Real Spiritual Maturity Must Become the Christian’s Priority
This Last Days church will never survive without it.
The power of the gospel to save is as real today as it ever was. Its power to heal our hurts, to comfort our hearts, and to do all kinds of tangible miracles is still available, too.
But what about the power of the gospel to actually mature believers, particularly to bring spiritual maturity to the collective members of a local body so that we are led to measure up to the stature that belongs to Jesus Christ? Is that power still available? Yes! It is still available, too! But it must be believed and appropriated in order to be realized in the same way that the gospel’s power to save, heal, comfort, and do miracles must be.
We are so far from understanding the theme of spiritual maturity that many believers do not even know that it is a part of the gospel message. This is true even among many who believe in spiritual gifts. Only a tiny percentage of Christians really have a vision for the fullness of Jesus Christ in the body, or even see it as a part of the gospel message. But the gospel is a whole life message. It brings change immediately, it saves ultimately, and between the two it grows us up.
How We Got Here
There are several contributing factors which have led to our present spiritual dilemma. The primary one is that for the last 500 years we have prioritized preaching for saving over teaching for spiritual maturity. Another one is that it is much easier to preach the saving part of the gospel than it is to submit to the maturing part of the gospel. And finally, the natural man likes things that can be measured and boasted about, and preaching for saving usually yields a headcount. But there are no immediate grand results from submitting to the power of the gospel for spiritual maturity. They come over time.
Even though Christianity today is accustomed to prioritizing salvation over spiritual maturity, this does not change the fact that we are spiritual creatures, born after God Himself. As spiritual creatures, whether we feel like it or not, our new default is to be spiritual. But the natural man fights the spiritual man for all he is worth (which is not very much, by the way). As born-again believers, we are reprogrammed away from the natural man altogether, but we are all too familiar with how difficult it is to keep him in check. Nonetheless, our new spiritually advanced DNA leads us to preach not only the gospel that saves, but also the gospel that grows us up into the full measure of the stature that belongs to Jesus Christ. I do not discount the great importance of preaching the gospel that saves, but only advocate that we also teach and practice spiritual growth by it, too; and it is through our growing up spiritually that we will see more people saved, anyway.
Reformation but Not Spiritual Maturity
I mentioned earlier that a major contributing factor to our lack of spiritual fitness is that for nearly 500 years we have prioritized numerical growth, giving very little attention to spiritual maturity. Allow me to give an overview to show you what I mean.
By the time of the death of the beloved apostle John, the center for the church for all practical purposes had moved to Rome, under the leadership of Clement of Rome, who was later named the bishop of Rome. Within just a few short generations, succeeding church leaders began dominating Christian thought and doctrine entirely. Having left the Spirit’s leadership and fallen captive to Satan’s religious bondage, the early church evolved into a damning religious institution. Roman Catholicism purposefully set out to bring all people everywhere under its thumb. Its leaders interpreted the scriptures to say that all souls who wanted to claim Christ would have to come under the established church. Thus they taught that any hope of salvation had to come from the Catholic Church; and their dogma reigned supreme throughout much of the world for nearly 1400 years.
Amazingly, it still enslaves more than a billion souls today!
Then, about 500 years ago, God loosed Truth that resulted in the freeing of countless souls throughout the institution’s horrid domain around the world. Whole families and even nations had been under the Roman religious system for generations, but finally God raised up Christian reformers who, in the face of papal authority, established soundly through the scriptures that anyone could be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone – apart from the Catholic Church or any other institution. And with that, the battle for proclaiming Christ alone through open evangelism had begun!
