If We Died With Him—Died How

2 Tim. 2:11 is another often overlooked passage on the teaching that baptism is essential for salvation.  It reads, "For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him." (NKJV) How does the Bible teach that a man dies with Christ? 

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him." (Rom. 6:3-8 NKJV) 

What if, however, we do not die to sin in baptism (we refuse to be baptized)?  The text says, "He who has died has been freed from sin."  Thus if there is no death to sin in baptism there is no promise of life for there is no freedom from sin.   To refuse to be baptized for the remission of sins is a dangerous, even deadly, thing—a thing that holds no promise of life.

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Healing For The Brokenhearted

"Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none." (Psalms 69:20 NASU) Read in context one sees clearly that this passage of scripture refers to Jesus toward the very end of his life on earth when facing the cross and perhaps, very possibly, on the cross itself. The heart has been broken to the point of sickness.

Is there a person whose heart has never been crushed with sorrow, one whose heart has never been broken? Most of us who are older have experienced it and sooner or later almost everyone will if they have not already. There are the tears that flow freely and that once in motion cannot be stopped until the well has run dry but the well soon fills back up and there they go again as though they cannot be stopped. Only the utmost strength of the will can hold them back, a will that seems to be in a life-and-death struggle with the heart.

Food no longer matters. The heart is too ill to even think of food. Hunger has vanished, so one can go days with barely a bite, and it matters not in the least, for the heart is sick. The stomach feels as though it has taken a body blow. All the breath has been sucked out of one's being. Nothing matters any longer, nothing at all, all feeling is gone, and whether it be life or death matters little to none.

There is no longer any fear, for fear has been struck down. The worst fear has achieved victory so any other thing that could come along would be but nothing. There is no longer anything to fear. The only emotion left is heart-wrenching sorrow. The heart is numb and immune to further pain or insult. Do what you will to me, it matters not.

The greatest hurt in the world is a broken heart. Nothing hurts worse than to have one's heart crushed. It often comes from those we love most making the hurt almost unbearable. We love them greatly and thought they loved us as well and then they desert us as though we were little to nothing to them.

But there are other avenues for broken hearts as well. A parent loses a child to death or a spouse is lost. A healthy vigorous young man goes off to war and comes home with injuries so severe as to make a normal life impossible and hopes and dreams for the future are squashed. His heart is broken but also that of his loved ones.

The elderly go into nursing homes, they know it is to be permanent, and it seems family do not care or love them anymore. The heart is broken. Deep sorrow and sadness seem to be all that is left and old people are not supposed to cry. But the heart is broken.

Can a broken heart be mended? At the time it seems life will simply stop and that the heart will never recover. Nevertheless, hearts can be healed even though a scar may always cover the wound that was received. Scars are eventually forgotten in the sense that the day comes when they no longer interfere with everyday life and life goes on.

The Bible teaches that Jesus too suffered from a broken heart just as we have. Jesus has often been called the man of sorrows based on Isa. 53. Listen to a little of the prophet Isaiah as he talks about Jesus as he foresees the future. "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." (Isa. 53:3 NASU) Why do you think Jesus was a man of sorrows? Was it physical affliction? Was it poverty? It was a heart man broke.

The Psalmist says, speaking of Jesus prophetically, "But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me." (Psalms 22:6 NASU) John says, "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." (John 1:11 NASU) Was the heart of Jesus broken? When for the last time he saw Jerusalem from a distance as he was about to enter therein it is said, "He saw the city and wept over it." (Luke 19:41 NASU) Broken hearts weep, not hearts filled with joy.

Yes, Jesus knows what it is to shed tears of sorrow and to have his heart broken. In fact, he knows all about us for he "likewise also partook of the same" (Heb. 2:14), that is flesh and blood. He was "tempted in all things as we are." (Heb. 4:15) "He had to be made like His brethren in all things." (Heb. 2:17 NASU) Yes, it may be that the cause of our broken heart may differ from the cause of Jesus' broken heart, but is not a broken heart a broken heart? Is pain, not pain? Is sorrow not sorrow? Must one's heart be crushed by a particular thing to call it a broken heart?

Can God help us mend? God understands that in this life there are things that are too big for us to deal with alone. We are put in a position where we cannot act proactively for we have lost that power. Events have overwhelmed us. We need outside help.

What can God do? We might respond, what is there that God cannot do? Do you believe God can and does intervene in the affairs of men? If he does not, why then do you pray?

Let me quote a passage to you from Psalms 34:18-19 (NASU), "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all." In this passage, God is talking to his children. Are you a child of God? If so, there is help. There are three things from this passage that must be considered.

