SALVATION FROM SINS

Some people believe and teach we are all God’s children, but that is not true. We are all God's creation. However, all who are accountable to God for their actions have sinned and are thus separated from God―they are lost in their sins and in need of God's salvation (Romans 3:23; 6:23). All who are in need of salvation are children of the devil. In this world, all people who are accountable to God for their actions are either children of the devil or they are children of God. Jesus said to some Jews of His day that they were children of their father the devil, and they loved to do the evil things that the devil does. Jesus told them that the devil was a murderer from the beginning and always hated the truth. Jesus said that was the case because there is no truth in him. Furthermore, Jesus said that when the devil lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and He knows them, and they follow Him (John 10:27). And, Paul tells us that the children of the devil become the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians3:26) We learn from the next verse when one is by faith made a child of God―“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (ASV, 1901). Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). He also asked, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Ephesians 1:3 tells us that Christians are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Paul also wrote of Christians, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). A child of the devil must take each step in God’s great plan of salvation. This is the conversion process of one ceasing to be a child of the devil and becoming a child of God in God’s great family, the church of His Son. This is the process of being born again (John 3:1-21).

The steps in God’s singular plan of salvation leading to eternal life in Heaven are:

Hear and understand the gospel, for that is how faith is formed in one and then strengthened and sustained.

  • Romans 10:17―“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
  • John 20:30-31―“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
  • Romans 1:16―“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
  • I Corinthians 15:1-4―“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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.”

Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.

  • John 8:24―“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
  • John 3:18―“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
  • Hebrews 11:1, 6―“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen … But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a re-warder of them that diligently seek him.”

Repent of one’s sins.

  • Luke 13:5―“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
  • Acts 17:30―“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”

Confess one’s faith in Christ.

  • Romans 10:9-10―“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
  • Acts 8:36-38―“And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”

Be baptized (immersed) by the authority of Christ in water for the remission of sins.

  • Mark 16:16―“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
  • Acts 2:38―“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
  • Acts 22:16―“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
  • Romans 6:3-4―“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
  • Galatians 3:26-27―“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
  • I Peter 3:21―“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Having been added to the church by the Lord Himself (Acts. 2:42, 47), one must continue to be faithful to Christ in the church of our Lord, for salvation can be lost.

  • I Corinthians 15:58―“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
  • Hebrews 10:36-39―“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
  • Revelation 2:10―“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
  • II Peter 2:20-22―“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”
  • Galatians 5:4―“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

More than the foregoing God does not require of the child of the devil to become a child of God. Less than obedience thereto and one will remain a child of the devil, losing one’s soul when life on earth is finished. Don’t turn a deaf ear to God’s great plan to make a child of God out of a child of the devil, so one can live with him in glory when this life is over. Jesus saves only those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).

David P. Brown

Castles Made of Sand

There is little as charming as a well planned and skillfully made sandcastle. Children of every age enjoy the hours of shaping sand into the grand palaces which exist only in the far away lands of their minds. Along with this recreation comes a life lesson. A sandcastle for most, immediately calls to mind the thought of that which is temporary. Too many toddlers’ tears have been shed watching the tide take away the fruit of their tedious toils. With full knowledge of this adults still have an insatiable attraction towards sandcastles. Every year thousands or more enthusiasts converge upon Imperial Beach, California for the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. There they build some of the most spectacular sandcastles you could ever imagine. Exact replicas of the greatest architectural masterpieces built by man, and others that could only be built of dreams and sand.

While those in the competition may win prizes with skill exceeding child’s play, they still are only making sandcastles. Unfortunately, so many have approached life forgetting the les-sons they learned. While one may become proficient and skillful at many things, where is the lasting benefit? Someone may build something beautiful and bring great joy to themselves and others, what real value does it have?

The tide of death is one that all men should see approaching (Hebrews 9:27). As some learn of such an end, they find it almost unbearable to work towards anything. The faithful, on the other hand, do not find such torment as the day approaches. The psalmist said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

The key to such confidence lies in a rock solid faith in Christ and His word. Jesus said,

… whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27).

Building one’s house upon Christ is a sure way to ensure that the tempests of life will not overcome the structure. In these verses there is great similarity to the lessons learned from building sandcastles. There is that which is un-stable, situated in such a way that it is sure to fail. Wherein is the security? A denomination, built by men, is not built on a solid foundation (I Corinthians 3:11; Matthew 16:16-18). A life of successful business is one of fleeting glory (Luke 12:15-21). The goal of most is a merry heart, but without Christ that merriment will end like the smile on a child’s face when the first wave crashes over the seemingly solid walls of the sand fort. On the other hand, there is Christ and his word. When one does what Christ commands he is building upon sure ground able to withstand anything. 

