Words of Life
Speaking life giving words
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
In many places God tells us that what we say has extreme consequences.
He tells us in this passage that there are two outcomes of our words:
LIFE or DEATH
He then tells us that which ever we love we will eat the fruit of it .. Life or Death.
Those we speak to will also eat of the fruit of our lips Life or Death.
The Apostle James seeks to press upon us how vital this area of our life is:
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
James 3:2
Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
James 3:3
Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. James 3:4
So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! James 3:5
And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. James 3:6
For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. James 3:7
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. James 3:8
With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; James 3:9
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. James 3:10
Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? James 3:11
Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:12
Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:12
Jesus tells us clearly that what we say is vital to our relationship with him.
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33
. . . . the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
Matthew 12:34
"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
Matthew 12:35
"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:36
"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Matthew 12:37
It is clear that our words are one of the most important aspects of our lives to bring about good or evil.
And it is also clear that we must choose which force we will let our words be a part of Life or Death.
The rest of this talk is for those who desire to give life giving words.
Go, stand in the temple and speak all the words of this life. Acts 5:20 (K JS)
There are words that are specifically related to this life.
This life is the life of God being worked out within us, and in the World.
When we speak the words of this life we give opportunities to others to receive life.
I remember perfectly a moment over thirty four years ago when I was pulling out of a driveway at my sweetheart s home.
She spoke a few words that have made me a better driver ever since.
She had watched me pulling out and noticed me looking over my shoulder on both sides of the driveway.
She said, You just looked over your shoulder both ways before you pulled out. You are a good driver. I feel safe driving with you.
Those words made me want to be the best driver I could be for her.
While the things she said were true at that moment, her saying them made me want to make them true forever.
Since that day I have been a better driver. She spoke a life giving word into my heart that remained to build me into a more responsible person.
Life giving words have power.
Life giving words are filled with hope.
Life giving words change people for good.
When I first went to Oral Roberts University I was sure I could not ever finish my course because they required you to take and pass a Phys Ed class every semester.
They also required you to do enough aerobic exercise for 30 aerobic points every week. We had to fill out a form every week telling how many points we got and how we got them.
30 aerobic points was the equivalent of running three miles every other day at eight miles an hour.
I did well to walk a block without fainting when I came to campus.
I was a true nerd with no desire or skill in physical things. I was also an asthmatic. I had spent most of my life indoors reading books.
But God intended for me to be educated as whole man body, soul and spirit so I would have to start moving.
I began to go to the track where we all did our running. Within a few weeks a guy named Charlie had noticed me and made it one of his goals to help me.
He would join me as I LOL ran! It was more like a crawl!
But every time he joined me his words were full of encouragement. He would tell me he believed I was becoming a better runner with every day and under his encouragement I did.
By the end of the year I did in fact run three miles at eight minutes a mile. It was only because of Charlie s encouragement.
He spoke life-giving words to me. Though I don t run to many eight minute miles today I still run almost every day. He also opened up to me the art of mentoring others.
Sometimes in the meanness of spirit that religion can inculcate in people we lose the very beauty of Christ s message.
We can become negative a shrill people who only relate to others in a condemning way. But that is not the way Jesus would have us be.
He tells us all of our communication is to bring grace to the hearers.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29
Before you think that I am simply saying only say nice things to people Life Giving words are always the place where Grace and Truth meet each other.
Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalm 85:10
Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalm 85:10
If our words are only mercy they end up as shallow flattery and set a snare for those who hear.
A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps.
Psalm 29:5
On the other hand words that have nothing but truth become legalistic and result in condemnation.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
John 1:17
Life giving words reflect the truth of God and the Grace of God in full measure.
Life giving words never ultimately tear down a person though they often tear them away from wrong behaviour.
They always give grace to others without sacrificing truth.
They are the voice of Jesus through us, drawing out of others what God sees in them.
Drawing out of others what God sees in them.
The whole business of truth telling is a bit tricky.
We often see others through our own eyes and not God s.
I have learned to ask God what He wants me to see in others and speak that into them.
Sometime it is very hard to see the person God sees for all the outward stuff that blocks our vision.
Some have said that I was just lying or deceived when I have spoken words of encouragement to others.
They knew them so well that they could see clearly that my vision of who they were was false.
Unfortunately what they saw of them was their sin.
If all we look at in a person is their sin we will only have satan s view of them. He is the accuser of the saints not God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
Revelation 12:10a
"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come,
Revelation 12:10b
for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:10c
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
Revelation 12:11
I love the answer Michelangelo gave concerning his sculptures when asked how he could do such amazing work.
