Baptism

Hi Everyone:

 

The other day I while I was writing, sitting in my car, a man who was admiring my car came up to my window to talk to me. As he looked in he noticed my open Bible (a closed Bible doesn't do much for me) and quickly exclaimed, "read Acts 2:38. After a sharing of God's Word with him I looked at the verse he mentioned, it says, 'And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit".

 

Many people believe that baptism is a necessary ingredient for salvation. Many believe that a person should be fully immersed in water and others believe in partial immersion and or the sprinkling on of water. There is a great deal of confusion about baptism. I once heard J. Vernon McGee (a truly great child of God say in jest, "do it all, be sprinkled, pour it on, be wholly or partially immersed, it really doesn't make any difference").

 

As with any point being made it is always best to go to the source of the information, in this case, Jesus. He said, " believe in me and you shall be saved". (John 6:47) There are many verses supporting that salvation comes from believing in Jesus, however, to the best of my knowledge there are no verses supporting that baptism is necessary for salvation. In the Gospel of Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist said," …I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after….He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…" When a person acknowledges sin and accepts Jesus as Savior, then and only then is the gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon that person. To repent is to merely express sorrow for sin. To believe is to accept. This is a dramatic difference.

 

Can we say anymore about baptism? Absolutely, to be baptized is to outwardly express to everyone that you knew you were lost (separated from God forever) because of sin and now you are publicly proclaiming your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Amen! When Jesus was baptized by John it was to identify Himself with John's message of righteousness (because He was sinless He needed no cleansing from sin).

 

As long as man has a brain and a mouth there will always be controversy, therefore it behooves us to seek the truth for ourselves. I have said before and I will say it again, the Bible is not a mystery; it is God speaking to anyone who is truly interested in his or her eternal future. I don't know if this is fitting here, but for some reason I am reminded of a man who set out to prove the Bible was wrong. Following an exhaustive study he concluded that the Bible was absolutely correct but he said; "I still don't believe it". How sad, but it was his choice. He lacked one essential ingredient…FAITH…Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

 

Predestined

 

 

 

Psalm 138:2;' The Lord will accomplish what concerns me'…This scripture says that long before we were conceived God thought of each one of us. Awesome!  We are not here by luck or fate or evolution. It was and always will be God's choice. Psalm 139:2 tells us that God knows when we stand up or sit up and even knows our thoughts. Psalm 139:15 says, 'My frame was not hidden from thee when I was made…thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them'. Every time I read this scripture I am stunned by the amazing power of God.

 

Can you just imagine that God knew each one of us before we were born and He not only knows the number of our days on this earth, He even wrote them in His book.

 

If we can keep this simple, profound truth in the forefront of our thoughts each day, I believe we will live a life quite different then we now do. We should live in the comfort of knowing the Lord and enjoy the peace that He has graciously and lovingly given to us. We should enjoy each day and not allow ourselves to be trapped and focused on the meaningless things that life can sometimes bring to our doorstep. The Bible is replete with scripture supporting what I have just written. (Acts 17:26)

 

God made from one, each and every person to live on this earth, how long they should live, and even where they should live. He even made the earth for us. I pray that we all agree that nothing is left to chance. God planned it, God did it and He will carry out His plan in His time.

 

Jesus said, "Love the Lord…" and H e also said we should love one another as we love ourselves. That does not mean selective loving but rather, everyone. Loving the Lord means focusing on Him every day of our lives. I am not advocating that we should be on our knees or singing praises to the Lord every minute of every day. We certainly should pray daily. A simple thought of thanks from time to time would be wonderful. He loves to hear from us. We can communicate with Him directly by reading His Word on a daily basis, even if it is only one verse of scripture on which you can meditate. Remember the Bible is HIS…STORY. This will please Him and that will give us a peace we do not ordinarily experience. Someday I'll write about the personal experiences and blessings that God has so mightily and bountifully given to me.

 

Love your neighbor…God wants us to love everyone. Love has three variations; Phileo love is brotherly love…Eros love means sexual and Agape love is unconditional love. Agape love is the love God has, no strings attached. God's love is so strong and His message is so powerful that it is still confounding the wisest of the wisest as it did when Jesus was on the earth; read the gospel of John. Jesus did not die on the cross for the mighty and the righteous (holier than thou). He died for those that need Him and accept the fact that He died on the cross for the sin of mankind (and womankind). John 17:3 tells that the Father gave Jesus the authority to open the hearts of those who believe in Him and that they would have eternal life which is to believe in the only true God. Nick

Sermon On the Net

I want to thank you all for the kind words and encouragement expressed to me. One of my readers is forwarding my message to six of his friends. I praise the Lord for that. This leads me to ask you to send me the e-mail addresses of anyone you think might benefit from the message.  Don't hesitate to send the names and addresses of anyone you know that might not have a computer.