A dozen years or so later, after Martin Luther openly challenged papal supremacy, new authority was assumed by King Henry VIII over the Church of England, and he continued the fight against any unbridled Christian who preached that souls are saved by faith alone. But the cat was already out of the bag; and by the grace of God, within just a few decades, multitudes of people who had lived in the darkest dungeon of humanity’s existence for centuries burst into the glorious light of the gospel! Countless numbers of people were set free to read the Bible for themselves for the first time (at least as quickly as they became available) and to evangelize. And for the first time in more than 1000 years, the world discovered that any and every man, woman, and child was a priest in his or her own right through faith in Jesus Christ. Surely the heavens shouted in delight when, after so many centuries of hellish religious bondage, earthly humanity realized that it was not in Jerusalem, or “in this mountain” (John 4:20-24), or under Rome’s Catholicism, or the Church of England, or anywhere else that they would have to worship! But as wonderful as that was for the gospel to have been loosed, the road to spiritual maturity had only just begun. At this point, the deeper understanding of the believer as a new creation and his enablement by the Spirit to actually grow up into Christ’s image was not even known, much less pursued on a large scale. And since so much of our modern-era evangelical doctrine finds its base in Reformation theology, I dare say that, in spite of great spiritual awakenings around the world over more recent centuries, today’s most vocal voices in Christianity are more influenced by John Calvin from 500 years ago than by the Spirit of God of eternity past! Authentic spiritual understanding for authentic spiritual maturity is provided for by Christ in us, the hope of the glory of God on earth; but mainstream evangelicalism is still in the dark ages on this truth.
The apostle Paul knew this revelation was deep and easy to overlook. He prayed earnestly that believers everywhere would come to an understanding of all that had been accomplished through the work of Jesus Christ for His glory to be revealed in us here and now, as well as for our eternal glory (Ephesians 1:15-23)! It is in knowing and appropriating those benefits which we have received for this age that we are made a truly spiritual people in this age – something that only segments of Christianity have touched in recent centuries.
Is there any wonder why we are not growing up into the image of Christ? And what about taking on the demonic battles that are lurking at our doorstep? How many among the Christian community are ready to take on Satan’s spiritual forces as he marches against this Last Days church? Can you not hear the Spirit of the Lord crying out to you and me that we MUST become a spiritually mature church if we expect to endure victoriously the times in which we live? Let us look at more evidence of why we are still spiritual babies, not ready for this late hour.
Great Awakenings but Not Spiritual Maturity
The Great Awakenings of the 1700s and 1800s boosted preaching for salvation and renewal for those already saved – and it was very effectual. God used a few inspired men to call the world to attention. Men such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley started, followed in the next century by Charles Finney, James McCready, Barton Stone, and others. These led tens of thousands into repentance from sin and faith toward God. Their preaching set on fire hundreds of other fiery preachers, then thousands. From England to America, makeshift pulpits popped up on busy streets and in the open fields, wherever there were people. And this was wonderful! Oh, how many of us would love to see this kind of revival preaching now! But it would have to happen on the streets and in the fields, since the churches far and wide, large and small, are in their own Dark Age and will NOT let God in! And many do not even realize it! Again our point is made that, as wonderful as this power preaching for salvation was then, there was still no knowledge of or emphasis given to spiritual maturity as it relates to the whole body coming into the image of Christ.
In the same way, there is lack in that area today. In the largest denomination in America, in fact, the call for salvation (watered down though it usually is) is still the focus of preaching every Sunday – even to those who are already saved! Is there any wonder why the body of Christ is so spiritually immature? Oh, what a spiritual awakening we need to get us out of the nursery! Limiting ourselves to the traditions and priorities of revivals past will not allow God’s people to come into lasting spiritual maturity – which was God’s goal from the beginning, and which is an absolute MUST if we are to endure these last chapters of these Last Days, not to mention our need to become His spotless, glorious bride!
Sunday School / Bible Studies but Not Spiritual Maturity
In the continuing evolution of evangelical Christianity, Bible study was first given emphasis through what came to be known as Sunday School. Most historians attribute its origin to Sunday Bible-reading lessons for children that took place in England, starting in the 1780s. As a part of the industrial revolution, thousands of young children were forced to work in awful conditions and for unthinkable hours six days a week, making it impossible for them to attend school; so God raised up a man named Robert Raikes, an Anglican evangelical, to start teaching these underprivileged children to read the Bible on Sundays, their only day off. From that was born Sunday School, which eventually spread to America. From that humble beginning, Bible study became a regular part of early elementary education. Then approximately 100 years later, when the state began to take over the responsibility of educating children, Bible training began to be moved out to the churches for Sunday study only, where it became a mainstay for the next 100 years. More recently, evangelicalism has largely turned from authentic Bible study in Sunday School to opinion-based discussions about God, with perhaps an accompanying Bible reference or two to support free thinking. Even so, the early Sunday School program set the pattern for regimented Bible study among 20th century evangelicals. Of course, there have been many other outstanding programs for Bible study that have contributed to excellent Bible training as well. But the point is that even 200 years of consistent Bible study has not solved the believer’s handicap of Spirit-life underdevelopment. Again, this is primarily due to our unwillingness to progress beyond doctrines and traditions established in centuries past.
