Bearing Fruit: the Fruit of the Spirit pt1

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

No discussion is complete without talking about the “fruit of the Spirit” listed in Galatians 5. Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit through nine qualities. We will examine them three at a time.

Technically Paul isn’t necessarily giving us nine separate “fruits” in the way a produce stand has nine different kinds of apples. He gives one description of the Spirit-produced character of the Christian, expressed through these qualities.

The fruit of the Spirit is produced in the lives of those who belong to Christ as they walk according to the Spirit’s revealed will. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Abiding in Christ includes keeping His commandments: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10).

It’s so easy to understand. As we learn God’s will through the Word and submit our lives to it, the character described as the fruit of the Spirit should increasingly be seen in our lives. These fruits of the Spirit are to be expected when we from faith walk in the Spirit. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2Timothy 3:16-17).

The first fruit is LOVE. There are a few different Greek words that are translated as “love.” This one is , which is the New Testament term for selfless, and sacrificial love. Unlike emotional or romantic affection, it is a word used in the New Testament for love that expresses itself in seeking the good of others. (1Cor 13:4-7; John 14:15; 1John 4:9-11)

This can be seen in the commands of Jesus surrounding love. We are to Love the LORD with all our heart, soul, mind, & strength (Mark 12:30). We are to love ONE another as saints & brethren (1Thess 4:9). We are to love our NEIGHBORS as ourselves which places a high value on them, (Matt 22:39). We are to love our ENEMIES, (Luke 6:35).

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1John 4:7-11).

The second is JOY. in Galatians 5:22 means joy or gladness; specifically a deep, calm delight and inner gladness. As a fruit of the Spirit it must then be a result of knowing what good things we have in Christ revealed to us through the word by the Holy Spirit. This joy can remain even despite difficult circumstances. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-3). In another place we find joy in knowing brethren are walking in truth (2John 1:4; 3John 1:3). This joy is exemplified by Paul while in a Roman prison, knowing the Gospel is being preached; “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Phil 1:18). The Bible doesn’t teach that Christians are supposed to be emotionally happy about every circumstance. Rather, joy can remain despite circumstances because it rests upon something deeper than circumstances.

The third is PEACE. The Greek word <eirēnē> means peace. In Scripture, peace can describe reconciliation with God as well as the settled peace believers can have in Christ. This peace is rooted in the reconciliation God has provided through Christ. Paul reminds Christians that this reconciliation is something in which they must continue by remaining grounded and settled in the faith. “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Colossians 1:20-23).

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Cor 3:18).

Agape
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Why we just SING.

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Answering why the churches of Christ sing acapella in the worship.

4 reasons why we JUST SING SONGS.

1) Singing Is Specifically Commanded
God has specifically commanded us to sing in worship. Ephesians 5:19 says, “SPEAKING to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” Supporting this, Colossians 3:16 instructs us “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”, and James 5:13 tells the cheerful to “sing praise.” The New Testament repeatedly SPECIFIES SINGING in the church’s worship.

SPECIFIC IS TERRIFIC, for it tells us exactly what God wants. When God gives a SPECIFIC command, it eliminates all other options.

2) We Sing to One Another to Instruct and Admonish
Our singing is not for entertainment purposes; it is mutual teaching. Colossians 3:16 commands, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Ephesians 5:19 adds that we SPEAK to one another in these songs, and 1 Corinthians 14:15 shows that when the church gathers, we sing with understanding. We sing to instruct and encourage one another. Instruments cannot fulfil that command.

3) We Sing with Our Natural Voice Connected to the Heart
We use the natural voice God gave us because true worship flows from the heart. Mark 7:15-21 teaches that what comes out of a person defiles or honors God, for “from within, out of the heart of man,” come the things that matter. Ephesians 5:19 says we make melody “with your heart,” and Colossians 3:16 says we sing “with thankfulness in your hearts.” This heartfelt vocal praise was so universal in the early church that the practice itself became known as a cappella “in the style of the chapel.” Instrumental music in worship is a relatively young idea.