Michelangelo said that he didn t sculpt figures into marble: he liberated them out of it. He quarried his own marble in Carrara, seeing the figures in the living rock before driving in the first nail that would split it off the rockface.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11589
This is the power of life giving words. They see the person trapped inside and seek to liberate them.
This must be our goal if we are to give lifegiving words.
To give words of life our hearts must be free from the fear or self advancement that would keep us from speaking the truth.
They must also be free from envy, bitterness, criticism, judgment and other such motives that would keep us from speaking in love.
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
Ephesians 4:15
Our heart s motive must be to see others become who God sees them to be.
To do that we need to spend much prayer asking God who He sees them to be. We need to find the person God is seeking to liberate from the stone tomb of their own flawed view of themselves and from their sin lives.
I understood this when I read the story of Gideon in the Old Testament.
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.
Judges 6:11
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.
Judges 6:12
Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian. Judges 6:13
The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"
Judges 6:14
He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.
Judges 6:15
But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.
Judges 6:15
If I had been looking at Gideon I would not have seen a mighty man of valour.
I would have seen a cowardly man who held a deep sense anger towards God.
I would have seen a man who was full of fear.
I would have seen a man who was dogged by a message of rejection of him and his family that most likely had followed him all his life.
But the angel spoke what God saw a mighty man of valour.
God saw the mighty man trapped inside and spoke the word of destiny that freed Gideon to become exactly what God saw and believed of him.
We first must let God liberate the man or woman He sees in us just like He did Gideon through His life giving word.
Then we can go about bearing that same word to liberate others.
The last thing I want to share is that a primary aspect of spiritual warfare is defeating death giving words that have lodged in our souls.
The worst thing a Christian can do is to fall into self pity because of the words of death that have been spoken over them by others or themselves.
The proper response to those words is to counter them with what God says about us.
They have no power unless we give them power. To live as if they are true, or in bitterness and self loathing because we have been given them enforces their reality on us.
To take the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and defeat them is the way we overcome them.
This is a crucial aspect of finding our purpose in God.
It is an essential and constant aspect of our warfare in the Spirit.
Life Giving Words ODCF Oct 3 2010 Web
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Finding Your Purpose in God - Sept 28th Open Door Christian Fellowship
Finding Your Purpose in God
Is there a plan God has for me?
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11
Does God have a specific purpose for our lives?
This question must first be answered before we can even start to consider finding our purpose.
Unless we believe that God has a specific purpose for us why would we try to find one?
The first question I ever asked about God that was sincere and ultimately led to my finding Him was, ³Do you think there is a God and if there is what does He have to do with us?
The existence of God and His relationship with us is the ultimate question of purpose.
If there is no God there is no purpose.
The Western faith in materialism has resulted in such chaos that only the relics of a once held Christian belief system has kept it from completely destroying itself.
At the core of atheism is the denial of any sense of purpose to human life.
As a very popular proabortion speaker once told me in a public forum, ³Even if we come to fully accept that the fetus is fully human, so what? We kill chickens don't we?´
Without a faith in God there is no basis for human worth or purpose. We are no more significant than the spiders we crush to rid our homes of them.
That is why the most ruthless heart is one that really believes there is no God.
I believe anyone who looks at the world as it really is will come to the conclusion that there had to have been a designer who created the world and ultimately us.
But even that knowledge does not answer the question of purpose.
Knowing that something or someone designed all of this does not tell us that there was a purpose in creating it.
The creator could have been an alien from a dying race like 2001 a Space Odyssey promotes.
In that case the purpose of humanity is non specific. There is a grand scheme but the individuals have little or no purpose themselves.
The creator could have been just filling in time. Or he/she/it might no longer exist.
The understanding that human beings were created by God with a purpose is only found in believing that God is real and has a personal relationship with us.
The more personal an interest He has in us the more profound is the sense of purpose.
We have come to understand that God is so completely interested in us that He knows even the number of hairs that we have.
"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows Luke 12:6-7
King David fully expresses in a song the intimacy he knew God had with him in Psalm 139.
. . . O LORD, you have searched me, and known me. 2 You know my downsitting and my uprising, you understand my thought afar off.
Psalm 139:1-2
As our Creator, God knows us perfectly. He created our Spirit, Soul and Body. He knows everything about us«..
EVERYTHING
3 You compass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139
He is not just a far off creator that started the world and left it. He remains intimately connected to His creations. He is perfectly involved in everything we do, think, feel, believe.
EVERYTHING
5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from your spirit? or whither shall I flee from your presence? Psalm 139
The picture David sings to us about is so clearly the experience of his life. God is so closely tied to His creation that it goes beyond human capacity to comprehend it yet it is able to be discerned by the revelation of God. He is always with us.