There are those believers who, in their earnest pursuit to walk with the Lord, have returned to the land where He and His apostles walked. They have gone to Israel, as well as to the lands of Paul’s missionary journeys. Other believers have pursued a closer walk with Him by going back to get seminary training, and some have even learned a little Greek and/or Hebrew, so they can read the Bible in its own language; but few have come away from any of those things having grown deeper in their spiritual understanding of all that has been accomplished through Christ for us in real time. To truly walk as Jesus walked still seems far away; and to pursue the fullness of Christ in the body is, for all practical purposes, foreign. Once again, Christianity as a religious practice has failed to actually yield Spirit-filled Christ-likeness on a large scale. Millions and millions of genuine believers today have been kept in the state of the natural man by traditional thinking and doing which can be traced back to early religious ideas since the Reformation. Oh, if only we could break out of the nursery and enter into Bible study and fellowship with spiritual understanding that would lead us all to spiritual maturity! Indeed, the world is waiting!
Pentecostal Denominationalism but Not Spiritual Maturity
Consider the Pentecostal denominations. Their origins can usually be traced back to truly authentic spiritual awakenings at the turn of the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s. Some churches that considered themselves Pentecostal genuinely sought to allow the Spirit to have His way. Their meetings were obviously accompanied by the Spirit’s presence, evidenced by the activity of spiritual gifts just as was the case with the church of Corinth. The opportunity was certainly there for believers to develop into spiritual maturity and deep Christ-likeness. In the end, however, they followed in the footsteps of the church at Corinth, too. They had all the gifts but never reached spiritual maturity. Eventually they gave in to a religious form, and the Spirit’s power faded; but they continued to duplicate the habits and practices of their early stages, nonetheless, not knowing that the Spirit had moved out.
The largest Pentecostal denominations in the world have become nothing more than giant religious institutions. Just like their more spiritually conservative brothers and sisters in Christ have done, their system is tiered, weighty, and burdensome on local churches. They have long snuffed out any hope for true spiritual development. Here again, the effort of the Spirit to bring about deep spiritual understanding that leads to a deep spiritual walk was overwhelmed by Christianity becoming religious.
The Charismatic Movement but Not Spiritual Maturity
I should not neglect to mention a genuine move of the Holy Spirit that started in America in the 1950s and spread around the world, called the Charismatic Movement. The Spirit of the Lord moved afresh on God’s people of every denomination. Tens of thousands of churches were started in America alone by believers who came out of traditional churches which refused to allow the Spirit His liberty in their meetings. Many of those newly organized churches sought to mature spiritually – not only in their worship meetings, but also as corporate bodies growing up into the measure of the stature of Christ. But they experienced burnout when too many became so emotionally driven that they moved away from a truly Biblical foundation. Today, theology among the remnants of the Charismatic Movement, for the most part, is about as emotionally exaggerated and theologically twisted as it could ever be. Yet when evaluating that movement along with all the others, we must separate what men have done from what God was trying to do through men. If we discern between God’s way and men’s results, we can take the good and grow while leaving the bad behind.
Even though God’s work in that season of spiritual awakening did not lead to widespread spiritual maturity, it was certainly an authentic work which impacted the body of Christ around the world on a scale that no previous move had done. Yet we still groan within ourselves to become more like Him. God has not failed; we have. And even though we know there is something missing, and we read the scriptures spelling it out, we have yet to make the connection for the long-term. Oh, that God would take us to the fullness of Christ’s measure soon!
But Jesus Said: “I will build My church.”
Regardless of the tremendous spiritual warfare that keeps the body of Christ as spiritual babies, our Lord said that He would build His church. Any true believer who honestly evaluates the general spiritual condition of Christianity today would have to concede that the Lord is not the one who put this mess together. He has built the church indeed, in that He is the author of our salvation individually; but we have built ourselves together corporately. Nonetheless, based upon His promise, He will build His corporate body His way; and just like many of you, I can hardly wait to see it come together!
We have all the ingredients. The scriptures declaring what we should become are clearly seen in the Bible. The example of how we are to follow the Father’s perfect way was set by His Son. His aid and guidance are freely offered by the grace of His Spirit within. And His promise is sure.
