Tag Archives: Salvation

Reaching the Unreachable

Church Bulletin, Evangelism, ,

You know someone that needs Jesus. Their life is a mess and chaos reigns every day. You fear their eternity yet they slumber through life with little thought for the Lord and his salvation. Can this person be reached? Are they beyond the love of God? Should we surrender?

The Love of God Extends to All

Sacrificial love flows from God’s throne. Every action Jehovah has taken is targeted toward the salvation of lost men. He is driven by love. The death of Jesus was the evidence of his love (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). That love was directed toward sinners who live in rebellion against his glory.

It is inconceivable that God would offer his only son for those who despised him. Yet that is exactly what he did. Jesus authored salvation for the lost (Hebrews 5:9). All men are called to redemption by God (John 3:15, 21; 1 John 2:2; Acts 17:30, 31).

 Rejecting Jesus is Rejecting Salvation

God has called men in many different ways over the ages. But now, he seeks men through Jesus alone  (Hebrews 1:1-4). There is no other way to salvation except Jesus (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Rejecting Jesus is the same as rejecting salvation. It is a personal choice, allowed by God, with astounding implications.

During his ministry, Jesus was rejected by many. John 6:66 has disciples deserting Jesus because of difficult teachings. Jewish leaders rejected him just as prophesied centuries before (Isaiah 53:3). Some people have, and will continue to, reject Jesus to their own detriment. Scriptures teach that many will follow broad paths to destruction (Matthew 7:13).

Surrender is Not an Option

Although many will die shaking a fist of rebellion at the Father we must not give up. Our task is to go and preach (Matthew 28:18, 19; Mark 16:15, 16). We work together with brethren and God gives increase through his word (1 Corinthians 1:6). So even in the face of apparent defeat, we press on. One may wonder how often Paul thought of quitting and retiring to a quiet place to worship in his later years in peace. But he did not, nor should we.

When people reject our message of salvation we understand that they are rejecting God – not us. Samuel found Israel’s demand for a king other than God to be repulsive and he took their demands personally. But God reminded him that the people were rebelling against heaven (1 Samuel 8:7).

Reaching the Unreachable

Actually, no man is unreachable. Contrary to some teachings, God calls all men and does not desire the destruction of any (2 Peter 3:9). We must not faint in our effort (2 Corinthians 4:16; Galatians 6:9). We press on and save those whom we can.

A man may reject your words and overtures of love but he cannot overlook a life of God-filled joy and glory. We begin by living the life that is worthy of our place with God (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Revelation 3:4).

Next, we watch for opportunities and we seek openings to share the power of Christ. Jesus, through John, told Philadelphia that he had set an “open door” before them (Revelation 3:8). We must watch for those doors and be prepared to quickly walk through before they close forever.

Never give up, always press forward and always be prepared!

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

Conversion

Church Bulletin, Jesus, ,

Conversion is a process of change. Water placed into a freezer is converted into ice. That same water, placed over a fire, will change or convert into steam. Spiritually, we are changed from death into life:

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14).

Christians, themselves having been converted from death to life, desire to see others enjoy that same experience. Therefore, we teach and encourage others to be converted (Matthew 18:3; Acts 3:19). Conversion is an essential part of salvation. When one is converted he is added to the number of the believers (Acts 2:47) and is moved, by the power of God, into the Kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13). Continue reading Conversion →

Is There A Middle Ground Between Heaven and Hell?

Bible General, Doctrine, Eschatology, Missions, Salvation, Sin, , ,

This is a question  that pops up in some form from time to time. The questioner wants to know what will happen to people who have  never  heard of God, Jesus Christ, the Bible and salvation. I am going to try and offer a reasonable answer to the question.

Let me say in the opening that people who ask this question do so out of a love of others. They are horrified at the idea that a person without the Scriptures could be lost. Surely, they reason, there must be some other divine plan for those legitimately ignorant of the Gospel. They seek some hope from Scripture for these unknowing souls.