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness does not hide not from you; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to you. Psalm 139
David will not let us think for a moment that God is even slightly distant. He is totally connected to His creation. Though David did not know about atoms if he did he would have sung that God is connected to us even on a subatomic level.
Several centuries later Paul as well reaffirms that Jesus is the very force that keeps everything in life from coming apart.
For by Him all things were created, both in the visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16
The "him" that Paul speaks of is God's only son Jesus who He sent to give his life for us to bring us back to a full relationship with God.
And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17
Jesus is involved in even the sub atomic particles in our being.
We cannot possibly get a message from the Bible of a Creator that is uninvolved. The Bible tells us that our Creator continues to create in our lives.
Now David moves us from the larger experience of God's intimate connection to us to the specifics of our creation.
13 For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. Psalm 139
14 I will give thanks to you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are Your works; and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139
15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
Psalm 139
16 your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
Psalm 139
Jesus created us from the first cell. He created us very specifically. Each aspect of our creation has purpose. They all relate to our destiny in God.
When we understand that Jesus is our creator us we also understand that He created us, as He did everything else He created,
Purposefully
BEING CREATED PURPOSEFULLY MEANS:
WE HAVE A PURPOSE
BUT
JESUS CREATING US WITH A PURPOSE DOES NOT MEAN WE AUTOMATICALLY FULFILL THAT PURPOSE.
IT IS CONDITIONAL ON US
WHETHER WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE HE DESIGNED US FOR.
TO REJECT JESUS AS OUR CREATOR IS TO REJECT OUR PURPOSE.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16
This is even more specifically stated in the great anthem of praise that resounded on the day John the beloved who wrote the book of Revelation received his prophetic vision.
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Revelation 4:10 (KJS)
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11 (KJS)
The NASB translates the words "for thy pleasure",
"because of Your will"
The NIV translates the words "for thy pleasure",
"by Your will"
ALL THREE TRANSLATIONS PICK UP ON ASPECTS OF THE TRUTH CONTAINED IN THE GREEK WORD CONCERNING WHY ALL THINGS WERE AND ARE CREATED.
thelema, thel'-ay-mah; from the prolonged form of Greek thelo; a determination (active) choice (special purpose, decree; abstract volition) or (passive) inclination :- desire, pleasure, will.
So then we are created:
1. By the CHOICE of God (because of His will) 2. By the DECREE of God (by His will) 3. For His PLEASURE
ALL THREE ARE REALLY A PART OF ANYTHING THAT WE CREATE AS WELL.
THE FIRST TWO (BECAUSE OF HIS WILL AND BY HIS WILL) HAVE TO DO WITH HOW WE ARE CREATED
THE LAST IS THE WHAT WE ARE CREATED FOR:
AND FOR THY PLEASURE THEY ARE CREATED
Finding Your Purpose in God Part 1 Web
Is there a plan God has for me?
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11
Does God have a specific purpose for our lives?
This question must first be answered before we can even start to consider finding our purpose.
Unless we believe that God has a specific purpose for us why would we try to find one?
The first question I ever asked about God that was sincere and ultimately led to my finding Him was, ³Do you think there is a God and if there is what does He have to do with us?
The existence of God and His relationship with us is the ultimate question of purpose.
If there is no God there is no purpose.
The Western faith in materialism has resulted in such chaos that only the relics of a once held Christian belief system has kept it from completely destroying itself.
At the core of atheism is the denial of any sense of purpose to human life.
As a very popular proabortion speaker once told me in a public forum, ³Even if we come to fully accept that the fetus is fully human, so what? We kill chickens don't we?´
Without a faith in God there is no basis for human worth or purpose. We are no more significant than the spiders we crush to rid our homes of them.
That is why the most ruthless heart is one that really believes there is no God.
I believe anyone who looks at the world as it really is will come to the conclusion that there had to have been a designer who created the world and ultimately us.
But even that knowledge does not answer the question of purpose.
Knowing that something or someone designed all of this does not tell us that there was a purpose in creating it.
The creator could have been an alien from a dying race like 2001 a Space Odyssey promotes.
In that case the purpose of humanity is non specific. There is a grand scheme but the individuals have little or no purpose themselves.
The creator could have been just filling in time. Or he/she/it might no longer exist.
The understanding that human beings were created by God with a purpose is only found in believing that God is real and has a personal relationship with us.
The more personal an interest He has in us the more profound is the sense of purpose.
We have come to understand that God is so completely interested in us that He knows even the number of hairs that we have.
"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows Luke 12:6-7
King David fully expresses in a song the intimacy he knew God had with him in Psalm 139.
