Category Authority

the Truth about GRACE

The Preacher

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
spencer

A New and Living Way; Hebrews 10:20

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The New and Living Way

“By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” Hebrews 10:20

There is something striking about the way the Bible describes what God has done through Jesus Christ. It repeatedly uses the word new.

God promised a new covenant. Christ established it. Those who come to Christ receive new life. They become new creatures. They put off the old man and put on the new man. They receive a new identity and are called by a new name. They are taught to live differently.

This is more than an updated version of an old religion. Jesus opened “a new and living way.”

A NEW COVENANT

The coming of something new was not a surprise. God had promised it hundreds of years before Christ came.

Jeremiah wrote: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant…” Jeremiah 31:31

God promised a covenant in which He would forgive iniquity and write His law upon the hearts of His people.

The prophets also spoke of an everlasting covenant and a covenant of peace. Isaiah spoke of God’s Servant being given “for a covenant of the people” (Isaiah 42:6). Ezekiel spoke of an “everlasting covenant” (Ezekiel 37:26).

Then Jesus came. When He instituted the Lord’s Supper, He said: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins…” Matt 26:28

Hebrews explains exactly what happened: “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.” Hebrews 8:13

Christ did not simply repair the first covenant. He established a new one. (see Heb 7:12-14)

And that new covenant is the covenant under which we live today.

A New LIFE and a New Creation

The new covenant calls for a new kind of life.

Paul wrote: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2Cor 5:17

That is personal. If I am in Christ, I am not supposed to remain the same person I was before.

Galatians 6:15 says that what matters is being “a new creature.”

The prophets had already pointed toward this kind of change. Isaiah recorded God’s promise: “Behold, I will do a new thing…” Isaiah 43:19

The New Testament shows us that this new work begins in those who obey the gospel of Christ.

God does not simply give us a new set of beliefs. He calls us to a new life.

Buried (IMMERSED in baptism) and Raised to Newness of Life

Romans 6 makes the connection even clearer. Paul says: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead… even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

Notice the progression.

We are buried with Christ. We are raised with Christ. THEN we walk in newness of life.

Colossians 2:12 describes us as being “buried with him in baptism” and raised with Him.

Galatians 3:27 says: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

What baptism is Paul talking about?

He is talking about immersion in water.

The word baptism means immersion, and the Bible repeatedly connects baptism with water. The Ethiopian eunuch went down into the water with Philip, and they came up out of the water (Acts 8:36-39). Peter commanded baptism with water (Acts 10:47-48). Ananias told Saul to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins (Acts 22:16).

This is not something man invented. Jesus commanded it.

Jesus said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them…” Matthew 28:19

Mark records: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” Mark 16:16

Water baptism is therefore not a work that replaces faith. It is an act of obedient faith.

The question is not whether baptism is a human work that earns salvation. It does not.

The question is whether a person who believes Jesus should obey what Jesus commanded.

  • Jesus commanded baptism.
  • The apostles commanded baptism.
  • And when people believed the gospel, they were baptized.

Acts 2:41 says those who gladly received the word were baptized.

Acts 8:12 says men and women believed and were baptized.

Acts 18:8 says many Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized.

Faith does not make obedience unnecessary.

Faith obeys.

That is why Romans 6 connects baptism with being buried and raised with Christ and then walking in newness of life.

Baptism is not presented as an empty ceremony. It is connected with entering Christ, being raised with Him, and beginning a new life.

The Christian life is supposed to look different because the Christian has become different.

New Wine and New VESSELS

Jesus used another picture to describe what He was bringing.

“New wine must be put into new bottles.” Mark 2:22

The point is simple. The new work Christ was doing called for something new.

We cannot claim the new life Christ gives us while continuing to live according to the old life we left behind.

The gospel is not just something we add to our lives.

It changes our lives.

A New Man in a New IMAGE

Paul gives us another powerful picture in Ephesians 4.