4) We Sing with Grace, Gratitude, and Gladness
Christian singing is filled with grace, gratitude, and gladness. Colossians 3:16 tells us to sing “with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Hebrews 13:15 calls us to “offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name,” and James 5:13 says, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” We lift our voices with grateful hearts, and gladness of heart for the great things God has done.

I’ve spoken to all kinds of folks from the religious world… NONE, NOT ONE, NADA, ZIP have ever said that our worship would violate their conscience if they attended. They ALL AGREE that acapella singing in the church is authorized, accepted, and alright.

agape

seb

Do Not Think…?

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Would it surprise you that Jesus told some folks, “Do Not Think.” He wasn’t telling folks to pursue ignorance, rather it was about wrong thinking.

Jesus was addressing the root of folk’s wrong thinking; it stemmed from their ignorance about what has been revealed in scripture leading to errors in thought & actions. Here are a few examples…

“Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). The first-century Jewish leaders viewed Jesus as a rebel against the law of Moses. Their thinking was wrong.

“Do not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Folks then, and still today, wrongly think that the Messiah’s role is something it is not. Jesus emphatically states that following Him will divide even close relationships. Paul would warn Timothy that those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus would face persecution (2Tim 3:12).

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust” (John 5:45). The error thinking of that time gave some a false sense of security, but it missed what the Old Testament was declaring (Deut 18:18-19). Being in opposition to Jesus put them in opposition to Moses, the one in whom they placed their trust. John spoke similarly addressing their thoughts of security (as seen in a lack of repentance) based on genealogical connection to Abraham. “Do not say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9; cf. Luke 13:3, 5).

The epistles also address the issue of wrong thinking. Some were thinking about men higher than they ought, and thinking too highly of themselves! (Romans 12:3; 1Corinthians 3:18; 4:6;). It’s clear that our thinking needs to be tested with scripture to avoid Wrong Thinking.

Maybe our thinking stinks because of the information we’re inputting. You’ve heard the old saying, “garbage in garbage out.” Our culture is being overwhelmed with ideas, propaganda, and false information from every direction. Any person with a smart phone and internet connection can blast out any opinion about anything without any concern for whether it’s true or not. It’s especially dangerous when people spout error about spiritual themes. Jesus addressed this once with those who thought there was no resurrection from the dead. He identified the source of their Wrong Thinking. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

The truth sets us free from such error (John 8:31-32). God’s word is truth (John 17:17). Reading and studying God’s word equips us and shields us from error and builds up our minds in faith to think and speak aright (Romans 12:2; Proverbs 15:2). Not only do we need to test every spirit, “because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1John 4:1; 1Thess 5:21), but we also need to test our own selves. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? –unless indeed you are disqualified” (2Corinthians 13:5).

The advice of the ancients is still sound today. Let us search the scriptures daily to find out if these things being spoken are so (Acts 17:11).

Agape
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A Hero of Faith: Aristarchus

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-A companion of Paul  

Aristarchus may not be the most familiar name to us, but his name shows up a handful of times (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2; Col 4:10; Phm 1:24), and those mentions paint a picture of a solid, steady guy who stuck with Paul through some of the toughest stretches of the early church. He was from Thessalonica, a Macedonian city where the gospel took root under heavy pressure right from the start (Acts 17:1-10). That background may help to explain a lot about how he kept going when things got rough.

The church in Thessalonica was born in the middle of a riot. Paul preached Jesus as the Messiah for a few weeks, people believed, and jealous opponents stirred up a mob (that sounds familiar). They dragged believers before the authorities and forced Paul to leave town by night. The new Christians there faced ongoing affliction from their own people, yet they held on with joy and faith that Paul later praised (1Thess 1-2). Aristarchus came out of that environment. He knew from the beginning that following Christ comes with a cost, yet he followed anyway.