We need only to ask Him to show us every area in our thought and practice that should be removed, and then remove it, or allow Him to do so. We should seek a continuing infilling of His Spirit and provide a place that is wholly hospitable for Him within. We should abide in His Word and believe it completely. We should come together when He calls us to. We should wait patiently on Him and be sensitive to obey. We should not lose hope but instead take heart. We can appropriate and facilitate His work by doing these things, but only HE can do the work itself. Let us not frustrate His Spirit but yield. This Last Days church will never survive without Him!
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Articles
What is the difference between a “Textus Receptus Man” and a “King James Man?”
It’s not so much about King James. It’s about the manuscripts from which it was translated. The Received Text, or Textus Receptus.
From “The Answer Book” ©1989 Samuel C. Gipp.
QUESTION: What is the difference between a “Textus Receptus Man” and a “King James Man?”
ANSWER: A “TR Man” gets his manuscripts from Antioch and his philosophy from Egypt.
EXPLANATION: Under Question #8 concerning Alexandria and Antioch it was pointed out that we derive two things from each of these locations. We derive manuscripts and an ideology through which we judge those manuscripts.
From Alexandria we receive corrupted manuscripts, tainted by the critical hand of Origen. We also receive an ideology that believes the Bible to be divine, but not perfect, not without error.
From Antioch we receive the pure line of manuscripts culminating in what is known as the “Received Text” or Textus Receptus. We also receive the ideology that the Bible is not only Divine, but perfect, without error.
1. Most Bible critics do not believe that the Bible is perfect (The Alexandrian Ideology). They usually also accept the Alexandrian manuscripts as superior to those of Antioch.
2. A King James Bible believer accepts the Antiochian manuscripts or Textus Receptus as superior to the Alexandrian. They also accept the Antiochian Ideology in that they accept the Bible as infallible and do not believe it contains any errors or mistranslations and that it cannot be improved.
3. A Textus Receptus man also accepts the Antiochian manuscripts or Textus Receptus as superior to the Alexandrian. But a Textus Receptus man accepts the Antiochian manuscripts yet he views them with the Alexandrian Ideology.
He does not accept any translation as perfect and without error. He generally feels that the King James is the best translation but can be improved. He usually stumbles at Acts 12:4 and states that it is a mistranslation.
This contradiction is NOT the result of a bad or dishonest heart so much as it is the result of a bad education. Most Textus Receptus men have been taught by others who have been deceived into accepting, unconsciously, the Alexandrian Ideology.
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Abiding
David’s Farewell Prayer [podcast]
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:13
May God bless His people, in their times of tribulations, to find comfort, guidance, with Holy Scripture, and may they find His peace during seasons and transitions.
The most famous biblical farewell is Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17:1–26, where He commits His disciples into the Father’s care before departing.
Classic Farewell Blessings
- The Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24–26): “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
- The Pauline Benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14): “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
- God’s Promise (Jeremiah 29:11): “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
At the end of his life, David prayed to God for His kingdom and people. One source notes the following:
“King David’s life is defined by extreme highs and devastating lows. Rising from a humble shepherd to an unbeatable warrior-king who established Jerusalem, he suffered catastrophic personal failures, including his adultery with Bathsheba, the murder of Uriah, and tragic family calamity that culminated in his son Absalom’s rebellion.”
At the end of his life on earth, David, the man after God’s own heart, prayed.
Of this magnificent kingdom prayer of David, one source notes the following:
“King David’s famous prayer in 1 Chronicles 29 (King James Version) is a profound declaration of God’s absolute sovereignty, majesty, and ownership of all creation. Spoken near the end of his life, it serves as a prayer of thanksgiving and dedication for the materials gathered to build the Temple.
Summary of Key Verses (1 Chronicles 29:10-19 KJV)
- Verses 10-13: David blesses God, declaring His greatness, power, and glory. He affirms that God owns all things in heaven and earth, including riches and honor.
- Verses 14-16: David expresses humility, noting that all gifts come from God and that human life is short and temporary.
- Verses 17-19: He prays for the people’s continued devotion and asks for Solomon to have a “perfect heart” to keep God’s commandments and build the temple.”
1 Chronicles 29
David Prays in the Assembly
10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.
