasis is on totality. Everything God says is right. Every one of His
ordinances is binding. And the truth about any subject is determined by adding
up all He says about it.
We
are not saved by one thing to the exclusion of all others, for there are many
factors that work out our salvation. God saves us, Christ saves us, the Holy
Spirit saves, Grace saves, Faith saves, Repentance saves and Baptism saves.
Rather than focus on just one passage that speaks of our being saved, we must
learn the truth of what Jesus said: "Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Anything which God declares is necessary
to salvation in certain passages of Scripture must be implied in all other
passages which speak of salvation.
It
is dangerous to "pick and choose" which commandments of God to obey.
Arraying one Scripture against another is rebelling against God, for He gave
all the Scriptures. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "When ye received from us the word of the message, even the Word
of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the Word
of God, which also worketh in you that believe" (I Thessalonians
2:13). In other words, if you read it in the Scriptures, it is God's truth. And
we dare not try to make one of God's truths contradict another of His truths.
In summary, when we read:
Believe
or belief connects -
Repentance, Confession and Baptism for remission of sins
Repentance
or repent connects -
Believe, Confession and Baptism for remission of sins
Confession
or confess connects -
Believe, Repentance and Baptism for remission of sins
Baptized
or baptism connects -
Believe, Repentance and Confession
Conclusion:
No
serious Bible student affirms that there is any inherent power in the literal
(corruptible) water of baptism. Certainly the sinner is washed in the Lamb’s
blood (but not even that — literally speaking). Instead, it is the application
of the Savior’s blood to the sinner’s soul — in the mind of God — that supplies
the efficacy. Baptism is not a work whereby one earns his salvation. When a
person goes forward to be baptized, he does not state that he is already saved
through his own perfect obedience. Rather, such a man openly acknowledges that
he is a sinner doomed to hell on the basis of his own works, just like the Jews
upon hearing Peter’s first gospel sermon in Acts 2. In faith he then confesses
that he believes that Jesus died on the cross to bear the punishment for his
sins and to offer salvation for all men. He believes in Jesus, repents of his
sins, confesses Christ as the Son of God who willingly shed His blood on the
cross for him, and desires to be baptized into Christ in order that his sins be
washed away, to be added to His church, and to receive the Holy Spirit. By this
he acknowledges that salvation is God's gift of grace to him based on the
Workings of God. Hence, baptism is most definitely not a work whereby man earns
his salvation. It is part of the sum total of God’s word of truth…
“So likewise you, when you have done all
things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have
done what was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)
“Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine
is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know
concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own
authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the
glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” (John 7:16-18)
“Then those who gladly received his word
were baptized, and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. And they
continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine, and fellowship, and the
breaking of bread, and in prayer.” (Acts
2:41-42)
Finally,
“Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us.
She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The
Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her
household were baptized, she begged us saying, ‘If you have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us.” (Acts 16:14-15)
- Lydia and her family were Jewish worshipers of God
- How did Lydia hear Paul? – Her ears and attention was open
- What did God do to Lydia? – He opened her heart, he called her
- What did Paul say to Lydia and her household? – The whole gospel and the plan of salvation including baptism for remission of sins. He told them what they must “do” to be saved.
- What did Lydia and her household family members do? – They responded to the gospel by hearing, believing, confessing, repenting and being baptized for remission of their sins to walk in newness of life.
- Why after responding to the gospel did Lydia need confirmation of her new found faithfulness to the Lord? – The gospel of Jesus Christ and the new covenant Paul taught her was new news to these old covenant worshipers. By Paul and his traveling companion’s action, she was obviously a newly saved child of God, a new disciple of Christ and a new member of His church of Christ.
Paul
and his companions surely would not have let themselves into Lydia’s house if
the listeners had not properly and fully responded to the gospel. They would
have dusted their feet and moved onto the next house as was their mission in
spreading the Good News!
Have
you obeyed the gospel, and have you been scripturally baptized for the
remission of your sins? If you haven’t, let me encourage you to study God’s
word to where you can just simply follow our Lords example and so many other
examples in the New Testament of how they and how we should obey Jesus command
to be properly baptized into Him and His church. The truth will truly set you
free…
The elect of Christ one church prays and
welcomes all who desire the whole truth unto Salvation…
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and Jesus Christ our Lord...