They also seek a theodicy ((“A vindication of God’s goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil”, American Heritage Dictionary)) to explain how a loving and just God could sentence someone to eternal hell if that person didn’t even know of God. For the most part, those who ask this question are not trying to prove some point or pursue a hidden agenda but are truly interested in the souls of men. Let’s examine their novel thought closely. Continue reading Is There A Middle Ground Between Heaven and Hell? →

Romans 6

Bible General, Doctrine, Romans, ,

For some reason I have been thinking about Romans 6 quite a bit lately. I did a lengthy discussion of it at the University in Lethem and then used it as the basis for a Bible Study class in Georgetown on Wednesday night. There is  a lot of meat on these verses! Romans is arguably the most complex of Paul’s writings and deals with some very deep issues like redemption, justification and righteousness. But these verses at the beginning of chapter 6 say so much. I think I will post a few articles on the different aspects of this chapter.

Sin & Grace from Romans 6:1

The thought with which Paul begins the chapter actually begins in chapter 5. ((Any time you see the word “wherefore” or “therefore” look back and find his thought. The reason for what he is now saying has already been stated.)) Romans 5:20 is the key, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” God never left man without hope. Grace was always present in some form. As we came to know sin through the Law of Moses, ample grace was available to serve God’s purpose of our salvation. Of course salvation never came through the Law alone. It took the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary to complete the redemptive process. But there was never more sin than grace!

But some imaginary reader might argue that since more sin brought more grace, and grace was a good thing, maybe we just need to keep sinning so grace will continue to multiply! It seems a foolish idea but evidently the Holy Spirit thought Paul should address it. His answer is a stunning “God forbid!” (KJV)

Death & Sin from Romans 6:2

Paul offers a powerful rebuke to those who want to claim Jesus as their Savior but continue to live worldly: “…How can we who died to sin still live in it? This is a rhetorical question. The answer is obvious – we cannot. But I am convinced that herein lies one of the greatest challenges the Christian faces.

Have you known someone who professes a faith in Christ yet lives like the world? There is no objective difference between them and the non-believer. How such a duel life possible? Well, of course, it is not possible. The child of God does sin (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:10) but he does not live in sin. His intent is to serve his Lord and his sin is almost incidental to his life ((Do not take this to mean that it is not important, it is, but it is not the primary goal or function of his life.)) and is not a major characteristic. He is “walking in the light” but still stumbles. His sins are forgiven (1 John 1:5-10).

In Matthew 8:22 Jesus told a man to “leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Of course, that cannot happen because a dead man does nothing. Likewise, the Christian who is dead to sin does not do it any longer. The ideal church is actually represented by a graveyard of dead sinners who now live unto Christ. Because I am dead to sin, its power over me is gone. What a great opening from Paul and he is just getting started!

Stay with us as we work through Romans 6. If you haven’t done so already, please subscribe through one of the options above. As always, I would love to hear your comments.

Is There Any Room for Obedience?

Doctrine, Salvation, ,

Is there any room for obedience in salvation? I am trying to answer this question but I find many confusing answers in the protestant world. Some don’t seem to think obedience is important.

Some argue that we cannot obey God. Phil Johnson, himself a Calvinist, in arguing against an extreme form of Calvinism says this, “…the sinner’s inability to obey God does not nullify his duty to do so.” Notice the assumption that the sinner is unable to obey.

Boyce and Rykin in The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (page 70) echo the thought:

“Here we are dealing with the nature and extent of sin, and the point is that we are radically sinful, so much so that we cannot take even the smallest of steps toward God unless he first intervenes.”

The Southern Baptist Convention says this in their Baptist Faith and Message: Continue reading Is There Any Room for Obedience? →

Through the Eye of a Needle

Homilitics, Luke, Mark, Matthew, ,

Camels are big – really big. Standing over 7 feet tall these interesting creatures inhabit the dry desert regions of the Middle East. They have been used in combat for millenia and were even used experimentally in the American Civil War. The camel has an ability to frighten horses and so they have proven useful on the cavalry battlefield.

Jesus spoke of the camel in the synoptic Gospels just after speaking with the rich young ruler who was told to sell all that he had. Matthew records the words similar to Mark and Luke:

Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:24).

Such a comment was astonishing to the listeners who concluded that no one could be saved.  Jesus corrects their misunderstanding in verse 26 when he says that “with men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”

It is indeed an odd, even cryptic saying of our Lord. What exactly does he mean and what should present day hearers take from this passage?