21 And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel:”
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Articles
Water Baptism: Understanding It [study guide]
“Repent and be baptized.” Acts 2:38
Water Baptism (PDF)
(Duplication encouraged. An open King James Bible should accompany your study of this topic. Carefully, prayerfully study each verse given in order to answer each question correctly. Print this document out and pencil in the answers in the blanks provided. It may be best to cut and paste it to your word processing software and then print it out. Your life in Christ will be enriched forever as you embrace and put into practice His Word.)
Water baptism is important. Every believer should understand and be water baptized. Yet water baptism does not save – but is only for those already saved. The blood of Jesus saves – upon repentance and faith. In short, water baptism symbolizes/illustrates the life in Christ we now have – where daily, we are dying and buried and risen in new life with Christ. Concerning water baptism, one disciple writes: “We must faith thru many mini-daily-baptisms in which we are immersed into calamities and the old self is drowned.”
SATAN wants people trusting in water and not the BLOOD of Jesus. Beware. We are saved by the blood of Jesus – water baptism is for those who have already repented and believed upon Jesus Christ. It’s an outward profession of the inward work of regeneration God has already done! (Titus 3:5-7)
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION.” Hebrews 9:22
ANY person who claims sinners are justified by water instead of the BLOOD of Jesus, is an antichrist.
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:9
Salvation should never be complicated.
We are saved, justified by grace through faith.
Can you find the word water in the following passage? No.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Thief on the cross. Philippian jailer. Acts 16:30-31; Faith. Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9.
Raised to New Life with Christ
“Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.” 1 Corinthians 11:2
The LORD seems to have given His New Testament church 2 ordinances: 1. Water baptism – to depict our own death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, and 2. Communion – where we are brought into remembrance of our LORD’s death – broken body and shed blood – which alone redeems us.
Note in this passage below that no water is even mentioned and yet this is exactly what water baptism is symbolic of:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 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.” Romans 6:3-4
WATER BAPTISM: What it is and what it’s not. In some cases, water baptism has become a ritual among those who are a part of the visible, apostate church world. In those circles, water baptism seems to be a type of right of passage in a fleshly way. Water baptism is useless unless it’s connected with Christ, that is, in His redemption – death, burial and resurrection. He alone redeemed us and yet, He calls us to deny self, and allow Him who is the resurrection and the life to raise us upward (John 11:25; Romans 8:11; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12, etc.). Water baptism – going down under that water – is meant to be the symbolism of dying, being buried, and being raised up into a new life with Christ who is “the life” (John 14:6). The old man is dead and buried! See Colossians 3:3, and read Romans 6:3-4. Water baptism was never intended to become a ritual but rather the symbol of that which begun at the instant Christ saved us. The crucified, dead, buried, and raised up life comes at the moment Jesus saves us, We are dead and He now lives in us as Redeemer, Ruler and King, Savior, and Friend. The life of the crucified believe is symbolized at water baptism (Galatians 2:20). Water baptism is a representation of what is to be a life lived allowing Christ to reign in place. It’s symbolic of the daily cross! – Where Christ alone reigns supreme!
Water baptism saves no one. No, it’s merely a picture of your life now that Christ saved you – your personal daily death, burial, resurrection (2 Corinthians 4:10-12, etc.). God saved you the moment you repented and believed on Jesus (Acts 20:21, etc.). And now He’s ordained that you “walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
“Water baptism symbolizes your spiritual identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. The water does not itself join you to or identify you with Christ. It is only a symbol. It’s not even a requirement yet important due to the importance of what it is representative of. Water baptism is not a law like circumcision was. It is not essential. The thief on cross next to Christ was never water baptized but he was baptized in spiritual fact.”
One of the main points here on topics like this is priority, putting the first things first and not adding to what is essential to salvation. And yet it is biblically accurate that water baptism should be put forth as something Jesus commands, because He does.
Beware of the baptismal regeneration heresy. A thorough reading of the New Testament Scriptures reveals to us that water baptism saves no one. Saying people are saved by being water baptized is just another fake salvation – another excuse not to have to repent, lay down the life in this fleeting world, deny self, take up the cross daily and follow Jesus – on His stated terms, right? Sinners are in darkness and the unrepentant love to hear that they are not required to repent which means to change course, to give one’s life up to the LORD who made us all.