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2Timothy 3:12)

He was with Paul in Ephesus as a furious crowd grabbed him and Gaius and hauled them into the theater during a riot over the gospel threatening the idol trade. He was publicly tied to Paul and the message (Acts 19:29). Later he traveled long distances with Paul, perhaps helping to carry the collection to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4-7). Later, he boarded the ship with Paul (and Luke) as the apostle headed under guard toward Rome. That voyage turned into a shipwreck (Acts 27:2-44). And by the time Paul wrote from prison in Rome, Aristarchus was right there with him, called a fellow prisoner and a fellow worker.

“Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you…” (Colossians 4:10)

How does a person keep showing up for all that? It starts with a faith that took root in Thessalonica. When we have a big enough why, we can endure any how. He is the opposite of the stony ground Jesus spoke about in Mark 4:16-17, the ground where those with a shallow faith shrivel and die when persecution comes. Aristarchus had seen it. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is worth it. When the Ephesian mob seized him, his faith saw him through. When the Euroclydon crashed upon that ship, faith has hope that goes beyond the fear of death (2Tim 1:7; 1Cor 15:55-57). When the shackles of imprisonment confined him, it didn’t confine his faith, nor stop him from caring about the brethren (Col 4:10).

“Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.” (2Timothy 2:9)

Aristarchus was the steady companion who kept walking beside Paul year after year. From Macedonia to Asia, from the theater in Ephesus to the storms at sea, from free travel to prison walls, he remained. The lesson for us is that the same faith that held him through these trials can hold us through ours. That hope carries a person farther than comfort ever could. For the sake of Christ and the gospel, Aristarchus accepted risk, inconvenience, and suffering. His recognition and reward come from the Lord.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2Timothy 4:8).

In a world that still throws riots, storms, and hard seasons at followers of Jesus, his quiet endurance speaks loudly. Faith that keeps going when the pressure rises. That’s the kind of hero the early church needed, and the kind we still need today.

Agape

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All Spiritual Blessings: We are SAVED

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“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.” (1Cor 15:1-2)

What Does It Mean to Be Saved?
Being saved is one of the most important ideas in the New Testament. It means God rescues people through Jesus Christ. He pulls them out of trouble with sin, death, and judgment. He brings them into a new relationship with Himself and gives them real hope. The New Testament shows this rescue in clear ways.

Our Sins are washed away
When the Bible talks about being saved, it starts with sins being cleaned off. Sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2). Jesus came to take them away. In Acts 22:16 Saul (later the Apostle Paul) is told, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Acts 2:38 says the same idea: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. 1Corinthians 6:11 tells believers they were washed and made clean in the name of the Lord Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:7). Water Baptism is the point where the New Testament shows this washing happening as a person calls on Jesus through faith (Rom 10:13).

We have Atonement through Christ (restoration back to God)
Atonement means God brings people back into a right relationship with Himself. Sin made us enemies of God. Jesus fixed that through His death. Romans 5:10 says that while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. 2Corinthians 5:18-19 explains that God was reconciling the world to Himself through Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. Colossians 1:20-22 says Jesus made peace by the blood of His cross and reconciled us through His death. Being saved means God restores the broken connection between God and man.

We have Victory over death
Death does not get the last word for people who are saved. Jesus rose from the dead and defeated it. 1Corinthians 15:54-57 says death is swallowed up in victory, and God gives us the victory through Jesus. Romans 6:9 tells us that death no longer has power over Jesus, and the same power reaches those who belong to Him. Hebrews 2:14-15 says Jesus destroyed the one who had the power of death and set free those who lived in fear of it. John 11:25 records Jesus saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Salvation includes this win over death.

We have Eternal life
Being saved means receiving eternal life as a gift. John 3:16 is plain: whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life. Romans 6:23 calls eternal life the free gift of God in Christ Jesus. We have this eternal life when we obey the Gospel (Rom 6:3-4; 17-22). “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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection…But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” 1John 5:11-12 says God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. We have and can know we have Eternal life.

