Sheep and Goats

There are things a person ought to know about God. In fact, we ought to know all we can about God in view of the fact that, "The LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." (Psalms 100:3 NKJV)

In many ways, life is a great mystery. There is only so much we can know about it but the one thing that is certain is that we came from God. It is either that or the Bible is a lie. It is either that or life came from non-living matter (which, I might add, brings another question—where did the non-living matter come from).

Solomon, by inspiration, wrote, "Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed…Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it." (Eccl. 12:6-7 NKJV) One day we must all give an account of our lives before God. This is the fate God has destined for us.

"For it is written: 'As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:11-12 NKJV)

God is only going to make two divisions on the Day of Judgment and all those who have ever lived will be placed in one division or the other. "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." (Matt. 25:32-33 NKJV) Of the goats set on the left hand Jesus says, "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'" (Matt. 25:41 NKJV) He goes on and says, "These will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matt. 25:46 NKJV)

This brings me to Psalms 7:11, the subject of this piece, goats. The entirety of Psalms 7:11 reads, "God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day." (NKJV) With God man is either justified (we might say made righteous or forgiven) or else he must go into the category of the wicked. Man is either a sheep or a goat as God gives no other options.

Does this mean that by man's standards, or yours or mine, that all the wicked are what we Americans normally think of as wicked men? Not at all! Many are great guys or gals in that they are honest in their dealings, reliable, kind and thoughtful of others, friendly, do a lot of good deeds, and are often very likable people and fun to be around. Often their only discernable fault is that they have left God out of their lives, but you see that is as big as it gets. How does one leave his Creator out of his life and not give him any thought or honor or respect? How does one live his life as though God does not matter?

What if we treated a mother or father, a son or daughter, a wife or husband this way? What then? Could it be said we love them, that we respect and honor them, and that we care about them?

When we treat God like he is nothing to us and he does not matter, how can we think we are going to be seen as sheep in his eyes? We have obviously shown we are not concerned about him. We have treated him with contempt whether we set out to do it intentionally or not.

When we treat God this way, we deeply offend him and figuratively kick sand in his face. Can we blame him if he is angry with us? The Bible teaches God has feelings as well as man does (Gen. 6:6). We hurt him when we do not care about him. Have you ever had anyone you love treat you that way? You love them, but they treat you in such a way so that you know by their actions they really do not care about you. If so, you know a little about how God must feel when a man casts God from his life or will not allow him to enter in.

Remember John 3:16? God loves us, and we treat him as though he was to be avoided at all cost, as though he was evil. No, we may not do these things intentionally, but that does not change the reality of our actions.

I memorized Psalms 7:11 because I felt it was something I needed to keep in mind. God is longsuffering with us, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), but the fact that my life or your life is seemingly going along well does not mean God is well pleased with us. It may only be that in God's goodness he is exercising forbearance and longsuffering in an effort to lead you or me to repentance (Rom. 2:4 NKJV).

I don't care how much your friends think of you, they do not love you like God does, and they are utterly powerless to save you. Neither are they going with you the day you die. We all die alone. Even on D-Day, when men were dying all over the French beachheads during WW II, each had to make the trip to eternity alone, whether a human hand held their hand or not. Many left for eternity that day, but each went alone. The only friend man has capable of being with him through his darkest hour is God.

When that day comes, and it may sneak up on you unexpectedly and early in life, and it will certainly come late in life, do you want to face an angry God? Are you able to take on God and win? Do you want to be foolish enough to try that?

Psalms 7:11b is very short, just a few words. The message is powerful and ought to be life changing. Is it going to change your life? If your attitude toward God and his word needs changing, and you do not change, then you are sure to face an angry God. We do not want to be a goat on that day.

Man has been given free will and gets to choose the road he/she will take with all the consequences that come with that. Put another way, man gets to reap what he has sown (Gal. 6:7) and will indeed do so. "The way of the unfaithful is hard." (Prov. 13:15 NKJV) It is a way that is too hard for me to travel intentionally. I cannot take on God and win. It is my hope for you who read this that you come to the same conclusion for yourself. One has not known terror until he faces an angry God on the Day of Judgment.