. . . O LORD, you have searched me, and known me. 2 You know my downsitting and my uprising, you understand my thought afar off.
Psalm 139:1-2
As our Creator, God knows us perfectly. He created our Spirit, Soul and Body. He knows everything about us«..
EVERYTHING
3 You compass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139
He is not just a far off creator that started the world and left it. He remains intimately connected to His creations. He is perfectly involved in everything we do, think, feel, believe.
EVERYTHING
5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from your spirit? or whither shall I flee from your presence? Psalm 139
The picture David sings to us about is so clearly the experience of his life. God is so closely tied to His creation that it goes beyond human capacity to comprehend it yet it is able to be discerned by the revelation of God. He is always with us.
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness does not hide not from you; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to you. Psalm 139
David will not let us think for a moment that God is even slightly distant. He is totally connected to His creation. Though David did not know about atoms if he did he would have sung that God is connected to us even on a subatomic level.
Several centuries later Paul as well reaffirms that Jesus is the very force that keeps everything in life from coming apart.
For by Him all things were created, both in the visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16
The "him" that Paul speaks of is God's only son Jesus who He sent to give his life for us to bring us back to a full relationship with God.
And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17
Jesus is involved in even the sub atomic particles in our being.
We cannot possibly get a message from the Bible of a Creator that is uninvolved. The Bible tells us that our Creator continues to create in our lives.
Now David moves us from the larger experience of God's intimate connection to us to the specifics of our creation.
13 For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. Psalm 139
14 I will give thanks to you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are Your works; and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139
15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
Psalm 139
16 your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
Psalm 139
Jesus created us from the first cell. He created us very specifically. Each aspect of our creation has purpose. They all relate to our destiny in God.
When we understand that Jesus is our creator us we also understand that He created us, as He did everything else He created,
Purposefully
BEING CREATED PURPOSEFULLY MEANS:
WE HAVE A PURPOSE
BUT
JESUS CREATING US WITH A PURPOSE DOES NOT MEAN WE AUTOMATICALLY FULFILL THAT PURPOSE.
IT IS CONDITIONAL ON US
WHETHER WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE HE DESIGNED US FOR.
TO REJECT JESUS AS OUR CREATOR IS TO REJECT OUR PURPOSE.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16
This is even more specifically stated in the great anthem of praise that resounded on the day John the beloved who wrote the book of Revelation received his prophetic vision.
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Revelation 4:10 (KJS)
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11 (KJS)
The NASB translates the words "for thy pleasure",
"because of Your will"
The NIV translates the words "for thy pleasure",
"by Your will"
ALL THREE TRANSLATIONS PICK UP ON ASPECTS OF THE TRUTH CONTAINED IN THE GREEK WORD CONCERNING WHY ALL THINGS WERE AND ARE CREATED.
thelema, thel'-ay-mah; from the prolonged form of Greek thelo; a determination (active) choice (special purpose, decree; abstract volition) or (passive) inclination :- desire, pleasure, will.
So then we are created:
1. By the CHOICE of God (because of His will) 2. By the DECREE of God (by His will) 3. For His PLEASURE
ALL THREE ARE REALLY A PART OF ANYTHING THAT WE CREATE AS WELL.
THE FIRST TWO (BECAUSE OF HIS WILL AND BY HIS WILL) HAVE TO DO WITH HOW WE ARE CREATED
THE LAST IS THE WHAT WE ARE CREATED FOR:
AND FOR THY PLEASURE THEY ARE CREATED
Finding Your Purpose in God Part 1 Web
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Baptism
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
The first clear mention of Baptism in Biblical history came with John the Baptist.
Mark 1:1
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; 3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
John's baptism was a sign of repentance and forgiveness. Yet Biblically it was not JUST for these reasons. Jesus himself was baptized and he did not need to repent or be forgiven.
Matthew 3:13
Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
Jesus' baptism points to the larger meaning of the act - It fulfilled righteousness.
Matthew 3:15
But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him.
It brought a unique experience with the Holy Spirit to Him.
Matthew 3:16
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
A testimony came from the Father in heaven as to his identity and to whom he belonged.
Matthew 3:17
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
These all point to the reality that the act of baptism has many layers of meaning. All of them relate to our relationship with God.
LET'S REVIEW:
BAPTISM IS:
THE SIGN OF REPENTANCE
THE SIGN OF FORGIVENESS
THE FULFULMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
AN ENTRANCE TO A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE SEAL OF OUR IDENTITY
THE COVENANT SIGN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM?
To fully understand the purpose of baptism we must first understand Salvation.
