The question, "Is baptism required for salvation," is the kind of question that should never be answered with a "yes" or "no".
The question, "Have you stopped cheating on your wife," is the kind of question that should never be answered with a "yes" or "no". If you answer "Yes," then you are admitting that you have, in the past, cheated on your wife. If you answer "No," then your are admitting that you are still cheating on your wife. The reason this question is not valid is because it is built on a false assumption, that is, the assumption that you must have cheated on your wife.
If you answer "Yes," that baptism is "required," then you imply that everyone not baptized must be condemned to hell. This puts you in the place of God, to decide who may or may not be saved; and by judging others, you condemn yourself (Rom 1:31-2:3) If you answer "No," that baptism is not "required," then you contradict the commandments and examples from God which He gave us in the Bible. The reason this question is not valid is because it is built on a false assumption, that is, the assumption that God has a list of absolute requirements; all of which must be met, before He will save someone.
The idea that God has a list of absolute requirements contradicts God's statement, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion," where Paul in Rom 9:15 is quoting Moses from Ex 33:19 who is quoting God Himself. God looks on the heart, not only on external actions. If a person loves and obeys God (and baptism is one act of obedience), then that person will be saved. If a person does not love God, it does not matter how many times he dunks himself in baptism. God is not a vending machine, required to mindlessly dispense salvation after the insertion of X tokens of good works. God is a person, and he has the freedom to save anyone He loves, whether or not that person has ever heard of Him in this life (1Pet 4:5-6, Philippians 2:10), whether or not that person has been baptized for the remission of sins. (Rom 2:12-16)
Our job is not to create a list of absolute requirements; our job is to learn what God wants us to do (including baptism), and then to do it. It is not our job to condemn anyone for their failings of religious duty. It is our job to teach people what the Bible says about what God wants us to do, and to leave the judging of hearts up to God.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Words --- Be of the same mind.
For a Christian, what does it mean to be of the same mind? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:15 that "we have the mind of Christ." But what does it mean to have the mind of Christ? If we look at the context surrounding those scriptures which say, "be of the same mind," we get a good idea what it means to have the mind of Christ. And if we are all striving to achieve this kind of life, then we will all "be of the same mind" of Christ.
In Romans chapter 12 (:9ff) the context around being of the same mind tells us:
To let love be without hypocrisy;
To abhor what is evil;
To cling to what is good;
To be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
To give preference to one another in honor;
To not lag behind in diligence;
To be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
To rejoice in hope;
To persevere in tribulation;
To be devoted to prayer;
To contribute to the needs of the saints;
To practice hospitality;
To bless those who persecute you, to bless and do not curse;
To Rejoice with those who rejoice;
To weep with those who weep;
To not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly;
To not be wise in your own estimation;
To never pay back evil for evil to anyone;
To respect what is right in the sight of all men.
To be at peace with all men.
So when it says to "be of the same mind toward one another," it has already shown us how we should be acting toward each other.
In Romans chapter 15 (:1ff), the context around being of the same mind tells us:
For those who are strong to bear the weaknesses of those without strength;
To not just please ourselves, but for each of us to please his neighbor for his good;
To edify our neighbor;
To, with one accord and one voice, glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;
To accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
So when Paul prays that the God who gives us perseverance and encouragement
may grant us to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
the "one mind" he is referring to, does not mean that everyone thinks the same thing,
but that everyone, by the power of Jesus, may have the same love for everyone else.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 (:11ff) the context around "be of the same mind" tells us:
To be perfected;
To be comforted;
To live in peace;
To salute one another with a holy kiss.
ASV
In Philippians chapter 2 (:2ff) the context around "be of the same mind" tells us:
To maintain the same love;
To be united in spirit;
To be intent on one purpose;
To do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit;
To have humility of mind;
To regard one another as more important than ourselves;
To also look out for the interests of others;
To have Christ Jesus's attitude in ourselves;
To take up the role of a servant;
To humble ourselves and become obedient to the point of death;
NASU
These things, also, are obviously what it means to have the mind of Christ.
In Romans chapter 14, being of the same mind does not mean that everyone understands everything exactly alike. Paul writes, "The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. . . . each one of us will give an account of himself to God. . . . do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. . . . So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. . . . The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God."
Paul is not talking about mere opinions which people may take or leave without touching the core of their beliefs. Paul did not say, "the opinions you have, have as your own ... " He is talking about faith, those beliefs that this is what you need to do to be right before God. "The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God." Paul does not say that we all must believe everything alike and understand everything the same way. He says that we must not judge, or condemn, each other for these differences in belief.
Having the mind of Christ, being of the same mind, saying the same things --- these things can only happen when we concentrate the sharing of our faith on those things which we all have in common; When we stick to preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, as the Bible teaches it, then we will be speaking the same things.
In Philippians chapter 4 (:1ff) living in harmony means:
To stand firm in the Lord, in this way:
To live in harmony in the Lord;
To help other people to live in harmony;
To rejoice in the Lord always;
To let your gentle spirit be known to all men;
To be anxious for nothing;
To let our requests be known to God with thanksgiving, in prayer;
To let the peace of God guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
To dwell or meditate on the following things:
Whatever is true,
Whatever is honorable,
Whatever is right,
Whatever is pure,
Whatever is lovely,
Whatever is of good repute,
Whatever is excellent,
Whatever is worthy of praise;
To practice these [good] things which we have learned, and received, and heard;
To come to know that the God of peace lives within us.
NASU
In 1 Peter 3 (:8ff) being harmonious means:
To be harmonious;
To be sympathetic;
To show brotherly love;
To be kindhearted;
To be humble in spirit;
To not return evil for evil or insult for insult;
To give a blessing instead;
To keep our tongue from evil;
To keep our lips from speaking deceit;
To turn away from evil;
To do good;
To seek peace and pursue it;
NASU
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Words --- Truth
Truth is reality.