(1) Am I a righteous person? If I want God to hear my prayer and help me then if I am not a righteous person I need to take the steps necessary to become one. Obeying the gospel from the heart is the remedy for that if one has never done so. For those who have obeyed the gospel but have not been faithful then to be a righteous person, one needs to repent, pray for forgiveness, and seek to live righteously henceforth. For those who are faithful, they need to believe the Lord is near them and will deliver them out of their affliction. They need to pray sincerely that if the affliction cannot be removed it will at least be made bearable. James says, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16 NKJV)

(2) In the second place God is not far from a person whose heart has been broken. That is what the text says. We need to believe that. How can we say we believe the Bible and yet not believe this? His desire is to lift us up again and renew life within our spirit, to get us to where we want to go on living again. We need to seek him in his own appointed way to enable him to do this for us. So, the point is this--we have something to do with our healing. We can reach out to God, we can seek him.

(3) The Psalmist says, in the third place, while the righteous have many afflictions God will deliver them out of them all. What does this mean? It means things will get better. The heart can and will be mended in God's own time. When things are at their worst, there is about to be a change, gradual though it may be, for God is a deliverer--a change for the better is on its way.

The Psalmist says in Psalms 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (NASU) Jesus says of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To preach deliverance to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19 NKJV) God is able. We need to trust him as to how best to do it and in his own time frame.

Broken hearts bring us extreme suffering but also restless turmoil and the absence of peace. Sleepless nights come and go. The mind is continually agitated and at war and we feel as though we cannot stand another day of it. As God can heal the brokenhearted he can also restore to us peace and comfort. Paul says that God the Father is, "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort." (2 Cor. 1:3 NASU) Comfort is to be understood not as an easy chair or soft bed but comfort of heart and soul. God is the source.

Solomon wrote many years ago by inspiration when he said in Prov. 3:1-2, "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you." (NASU) It is needful for a man or woman to walk with God to get his help. One of the greatest blessings a man of God has is peace to overcome the turmoil of life. The righteous soul may have many troubles and sorrows but peace is with God. He helps his children and can bring comfort to troubled souls.

We often pray but fail to take into account, if God is to help us, some things that are necessary on our part. John says, "Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." (1 John 3:22 NASU) Have we led that kind of life--keeping his commandments and doing those things pleasing in his sight? If not, will we repent and begin to live that way? Will we obey God? If so John says "we receive from Him" whatever we ask.

What is it we ought to ask for if our heart is broken? Should we ask that past history be altered? Is that what John is speaking about, altering history so the broken heart will vanish that way? We know better. We can ask God to help us heal and go on with life, and if we are faithful and obedient, and love him as we should, we have his promise of help as per John's statement.

God is the God of peace. (Rom. 15:33) Paul, in speaking to God's children, says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NASU)

The turmoil of the broken heart can be healed. Live faithfully and trust God. He will answer your prayer. "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all." (2 Thess. 3:16 NKJV) When the scripture says give you peace in every way, that includes overcoming heartbreak.

Christians are told to "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 4:16 NASU) One needs grace to heal a broken heart. It is a time of need. The Holy Spirit speaking through James says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray." (James 5:13 NAS) Let us pray at the throne of grace for God's power to heal our broken hearts.

In God, we find healing, comfort, and peace, and those things are worth more than the weight of the world in gold. They are ours for the asking if we will but believe and obey God and ask him for grace in our time of need.

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Fear God

I have often heard it said that a Christian should have no fear of God. It is a statement that needs examining.

John indeed says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (I John 4:18 NKJV) It is true that every Christian can have fear banished from his life for love can overcome fear.

A few verses later John says, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." (1 John 5:3 NKJV) This freedom from fear is available to any Christian living a faithful and dedicated life, one who is observing all the commandments of God as best he can, who truly repents when he does transgress, who puts God first in his life in every respect. Such a person fears neither man, death, nor the judgment.

Paul was such a man. Near the end of his life he says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim. 4:7-8 NKJV) Paul was confident concerning the judgment and did not fear it. He had lived his life in such a way as to have no fear of God in that great day to come.

One is also reminded of the stories of the early martyrs of the church who rather than deny the faith allowed themselves to be burned at the stake during the Roman persecutions. These men and women were fearless and their love perfected. It ought to be the goal of all Christians to have this kind of faith in God and love for God that would lead us to become martyrs too if need be.

The point to be made is that this freedom from fear, this perfect love that casts out fear, is for a certain class of Christian--the totally dedicated and faithful one, the obedient one. It is a goal to be sought after but also a goal that is obtainable by all if they are willing to make the necessary commitment and sacrifices in their lives.

However, most of us do not consider ourselves to be the spiritual giant Paul was. It is not easy to be all that we ought to be. Paul said to the Corinthian Christians, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal." (1 Cor. 3:1-3 NKJV)

Since our subject is the fear of God, I ask did the Corinthians at this stage of their lives have anything to fear? Were they guilty of unforgiven sin at the time Paul wrote the letter? The book of First Corinthians is a book that lists sin after sin for which Paul rebukes them.