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How Does One Get Into The Church Christ Built

Not a single denominational church was built by Christ, for he built his church, one and only, in the first century hundreds of years before any denominations came into existence. The New Testament scriptures, after the gospels and Acts chapter 2, all refer to the church as a then-existing institution. Paul wrote to various churches in some of his epistles. John in the book of Revelation wrote to the seven churches of Asia. The church Christ built was established in the first century, not during the Reformation or the centuries thereafter.

The question men and women need to be seeking an answer to today is not how do I get into this denomination or that one, but how do I get into the church Christ built? Don't ask how do I become a Baptist or a Methodist or any other such thing, but how do I become a Christian? How do I enter into Christ's church?

Being in the church Christ built is an entirely different thing than being in a denomination. One can be in a denomination and yet outside the church Jesus built. If being in a denomination is the same as being in the church built by Jesus, then the denomination has no reason for existence and should drop its denominational name and associations and just call itself what it would be under those circumstances--the church of God, the church of Christ, the church, or some other scriptural name or designation. It would be "the church" and not "a denomination." It would be the church Christ built.

Generally speaking, almost all denominations admit they are not essential, for most freely admit that one can be in another denomination other than their own and be saved, thus making the one they are in non-essential. This is also an unintended confession that they are not the church Jesus built, for his church is essential. We need to let that thought sink in.

Many say Jesus is all that matters; the church does not matter. Why do they say that? Because they have a denominational concept of the church. I am the first to agree that there is not a denominational church on earth that matters, and every one of them ought to cease their existence. But, that is a far cry from saying that the church Christ built does not matter.

In this article, I am not concerned about how one gets into X, Y, or Z denomination, but with how one gets into Christ's church. Certainly, there are steps to be taken as there are steps to be taken before one can enter any institution. One must be made aware of the institution, what it does, and what purpose it serves before any desire can be created to be a part of it. So it is with the church Jesus built.

The church built by Jesus matters so much that you cannot be saved outside of it, without becoming a member of it. It is "the church of God which he purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28 NKJV) If you are outside that church, it means you were never purchased with the blood of Christ. It means you are not a part of the body that he is saving. "He is the Savior of the body." (Eph. 5:23 NKJV) What body? "He is the head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:18 NKJV) The church is the spiritual body of Christ of which he is the Savior. It is the body he is saving.

Christians are "members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones." (Eph. 5:30 NKJV) "You (Christians--DS) are the body of Christ, and members individually." (1 Cor. 12:27 NKJV) One is either in that body or he is not; you are either inside or outside, and where you are makes all the difference for salvation. Yes, the church matters. It is not Jesus yes and the church no.

The church is what Jesus gave himself for on the cross. "Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-27 NKJV)

Salvation is in Christ, which is the same as saying in his body, the church. "Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (2 Tim. 2:10 NKJV) In Christ, one is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). In Christ, are found all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3). "In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ." (Eph. 2:13 NKJV) That is in Christ and not out of him. The list could go on and on, but the point is that to be "in Christ" is absolutely essential to salvation, but to be in Christ is to be in his body, the church. The church is thus essential.

One cannot join the church Christ built. God adds the man or woman to it under certain conditions. "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47 NKJV). Who was added to the church? Those who were being saved. Who then is in the church? The saved. Who is outside the church? The unsaved.

Does God just add whoever he pleases to the church unconditionally? If so, it would not be a man's fault if he failed to obtain salvation. There would be nothing he could do about it as it would be entirely in God's hands. It does not work that way. At the close of the first gospel sermon ever preached, Peter exhorted the crowd saying, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." (Acts 2:40 KJV) Other more modern translations use the words "be saved," but the thought is the same. It is up to the individual. The individual has something to do. Salvation is not unconditional, and God does not save men adding them to the church unconditionally.

Does this mean that all who are in the church are saved? No, for some go astray and live in sin and hypocrisy, in indifference and unconcern, without a deep abiding faith and love, who have fallen away. It does mean, however, that you must be in the church to be saved, for that is where those who will be saved are placed by God.

Upon hearing the gospel, before one can be added to the church, before God will do the adding, one must believe what he has heard. Paul defines the gospel by which we are saved if we believe in 1 Cor. 15:3-4, "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the scriptures." (NKJV) This correlates with Peter's confession of Christ in Matt. 16 when Christ asked, "But who do you say that I am?" (Matt. 16:15 NKJV) Peter's reply was, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt. 16:16 NKJV) Jesus then says, "On this rock I will build my church." (Matt. 16:18 NKJV) It was by the resurrection that Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead." (Rom. 1:4 NKJV) Thus, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and was raised from the dead.