An Attempt to Explain How A Camel Can Pass Through A Needle’s Eye

Some time ago, a teacher hit upon a way to explain this passage. The story is that the needle’s eye in the Gospels is not the same needle we think of today. Instead, the needle’s eye was a small passageway built into t he side of a walled city. The passage was so low that a camel would have to pass through by crawling and not walking. This would prove very difficult but possible.

An interesting suggestion but wholly unacceptable when one considers the facts.

A Camel Cannot Go Through the Eye of a Needle

Let us begin by taking the Scripture in their simplest interpretation. Using Occam’s Razor we make the fewest assumptions possible about what Jesus means and just take it at its face value. We know what a camle is and we know a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle.

  • We observe that there are no other Bible passages which are contradicted or compromised by this interpretation.
  • We observe the ease with which a hearer would have understood Jesus’ comment.
  • We note the smooth flow of the text and context to verse 26 where Jesus offers a fuller explanation of his intention.
  • We also mention that the idea of a gate called the Needle’s Eye was never even thought of until the 11th century by Theophylact. So far as we know such a gate was just a fabrication!

The Beauty of Jesus’ Words

What Jesus speaks of is impossible (Matthew 19:26). The word Jesus uses is a derivative of the dunamis in Romans 1:16 where Paul declares his faith in the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation. However in Matthew 19:26 the Greek word is prefixed by the letter alpha – a – which creates an opposite word. Instead of man have power to do something he has no power. Therefore, in this context of wealthy people, thy have no power to reach heaven within themselves. The power Jesus says, is with God!

While Jesus was speaking of the wealthy in these passages, the same idea – the impossibility of self salvation – is prevalent in other passages. Most notably Paul’s comment in Romans 3:28  and Galatians 2:16 that no man can be justified through works and Romans 5:23 that salvation is a free gift of God and not earned by men.

Jesus is saying that just as a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle and man cannot earn or pay his way into heaven.

We ought use care not to move too far in one direction. Jesus is not declaring that man does nothing. Man must be obedient and faithful to Christ.  Just as the young ruler was instructed to do certain things, so too we have been commanded to do certain things. Jesus says in Luke 17:10 that when a servant has done what he has been told, then he has done nothing remarkable, just what he was supposed to do. Our actions and work are what we are supposed to do. Nothing more and nothing less.

Now when studying this passage, I hope you recall our discussion here. As always, this post is open for your comments.

baptism is no work

Is Baptism A Work?

Baptism, Baptist Answers, Doctrine, ,

Today we reach the end of the questions posed by a denominational preacher in Tennessee. He had charged that no “church of Christ preacher” could answer his questions. We know we have, although we doubt he would admit it.  We asked him to comment here and he has not. The question is simple: Is baptism a work?

The writer asked:

If salvation is not by works of righteousness which we have done, and baptism is a work of “righteousness,” then how can water baptism be a part of salvation? (Titus 3:5; Matt. 3:16) In the Bible, we are SAVED BY GRACE, and grace does not involve human effort or merit – grace is grace and work is work! (Just read Ephesians 2:8,9 and Romans 11:6.)

As before, our friend has asked a question in a way that demonstrates his confusion. We will seek to correct his misunderstandings.

Baptism Is Not A Work

So, is baptism a work? Those who argue that baptism is a work fail to understand the Biblical difference between works of merit, i.e. works that put God in debt to us (which cannot happen), and obedience.

Man cannot put God in debt. Man cannot, in any way, earn his salvation. Consider Luke 17:10 and the teaching from Jesus that we are “unworthy.” The idea is also echoed in Ephesians 2:8-9, especially in vs. 9 when Paul by inspiration declares that we are saved “not as a result of works.” The question we must answer is whether baptism is indeed a work?

In Matthew 3:16, John baptizes Jesus. The form of the underlying Greek word is passive in voice meaning that the baptism was something done to him. This fits nicely with Matthew 3:13 where text tells us that Jesus came to be baptized by John. The New Testament repeatedly uses this passive language.

Twice in Acts 2 we find forms of the word baptize. On each occasion, the word is passive in Greek (Acts 2:38, Acts 2:41). It is not something the believer does but something done to him.

