Believers in Jesus Christ. Community Group
We all know how Jesus' blood has cleansed us, now we continue to be blessed by His actions when our sins were erased by His blood. Thank you Jesus!
We all know how Jesus' blood has cleansed us, now we continue to be blessed by His actions when our sins were erased by His blood. Thank you Jesus!
Here is some great scripture verses that support my comments:
Ephesians 6:11 - 18:
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Our armour of GOD is the word of God. This is why it is so important to know the bible through and through, to study it word for word every single day because God's word is our defense against the attacks from the enemy, the devil himself who comes to deceive, steal, kill, and destroy the believer in Christ. God bless & God speed!
If believing was all you had to do to be saved, that would be too easy. People would still go out and do the things that they've always done thru life still thinking they are saved.
Christ says, Be baptised and be saved. You cannot be saved if you dont get baptised.
Paul's letters are wonderful on how we should live our lives too.
Here's a great online reference on the purpose of baptism: http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/f/whatisbaptism.htm
The Purpose of Baptism:
Water Baptism identifies the believer with the Godhead â Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
âTherefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.â Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
Water Baptism identifies the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
âWhen you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure--the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.â Colossians 2:11-12 (NLT)
âWe were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.â Romans 6:4 (NIV)
Water Baptism is an act of obedience for the believer. It should be preceded by repentance, which simply means âchange.â It is turning from our sin and selfishness to serve the Lord. It means placing our pride, our past and all of our possessions before the Lord. It is giving the control of our lives over to Him.
"Peter replied, 'Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all.â Acts 2:38, 41 (NLT)
Water Baptism is a public testimony - the outward confession of an inward experience. In baptism, we stand before witnesses confessing our identification with the Lord.
Water Baptism is a picture representing profound spiritual truth:
Death - âI have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.â Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
Resurrection - âWe were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.â Romans 6:4-5 (NIV)
âHe died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God." Romans 6:10-13 (NLT)
Cleansing - âAnd this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also â not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.â I Peter 3:21 (NIV)
âBut you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.â I Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)
Absolutely right about that! Amen.
Please read the following illustration entirely as I will do my best to explain our position on this. If a prostitute were to be told by the king of the land, "I have legalized prostitution and all of your past prostitution charges have been dropped and all your files shredded" then do you have a right to tell her that based on the legalization of prostitution that she should no longer practice prostitution? No. Do you think that there will be any motivation on her part to stop being a prostitute? No. Now let's pretend that the king did not stop with those words but when on to say, "I love you and want you to be my queen. All that I have is yours." Now would it be safe to say that she has all the reasons to stop being a prostitute? Yes, unless she is an idiot. Would you seem justified to say to her if she were to continue in prostitution "Hey, you have been made queen so why in the world would you give your body over to prostitution?" Yes, of course you would. Your words should hopefully open her eyes to the stupidity and inconsistency of her lifestyle with who she now is positionally.
The same is true with believers today. Not only have we been forgiven but we have been made heirs and children of promise. God has removed the filthy rags we had and replaced it with the robe of everlasting righteousness. Why would we presume on grace? Believers have been blessed with all spiritual blessings, redeemed, loved, accepted, forgiven, adopted, sealed, indwelt, made a child of light and so on, so does telling a believer not to sin make sense? Absolutely, because it is inconsistent with who we are in Christ.
The apostle Paul everywhere argued the inconsistency of how people were living and would point them to who they are in Christ. In 1st Corinthians 6, believers were suing other believers and Paul felt the need to remind them that they one day would judge angels. So if God could trust them with big matters then they should handle the small ones amongst themselves. Paul said also in 1st Cor. 6 that it makes no sense for a person that has been joined to Christ to then join themselves to a harlot. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:8 that we "were darkness" but now we are "light in the Lord." Paul then ends that verse by saying for us to "walk as children of light." What is now true of us should be practiced in our daily lives as it only makes sense. Just like the queen should live up to her name then so we should live up to who we are now in Christ Jesus.
I hope that answers your question Gzus.
p.s. I loved your comments Shamgaranath, "Salvation is freedom FROM sin. I think we spend a lot more time on the "thou shalt nots" and not on putting on the full armor and or walking in the Spirit. "
Repentance from what? From sin. Why? Because the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). In fact, read Romans 6 the whole chapter since 6:23 is the end point. Sin is pleasurable for a season (Heb. 11:25), but as James points out in chapter 1 "12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, âI am tempted by Godâ; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. "
Sin has a way of keeping us from God, no man can serve two masters, we must be single-minded toward the LORD, and this because the love of Christ constrains us, is it not?
I consider what Paul said in Ephesians 2:3 "Among whom also we all had our manner of living in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. "
Same Paul said to the church at Galatia "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. "
Also to Roman church Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. "
Hope this helps.
These verses tell us that when we get baptised, our sins are forgiven. Remember that if we dont get baptised, we cant enter in to the Kingdom when Christ comes back.
ACTS 3 V 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
v 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.â
JOHN 3 V 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
If all of our sins are forgiven like you say, past, present and future, what is the point of judgement day then??? You say before you were born, your sins were all ready forgiven? So does that mean we cant sin?
Jesus commands us to be baptised so our sins "can be" forgiven. ROM 6 V 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 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.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection
This is something that we must understand.
Eph:2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph:2:9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ro:10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
M'r:1:8: I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
M'r:16:14: Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
M'r:16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
M'r:16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
M'r:16:17: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
M'r:16:18: They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
1Co:1:14: I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
1Co:1:15: Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
1Co:1:16: And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
1Co:1:17: For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1Co:1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Ro:8:29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Ro:8:30: Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Ro:8:31: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Ro:4:1: What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Ro:4:2: For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Ro:4:3: For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Ro:4:4: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Ro:4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Ro:7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Ro:7:15: For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Ro:7:16: If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Ro:7:17: Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Ro:7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Ro:7:19: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Ro:7:20: Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Ro:7:21: I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
I will finish with these words.
The Four Gospels and Most of Acts were written to and for the Jew.
See Matthew Chapter 10 Verses 5 - 8
M't:3:1: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
M't:3:2: And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus came to present Himself as the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for. Jesus did not come to save the gentile until the Jews had rejected Him as their Messiah.
Ro:1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek
But anyhow......
If all of our sins are forgiven, whats the point of Judgement day? Everyone would pass.
Jesus died for us. So we could be saved. When we sin, we pray to God for forgiveness, so He can forgive our sins. We get baptised to have our sins forgiven and start a new life in Christ. We wait for Christ's return.
Also, how were the OT saints such as Abraham saved. That is what I meant that God lives in eternity. When Abraham believed God would send a "seed" through Issac it was counted unto him for righteousness. God at the same time knew of Christ sacrifice and accepted Abraham because of his beliving God by faith.
Ro:14:10: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Here Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome. Only Christians will apppear before Christ for judgment not to determine heaven or hell but what we did for Him and He hands out crowns. Some of us will be very ashamed for what we could have done for Him.
IN Revelation we see the Great White Throne of God were those who did not accept Christ are judged not to determin heaven on hell because those who accepted Christ had their names written in the book of life.
Re:20:11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Re:20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Re:20:13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Re:20:14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Re:20:15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.