He tells Christians to put away the old manner of life and: “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

Colossians 3:9-10 says: “Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man…”

Then Paul explains that the new man is: “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”

That is what Christ is doing in us.

We put off the old man. We put on the new man. We become more like Christ.

Christianity is not about becoming a slightly improved version of the old me. It is about becoming a new man in Christ.

A New NAME

God also promised that His people would receive a new name.

Isaiah wrote: “thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.” Isaiah 62:2

Isaiah 65:15 speaks of God calling His servants “by another name.”

Then we come to the New Testament.

Acts 11:26 tells us: “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

James refers to “that worthy name by the which ye are called” (James 2:7).

Peter says: “if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed.” 1 Peter 4:16

Revelation also speaks of a “new name” given to those who belong to Christ (Rev 2:17; 3:12).

God gives His people a new identity.

We are not defined by who we used to be. We belong to Christ.

New GARMENTS

The Bible also describes this new identity as putting on new clothing.

Isaiah wrote: “he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10

Paul uses the same kind of language when he says: “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 13:14

And again: “put on the new man.” Eph 4:24

Colossians 3 tells us what these new garments look like. We put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love.

This is what the new life should look like.

We take off the old behavior and put on Christ.

The New and Living Way

Put all of this together and the message becomes clear.

God promised a new covenant.

Christ established it through His blood.

Those who come to Christ receive new life.

Through baptism, we are buried and raised to newness of life.

We become a new creation at baptism.

We put off the old man and put on the new man.

We receive a new identity and name.

We put on new garments of righteousness, holiness, and love. Galatians 3:27

And all of it points us back to Hebrews 10:20:

“A new and living way.”

Jesus did not merely make the old way easier. He opened a new way to God.

The question is not simply whether we believe that Jesus opened that way.

The question is whether we are walking in it.

If I have entered the new covenant, I should live a new life.

If I have been raised to newness of life, I should not keep living like the old man.

If I have put on Christ, people should be able to see Christ in the way I live.

That is the challenge of the new and living way.

Christ made all things new. He calls us to live as new people.

agape

spencer

Cornelius was such a great guy

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“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalms 1:1-3)

We all know someone who seems to meet every standard of goodness that human opinion can invent.

I can recall a person in my life who left an impression of goodness, kindness, generosity, and made me feel special just for being me. Some things I recall about them is that they were believers in God, prayerful, and had a good reputation among all. This kind person lit up every room they entered, and nearly everyone smiled and was glad to see them.

If you were to ask my opinion back then I would say these folks exemplified someone bound for heaven. If anyone was ready for heaven it would be them.

A similar real person appears in the pages of Scripture. Acts 10 and 11 tell us of a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort stationed in Caesarea. The text states that he was a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. The report about him among men was, “a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews…” (Acts 10:22). Left to us that would be the whole of the story. That would be our eulogy at his funeral had he died before the rest of the events in Acts 10 & 11.

An angel of God appeared to him and said that his prayers and alms had ascended as a memorial before God. The angel directed him to send men to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. Cornelius obeyed at once. When Peter arrived, Cornelius gathered his relatives and close friends to hear the message. Peter would relate later what Cornelius told him, “how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved’” (Acts 11:13-14). You see, the angel told him he needed to hear words to be SAVED.

Peter proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth: how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, how He went about doing good and healing, how He was put to death and raised on the third day, and how God appointed Him to be judge of the living and the dead. Peter declared that to Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. He preached the Gospel (v38-43).

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. They heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15-16). This outpouring served as clear evidence that God was accepting the Gentiles.

Peter then asked “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized,” (Acts 10:47). He commanded them, “to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (v48). Cornelius heard that message, believed in Jesus, and was baptized in water. He and his household continued thereafter in the way of the Lord.