So “saved” doesn’t mean saved in Acts 16:31? Where O Where is the water? The water baptism didn’t happen till after the jailer and his family were “saved” (Acts 16:33). “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:30-31
“By faith” appears 37 times in the Word of God. “By water” appears 4 times.
Without what is it impossible to please God? Faith or water?
“But without faith it is impossible to please him.” Hebrews 11:6
Is salvation “by faith” in the only Redeemer, or by water? Water baptism is totally futile, a 100% complete waste without being first saved by Christ through FAITH (Romans 3-5; Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.).
“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.” Acts 8:36-37
When the Ethiopian eunuch asked to be baptized in water, Philip told him he had to believe on the LORD Jesus Christ first – as a prerequisite! – “IF THOU BELIEVEST WITH ALL THINE HEART, THOU MAYEST.” Also…. many of the fake “bibles” removed Acts 8:37. The devil is a liar!!!! Let’s use the King James Bible saints!!!! Let’s trash satan’s corruption.
Recently I had an in-depth conversation with a man who was over emphasizing water baptism and after a lengthy discussion he said he’d “said enough.” To him I wrote:
“You’ve certainly told me enough and showed you are misled by what you’ve stated. And you claim it came by revelation. It sure didn’t come from divine revelation.”
REPLY:
“Notice how you lifted Acts 16:33 out of it’s context. WHAT came BEFORE the water baptism and without which the water baptism was futile?
‘And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.’ Acts 16:30-33
Christ saves by faith not water. Water baptism is only effectual if the person is first saved by the blood through faith.
‘Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;’ Romans 3:24-25
Of course water baptism is important but it’s not the essential, believing is.
Satan’s agenda is to remove the focus from Christ and His blood without which there is ‘NO remission of sins’ (Hebrews 9:22). That’s what we see here.
Those who like to focus on the water do so because they are moral cowards who refuse to truly repent which is something that must occur in their hearts.”
The thief on the cross was not water baptized, yet Jesus told him “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Water baptism is only for those already saved. Here’s a New Testament example of how these disciples were first saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, only then were they water baptized.
“For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” Acts 10:46-48
The only value that water baptism has is in identifying you with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
One disciple wrote:
“The only way to promotion is by demotion. Are you today seeking a demotion? Do you want self to be advanced, enhanced, prominent, recognized, satisfied, aggrandized, indulged, promoted, noticed, or applauded? Or do you want self demoted, crucified, and killed to all these worldly things?”
Perhaps loving obedience and gratitude to the Lord should be the foundational motives for the believer being water baptized. When a person genuinely repents of his sins and receives Jesus Christ, He is then under the command of a new Master. He is no longer a member of Satan’s kingdom, but rather has been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). His past sins have been completely washed away by the blood of Christ, and God has called him by name to serve Him in sincerity and in truth (Romans 3:25; 1 Cor. 5:7-8).
Jesus commands all of His disciples to be baptized in water. In demonstration of our love for Him, every believer should obey and follow the LORD in water baptism. He says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
1. As seen in Scripture, what does the actual act of being water baptized consist of – in the literal sense? Acts 8:38 Please read this verse in the King James Bible and check one of the following.
_____ splashing with water
_____ sprinkling with water as an infant
_____ fully submerging the body under water
Notice that Philip and the eunuch “went down both into the water” (Acts 8:38). The English word “baptize” comes from the Greek word BAPTIZO which means to dip, submerge; to make whelmed, fully wet. Baptism is a burial.
Water baptism should always be in actual water and not sprinkling or pouring water on the new believer being baptized. This is because of what it represents; not a mere sprinkling but rather a whole immersion, a going under and being completely whelmed – representing being now dead, buried, and raised up.
2. Read 1 Peter 3:21 closely. Note here that water baptism does not cleanse one from the “filth of the flesh (sin).” Trust in that which baptism is a “figure” of, does cleanse from sin and save the soul. The word “figure” is the key to understanding this verse. Read it again. Being dipped in water does not save the soul. What saves the soul is faith in what water baptism is figurative or symbolic of – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Water baptism merely answers to the already blood-washed conscience of the Believer. It is an outward testimony of the inward work of God in making the repentant person completely new from the inside out (2 Cor. 5:17-18).