We shall be Delivered from the wrath to come
The New Testament also shows that saved people are delivered, or rescued, in many ways. God does not leave them stuck. 1Corinthians 10:13 says God is faithful. He will not let people be tempted beyond what they can handle, and He provides a way of escape. Galatians 1:4 says Jesus gave Himself to deliver us from the present evil age. Colossians 1:13 says He delivered us from the domain of darkness. 2Peter 2:9 says the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.

More verses add to this picture. 2Timothy 4:18 says the Lord will deliver from every evil work and preserve people for His heavenly kingdom. 1Thessalonians 1:10 says Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come. Romans 11:26 calls Jesus the Deliverer who turns away ungodliness. Romans 7:6 says we are delivered from the law (Law of Moses) so we can serve in the new way of the Spirit. Romans 6:17-22 thanks God that people who were once servants of sin have obeyed the teaching that was given to them and are now free.

Putting it all together, being saved means that those who have obeyed the Gospel through faith have their sins washed away. They are restored to God having once been separated from Him. We now have victory over death. That God now reserves for us eternal life when Jesus returns. And He delivers us from the coming wrath of judgment. It all comes through Jesus Christ. The New Testament presents this as God’s gift received by believing in Jesus, repenting, confession, baptism, and remaining faithful to what He has commanded (Matt 28:19-20). That is the simple, clear picture the Bible itself gives.

Agape
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Bearing Fruit: to Glorify God

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GLORIFYING GOD with our fruits

To glorify God means to honor Him by making His character, power, and goodness known through our words and actions, so that others recognize and praise Him. Scripture shows this clearly. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Paul likewise commanded in 1Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Glorifying God is not abstract praise alone. It is lived out when we do what is our duty to do.

Jesus declares this truth directly in John 15:8: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” The Father is glorified when believers produce abundant fruit. This fruit comes from abiding in Christ, the true vine. Jesus explains in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Apart from Him we can accomplish nothing of lasting spiritual value. When we remain in Him through faith and obedience, fruit appears, and that fruit brings glory to the Father.

The New Testament consistently links fruitfulness with God’s glory. Paul prays in Philippians 1:11 that believers would be “filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” In Colossians 1:10 he urges walking “worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” These fruits include love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance as listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

Bearing much fruit therefore proves genuine discipleship. Jesus ties the two together in John 15:8. Disciples (and false prophets) are known by their fruit, just as He taught in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” This results from remaining in Christ, and obeying His word. John 15:10 confirms, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

When believers bear this fruit, the Father receives the glory. Others see the transformed life and give honor to God rather than to human strength. The pattern holds throughout the New Testament: fruit from abiding in Christ magnifies the Father and confirms true discipleship. This truth rests on the plain words of Jesus and the apostles. It simply tells every follower of Christ to abide in Him so that much fruit appears and the Father is glorified.

Agape
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6 things SAINTS can do

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“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

Saints in the Bible are people who believe in Jesus Christ and have obeyed the gospel. Launching from Paul’s statement, let’s look at 6 things all SAINTS can do through Christ.

We can stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:13 says to take up the whole armor of God so that we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm. Jesus stood against every temptation by answering with the written word of God (Matt 4:1-11). Joseph stood firm when tested in Egypt. Daniel and his friends stood firm in Babylon. The word of God gives the strength to stand.

We can have assurance of our salvation. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1John 5:13). Paul knew whom he had believed. This assurance rests on the clear promises of Scripture.

We can increase in love and good works. Hebrews 10:24 calls us to stir one another up to love and good works. The church in Thessalonica already showed love yet Paul told them to excel still more and more (1Thess 4:10). The early believers in Jerusalem grew in care for one another. Growth comes as we keep learning and obeying the word of God.

