A study of Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 At anytime in your lifetime, have you seriously considered your perspective about life, its meaning and purpose? Is it a perspective that includes God? We only have one life to enjoy and share with others. We encourage you to take a few minutes to watch this lesson and review your outlook to see what Gods role in your life can offer in the way of meaning and purpose, to life in the fullest...
This informational covers questions regarding the culminating act of obedience to Gods plan for sinners and their initial salvation. Here are some highlights.
Did Jesus teach one must be baptized in His name to be saved?
The blood of Christ is the saving element to forgive sins, but what is baptisms role to be saved?
Did Philip preach the Ethiopian eunuch baptism for remission of sins when the scripture doesn't specifically state such in his conversion?
Was Saul of Tarsus saved while praying 3 days before he was baptized by Ananias?
Does the sinner need to hear, believe and understand the gospel before he can be baptized?
Is it taught in the New Testament that all one needs to do is pray unto Jesus to be saved?
Can one truly have a relationship with Jesus without being baptized into His church?
Was it the water in 2 Kings 5:14 that saved Nahum or was it Gods command to be obedient dipping himself in the Jordan river? Would he have been cleansed in any other body of water?
Does one need to be repentant of his or his sins prior to being baptized into Christ to be saved?
Is there contact with the blood of Christ without being baptized unto death into Christ?
Is the Thief on the cross under the Mosaic law a biblical pattern of how one is saved today?
Can Jesus be preached without belief, faith, repentance, confession and baptism for remission of sins?
Is the denominational church blinded of the truth on how to be saved?
Is the church of Christ a denomination or is it the church of the saved that belongs to Jesus?
Ephesians 4:4-6 teaches there is one body, the one church. What does this mean?
Will people be saved who have never heard or obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ?
What about people who are deceased who never heard the gospel, will they be saved?
Is being justified by faith as stated in Romans 5:1 enough to be saved?
Can one go to heaven without being baptized?
This from brother Wes McAdams,
After Jesus died on that
cross, was buried in a tomb, and rose from the dead, He told His apostles to go
out and spread the Good News about what He had done. He told them, “Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned” (Mark 16:16).
Faith is about trusting God.
The criminal on the cross trusted Him. Do you? Jesus said, “Whoever believes
AND is baptized will be saved.” The criminal on the cross wasn’t told that because Jesus had the power on earth to forgive sins however He chose. But
you are told by the Apostles to obey according to His testament (Matt 28:18-19, Acts 2:38). Do you trust Jesus? Will your trust be evidenced by your actions?
Baptism is us saying to the
Lord, “I believe you and I trust you. Please save me.” That’s why when you are
baptized, you are “calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).
This podcast lesson sets the record straight on the authenticity the bible is Gods book written by the Godhead through the Holy Spirit. Thanks go to Just Christians.
Jesus never asks us to do anything. He commands us in John 14:15,
"If you love Me, keep My
commandments."
1 Corinthians 15:1-8, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you
the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you
stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached
to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the
greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He
was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me
also, as by one born out of due time."
"To keep His commandments and obey the gospel means to reenact the gospel by obedient faith"
Part 1 - Hear the Word -
Romans 10:14-17, Acts 18:18
Part 2 - Believe the Word-
John 3:16, Mark 16:16, Acts
8:37
Part 3 - Repent of Sins-
Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19, 2 Peter
3:9, Acts 17:30, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10
Part 4 - Confess Jesus as Savior-
Matthew 10:32-33, Acts
8:36-37, Romans 10:10
Part 6 - Be Baptized for remission of sins and to be in Christ -
Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:16,
Acts 2:38, Acts 10:47-48, Acts 22:16, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:21
Part 7 - Live faithfully to God -
Romans 6:4, Colossians
1:22-23, 1 John 2:5-6, 2 John 1:5-6, 3 John 1:3-4
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While John 3:16 promises
eternal life to him who believes, "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." Hebrews 5:9 attributes salvation to such as
who obey, thus demonstrating that the two are not mutually exclusive, rather,
saving faith includes obedience. "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."