 

This message is going to address a subject I've thought about in past times. It is about each person's eternal future. I believe that one of three possible events will occur to each person born of a woman, at the exact second of our last breath:

 

1)      Our body will simply stop functioning and there will be nothing after that.

2)      Our body will simply stop functioning and our spirit will forever be separated from God. This could be defined as hell.

3)      Our body will simply stop functioning and we will forever be in the presence of God. This could be defined as Heaven.

 

For those who believe in the first event, I encourage you to ask God to show you the truth. I will pray for you and pray Lord will open your heart. For those who do not have a relationship with Jesus, the Bible says you will suffer death, which means you will be eternally separated from God. See Matthew 25:32. For those who have a relationship with Jesus, you will be with Him for eternity. Mt.25:32

 

There you have it, nothing, or eternal separation from God, or eternal bliss with God.

Which one is for you? Please, please take the time to meditate on these probable events.  You can be assured that one of these events will happen to you.

 

For those who believe in Heaven and hell, I have some thoughts for your consideration. The difference between 2 and 3 above is a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you believe in one of these two alternatives, doesn't it make sense to investigate the possibilities for yourself? After all it is your future, not mine, not your friends, not your priests, not your minister, not anyone but yourself. Each one of us will stand before the Judgment seat of God.(Hebrews 9:27) Therefore it would seem to me, as it did many years ago, to make it a number one priority in my life. After all eternity isn't going to be for a specified period of time, IT IS FOREVER.

 

Why you should investigate your self should be obvious. If you listen to another person, such as me, you might be getting a distorted view. This is the very reason that I reference the Bible whenever I make a point that is Scriptural. If it isn't in the Bible don't believe it, but if it is you should seriously consider it. I once heard that there were eight two letter words that would change one's life…IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME. I began to read the Bible. It is not a book of mystery. If you are serious with the Lord and you really want to know the truth, the Bible is the source. Remember the Bible is the inspired word of God. (Hebrews 4:12), God wants to talk to you and He does talk to you in His Word. Please remember that living is not the only reason we are here. We were born to be born again (see John 3:5) to live with God in eternity.(see John.3:16). The Gospel of John is my favorite book; it is a great place to begin reading the Bible.

 

3 Nick's Ministry Eternal Future

 

Sermon On the Net

  GRACE

(God's unmerited favor)

 

1)      Is there such a thing as a state of grace?

2)      If I am in a state of grace and I die, does my spirit or soul, if you will, go to Heaven?

3)      If I am not in  a state of grace when I die, where does my spirit go?

4)      Can a person die in a state of grace?

5)      Is it possible for me to be without sin?

6)      Why can't I be without sin?

7)      Can I be assured of going to Heaven when I die?

8)      Why do some religions say that a person must be in   state of grace to get to Heaven?

9)      If I am a good person, live a clean life and never harm anyone or anything will I go to Heaven at my demise?

10)  Do children go to Hell when they die prematurely?

 

1)Is there such a thing as a state of grace? When I was a religious person I was taught that a state of grace meant that a person who was in a 'state of grace' (without sin) would be free from the consequences of sin. I was also taught that it was necessary to be in a state of grace if one wanted to get into Heaven. There was an exception to this rule; some sins would require a time spent somewhere else preceding entrance into Heaven; other types would not.  

 

2) Do I go to Heaven if I die in a state of grace? A 'state of grace' as some religions define it is nowhere to be found in the Bible, therefore my answer has to be no. It is a religious doctrine created by man. However I should mention here that Grace, as used in the Bible, means God's favor (actually God's unmerited favor to be more precise) which is bestowed upon mankind for salvation for those who accept this Biblical teaching. Ephesians 2:8-10 teaches:"…..For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ",,,,,not as a result of works, that no one should boast"….."For we are His workmanship created for Christ Jesus for good works….." To be in this state requires an action on one's part (works) and this is contrary to the Grace bestowed upon believers.

