In Acts 8, the Ethiopian Eunich asked, “….what doth hinder me to be baptized?” [Acts 8:36] This is the question that needs to be answered, what hinders you?
As I was reading Mark, this passage caused me to pause, ”That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” [Mr 4:12] It caused me to think about people that are blinded to the truth….
- No one is so blind….
- As one who WILL NOT SEE.
- No one is so Deaf….
- As one who WILL NOT HEAR.
- No one is so illiterate….
- As one who WILL NOT READ. [Eph 3:4]
- No one is so ignorant….
- As one who WILL NOT STUDY. [2Ti 2:15]
I once met a man convinced that salvation was by faith only. He actually was passing out material declaring the same. I asked him questions, noting that his material lacked scriptural support for what he was teaching. He said, “That’s odd, there should be some scriptures for this.”
I told him that I agreed, and asked, after much discussion, if he’d like to see the only passage in the entirety of scripture that says, “By faith only” in that sequence. What he said next shocked me, “No, I’m ok.” He then took his Bible, which I had opened to the very passage, closed it and stuck it into his pocket.
It is a sad day when a person claiming to be a child of God closes the Bible on truth. So, what doth hinder you from being baptized?
- Me? – No, I’ll not stand in your way.
- The church? – No, your denomination may, but the church of the Bible will never.
- Law? – No, there’s nothing in the Law of Christ, [Ro 8:2] that will hinder you, it teaches it.
- God? – No, He’s not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [2Pe 3:9]
So who is it? It’s YOU! Only you stand in the way of salvation. Oh yeah, do you want to know the only time “…by faith only” is used in Scripture?
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. [Jas 2:24]