Jesus Christ as the Son of God is the foundation upon which the church was built, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 3:11 NKJV) He is the "chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20 NKJV) of the church. So a man must believe these things about Christ to be saved. Faith, then, is essential. We are "living stones" (1 Peter 2:5 NKJV) being built up as "a spiritual house" (church - DS) (1 Peter 2:5 NKJV) upon the foundation that has been laid--on Christ Jesus.

But, is this faith enough by itself? No, and all know it who are honest. Why do I say that? Because on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when Peter preached Jesus to the Jews, he did not once command them to have faith in Jesus. Why not? He did not need to, for their faith became evident when they cried out to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'" (Acts 2:37 NKJV) Make no mistake about it, these Jews believed everything Peter preached that day in preaching Jesus.

Here is my point—if we are saved by faith alone, why not dismiss that crowd on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, dismiss them and all go home? If we are saved by faith alone, there is no need for any further instructions as to how to become a child of God, a Christian. There is no need for further instruction on what is necessary to be saved. When the men ask "what shall we do," why not tell them to go home now and just continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and Savior of the world?

The answer is simple enough for an honest man. Faith was not all that was necessary. Peter tells them to, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:38 NKJV) There are many who say that yes, in order to be saved, one must also repent of one's sins. However, that is where they want to stop. They want to separate repentance from baptism in the passage and gladly ignore the fact there is a coordinating conjunction there, the word "and," that joins the two words, making one just as essential as the other. That separation will not work. Peter said they must do both. If repentance is essential for the remission of sins, the passage teaches that baptism is also.

Denominations do not practice this, nor do they believe it. But, remember this article is not about how to get into a denomination. It is how to get into Christ, which is the same thing as getting into his body, the church. None of us should care how to go about getting into a denomination. Who needs one? It is the church Christ built into which one must enter for salvation.

The only man prepared to enter into Christ where salvation is found, to enter his body, which is the church, is a penitent obedient believer. He/she is obedient in the sense the person is willing to obey as he/she learns the Lord's will, which at this point is repentance and baptism.

In the Great Commission, the apostles were instructed to baptize only one group of people--those who were made "disciples." (Matt. 28:19 NKJV) One can only know whether or not a person who presents himself for baptism is a believer by asking him. This brings us to another element essential for salvation--the confession of Christ. "With the mouth confession is made to salvation." (Rom. 10:10) Timothy was said to "have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Tim. 6:12 NKJV) It is the good confession Christ witnessed before Pontius Pilate (1 Tim. 6:13), which was that he was "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed" (Mark 14:61-62). See also Acts 8:36-38.

Thus, the steps into Christ are (in order) faith, repentance, confession of Christ, and finally baptism into Christ. How does one get into the body of Christ, the church? "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." (1 Cor. 12:13 NKJV) "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus ....” (Rom. 6:3 NKJV) "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Gal. 3:27 NKJV) There is no such thing as a Christian in the New Testament that was not baptized for the remission of sins. Why do I say that?

(1) Baptism was for the remission of sins. (2) It was into Christ. (3) Christ commanded it (Mark 16:16, Matt. 28:18-20, John 3:3-5). (4) Peter commanded "every one of you" to do it. No exceptions on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Paul said to the Corinthians "we were all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13 NKJV), no exceptions. (5) The churches of Judea were "in Christ" (Gal. 1:22, 1 Thess. 2:14). A church can only be in Christ as the membership is in Christ; that comes by way of baptism.

The individual who complies with the conditions that God gave will be added by God to the church, for the same process that makes one a Christian adds him to the church when done from the heart. Only God can know whether or not one truly believes in Jesus from his heart. Only God can know if a man has repented from the heart of his sins. These things being true, a man can by all appearances go through the steps essential to salvation, but God only knows the sincerity of the heart.

I cannot add you to the church even if you by all appearances seem to meet God's qualifications. That is God's business, not mine nor man's. Since I cannot know or judge your heart, I have to assume your sincerity and honesty and accept you as a child of God, a living stone in God's church. I would want the same treatment from you. A faithful Christian will never deny such a one the right hand of fellowship.

I would remind the reader in closing that to be in Christ is the same as being in his body, in his church, and that is where salvation is found, in the body of Christ. "He is the Savior of the body." (Eph. 5:23 NKJV) How does one get into the church Christ built? The Bible provides the answer. Denominations do not.