 

3) Where does my spirit go if I am not in a state of grace? According to some teaching   one's spirit would go directly to Hell. See Acts 4:12, John 3:3, 6, 8, 16, 1^st Peter 1:23, Matthew 18:11. To believe that one's soul goes to Heaven in any state or for any reason other than what Jesus died for, is to deny the very reason He came to earth and died on the cross. Actually, we are all in one state, a state of sin. Only Jesus can set you free.

 

4) Is it possible for a person to die and be in a state of grace? Is it possible for a person to die free from the consequences of sin, if in fact we all have been born of a woman and bear the original sin of Adam and Eve?  Good people, bad people and everyone in between cannot rid themselves of original sin by being good or living a righteous life. Original sin, as it is referred to by some people, cannot be confessed away. Remember the original sin brought a Curse upon the world and it will remain until the return of Jesus; everyone bears the consequences of the Curse. There is, therefore, no earthly way one can be relieved of the consequences of this or any other kind of sin. As I previously mentioned, there is no Biblical support for a state of grace doctrine. John 14:6 states that your spirit cannot get into Heaven except through Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

 

5) Is it possible for me to be without sin? No, only one person born to this world was without sin, JESUS. Romans 3:23 states we cannot be free from the consequences of sin unless we accept Jesus as our personal Savior. Mark 2:7, 10 says only God can forgive sin; one must seek His way of salvation. See no. 4.

 

6) Why can't I die free from the consequences of sin? Because we were born in sin, live in sin and will die in sin. Romans 5:12, sin entered through Adam and Eve and immediately separated us from God. Those who die are guilty of sin, unless one asks for the forgiveness of sin and accepts Jesus as Savior. People born are automatically under the penalty of death (eternal separation from God). 1 John 1:8, to imagine that one could be without the consequences of sin at any time is to deceive ourselves, thereby forfeiting our chance for salvation in Jesus.

 

7) Can I be assured of going to Heaven when I die? Most assuredly, I will explain at the end of this article. There are numerous verses in the Bible guaranteeing your place in Heaven, the most popular being John 3:16……'should not perish.'

 

8) Why do certain religions mandate that one must be in a state of grace to get into Heaven? I do not know the answer other than the possibility of instilling fear (a tool of Satan) in one's life to control that person. As there is no Biblical support for this position, I refuse to believe it.

 

9) Can a good, clean living, righteous person who has never harmed anyone get into Heaven? If it were possible for one to live such an exemplary life, entrance into Heaven would still be denied because Jesus did not die for the righteous ones, as there aren't any nor has there ever been; there have been people of faith, but not righteous people. In Matthew 9:13 Jesus says: "For I have not come to save the righteous, but sinners." In Romans 3:10 we find the following: "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."  Romans 3:23 does not say, 'some have sinned', it says 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'

 

10) Do children who die prematurely go to hell? No. There is Biblical support that anyone dying before the age of accountability will go to Heaven.

 

My final thoughts on this issue concern question 7, how can I be assured of going to Heaven when I die? Throughout the Bible God tells us the Way, which of course is belief in Jesus and His mission on earth. 'There is no other name under Heaven whereby man can be saved,' Acts 4:12. Jesus is the only guarantee we have and it is not a limited guaranty; there are no strings attached. As have previously mentioned the Bible says we are all born tainted with the sin of Adam and Eve, and we do sin, live in sin and will die with the consequences of sin and be eternally separated from God.  For me this would be hell i.e. to be eternally separated from my Savior. The difference for people who believe in Jesus is that His shed blood on the cross covers ALL of their sins, the very reason He came to this earth. His last three words on the cross were: "It is finished." Yes indeed, the very reason He came to earth was to pay a debt that was impossible for anyone else to pay. There is nothing more to do than to believe in Jesus.

 

My dear friends, if you are living under the influence of any kind of 'religion', other than God and His Word, the Bible, please, please open the Bible and search for yourselves, seek the truth and it will find you; I did and it found me. Satan is cunning and devious and his ways cast a heavy burden upon you and a one-way ticket to a place you don't really want to spend eternity.

 

Perhaps what you have read today has touched your heart and you would like to know how to become a Born Again Christian; I offer a short prayer that, if said with a sincere heart, will lead you to Jesus.

 

THE SINNER'S PRAYER

 

Father I am lost

I need to find my way.

I believe when you say

Jesus died to set me free.

 

I confess my sins to you,

I accept your gift of Jesus,

I invite Him into my heart,

I want to live in eternity with you.

 

AMEN