We can be nice, kind, and merciful. Colossians 3:12 tells God’s people to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.” These qualities come from knowing what God has said and choosing to live by it. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:24).

We can be thankful and joyful despite trials. James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Paul and Silas sang hymns while in prison. Habakkuk chose to rejoice even when the fields failed (Hab 3:17). The word of God teaches us to give thanks in all circumstances.

We can share the reasons for the hope that is in us. 1Peter 3:15 says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” The woman at the well told her whole town about Jesus. Hope grows strong through the knowledge of God’s word, people take notice, and then we speak of it.

These six things belong to every saint. They rest on the plain teaching of Scripture.

Agape
seb

Heroes of Faith: Epaphras

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Epaphras
Preacher, Prayerful, Purposeful, and Persecuted

The New Testament gives us a strong picture of Epaphras in just a few verses. He appears in Colossians 1:7-8, Colossians 4:12-13, and Philemon 23. From these passages alone we see a man who lived as a faithful servant of Christ.

Epaphras was a PREACHER. “As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;” (Col 1:7).

The Colossians learned the grace of God in truth from him. He brought them the gospel. He also reported their love in the Spirit to Paul and those with him. The word reached Colossae through this man’s faithful work. He did not invent a message. He delivered the truth about Christ.

Epaphras was a PRAYERFUL man. “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col 4:12).

Paul writes that he was always laboring fervently for the Colossian brethren in prayers. His goal in prayer was clear. He asked that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. This was not occasional prayer. It was constant and intense. He cared deeply about their spiritual growth and full obedience to God’s will.

Epaphras was PURPOSEFUL. “For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis” (Col 4:13).

His zeal reached beyond one group of believers. Paul bore witness that he had great zeal for the saints in Colossae, and also for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. He wanted the churches to stand firm and complete. His purpose matched the will of God revealed in the gospel. He worked and prayed so that the brethren would grow to maturity in Christ.

Epaphras was PERSECUTED for the sake of the gospel. “There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 23).

Paul calls him his fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. He shared bonds with the apostle. Faithfulness to the message of Christ brought hardship. Yet he continued as a servant of Christ even while imprisoned.

These four marks stand on the plain statements of Scripture. Epaphras preached the gospel as a faithful minister. He prayed with fervent labor for the perfection of the saints. He showed purposeful zeal for multiple congregations. He suffered as a prisoner for Christ. No extra details are added. The record is short, but it is complete and true.

The church today needs the same kind of servants.

Agape
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the Truth about GRACE

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A Bible-Only Perspective

The religious world remains deeply confused about the grace of God. Many treat it as an automatic covering for every person regardless of response, or reduce it to a mental assent called “faith only.” Scripture alone presents a clear, consistent picture centered on Christ.

Grace is God’s unmerited GIFT expressed supremely in the sending of His Son to taste death for every man. Hebrews 2:9 declares that Jesus “by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” This is the heart of grace: God provided the sacrifice. No human effort originated it. Christ is the focus of the grace of God. Everything else flows from Him and His blood.

On man’s side, this grace is RECEIVED by faith. Faith is the obedient trust that takes hold of what God has freely offered. It is never mere intellectual agreement. The blood of God’s grace—the blood that cleanses from sin—is APPLIED when a believing person is baptized in water. At that point sins are washed away by His blood. Acts 22:16 records the command, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 2:38 links repentance and baptism “for the remission of sins.” First Peter 3:21 states that baptism “doth also now save us.” The power is not in the water itself but in the blood of Christ applied through the obedient act God appointed. COMPLYING with the Lord’s COMMAND is not earning salvation; it is receiving the gift on the terms God set. No one works his way into grace by obeying; one simply submits so that the blood can cleanse.