The account leaves no room for doubt. Despite the genuine devotion, generous alms, continual prayer, and godly fear that marked Cornelius’s life, he still needed to hear the words by which he would be saved. Human reasoning might have concluded that such a person already stood accepted. Scripture records otherwise. The gospel required hearing about Jesus, believing in Him for the forgiveness of sins, and being baptized in water. The Holy Spirit’s descent confirmed God’s acceptance of the Gentiles, yet water baptism still followed as the commanded completion of faith.

We must not confuse a good life with having earned or owed salvation. A life filled with generosity, prayer, and respect may impress others, yet it cannot purchase forgiveness. We all need the blood of Christ. Nobody is saved outside of Christ, no matter how good we think they are. The same truth applies to the kind person I talked about at the beginning.

No matter how generous, prayerful, respected, or devout that individual may seem, the same need remains. Romans 3:23 states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Character that impresses people does not remove the requirement to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, believe in Him, be baptized in water, and continue in faithfulness.

Cornelius’s story stands as a clear demonstration that even the most admirable life by human standards still requires obedience to the message that saves through the blood of Christ.

Agape
spencer

INCLINE THY EAR

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Leaning in to Learn

Salvation begins with a simple yet profound act. One must hear the word of God. Jesus made this clear when He said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). Hearing is not automatic. It requires us to incline our ear toward God.

The Bible often uses the phrase “incline your ear” to describe attentive, humble listening. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly called His people to this posture. Isaiah urged, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live” (Isaiah 55:3). Proverbs teach us to “incline your ear to wisdom” so that understanding enters our hearts (Proverbs 2:2; 4:20). This is no casual hearing. It means turning our full attention toward God, bending our will in His direction, and opening our hearts to receive what He says.

For us today, inclining the ear means listening to the written word of God. We pick up the Scriptures, read them carefully, and listen with a desire to understand and obey. In Acts, those who heard Peter’s message on Pentecost “were cut to the heart” and asked what they should do (Acts 2:37). They listened intently. Their response led to repentance and baptism. Thousands were added to the church that day.

Contrast this with those who refused to listen. In Jeremiah, God lamented that His people “did not listen or incline their ear” despite persistent warnings through the prophets. They stiffened their necks and missed God’s blessing. Jesus warns of this danger in His parables. He told of seed falling on different soils, where only the good soil “hears the word and understands it” and bears fruit (Matthew 13:23). The difference was not in the seed but in the hearer’s response. Stephen pointed this out when he said, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). Oh, you thought he was being insulting? Nay, Nay; he was only echoing what the prophets before had already said. “Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers” (Jeremiah 7:26).

Inclining your ear is the necessary first step because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). No one can believe what they have not heard. No one can obey what they have not received. This truth places beautiful responsibility on every person. God speaks through His word. We must choose to lean in and listen.

Think of the Bereans, who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Or consider the Ethiopian eunuch, who was reading Isaiah when Philip joined him. One conversation about the written word opened his heart to salvation (Acts 8:26-38).

God’s plan is accessible to all. He has preserved His word so that anyone willing can incline their ear. You do not need special revelation or an irresistible pull. You need an open Bible, an open mind, and a willing heart. Read it daily. Meditate on it. Let the words sink deep.

The first step of salvation is to hear the word. Jesus stands ready. The question is whether we will incline our ear to Him. Many miss heaven by inches, not miles, simply because they never inclined their ear to the God who speaks. Turn your attention. Eternity hangs on it.

Agape
spencer

BEARING FRUIT WORTHY OF REPENTANCE

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Producing Fruit in Keeping with Repentance
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

John the baptizer told the Pharisees, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matt 3:8).

What are the “Fruits Worthy of Repentance?” The simple answer is that it means to produce visible, ongoing evidence of an ongoing unity with Christ, in a Christlike character, in obedience (especially love), and a life that glorifies (points toward) God through abiding (keeping His commands) in Him. It also includes being profitable (useful) to Him in His ultimate purpose that “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4).