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Abel Versus Cain's Sacrifice

Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, is the first person listed among many, in Hebrews chapter 11, commended by the Holy Spirit for their faith. Of Abel it is said, "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks." (Heb. 11:4 NKJV) Men have long been troubled by this passage trying to figure out why Abel's sacrifice was pleasing to God while his brother Cain's was not. That is the topic of this article.

In Gen. 4:2-5 we read about the offering as follows: "Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." (NKJV)

It is worthwhile to read what followed, seemingly not long afterwards, in a conversation between God and Cain. "So the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.'" (Gen. 4:6-7 NKJV) It doesn't seem like a lot to go on, these few verses, but there is more here than meets the eye when one begins to meditate on what we are told.

First, I ask the question of how Abel and Cain knew anything at all about sacrifices and offerings to God. Where did such a concept of making offerings to God come from? How did the idea of such a thing even enter their minds? We do not think about things of which we know nothing. My grandparents died in the nineteen sixties. How much time do you think they spent thinking about computer coding. They never heard of a computer. It was impossible for them to conceive such thoughts living when they did and so I ask again where did Abel and Cain get the idea about making an offering to God (the writer of the book of Hebrews calls it a sacrifice)?

The answer has to be that such information was supplied by God himself either in direct speech to them or through commandments given to their parents (Adam and Eve) and thus passed on down to them from parent to child. That God spoke directly with not only Adam and Eve but also with Cain we see from Gen. 4:6-7 and Gen. 4:9-15. Jesus, in the New Testament, in Luke 11:49-51, includes Abel with the prophets so we know God spoke to him as well. A prophet was one who proclaimed God's will and not just necessarily one who only foretold things to come. The point being, ideas have to have a source. The source was God either directly or indirectly.

Furthermore, I would add that without direction from God how could Abel know it would please God to kill an animal as a sacrifice? Adam and Eve were directed while in the Garden of Eden to eat of herbs and the fruit of trees (Gen. 1:29) and when driven out of the garden they were to eat of the herbs of the field (Gen. 3:18). Nothing was said, that is revealed in scripture, about killing animals in those early days of man's existence on earth. Thus for Abel to take this bold step God must have revealed to him that it was okay to do so.

We are thus at the point where I believe God gave directions for making offerings/sacrifices. I think this can be further confirmed by a passage found in the New Testament--Rom. 10:17. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (NKJV) How can you have faith when you are flying blind without any word from God? Is an "I think so" or an "it seems to me," faith? Is that the definition of faith? That is opinion, not faith.

The writer in the book of Hebrews (11:4) says Abel's sacrifice was by faith. When one acts by faith in the Bible he is acting in confidence, not in doubt. He is not guessing or hoping. Well, how could Abel be so confident about his sacrifice? There is only one way and that is if he had received instructions from God as to how to sacrifice. That would include the procedure for doing so and also what it was that was to be sacrificed. In following what he was told he would have no doubt about the acceptability of his sacrifice. If you are just guessing or hoping your offering will be pleasing how can it be said you are acting by faith?

Why is it that there is no text saying that Cain's sacrifice was "by faith?" Could it be because it was not? Could it be because Cain had personal doubts about it himself? Why was it that Cain did not sacrifice "by faith?" Surely, if Abel was able to sacrifice "by faith" Cain should have been able to do likewise. Had Cain made a sacrifice "by faith" would God have been displeased?

The Bible says God "did not respect Cain and his offering." (Gen. 4:5 NKJV) One has to ask why not? If both were doing the very best they could, why not? Could it be that Cain was not doing the best he could? God asks Cain, "Why are you angry?" (Gen. 4:6 NKJV) God's rejection of his offering had made Cain angry. God then says to him, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" (Gen. 4:7 NKJV) Evidently, then, Cain had not done well. But, he could only know how to do well if he had information as to how that was to be done. It is implied he could have done well. Thus again we see that both Cain and Abel must have had information about making sacrifices (offerings) that would please God and Cain had failed to follow the instructions.

By means of his sacrifice (and the manner in which it was made--by faith), it is said that Abel "obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts." (Heb. 11:4 NKJV) This was not said of Cain but I ask the question, "could it have been?" Was it impossible for Cain to make an acceptable sacrifice? That Cain knew all he needed to know to make such a sacrifice is self-evident. God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Cain's failure was just that--Cain's failure. He had none to blame other than himself.