Geoff Litke

More Bible!

“Why take my Bible to church? I never use it.” “My [preacher] doesn’t use the Bible; he just tells stories.” {We} speak of being “a people of the Book.” But is that only in name?   In a growing number of churches, the Word of God is not referred to as it used to be. In some churches hearing the Bible in any significant way is rare.   Even the best of churches would benefit from Scripture being heard more. In too many of our churches there is a famine for the Word of God, as well-meaning [preachers] attempt to substitute sermonettes and stories for dynamic Biblical preaching. The result is a growing hunger for the Bible. (“Putting the Word Back in Worship,” Ministry, July 2001).

What a sad commentary on the present condition of the church in many places today! Among those who used to be known as the “people of the Bible,” the Bible is only “rarely” heard “in any significant way.” What a shame! Do we not still recognize the power of God’s Word? Shouldn’t the assembly of God’s people be a place in which the Word of God is heard regularly?   Shouldn’t preachers of the Gospel preach the Word (II Timothy 4:2) as Paul instructed? If we expect our people to be edified and “grow... in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18), shouldn’t the Bible be referred to, quoted, read and preached? If it is the case where you attend that the Word of God is not heard very often, let’s commit ourselves to emphasizing again God’s Word in classes and in worship! Many reasons could be stated regarding the importance of this activity. Let’s notice only a few of them.

  1. When the Word of God is neglected, we have denied ourselves of the power of God (Romans 1:16). The power to save is in God’s Word! Since the power to convert is in the Word, souls are being lost when “sermonettes and stories” describe the content of the messages in our worship. Souls will not be converted to Christ and His church if they hear only amusing stories and entertaining illustrations from the wisdom of men. Many of us need to wake up (Romans 13:11-12). It may be later than we think! Souls are dying without the saving Gospel of Christ. 
  2. When the Word is not heard, many lose their spiritual appetite (Matthew 5:6), and the result is spiritual death from starvation (4:4).When a person is born into the kingdom, he naturally has the craving for the “sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2). When those individuals are not fed a proper diet of God’s Word, they become first become weak and then die. When they are fed other things they may think they are full, but what they have eaten provides no spiritual nourishment. New and older Christians need the Word of God that they might grow.
  3. When the Word of God is not emphasized, then Christians cannot grow in their knowledge of our Lord (II Peter 3:18). Worship assemblies and Bible classes are not to be the only time Christians open their Bibles and study from God’s Word; but it is certainly the case that when we are together we should be able to gain more knowledge about our Savior. How can Christ and Him crucified be preached without preaching and teaching God’s Word? 
  4. When the Word of God is not thoroughly taught, how can we be edified? Paul told the Ephesian elders, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Is it any wonder that there are so many weak Christians when we see the famine of the Word of God (Amos 8:11) which exists in so many congregations today? The Word of God is that which is able to build up and encourage those who are Christians!
  5. When the Word of God is not known, then Christians are unable to distinguish between error and Truth. When the Word of God is preached and taught, then those that hear are reproved and corrected by the authoritative Word of God (II Timothy 4:2). One reason that so many are being swept into error today is because they are not hearing and/or heeding God’s Word.    Many of these people do not know the difference between the Gospel and a perversion of the Gospel (Galatians 1:7), simply because they have not heard or studied the Word of God. It is indeed sad when one can be present during any worship service or Bible study period without hearing much, if any, from the Bible.
  6. When the Word of God is not in mind, it is impossible for Christians to “continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42).   What is the “apostles doctrine”? It is the message that these inspired men taught orally during the first century which was then through inspiration written down so that we might read and understand the Will of God (Ephesians 3:3-5). It is the “pattern of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13), and that pattern must be followed. But if we are not exposed to the pattern (we do not know what it is), then we are lost.

Many other reasons could be cited for placing a proper emphasis on God’s Word in our assemblies and otherwise, but these should suffice. We need more Bible – personally, privately and publically, collectively! Let’s restore the Bible to its proper place in our worship – in all of our assemblies!  Note: The quotation at the beginning of this article came from an unusual source. Ministry is a Seventh Day Adventist publication. The [ ] which appear in the quotation show where I have replaced the word “pastor” with the word “preacher,” and the { } show where I replaced the word “Adventists” by the word “we.” The article described so well what is taking place in so (too) many congregations of the church today that I borrowed these words. Other religious groups are apparently experiencing the same problems we are. It is sad indeed that many of our brethren don’t even recognize the problem. The author of the original article emphasized the public reading of Scripture, but I believe the problem can be solved only by more reading, preaching and teaching of God’s Word. We must do a better job!