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The act of baptism unfortunately is a most debated stumbling block among men. This Video Presentation is for those who believe baptism is a human work to earn salvation. We challenge you to have another look at your baptism.
The Love of God for mankind,
His greatest creation is mind boggling once one begins to understand His devotion to draw us back to Him. Whether you are a
Christian or an Atheist or somewhere in between, you have heard that old story about
Gods only Son (Jesus) coming to earth in the form of man to proclaim the
gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. This kingdom He spoke about we are told is not
of this world but in the spiritual world – it is Jesus’ Father’s house not made
with hands (2 Cor. 5:1). Okay I understand this is beyond comprehension among non-believers
because I used to be an atheist and full well know the religion of non-belief.
Yes believe it or not, atheists have religion though my earthly father being a
devout atheist would never admit it, but he could never debunk it either. His and
my religion at the time was just void of God but religion nonetheless.
Fortunately Christians, that
is, disciples that live the life bearing their personal cross day by day walking
in the light of the Spirit do not possess religion. They possess a faith that
is deeply seeded in their initial grounding based upon Jesus Christ’s death on
the cross, His burial and resurrection from the dead 3 days later. And they
consummate their love and allegiance to the Savior by obeying the Gospel through repentance of sin, by confession of Christ as Savior, and burial in baptism by faith into Christ for the
forgiveness of their sins. These few have wisely met Jesus at the cross and in faith rely only on His shed blood to cleanse and save them on the day of judgement.
This 6 part series on Gods
Great Love For Us is presented for the edification of the saints, and the
education of seekers of God that He may grant them eternal life upon their
obedience too. It covers the life of Jesus from His miraculous conception in
Mary to His resurrection. I know, as I mentioned earlier, you have heard the
story before. But have you heard it in a way that brings Christ to the
forefront as both a human being, and God? Have you realized that under certain
situations, He and His earthly parents actually had to deal with both His human
and divine natures all the way to the cross 33 years later? Mom and step-Dad’s
relationship with their son was truly unique.
Questions are posed in this
series that we can relate to in everyday life what Jesus, the God-man faced as a human also. He shows us the way to God who is Love and Spirit. And the
most interesting question – “When did Jesus realize He was God in the flesh?”
This series will help you to see many aspects of His life on earth you might
find very interesting and compelling. And we have added the narrated versions below for your convenience. Find a bible you can make notes in, and spend some time in Gods word to learn about the greatest story ever told, the greatest life ever
lived…
The love that results in salvation is the love that prompts obedience to Jesus’ teachings. The love comes first, and then the obedience. Thus, love is demonstrated to God as He begins to save us out of love. The following is how one initially responds to the true Gospel, first with love, then commitment to the Savior:
Someone has said that to
remove the command of baptism by Jesus is to remove the blood of Christ.
Here’s the biblical rationale behind this statement: Jesus shed his blood in his death (John 19:34, Matt
26:28, Heb 9:22). We by faith are buried into his death in baptism and are
therein raised from the dead (Romans 6:3-4) being spiritually cleansed by faith
in the working of God (Col.2:11-12). And what exactly is the working of God in
this context? It is His work of the cleansing blood of His Son upon the
repentant soul who obeys the gospel. This is the reason we are raised to walk
in newness of life when we arise from the waters of baptism! There are few things
clearly and powerfully taught in the pages of the New Testament as the
necessity of baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16). Why are so
many missing it?
Some questions covered are:
Is baptism into Christ now an "anti-type" of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? (1 Pet. 3:21)
What about the Thief on the Cross?
What did Jesus really mean in Mark 16:16 - "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned."
When exactly is one baptized into Christ, and what are the blessings of such?
Does one have to confess "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?"
How do you address one who hypothetically does not have the opportunity to be baptized to be saved?
What about the human cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, Was he saved when he obeyed the gospel by being baptized when he was in prison?
Who is the founder of the church of Christ?
Is one saved before they die without being baptized into Christ for the remission of sins?
If one obeys the gospel by being correctly baptized into Christ but then becomes a member of a denominational Church, is he or she a brother or sister in Christ?
What is the reason one is baptized in a denominational Church. Is it because they are already saved, or are they baptized to be saved?