Why is it said that Abel was righteous? The Psalmist said, "all your commandments are righteousness." (Psalm 119:172 NKJV) In his sacrifice it seems Abel was obeying a command from God as to what to sacrifice. Do not misunderstand. No man is righteous on his own merits for all sin but neither can a man or woman be righteous and not obey God's commands. But this passage from Psalms, combined with the Hebrews 11:4 passage, is just another indication that Abel was being obedient to God in his offering.

1 John 3:12 throws some additional light on why Cain murdered his brother Abel. "Cain...was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous." (NKJV) When God failed to respect Cain and his offering it threw Cain into a rage. He later killed Abel out in the field due to his anger and jealousy. The text in 1 John says the motive was "his works were evil and his brother's righteous." (NKJV) His works, his offering, did not have to be evil. Even a tiller of the ground could find a way to make an animal sacrifice. He could have if he would have.

Rather than find repentance when God spoke to him in Gen. 4:6-7, a time when God was giving him, we might say, a second chance to do right, Cain goes off instead and commits murder giving full vent to anger, hatred, and jealousy. He lived not for God or even for his own family. He sought vengeance on Abel when it was not Abel but God who rejected his offering.

This is a good time to make a point about faith and what it is. Faith that is pleasing to God is not faith in God's existence alone. God spoke to Cain. Cain had no doubt about God's existence. He did not need faith in God's existence for he had firsthand knowledge of it. So, faith that God lives is not saving faith. There is more to it than just that. "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!" (James 2:19 NKJV) Do we believe Cain and the demons were saved? If not we need to continue to study to learn what saving faith is. It certainly involves more than just believing God exists in the heavens.

The writer of the book of Hebrews says of Abel that he "obtained witness that he was righteous." (Heb. 11:4 NKJV) Jesus declared him righteous in Matt. 23:35. He became such by faith. Abel died a righteous man. He was a man of faith who heard God's word, believed it, and obeyed it. There is no saving faith where a man simply hears God's words with the ear and then goes off in disobedience doing his own thing. A man of faith trusts God's words for God spoke them and thus they are trustworthy. In obeying them one is obeying God and manifesting faith in him.

We do not know what all Abel knew about sacrifice to God but we do know he followed by faith what he had been told and did not deviate from it for his trust was in the one who had directed him. The lesson for all of us--trust what God has told us in his word and do it for in doing it we will be "by faith" acting as did Abel. Don't go off and live a life of "it seems good to me and so God must be pleased." Do what he says, not what you think he should have said, or what seems satisfying to you personally. Remember his words, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord." (Isa. 55:8 NKJV) 

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Misunderstanding The Grace of God

Several years ago I submitted an article to an online site that said it was a Christian article directory.  It was a short article entitled "Receiving the Gospel."  It was deemed to be unfit for a Christian article directory.  The editor of the directory said to me in an e-mail that he believed man was saved by grace without baptism which, in the context of the article submitted, meant without obeying Peter's directive on the Day of Pentecost as found in Acts 2:38.

His position was not uncommon then or now.  Millions of people have read Paul's statement in Eph. 2:8-9, "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (NKJV) and said,  "okay, that is it, end of the story."  There is no need to study further.

I want to say first of all that is a poor approach to God's word to isolate and elevate part of his word over and above the rest of his word.  That approach makes you and me judge over the word; we make ourselves God and decide what is vital in the word and what is not.  Jesus when tempted by the devil said that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4 NKJV)  That’s "by every word … of God," not just by the words of one's choosing.

In the second place, it needs to be pointed out that nearly every single person who claims to be a Christian believes salvation is by grace through faith, including myself.  Is there a person on earth who thinks he has always done the right thing and never sinned?  I can name many of my sins.  Some of them have been an embarrassment to me, all of them of which I am aware have lowered my self-esteem, some have hurt others, all have hurt my relationship with God.  I will never be the person I could have been due to the sin in my life.  How about you, if you are honest, how about you?  Yes, we are saved by grace for we are undeserving of salvation.

Grace is often defined as unmerited favor, the unmerited favor of God toward man, and that hits the mark pretty close to dead center.  When one knows he is a sinner he knows that on his own merits, he does not deserve salvation.  I have often thought I needed to be punished, could almost wish I could do it myself.  There is no thought of deserving anything other than that—punishment.