Baptism and Salvation are inextricably linked
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Peter relates baptism back to Noah. Noah and his household were saved through an experience like baptism. The world that then existed was destroyed by that same experience.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
So we see that Noah's obedience growing out of faith brought about his and his family's salvation.
2 Peter 2:5
and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
The act of baptism is said to save us as in the same way as what happened to Noah.
1 Peter 3:21
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Heb 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
But as we carefully consider this last passage we see that it was FAITH that moved Noah to obey and build the ark.
This is consistent with Jesus' command regarding baptism.
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
When we look again at the passage from Peter we could easily say that the act of baptism does bring about salvation:
1 Peter 3:21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
As children of the reformation we find ourselves perplexed by these passages. We know that the Bible teaches that all that is needed for salvation is FAITH. And yet it clearly states that baptism "saves" us.
1 Peter 3:21
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--
We have been rightly taught that salvation was a free gift, and not a result of our works of righteousness.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Yet the reformers in their zeal for clarity on this issue forgot to equally emphasize the change of life that occurs in a true believer.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
They also did not see the distinction in the concept of salvation that is clear in scripture.
There are at least three ways the Bible teaches us we are "saved."
WE ARE SAVED
WE ARE BEING SAVED
WE WILL BE SAVED
WE ARE SAVED -
THE SALVATION OF OUR SPIRIT
WE ARE BEING SAVED -
THE SALVATION OF OUR SOUL
WE WILL BE SAVED -
THE SALVATION OF OUR BODIES
BAPTISM RELATES TO ALL THREE ASPECTS OF SALVATION
We are saved from sin and restored to an eternal relationship with God IN OUR SPIRITS by faith when we receive Jesus as saviour. Baptism is the outward act that confirms the the inward transformation. It is the sign of our Spirit's salvation.
Acts 19:4
Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
The Bible does not teach Baptismal regeneration - that is being born again by or in the act of baptism.
The thief on the cross was not baptized yet was promised heaven but we can be sure that the only reason he was not baptized was because there was no opportunity to do so before his death.
Luke 23:39
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
Though it is the "sign" of our spirit's salvation the Bible does not teach baptism as "only" a symbol.
We have seen that the very first commanded act of obedience for a Christian after his salvation is to be baptized.
This is the key to understanding how Baptism "saves" us, as Peter said.
In everything God desires to do for us there are two parts
GOD'S PART
OUR PART
If we do our part, God will do His part.
If we do not do our part, God cannot do His part.
Both of these understanding are based on God's Character
God never lies
God cannot lie
. . . in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,
Titus 1:2
When He says something He cannot go back on His Word.
Numbers 23:19
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
He honors His Word more than his own Name
Psalm 138:2 (KJS)
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
When God says, "If you do this then I will do this" If we do what he asks He will do what He says. If however, we do not do what He says, He cannot do what He says He will do either.
From our scriptures we understand that when we obey Jesus' command to be baptized His life flows from our spirit and releases salvation into our soul.
This is not eternal salvation which came into our spirit when we made a commitment to Jesus as our Saviour. It is the release of the power of God for salvation into our present life through obedience to His Word.
Baptism is our first act of obedience which releases salvation into our soul. We are "being saved." Like Noah our faith results in action which releases salvation into our present life.
1 Peter 3:21
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you
Galatians 3:27
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
The Ethiopian Eunuch sought baptism immediately upon his believing in Jesus.
Acts 8:34
The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Peter's first instruction to those who believed on the day of Pentecost was to be baptized.
Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter's first concern for the Gentile believers in Cornelius' house was that they be baptized.
Acts 10:44
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
"Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Paul was told to be baptized as soon as he had repented.
Acts 22:16
'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'
LASTLY OUR BAPTISM RELATES TO OUR BEING SAVED AS A DIRECT SYMBOL OR OUR DEATH AND RESURRECTION IN JESUS
Baptism is the declaration of our hope of resurrection
In our baptism we physically represent the day our bodies will be saved.
Romans 6:3
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
Let's review
BAPTISM IS:
THE SIGN OF REPENTANCE
THE SIGN OF FORGIVENESS
THE FULFULMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
AN ENTRANCE TO A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE SEAL OF OUR IDENTITY
THE COVENANT SIGN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.
THE FIRST COMMANDED ACT JESUS GAVE.
The Purpose of Baptism is to be:
The sign of our Spirit's salvation.
Our first act of obedience which releases salvation into our soul. We are "being saved."
The declaration of our hope of resurrection
So the question now is, "if you have never been baptized since you believed shouldn't you should be saying:"
"Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
Acts 8:36
Below is the link to download the Power Point presentation I used. If you would like to use it for a teaching tool feel free.
Baptism Rev 5
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