Repentance always begins in the heart. We can’t read hearts, but the Holy Spirit has given an example of true and complete repentance from the heart as seen in the church at Corinth. They had need of repentance, the specifics of the charges and their repentance can be found by studying 1Corinthians. In Paul’s 2nd letter they had taken steps to repent, and Paul expresses how complete and thorough that repentance was. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2Cor 7:10-11). Notice the 9 attitudes the church at Corinth displayed proving true repentance.

• “ye sorrowed after a godly sort” [lupeo, & theos] A deep, God-centered grief over sin, contrasted with worldly sorrow, which is self-focused.
• “what carefulness it wrought in you, yea,” [spoudē] a diligent, active resolve to turn from sin and pursue obedience, rather than passive regret.
• “what clearing of yourselves, yea,” [apologia] A strong desire to vindicate or clear one’s name and conscience by openly acknowledging the sin, taking responsibility, and demonstrating innocence going forward.
• “what indignation, yea,” [aganaktēsis] Righteous anger or outrage, directed toward the sin itself, one’s own participation in it, and the damage it caused.
• “what fear, yea,” [phobo] Reverential fear of God, awareness of His holiness, and a wholesome dread of sin’s consequences.
• “what vehement desire, yea,” [epipothēsis] Intense, heartfelt longing for restoration to God, and to avoiding sin in the future.
• “what zeal, yea,” [zēlos] It shows fervent enthusiasm and passionate commitment to God and His word as opposed to indifference.
• “what revenge!” [ekdikēsis] A determined desire to see justice done by punishing (1Cor 5:4-5; 2Cor 2:6) or removing the evil involving self-discipline, and decisive action against sin in the church or personal life.
• “In all things ye have approved (proved) yourselves to be clear in this matter.” [sunistao] A complete demonstration of innocence and purity in the matter through consistent, observable change.

Bringing forth fruit worth of repentance is first a change in heart and attitude along with decisive, and determined action. True repentance includes both.

Agape
spencer

GO, TEACH, BAPTIZE… Who Does what?

The Preacher 7 Comments


“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matt 28:19).

Who does what?
This may appear like a simple question to you, but some are making it difficult and are opposing Jesus’ commands on how to be saved. Here’s how the objection sounds; “Water is not stated in that verse therefore it’s Holy Spirit baptism.” They will make this claim in all the places that baptism is commanded, (see Acts 2:38; 8:12; 9:1-18; 22:16; 16:15; 25-34).

There are several ways to answer this objection but let’s just look at a simple and logical one; Answer the question: Who is being commanded to do what?

In every case that a command is given, the one receiving the command is the one expected to perform it. This includes both inward actions (faith, believing, repentance, loving) and outward actions (going, teaching, baptizing, praying, singing, giving). Scripture never presents a command that is fulfilled by another person performing the commanded action in the place of the one commanded. In other words, the command is being given to people to do, therefore people comply with the action being commanded.

Faith is not excluded from this principle simply because it is inward.
• Jesus commanded: “Believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15);
• Paul told the jailer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 16:31);
• John writes: “This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 3:23);

Believing is therefore something the hearer is commanded to do. Likewise:
• Repent (Acts 17:30);
• Confess (Romans 10:9-10);
• Continue in the faith (Colossians 1:23).

These are personal responses. Although invisible to others, they are nevertheless actions of the person commanded. (this same reasoning answers other similar objections).

Back to Matthew 28:19; what kind of baptism can a person administer who is commanded to “go…baptizing them”? A human being cannot administer: the baptism of the Holy Spirit, nor the baptism of fire. John the Baptist distinguished these. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance… he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Notice the distinction. John administered water baptism. Christ administers Holy Spirit baptism. The administrator identifies the baptism. Only Jesus is ever said to baptize with the Holy Spirit. No apostle is ever commanded to baptize anyone with the Holy Spirit. But the apostles are commanded to baptize. Therefore, the baptism they administer must be one that men can administer. That baptism is water baptism.