Grace encompasses all the good things God has done for us in bringing us salvation.   When God sent Jesus into the world was that not an act of grace?  When Jesus went to the cross for us shedding his blood for our salvation was that not God's grace? 

When God gave us his word was that not an act of grace?  When God confirmed his word by signs and wonders in the first century allowing us to know that it was God giving the word was that not an act of grace?

There is a passage in Rom. 2:4 that bears on the thing I am trying to get at.  It says, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom 2:4 NKJV)  Is this not God's grace?  Is not his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering toward us that we might repent of our sins God's grace?

Peter says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  Is this not grace?  Just God giving us time to get our life in order is that not grace?  Yes, we are saved by God's grace working in so many different ways for our salvation without which we could not be saved, none of us.  

But here is my problem with those in the denominational world on the subject of grace.  Their idea is that one is essentially saved by God's grace alone without man being under any obligation to do anything.  They see grace as unconditional, dependent only upon faith.

They reject baptism as essential to salvation.  I see it as another aspect of God's grace.  If God tells me to do something to have my sins forgiven ("repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins"--Acts 2:38 KJV) he was under absolutely no obligation whatsoever to give me that option whereby my sins could be forgiven.  I was shown grace by him telling me what to do and giving me a promise that upon doing it my sins will be forgiven--that to me is an act of grace on his part.

Denominationalists argue that it is not, that it’s works.  Their idea is that there is nothing you can do for salvation other than depend on God's grace with the idea being that it is a kind of a one-time packaged deal given to you at the point of belief by which you are then and there saved without any further action on your part.  Lest anyone misunderstand I am talking about initial salvation.

That thinking reminds me of a Christmas gift I received in the past.  I received a gift card.  To use it I had to get in the car, drive a distance, take up my time and make an effort, find what I wanted, drag it up to checkout, haul it out to the car, drive home, and unload it.  Nevertheless, I saw the gift card as an act of grace on the part of the giver.  I never once said, "This is work, not a gift."  In fact, I will take all of the gift cards you want to give me and praise you for your grace towards me despite the fact I will have to put forth a little effort to get the benefit of them.  

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21 NKJV)  When Peter said, "repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38 KJV), when Ananias told Saul, "arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins" (Acts 22:16 NKJV), I wonder was that the will of the Father in heaven?  Was that grace?  What do you think?  Can you be saved without doing the will of the Father?  Jesus says no, most denominational people say, in the case of baptism, yes.

But, let me talk a little about salvation by grace through faith versus salvation by works.  Paul talks at length about this in the book of Romans and in Galatians.  Under the Law of Moses, a man was required to keep the law perfectly to be saved.  None could do so, thus obviously none could be saved on that basis.  

This was true of the Law of Moses, but it is just as true of any law that a perfect God might give to mankind.  Paul says, "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law." (Gal. 3:21b NKJV)  John says much the same to us for in speaking to Christians he says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8 NKJV)  Sin is a transgression of the law of God, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4 KJV)

God has a law today.  He has always had a law.  Today's law is the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2, 1 Cor. 9:21).  But, no matter how much we might desire to do so and despite our best efforts, we cannot keep the law of Christ perfectly any more than the children of Israel could keep the Law of Moses perfectly, thus if there is to be salvation it must be by grace, which it is.

Does this then mean that man can ignore Jesus' commands and disbelieve the things Jesus said whether he said them directly or indirectly (through the inspired writers of the New Testament)?  If grace comes through faith, what kind of faith is it that will not believe that which has been spoken or written by inspiration?  If the Lord speaks and I claim to be a man of faith, will I not believe his words?  Grace comes through faith (Eph. 2:8), but does it come through a faith that disbelieves those things plainly written?  The language the inspired writers used about baptism is too clear for misunderstanding as to its purpose.    

Let us take a closer look at Paul, who wrote a great deal about salvation by grace and faith.  (We act as though that is all he wrote on the subject of salvation.)  The very same man that wrote Eph. 2:8 ("for by grace you have been saved through faith") also wrote Gal. 3:26-27, "(26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (NKJV)  Many, perhaps even most in denominational churches, taking the smorgasbord approach, will take verse 26 and leave off verse 27.  That cannot be done by a man of genuine faith.  The man of faith believes all God has said on a subject.  The denominationalist says you put on Christ at the point of faith, mental assent.  Paul says not so.  Paul says by grace I have been saved through faith and then tells me I put on Christ in baptism, not before baptism.  Will I believe all Paul said or just what I want?