In the second letter to the church at Corinth Paul speaks of their repenting. He says, "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance." (2 Cor. 7:9 NKJV) He goes on to say, "Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation." (2 Cor. 7:10 NKJV) It sounds much like repentance was a requirement for their salvation, meaning, of course, that there was a period of time in which these Christians were not in a saved state, a time when they had sinned but had not yet repented.

Another example of the same sort of thing was Simon the sorcerer as found in Acts 8 where Peter tells him, "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you." (Acts 8:21-22 NKJV) For the person committing sin or living in sin, there needs to be a fear of God. Without such fear, can they ever be led to repentance? Simon needed repentance in order to obtain forgiveness. As Christians who are guilty of sin from time to time we need godly fear that leads us to repent.

The subject also needs to be looked at from another angle. I know of no man who holds a position of authority whose authority will be respected and honored unless there are some negative consequences to be suffered for dishonoring his authority. Law without punishment for its violation will not be obeyed and thus practically speaking ends up being no law at all.

A teacher who will not discipline those who disobey the classroom rules will have utter chaos in the class if he or she lets it go on indefinitely. A boss who is not obeyed is really boss of no one, a boss in name only.

In our own country we have laws against illegal immigration. When those laws are not enforced we end up with millions of illegal immigrants in our country. There must be some fear of authority for there to be any authority and that fear only comes if there are real consequences for disobedience, for breaking the law. (I use illegal immigration not as a political statement but because it illustrates so vividly what happens when there is no fear of law, thus of the one who gave the law.)

Those who speak of reverence for God, which we certainly should have, too readily leave out the element of godly fear, or so it seems to me. We should reverence God but how can there be reverence for God without godly fear? A family where children have no fear of breaking the rules is a family where the children run amuck, who are out of control, disrespectful, and disobedient. Every parent worth their salt has some kind of punishment for their children who break the rules. Yes, the kids love their parents, but the fear of punishment also plays a major role in their obeying the rules. Is it any different with us in our relationship to God?

If asked to define reverence, most would likely use words like respect, honor, deference, and veneration, but too often leave out any mention of fear. Godly fear is an essential element of true reverence for God. This kind of fear is not a contradiction of 1 John 4:18. In fact, godly fear leads to the banishment of the fear described in 1 John 4:18, for it leads to a faithful life. Is it possible to live a faithful life without any fear of God?

Observation of life shows us many who have no fear of God whatsoever. The fact that a man has no fear of God does not prove he is a man whose love has been perfected. Many who lack fear of God are atheistic and godless men. They are those who should fear God but who do not.

What does the Bible say and teach about fearing God? Noah is the earliest man we read about in the Bible of whom it is said he had godly fear. In the book of Hebrews, the eleventh chapter, the chapter known as the faith chapter, it is said of Noah that, "by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household." (Heb. 11:7 NKJV) You can interpret that any way you want, but what I get out of it is that Noah was afraid not to build the ark. Why, because he believed God, he feared God.

A man who believes God today concerning what he has had to say about the judgment to come and eternal punishment and orders his life accordingly will simply be following in the footsteps of Noah who acted out of godly fear.

Moses in recounting the events at Mt. Sinai says the people spoke to him the following words at that time, "Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" (Deut. 5:25-26 NKJV) They were fearful for their lives because of what they were seeing and hearing. What was God's response?

Three verses later, God says, "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (Deut. 5:29 NKJV) God is saying that His people ought to fear Him for their own good. Has that changed today?

There is an interesting passage in the book of Jeremiah dealing with this subject. God speaking says, "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me." (Jer. 32:38-40 NKJV) The fear of God is for our good and will help keep us faithful, for that is what God is saying.

God makes it clear that fearing Him is not an evil thing as some seem to feel that it is today. Some talk like they think God is just Big Daddy. That kind of attitude is very disrespectful. God is not one of us. He is not a man. When we see God, we will be on our knees. We do not bow down to men. "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." (Rom. 14:11 NKJV, see also Isa. 45:23) Being in God's presence is not like going to grandfather's house.

The Psalmist says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalms 111:10 NKJV) Solomon said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," (Prov. 1:7 NKJV), "is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death," (Prov. 14:27 NKJV), "by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil." (Prov. 16:6 NKJV)

What is the whole duty of man? Solomon concluded in Eccl. 12:13, NKJV, that it was to "fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all" or as the old King James Version put it, "this is the whole duty of man."

What are the blessings to those who fear God? "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them." (Psalms 34:7 NKJV) "Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him." (Psalms 34:9 NKJV) "Surely his salvation is near to those who fear Him." (Psalms 85:9 NKJV) "For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him." (Psalms 103:11 NKJV) "As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him." (Psalms 103:13 NKJV)

The Psalmist said, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him." (Psalms 89:7 NKJV) One wonders, has that changed? Was it ever meant to change?