Matthew 28 does not have to mention water explicitly. It identifies the administrator. Once Scripture identifies that men are to administer the baptism, the only baptism men are ever shown administering is water baptism.

Necessary inference. When Scripture gives a command:
• The person commanded is responsible for performing the commanded action.
• Matthew 28:19 commands people to baptize.
• People can administer only water baptism.
• Therefore, the baptism commanded in Matthew 28:19 is water baptism administered by one person to another.

Agape
Spencer

BONUS ANSWER: Acts 8:34-39
“And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 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?
37 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.
38 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.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”

What Inescapable conclusions do you draw from this passage?

HEROES OF FAITH: Hebrews 11:33-39

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Through faith, the writer of Hebrews tells us, some believers “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.” Out of weakness they “were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Women “received their dead raised to life again.” Others, though, faced much darker days. They “were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.” Some went through “cruel mockings and scourgings,” through “bonds and imprisonment.” They “were stoned, they were sawn asunder,” and “slain with the sword.” These faithful people “wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented.” The world was not worthy of them. They wandered “in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” And yet, “these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” It’s a powerful mix of triumph and terrible suffering, all held together by simple trust in God.

Could we endure like that?

Reading these lines makes me stop and wonder. The wins sound amazing. Who wouldn’t want to be part of stories where faith shuts the mouth of danger and turns the tide of battle? But then the tone shifts, and we see the cost. People choosing torture over compromise. Choosing a future hope over present relief. Living homeless and hunted, with nothing but their faith to keep them going.

We probably won’t face lions or flames in our everyday lives. Still, the question feels real. When smaller pressures come, when standing up for what’s right costs us friends or comfort or security, will we hold on? When answers don’t come quickly and the waiting gets heavy, can we keep believing there’s something better ahead?

These believers weren’t superhuman. What they had was a deep-rooted confidence that God is trustworthy, even when life hurts. They lived like this world isn’t the final chapter.

Can I honestly say I can do what they did? But the same God who carried them is the same God we hope in today. The real question is whether we’ll fix our eyes on Him and say He’s worth it, no matter what comes. Whether in the good days or the hard ones, may we run our part of the race, looking to Jesus, with the same quiet faithfulness (12:1-3). One day, faith will become sight, and all the waiting will have been worth it.

The writer concludes “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” The picture is that they will receive the promise when we receive the promise in Christ. The faithful from yesterday and the faithful today will share in the same perfect blessing in Christ.

Agape

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The Season of Life

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THE SEASONS OF LIFE

Today is the first day of summer. While we in Texas thought it already began, it’s officially today.

I find it interesting that last winter I complained about the cold, and now I’m complaining about the heat. I guess I’m shocked by each season’s weather. Perhaps it’s just me?

Spiritually speaking, the seasons are there for our benefit. Paul told those in Lystra about God and His seasons, “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).

God’s regulated creation gives us constancy in our lives which allows us to live, plan, and grow. If nature did not have this constant regularity we could not survive. The seasons have their order and their purpose. There is WINTER (preparation), which every single time is followed by SPRING (planting), bringing us back to SUMMER (cultivation) after which is AUTUMN (harvesting). Every human everywhere can count on the seasons (within their regions). These seasons, a part of God’s overall creation, is there for us, for our health, and for our spiritual well-being. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20; cf Matt 5:45).

Other parts of God’s creation teach us about the seasons of life, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise…Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest” (Prov 6:6-8). Ants are all in all the time. They Never quit, and they take advantage of every season in its TIME.

Other scriptures give us spiritual lessons through the physical seasons. The law of Sowing & Reaping is a powerful lesson both physically and spiritually. Let us be Sowing & or Reaping in its proper season.

The famous passage in Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us the seasons of life have a certain opportunity, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecc 3:1). We often view these negatively (read most times at funerals), but that view overlooks the opportunities available in every season of life, both the positive and the negative.