But, here is the clincher that destroys all arguments that attempt to separate baptism from grace.  Paul, who, remember, said "by grace you have been saved" (Eph. 2:8 NKJV), writes in 2 Tim. 2:1, "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (NKJV)  Where is saving grace found?  In Christ Jesus.  Okay, how does Paul say we get into Christ Jesus?  He says, "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" (Rom 6:3 NKJV)  And he makes the same statement in Gal. 3:27 when he says, "as many of you as were baptized into Christ." (NKJV)  Anyone who can put two and two together can add the same here.

Paul said the same thing earlier in the book of Romans when he said that we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Rom 3:24 NKJV)  A person thus seeking to be saved by the grace of God ought to get into Christ Jesus where redemption is found; there and there only will he find grace and salvation.  The New Testament tells us too clearly to misunderstand how to get into Christ.

In Christ, there is salvation (2 Tim. 2:10), eternal life (Rom. 6:23), a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), forgiveness (Eph. 4:32), the promise of life (2 Tim. 1:1), redemption (Rom. 3:24), being alive to God (Rom 6:11), and grace (2 Tim. 2:1).  When we are baptized, we are baptized into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).  One who has not been baptized is outside the body of Christ and thus outside all of the blessings that are found only in Christ.  All good things are found in Christ, not out of him.  That includes grace as clearly shown for all who will accept 2 Timothy 2:1.

Bible faith by which God's grace comes is a faith that believes what God has said so strongly that he does not question it, but if God has said it, the matter with him is settled.  The true man of faith does not need to hear a passage on baptism but once, and whatever is said on that topic, he immediately believes and is ready to obey, if he has not already done so.

Yes, it may take some study to see how all of the things by which God has said we are saved work together in a harmonious whole, but if it is said by God or one of his inspired messengers that we are saved by baptism (1 Peter 3:21), or receive forgiveness of sins in baptism (Acts 2:38), or put on Christ in baptism (Gal. 3:27), then a genuine man of faith says immediately "it is so."  They do not argue about how it is not so.

Paul himself was saved by grace, as we all are, yet he was not saved before baptism by grace alone.  Hear his personal story.  On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, as one who did not believe, the Lord confronted him and he was made a true believer and repented of his sins.  Luke tells us when confronted by the Lord that Saul (Paul) trembled and was astonished (Acts 9:6).  He was told by the Lord himself to "go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:6 NKJV)

Denominational doctrine almost across the board, meaning no matter what group you are talking about, has him now saved.  He believes and has repented and "by grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8 KJV) so they see him as saved.  The trouble of it is, is that Jesus told him he had to go into the city where it would be told him "what you must do." (Acts 9:6)  So, whatever he must do has not yet been told him at the point of faith and repentance.

Then we see that for the next 3 days this saved man (?) is living in misery rather than rejoicing in his salvation.  Luke says, he "neither ate nor drank" (Acts 9:9 NKJV) during that whole time; why not?  Is it not because he does not yet know what it is he "must do?" (Acts 9:6)  I might add the thing he must do, whatever it was to be, was related to having his sins forgiven.  How do I know?

Saul already knew what the future held for him for in Acts 26:16-18 he says Jesus told him when he appeared to him on the road to Damascus.  He knew he would be God's servant and sent to the Gentiles to preach even before entering the city of Damascus. (Acts 26:16-18)  That was not going to be the thing he was going to be told he must do when he entered the city of Damascus, for that he already knew.

What was it he was told he must do?  Ananias told him, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16 NKJV)  He was told to be baptized to wash away his sins.  That was what he must do.  So here we have a man saved by grace and we know exactly how he was saved.  He had faith, he had repented of his sins, and he was baptized to wash away his sins.

Was he saved by grace?  Yes!  When he obeyed he was saved by God's grace for he was then in Christ where salvation is found.  His sins had been washed away by the grace of God for he had believed and obeyed God.

Do you want to be saved by grace?  You can try it the denominational way if you so desire but my advice to you would be that I would try it the Bible way by doing what Paul did.  You cannot go wrong doing that.

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