Lester Kamp 

The Appropriateness of Warnings

When compared with his letters to the Corinthians, the Galatians, or to Timothy and Titus, Paul’s letter to the Philippians is couched in very mild terms. The Philippian Church was apparently free of such major problems as those he addressed in the aforementioned epistles. Paul was thus able to devote more of his letter to Philippi to commendation and instruction, rather than to correction. However, there is one explosion of forceful terminology in Philippians – a stringent, explicit warning:“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision” (3:2). My purpose is not to provide an exposition of this verse nor identify those to whom it originally applied. Rather, I want to emphasize the fact that, even in an otherwise mildly-worded letter of encouragement, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to caution those brethren.Warnings about spiritual dangers posed by false teachers and their doctrines are appropriate or the Bible would not be so full of them, as every Bible student knows it is. Please consider the following thoughts concerning some of the “whys” and “hows” of these necessary warnings:

There is a need to issue such warnings as a preventive measure. Preventive medicine is the best kind and usually the least painful. While no righteous person rejoices in the news of a brother, a school, or an entire congregation that has abandoned the Truth, it is better to be warned of such than to be led astray by them through ignorance and/or innocence. Appropriate and timely warnings of men gone astray and of what they are teaching (whether within or without) are a necessary preventive measure brethren can be fortified. By sounding forth warnings of the errors being circulated we can fortify many brethren and prepare them to withstand the errors. This is what Paul did in his three-fold “beware” of the foregoing passage.

Warnings are also needed to cure problems that have already developed from false teaching. Paul did not get the warnings about the evil workers to the Galatians in time to prevent grievous problems from occurring. However, he did not hesitate to sound forth the warnings of the follies and consequences of succumbing to the false teachers although they had done their dirty work. Problems caused by false doctrines can never be cured by ignoring them. The sources of the heresies, as well as the errors themselves, must be exposed by due warnings concerning them if any of those ensnared by them are to be rescued.

When warnings are given they must be in such terms that those who hear may recognize and identify the source of the danger. Otherwise, the warnings are of little worth. Paul used great plainness in the warnings of our text, identifying the “dogs” and the “evil workers” as the Judaizing teachers. He was even more specific when he warned Timothy to shun Hymenaeus and Philetus because their doctrine (that the resurrection was already past) was erroneous and cancerous and had already corrupted some (II Timothy 2:16-18). We are commanded to mark those who cause division through false doctrine so as to identify them, and warn others of them (Romans 16:17). We should always take great care not to slander or falsely accuse others, nor should anyone want to defame another person or institution unnecessarily for any reason. However, when souls are at stake we are derelict in our duty if we do not sound the warnings plainly, including calling the names of men, institutions, or congregations where necessary. May all of our warnings be issued from a broken heart full of love for the sinner, but even more for the Lord, His Word, and His people. 

There is the need to hear and act upon the warnings. We live in a strange time in church history when even the elect have come under the influence of so much human philosophy that they do not want to hear the warnings upon which the salvation of their very souls depends. Because of such shallow and perverted thinking, many brethren are critical of preachers, churches, or publications that are “issue-oriented,” as they are wont to say. Some members of the church are hypersensitive to any exposure or identity of a false teacher or his doctrine, regardless of how destructive he or it may be. Others will come right out and tell you that they do not want to hear about any “problems” in the church, as if ignorance of them would cause them to disappear. Ira Y. Rice, Jr., is right: “You just cannot warn some brethren!”

The Scriptures frequently admonish us to hear reliable spiritual warnings so as to act upon them and thereby avoid many dangers. The Lord wrote seven letters to as many churches, issuing many warnings designed to save their souls (Revelation 2-3). At the conclusion of each letter He urged, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, et al.). Clearly, He not only intended for them to hear, but to heed and act upon the warnings He issued. Some preachers take pride in not keeping up with “the issues,” as if to do so were somehow an unspiritual or vain activity. Too few elderships in my acquaintance are careful to stay abreast of the many winds of false doctrine that are blowing ever more strongly and of the men that are blowing them. Preachers and elders who are wise will stay informed themselves and will keep their respective congregations informed. Not all will listen with appreciation, but all need to hear the warnings anyway. Paul wrote the warnings in Philippians (and in many other) because he knew brethren needed to hear them for their own spiritual safety.

Dub McClish

 

The Gospel Plan of Salvation

HEAR the word of God; the Bible (Romans 10:17)

BELIEVE the word of God and that Jesus is Lord (John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6)

REPENT of sin (Acts 17:30)

CONFESS that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 10:32-33)

BE BAPTIZED in order to receive remission of sins (Acts 2:38); in order to have past sins washed away (Acts 22:16); in order to get into the body of Christ, the church (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 2:47); in order to be saved (Mark16:15-16; I Peter 3:21)

LIVE FAITHFULLY in accordance with God’s word (I John 1:6-9; Revelation 2:10)