A lesson for me from the seasons and its regularity is to never give up when you’re in one particularly hard season. Winter reminds me of death and sadness. When we lived in Alaska we were warned about cabin fever. That’s when folks experience the distressing irritability, restlessness, and anxiety from being confined inside during the harsh subzero weather and prolonged darkness. Never let one hard season ruin all the seasons.

We need to stay strong and remember that SPRING follows every WINTER. It might be hot today, but very soon we’ll enjoy the beautiful cooler Autumn weather. But I haven’t been talking about weather.

Agape
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The Scheme of Redemption

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THE SCHEME (PLAN) OF REDEMPTION:

Creation and the Entrance of Sin

  1. Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image.
  2. Ecclesiastes 7:29 Man sought to sin
  3. Romans 3:9, 10, 23 All stand as sinners before God.

The Nature and Definition of Sin

  1. 1 John 1:8 If one says he has no sin he is not truthful. What is sin?
  2. 1 John 5:17 Sin is unrighteousness.
  3. Romans 1:16 Righteousness is revealed in the Bible.
  4. 1 John 3:4 Sin is lawlessness (acting without law). What law?
  5. James 1:25 Authority is found in the perfect law of liberty, the gospel of Christ.
  6. Romans 14:23 Whatever is not of faith is sin. How does one get faith?
  7. Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing the word of God.
  8. James 4:17 Not doing good is sin. How does one know what is good?
  9. Micah 6:8 What is good is shown by God to man in the Bible.

The Tragic Consequences of Sin
1) Isaiah 59:1-2 Sin is tragic. It separates man from God. (Separates; Injures; Never lets go)
2) Romans 6:23 Without God’s help, sin will separate man from God eternally.

God’s Love and Provision for Salvation
1) John 3:16 God’s love made it possible for man not to die because of his sin.
2) Matthew 1:21 Jesus came to save man from sin.
3) Jeremiah 10:23 God knew man needed help to deal with sin.
4) Proverbs 14:12 The end of the ways of man is death.
5) 2 Peter 1:3 God, in His word, has given man what he needs for life and godliness.
6) Romans 1:16 The gospel, God’s word, is His power unto salvation given through Jesus.

The Necessity of Hearing and Believing
1) Matthew 7:24-27 People must hear the words of Christ.
2) John 12:48 We will be judged by the words of Christ, therefore, we must live by them.
3) John 6:68 We must hear Christ’s words because they are the words of eternal life.
4) Romans 10:17 We must hear Christ’s words in order to believe (have faith. see John 20:30-31).
5) Hebrews 11:6 We must believe in order to come to God and be pleasing to Him.
6) John 8:24 We must believe in Jesus to keep from dying in sin.

Faith Must Lead to Obedience
1) Matthew 7:21 We must act on our belief (faith) with obedience.
2) Hebrews 5:8-9 Jesus will only save those who obey Him.
3) John 14:15 If you love Jesus, you will keep His commandments. What are they?

The Commands of the Gospel
1) Luke 13:3 Jesus commands all to repent.
2) Acts 17:30 All people are required to repent.
3) Matthew 10:32 All are required to confess Jesus as Lord.
4) Romans 10:10 Confession is essential to salvation.
5) Mark 16:16 Jesus commands baptism.
6) 1 Peter 3:21 Baptism now saves us.
7) Acts 22:16 Baptism washes away sin.

The Blessings of Being in Christ and His Church
1) Galatians 3:27 In baptism one puts on Christ.
2) Ephesians 1:3 All spiritual blessings are in Christ.
3) 1 Corinthians 12:13 Baptism puts one in the body of the saved.
4) Colossians 1:18 That body is Christ’s church.
5) Acts 2:47 God adds the saved to His church.
6) Ephesians 5:23 Christ is the Savior of the body, the church. (Eph 1:22-23)

The Urgency of Obedience
1) 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 Those who do not know God and those who do not obey Him will perish.
2) 2 Corinthians 6:2 Now is the time to obey.
3) James 4:13-14 There is no guarantee of a tomorrow.