In Acts 8 we read of the discussion of the conversions in Samaria. Luke records baptism in Acts 8:12, Acts 8:13 and Acts 8:16, again the form is passive. In the second half of the chapter we find baptism mentioned twice. When the Ethiopian man asks to be baptized (Acts 8:36) he used the passive voice but in Acts 8:38, when speaking of what Phillip did, the word is active. Baptism is not something the believer does but something done to him.

Acts 9:18 records the conversion of Saul, later known as Paul. And, you guessed it! The word form is again passive. Baptism is not something the believer does but something done to him.

Acts 10:47 tells us of the grand moment when Peter carried the Gospel message to the Gentiles. Again the word is passive as it is in the very next verse, Acts 10:48. Baptism is not something the believer does but something done to him.

This same passive use of the word continues through the remainder of Acts. Note Acts 11:16, Acts 16:15, Acts 16:33, Acts 19:3, Acts 19:4 is active in describing what Paul did while Acts 19:5 is passive describing baptism. Acts 22:16 alone uses the aorist middle voice which signifies Paul taking action upon himself at a point in time. Indeed, complying with the instruction of Ananias brought Paul to the point of baptism which, as recorded in Act 9:18 was a passive act. Baptism is not something the believer does but something done to him.

One final Scripture reference on this idea of the passive nature of baptism. Acts 18:8 tell us that when Crispus, his household and many of the Corinthians heard the truth they were “believing and being baptized.” The Bible uses the active voice for believing and the passive voice for baptism. Baptism is not something the believer does but something done to him.

If baptism can be considered a work of any kind, it is a work of the person doing the baptizing not a work of the person seeking salvation.

Most denominations I am aware of argue that a man must be willing to confess the Jesus is the Son of God. Is that confession a work? How might it differ from the alleged “work” of baptism? Confession is not work for it is a part of obedience – just like baptism.

Grace Saves – But Not Alone

Is baptism a work? Our Baptist friend argues that we are saved by grace and we heartily agree! However, we are not saved by grace alone! Contrary to what some denominations would have you believe, grace is but one essential part of salvation but it is not the only part.

In Matthew 10:22 and Matthew 24:13 we are saved by endurance. In Mark 16:16 we are saved through belief and baptism. Luke 7:50 and Luke 18:42 it is faith that saves. Christ that saves (John 3:17). The teachings of Christ save according to John 5:34. John 10:9 says it is by entering into Christ that we are saved.

Salvation comes in Acts 2:21 by calling on the name of the Lord. In Acts 4:12 we are saved by the name of Jesus. In Acts 15:11 we are saved through grace. Romans 5:10 we are saved by the death of Christ. In Romans 8:24, by hope, Romans 10:9 by confession. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 says we are saved by the gospel. In Ephesians 2:5 and Ephesians 2:8 we are saved by grace through faith. In 1 Peter 3:21 we are saved by baptism.

It is intellectually dishonest to argue that anyone is saved by grace alone. Apart from grace, no man can be saved but there is a component of obedience too.

Consider your automobile. It cannot run apart from the engine. The engine is essential but it is not the only essential item. Try driving your car without the transmission or without axles or without wheels and tires. Apart from the engine, no car can run but there is a component of other parts too,

The truth is that grace is essential and so is baptism. We never place God in our debt but we must obey him. Inasmuch as God has commanded us to be baptized (Matthew 28:18-19; Acts 2:38) and has given us an example in Jesus himself (Matthew 3:13-17), we may rest confidently in the fact that baptism is essential along with grace.

Other posts in this series:

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A Different Kind of Security

Bible General

The politicians probably won’t let you miss it but today is the birthday of Social Security. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1935, the act was designed to provide an old age pension for workers in the United States. It’s common today to hear those under 50 wondering aloud if Social Security will still be around when it’s time for them to retire.

I am not smart enough to answer that question but I do know there is a kind of security that will absolutely be around when I need it. It’s the eternal security that comes from knowing and obeying Jesus Christ.

In Acts 3:6 as Peter and John were going up to the Temple, a lame man begged alms. He was hoping for money but was given something far greater.

“I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!”

Peter gave the man health and relief from his crippled body. But even greater still is the gift of eternal life. Paul exclaims “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

I’m unsure what the politicians will do with Social Security. I do know that I can trust God to securely lead me to a heavenly home.