Grace delivers from the penalty of death. Through Christ we ESCAPE condemnation. Yet Scripture nowhere presents grace as irreversible once received. A person can be EJECTED from grace by turning away from God. Galatians 5:4 warns those who seek justification by law that “ye are fallen from grace.” 1Timothy 4:1 speaks of some who “shall depart from the faith.” Hebrews 2:3 asks how we shall escape if we neglect so great salvation. These and similar passages (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:20-22) show that continuing in faith and obedience is necessary. Grace does not cancel free will or remove the possibility of apostasy.

Two common misunderstandings distort this biblical picture. The first is the idea that grace automatically saves all humans. Hebrews 2:9 shows Christ died for every man, yet not every man is saved. Faith must receive the gift, and that faith includes the obedience of baptism for the washing away of sins. Universal automatic salvation contradicts the many calls to believe, repent, and obey, as well as the warnings of final judgment.

The second error is “faith only.” James 2:14-24 addresses it directly. Faith without works is dead. Abraham was justified by works when he offered Isaac, and the Scripture was fulfilled that “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” James concludes, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” The works in view are not meritorious labor that obligates God; they are the obedient response of living faith. Saving faith always acts. Separating faith from the obedience God requires empties faith of its biblical meaning and leaves a person still in sin.

Thus, the Bible’s teaching is straightforward. Grace is God’s gift of Christ and His blood. That grace is received by faith and applied in water baptism for the washing away of sins. Christ remains the center. Obedience to His commands does not earn the gift; it receives it. Yet the same grace can be forfeited by turning away. This is the truth of grace according to the Scriptures alone—nothing more, nothing less.

All Spiritual Blessings: Kingdom Citizens

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“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3)

One of the spiritual blessings for those who have obeyed the gospel is that we are now kingdom citizens.

Some say that the kingdom of Christ has not come, and that we’re still waiting for Jesus to set up His Kingdom. The bible tells a different story.

First, the Kingdom Jesus said would come did come on Pentecost. “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” (Mark 9:1; cf. Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27)

This was fulfilled at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out with power and the apostles began preaching Christ crucified and raised: Acts 1:8 “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you”; (Acts 2:1-4, 16-21, 32-36). Peter declared that Jesus, raised and exalted, had poured out what was seen and heard, and that God had made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:33-36). The gospel of the kingdom was to be preached, and the power of God unto salvation is the gospel itself (Romans 1:16; cf. Matthew 24:14).

CHRIST IS REIGNING NOW: “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” (1 Cor 15:25). This reign continues until the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father (1Cor 15:24-28).

All authority has already been given to Him: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18). He is seated at the right hand of God (Acts 2:33-36; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2), far above all principality and power (Ephesians 1:20-22), and is “the head over all things to the church, which is his body” (Ephesians 1:22-23).

Second, all those who are in Christ have been translated “ into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Entrance is through being in Christ: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27). Those in Christ are new creatures (2Cor 5:17) and have redemption through His blood (Colossians 1:14). Paul tells the church at Philippi, “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20). Believers are “fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19) after being made nigh by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). The same people are described as having been called “unto his kingdom and glory” (1Thess 2:12) and as receiving “a kingdom which cannot be moved” (Hebrews 12:28).

Three, the promise to build the church is immediately linked with the keys of the kingdom. Jesus told Peter “I will build My church.” Then He said, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19). The same authority opens the kingdom to those who obey (Acts 2:38-41, 47 “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”).

Those who have obeyed the gospel (hearing, believing, repenting, confessing Christ, and being baptized into Christ—Romans 10:9-10, 17; Acts 2:38; 8:35-39; 22:16; Galatians 3:26-27) are delivered from darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son.

They now live as citizens under the present reign of Jesus Christ, members of His body the church, awaiting the final delivery of the kingdom to the Father.

No future establishment of the kingdom is required; the Scriptures cited show it has come with power, Christ is reigning, and the transferred people constitute its citizens now. The language of a future kingdom makes Jesus a liar and a failure. We serve a King (1Tim 6:15) who did not fail, did not lie, and given us a new and living way (Heb 10:20).

Agape
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