Christ must reign in the daily life of every believer and He is “Holy, holy, holy” and so sinfulness must be put away so that the believer can spring forth into the fullness of Christ’s resurrection life (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). Baptism in water is the figure of this process. It’s a death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism is symbolic of death to the sinful nature and resurrection into a life lived in the nature of Jesus and out of God’s abundant grace which fills the believer’s heart.
3. Did Jesus submit Himself to water baptism? Matthew 3:13-16
_______YES
_______NO
Water baptism was practiced by the Son of God.
4. How old was Jesus when He was baptized? Luke 3:21-23
____________________________________________________
Notice here that Jesus was a full grown adult when water baptized. Only those who are of age to understand and partake of the salvation of God are candidates for water baptism. Infant baptism or sprinkling is un-scriptural.
5. Did Jesus’ disciples practice water baptism in their ministry? John 4:1, 2
_______YES
_______NO
Jesus’ disciples and the early Church believers water baptised all new converts.
6. Jesus sent His disciples forth to “teach all nations.” What else did He command them to do? Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16
____________________________________________________
Mark 16:16 does NOT say “he that is not baptized shall not be saved.” No Jesus says “he that believeth not shall be damned.” He put the essential on believing, not water baptism. Here are Christ’s words: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). The believing is the essential, not water baptism, otherwise Jesus would have said “he that believeth and is not baptized shall be damned.” He did not.
7. In what names did Jesus command His disciples to baptize? Matthew 28:18-19
____________________________________________________
The name of Jesus Christ equals the authority of Jesus Christ.
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38
Here in Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus authorized baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. When Scripture speaks of baptism in Jesus’ Name, it is referring to baptism by His authority. So, some disciples safely perform water baptism by saying: “You are now being baptized in the name, in the authority of Jesus Christ, in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.” Does this not cover all basis? I think so.
8. What were the three fundamental New Testament experiences preached and practiced by the early Church? Acts 2:38
A.____________________________________________________
B.____________________________________________________
C.____________________________________________________
9. Has God changed since Acts 2:38? Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8
_______YES
_______NO
Note that God, by the mouth of Peter, commanded the new believers to “Repent and be baptized every one of you” (Acts 2:38).
10. What experience did the three thousand new converts partake of when they received the Word of God that Peter preached? Acts 2:41
____________________________________________________
As was clearly understood by the early followers of Jesus, the first step in discipling a new convert is to baptize him in water. This is the Lord’s first commandment to new believers. God seals the faith of the new convert at the time of water baptism. The new believer makes a statement of trust toward God in his water baptism experience and is confirmed in the faith by the Holy Spirit through this New Testament practice.
11. After Phillip preached the Gospel, what did the believers at Samaria do to openly declare their faith in Jesus? Acts 8:12
____________________________________________________
12. After Philip preached Jesus, what was the Ethiopian eunuch’s immediate question? Acts 8:35, 36
____________________________________________________
The Ethiopian eunuch had obviously made a heart-felt decision to believe on Jesus. He instantly desired to be baptized in water to exhibit his new found faith.
13. What did Philip tell the eunuch that he must do before he could be water baptized? Acts 8:37
____________________________________________________
The Bible only authorizes water baptism after the born again experience. Philip told the eunuch that the prerequisite for water baptism is to be born into the kingdom of God by personally receiving Jesus Christ. Here is another proof that the early Church disciples only baptized those who had already received Jesus.
God set forth as a pattern in the first century Church, believers who were zealous to baptize new converts in water. This solidifies the new converts’ faith in Jesus. Water baptism is the first command given to the new believer, and is therefore the responsibility of the members of the Body of Christ to see that every new believer is baptized.
14. What did the apostle Peter “command” the new Gentile converts to do after they had believed on Jesus and also received the gift of the Holy Ghost? Acts 10:43-48
v48 __________________________________________________
15. What did Paul and Silas do to the Philippian jailor who believed on the Lord after the jailbreak? Acts 16:25-34
____________________________________________________
Note that Paul and Silas baptized these new believers without delay and in the middle of the night. This very act makes two authoritative statements: (1) If at all possible, disciples should water baptize new converts immediately following their salvation experience, and (2) The apostles counted water baptism very important, it was an integral part of the Gospel they preached and administered.