Well, how about the New Testament? We can have no higher authority than Jesus who said, "I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell: yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5 NKJV) Paul says we are to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil 2:12 NKJV)

Paul again says we are to perfect holiness "in the fear of God." (2 Cor. 7:1 NKJV) One of the reasons Paul gave for preaching the gospel, in his own words, was "knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Cor. 5:11 NKJV) The writer of Hebrews says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10:31 NKJV)

Peter, in fact, commands us to fear God. He says, "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." (1 Peter 2:17 NKJV)

The last verse I will use is Rev. 14:6-7, NKJV, "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.'"

I believe the Bible is as clear as it can be that man is to fear God. Call it godly fear if you will, for that is what it is. It is the kind of fear that helps a person stay faithful. It is the fear that Noah had and that we all ought to have. The foolish man is the man who does not fear God. Such a man lives for himself and fears not to disobey God.

In Rom. 3:18, NKJV, Paul says of those who he has been describing as sinners, talking about their nature and what they had done, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Yes, reverence God, but also understand what is included in that--godly fear. Godly fear, as stated in the beginning of this article, can lead a man to that state described in 1 John 4:18 where fear is banished for love has been perfected--perfected by the kind of faith and obedience that Noah and Abraham had. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." (1 John 5:3 NKJV) Such a man ceases to fear, for he is faithful to God. He would fear to be unfaithful.

Yes, this seems to be a contradiction to say fearing God leads one to not fearing Him. That being said, that is the way it is. No one would even become a Christian if they did not fear God. Their sins would not bother them. They would become their own God and live as they pleased just as long as they could stay out of jail. I close by saying that is the way many do. Do you want a better world? Get mankind to fear God.

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Faith Based On Deception

 "So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, 'We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?' And he recognized it and said, 'It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.'" (Gen. 37:31-33 NKJV)

As much as we might wish it to be otherwise, faith is not always based on truth. As human beings, we can come to believe a thing that is not true. While this is distressing it is also a fact of life. Jacob developed a strong faith that his son Joseph had perished based on the deception of his other sons who willfully deceived him. His faith was not based on truth. His faith was based on logic, on faith in those who were deceiving him, on apparent evidence.

Faith can be based on incorrect or misleading information, on misunderstanding, even on lies one mistakenly accepts, and that faith becomes so strong that one is firmly convinced the error he believes is the absolute truth beyond any doubt. Faith can also be based on the evil of one's own heart – bias or prejudice, for example, against a person or group. Man can come to believe a lot of things, for one reason or another, that are not true. There is such a thing as faith based on truth, but also such a thing as faith based on misconception.

Because of the evidence presented to him (misinformation), Jacob was certain his son Joseph was dead, killed as he said by "a wild beast." (Gen 37:33 NAS) He was fed disinformation and, with good reason, based on the information he was presented with, believed that which was false.

Why would he disbelieve? Did he not get his information from people he had complete trust in? Every Christian ought to immediately perk his ears up when he thinks back on this account and take heed and learn from it. We can be misled by the very people we have the utmost trust in. In Jacob's case, it was deliberate, but certainly one can also be misled by those who themselves sincerely believe error and propagate it. They are not deliberately lying to you, but they themselves have been misled into believing a lie.

Another tragic example of faith based on a lie is that of the man of God who was lied to by a prophet of God and lost his life because he believed the lie (see 1 Kings 13). If you cannot trust a prophet of God, who can you trust? So, again, the admonition is: Christians beware. The only thing you can trust is the word of God, not man.

In the case of the first sin ever committed, the Bible teaches that Eve was indeed deceived, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (Paul in 2 Cor. 11:3 NKJV) So, a person can be honestly deceived. One must understand that to believe error, as did Eve, is an exceedingly dangerous thing. Eve learned the hard way. There was no going back and doing it over again, no second chance, nor was there a second chance with the man of God in 1 Kings 13.

This deception that leads to belief in error can be delivered by way of those who seem to be "ministers of righteousness." (2 Cor. 11:15 NKJV) Paul says, "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (2 Cor. 11:14-15 NKJV)

Satan quoted scripture to Jesus while tempting him after his baptism. False teachers can quote scripture. We today are gullible. We believe that almost anything that is called Christian, whether in doctrine or works, is God approved. We just accept it and go on and assume it is fine with God and in accord with New Testament teaching. We need to keep alert.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1 NKJV) Well, how do you know whether or not a spirit is of God? Can you find a book, chapter, and verse for what is being taught? That is the key. That is the solid rock of faith you can stand on. What you cannot stand on is what seems right to you. I emphasize that. Why? "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (Prov. 14:12 NKJV) Remember also and always, the man standing in the pulpit you look up to is just that—a man. Search the scriptures to build your faith on a solid foundation.

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