Reality is truth.
Truth is not just what I can convince myself is true, without having any doubts --- which is what Scientology would have me believe.
Truth is not confirmed or proven by a warm and fuzzy feeling --- which is what the Mormons would have me believe.
Truth is not dispensed by the few people with the most prestige or college degrees --- which is what the American Association for the Advancement of Science would have me believe.
Truth is not determined by majority rule.
Truth is not owned by those who shout the loudest.
Truth is not true just because it is printed, or broadcast on radio or television, or appears on the internet.
Truth is what really happened.
Truth is reality.
Reality is truth.
Reality cannot be false.
Reality cannot be a lie.
Reality is absolute truth.
Whenever I make a statement about the world, that statement may be true or untrue. I can take the statement, "the sky is blue", and hold it up, compare it to the real world, and decide for myself if the statement is true, or false, or whether it may need to be modified. Maybe the statement should say, "on a clear day, the sky is blue." Simple statements are easily verified by almost everyone.
The difference between what is true, and what is truth is this: Truth is what really happened, but that which is true is in a form --- like a statement about reality --- which may sometimes be false.
Truth is what really happened. And the Bible says much the same thing. John writes in 1 John, ". what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the word of life . what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also." And Peter, in 2 Peter 1, writes, "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to him .,'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased' --- and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him."
So Peter and John are both saying, as it were, "We saw Him with our own eyes. We heard Him with our own ears. We touched Him with our own hands. And this is what we are telling you about.
What does the Bible say about "truth"?
It says, "The truth of the Lord endures forever," Psalms 117:2.
It says, "Your law is truth," Psalms 119:142.
It says, "The LORD has sworn to David, a truth from which He will not turn back; 'Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne,' Psalms 132:11.
It says, "speak the truth to one another; execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates," Zechariah 8:16.
It shows Jesus saying, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth," John 4:23-24.
It shows Jesus saying, "If you abide in my word then you are truly disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," John 8:31-32.
It shows Jesus saying, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you," John 14:16-17.
It shows Jesus praying, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth," John 17:17.
It shows Jesus saying, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice," John 18:37.
It says, "[love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth," 1 Corinthians 13:6.
It says, "speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ," Ephesians 4:15.
It says, "it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth," 1 John 5:7.
Reality is this; that God created the heavens and the earth; that everything was created by that part of God which became Jesus; that everything is continually upheld by the word of His power; that God Himself, in the form of Jesus, was born into His own creation; that He lived with us; that He gave Himself up to be put to death on a cross in order to show us the way of love --- to "love one another, as I have loved you"; that He rose from death on the third day; that He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, the Father; that He sent the Holy Spirit of love and truth to live within us.
Any idea, or teaching, which denies this reality, is not the truth but a lie.
Reality is truth.
Truth is not just what I can convince myself is true, without having any doubts --- which is what Scientology would have me believe.
Truth is not confirmed or proven by a warm and fuzzy feeling --- which is what the Mormons would have me believe.
Truth is not dispensed by the few people with the most prestige or college degrees --- which is what the American Association for the Advancement of Science would have me believe.
Truth is not determined by majority rule.
Truth is not owned by those who shout the loudest.
Truth is not true just because it is printed, or broadcast on radio or television, or appears on the internet.
Truth is what really happened.
Truth is reality.
Reality is truth.
Reality cannot be false.
Reality cannot be a lie.
Reality is absolute truth.
Whenever I make a statement about the world, that statement may be true or untrue. I can take the statement, "the sky is blue", and hold it up, compare it to the real world, and decide for myself if the statement is true, or false, or whether it may need to be modified. Maybe the statement should say, "on a clear day, the sky is blue." Simple statements are easily verified by almost everyone.
The difference between what is true, and what is truth is this: Truth is what really happened, but that which is true is in a form --- like a statement about reality --- which may sometimes be false.
Truth is what really happened. And the Bible says much the same thing. John writes in 1 John, ". what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the word of life . what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also." And Peter, in 2 Peter 1, writes, "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to him .,'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased' --- and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him."
So Peter and John are both saying, as it were, "We saw Him with our own eyes. We heard Him with our own ears. We touched Him with our own hands. And this is what we are telling you about.
What does the Bible say about "truth"?
It says, "The truth of the Lord endures forever," Psalms 117:2.
It says, "Your law is truth," Psalms 119:142.
It says, "The LORD has sworn to David, a truth from which He will not turn back; 'Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne,' Psalms 132:11.
It says, "speak the truth to one another; execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates," Zechariah 8:16.
It shows Jesus saying, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth," John 4:23-24.
It shows Jesus saying, "If you abide in my word then you are truly disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," John 8:31-32.
It shows Jesus saying, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you," John 14:16-17.
It shows Jesus praying, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth," John 17:17.
It shows Jesus saying, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice," John 18:37.
It says, "[love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth," 1 Corinthians 13:6.
It says, "speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ," Ephesians 4:15.
It says, "it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth," 1 John 5:7.
Reality is this; that God created the heavens and the earth; that everything was created by that part of God which became Jesus; that everything is continually upheld by the word of His power; that God Himself, in the form of Jesus, was born into His own creation; that He lived with us; that He gave Himself up to be put to death on a cross in order to show us the way of love --- to "love one another, as I have loved you"; that He rose from death on the third day; that He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, the Father; that He sent the Holy Spirit of love and truth to live within us.
Any idea, or teaching, which denies this reality, is not the truth but a lie.
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