16. When “many” of the Corinthian’s “believed”, what followed? Acts 18:8
____________________________________________________
17. As followers of Jesus what are we baptized into? Romans 6:3
____________________________________________________
To the believer the water grave signifies that the time of living after the sinful nature of the flesh is over. This burial represents death to the nature of sin and resurrection into the life of God. Jesus Himself was baptized to signify His own death, burial, and resurrection. The follower of Jesus in like manner is to be baptized, signifying death to the old man and resurrection into the new nature of God resident within him. Sin lost its power at Calvary, and loses its dominion over the believer when he identifies with Christ in water baptism. In water baptism, the believer identifies with Jesus. All true disciples are crucified with Christ and water baptism is the marked beginning of this state of existence (Gal. 2:20, 5:24; Rom. 6:11). It is his announcement to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.
18. What is the believer to “walk in” after God raises him from the dead? Romans 6:4
____________________________________________________
Beloved, God has called you to “walk in newness of life.” The believer must be “dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). Water baptism is so very important because it introduces the new believer into the life to which God has called him – a life of death and resurrection. The old person and his deeds are dead. “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). The disciple is to live separate from sin. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God” 2 (Corinthians 5 :17,18).
19. What are two reasons that we are to be “crucified” with Jesus? Romans 6:6
A. __________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________
Water baptism is a public announcement of your decrease and His increase (John 3:30). God can only raise up those things that are dead. To resurrect is to raise to life again – to cause something or someone once alive to live again. One must die to the things of this world to live in the resurrected life of Jesus. This is a must if one will be His disciple (John 12:24-26). To live in the resurrection life of God one must be dead to the sins of the flesh. The definition of being “dead” to sin, is living life as if sin didn’t even exist in the sense that one is separate from it – you do not partake of it in spirit, soul, or body.
Water baptism is the beginning of the life lived after the Spirit instead of after the flesh. It’s a heartfelt broadcast to the Lord, the world, and the devil that you are now going to be true to the Most High God by living in holy conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ. At the moment of baptism God imparts a sufficient measure of grace to enable the believer to walk out his new life in Christ.
20. Why do you personally believe that baptism in water is so important in God’s eyes?
____________________________________________________
God has saved you and has set you apart to live after His nature that He has imparted to you (Rom. 6, 8). You are a new creature in Christ Jesus and God requires that you make this known (Matthew 10:32, 33). Jesus was fearless and unashamed when He came to the earth to do His Father’s will and die for the sins of the world. He requires that His disciples be bold and unashamed in testifying of His work of redemption. Water baptism should be the first act of obedience rendered by the disciple of Jesus.
21. What does Jesus do for all who “confess” Him before men? Matthew 10:32
____________________________________________________
22. What does Jesus do to all those who “deny” Him before men? Matthew 10:33
____________________________________________________
Water baptism is an open declaration of one’s identification with and faith in Jesus. Water baptism is generally the new believer’s first act of confession before men. It should be the personal and spoken testimony of the believer about to be baptized. The new convert should be given time to give account of his born again experience and God’s work presently in progress in his life.
IF YOU HAVE NOT YET BEEN WATER BAPTIZED, OBEY THE LORD BY ARRANGING A TIME AND PLACE TO PUBLICLY TESTIFY OF YOUR NEW LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST BY BEING BAPTIZED.
ASSIGNMENT:
In 250 words or more, detail the ways that the Word of God should be incorporated into the daily life of the believer. (Tips for your essay’s content: study, performance, prayer, warfare, proclaiming, meditating upon, memorizing, etc.) Search the Scriptures as your source for this essay and use Scripture and references to validate your statements. Begin with deep and prayerful meditation on God’s Word. Write your essay neatly and in an organized manner.
SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION: Matthew 28:19
It would be very advantageous for you to cross reference all of the Scriptures in this study. For example, pencil in each topically similar verse into the margin next to the corresponding verses on this same subject. Write out these verses with references on index cards – make it a priority to carry and post them where you will study and meditate upon them. These two measures will build in you a wealth of truth on each topic. This will help you to retain and become resourceful in the Word of God – ready to be used of Him. Capture the knowledge that you have learned, don’t let it slip away from you.
Capitalize on your efforts. This is preparation in earnest (2 Timothy 2:21).
STUDY GUIDES
Evangelism
Holy Word of God
The Blood of Jesus
Holy Ghost Baptism
Water Baptism
The Believer and The Word
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