We Are The Sheep; He's The Shepherd

Today, you can find God and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Jeremiah 29:13 reads, "And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all you heart". The secret to finding God is to open your heart. God still speaks to a willing and obedient heart. "What must I do to be saved?", is just as current in our generation as it was in the Apostles' day. Acts 2:37-38, 41-42 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. The word saved comes from the Greek word "Sozo" meaning to save, deliver, protect, heal, and preserve. Webster stated that in religion, it means to deliver a person or soul from sin and punishment; redeem from spiritual death. When the world repents they feel sorrow. But, feeling sorrow over one's sins isn't enough. We must turn from our sin and change our life and the way we live. Judas repented of having betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:3) but his was only regret, not a change of mind. In Genesis 6:6 God repented that he made man but he didn't change his mind. When a child is punished, the parent may feel sorrow that the discipline was necessary, but that sorrow doesn't cause them to change their mind.

Repentance actually has three parts:

1. A turning from sin. This turning must be both in heart (emotion) and mind (thinking). We must both feel sorrow in our hearts and support that sorrow with the resources of our minds.

2. A spirit of abhorrence to sin. A desire to turn away from our old ways and find new ones. A hatred for the thought of sin as well as a desire to be holy.

3. A spirit of honor toward God. God told Abram: I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect. And again he said: I am holy, be ye therefore also holy.                               

Remember, only God can call to repentance.

1. Romans 2:4 Goodness of God leads thee to repentance.

2. II Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.

3. John 6:44-45, 65 No man can come to me, except the Father...draw him...Every man therefore that hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. No man can come unto me, except it were given him of my Father.

Repentance must be an outward and inward confession (Romans 10: 10). The Jews (Acts 5:31), the Gentiles (Acts 11:18) and the rest of the world (Luke 24:47) must repent through the name of Jesus.

BAPTIZO - Greek word meaning to dip, immerse, or to bury. 

John 3:1-6 Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and told him that you must be born again. When asked how this was done, Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of the water (baptism) and of the (ensuing entering of the Holy) spirit. Notice that Jesus said he must be. There was no room for argument. Baptism is not an option, it is a must.

In Acts 2 Peter answered the question, "Men and brethren what shall we do?" with "be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ".

In Mark 16:16 Jesus said "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved".

Baptism is by immersion. It has already been defined as such. And the scriptures will provide the further proof of this evidence.

Acts 8: 26-40 The Ethiopian eunuch said "Here is water", indicating much water. Phillip and he went down into the water and came up out of the water. Signifying that they went and stood in the water.

John 3:23 When John the Baptist baptized in Aenon he did so because "

there was much water there". Much water was required because he dipped or immersed or buried them in the water.                                                                                                                                          Romans 6: 3-6 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.               

There are many scriptural reasons for baptism. Let us look at some examples:

1. Baptism is for the remission of sin.

Jesus said that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His name beginning at Jerusalem. Our sins are remitted (washed away by our acitive faith and his grace) after water baptism.

At Jerusalem in Acts chapter 2, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

2. Water Baptism is the "New Birth" experience.

John 3:5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Titus 3:5 According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

3. Baptism is taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Acts 4:12. There is none other name. Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, (As baptism is both).                                                                   

Immediately upon repenting of your sins you should be baptized to wash away your sins. Acts 2:38 Peter said to repent and then be baptized.

Matthew 3:5-6 During the days of John the Baptist, the people came confessing their sins and then John baptized them.                                                                                             

Many people ask, "Why do so many baptize in the titles Father, Son and Holy Ghost if it is not scriptural?" As the church grew older, not only did false teachers rise up but many sincere individuals misunderstood the teachings of the Scripture. From just this setting, many wrong ideas developed. Justin Martyr, a Greek Catholic, was the first recorded person to change the formula from the Acts 2:38 model to a extended trinity form. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of the Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water." 140 AD by Justin Martyr. Now another Greek Catholic named Tertullian modified the formula further. As he simply used the titles of God.  And from him also was devised a trinity in Godhead, it was borrowed and twisted from Pagan Plato's work of Timaeus.

When the council of Nicea met in 325 A.D. the Trinitarian formula for baptism was adopted. From this time forward, the trinity was embraced and the Trinitarian baptismal formula gained prominence. It was immediately after this council that the Catholic church began to be the dominant influence in church circles, and even the political world. For the next 1200 years the Catholic church was without rival. As it killed all the opposition. Then in 1517 Martin Luther began what was later to be known as the Protestant Reformation. Luther and others kept the Trinitarian formula but began to break away from the other traditional beliefs of the Catholic church. He simply did not go far enough away from the Catholic ideas given to him. 

Many of these groups still use a

singular questionable verse of Matthew 28:19 as a basis for baptism. However, this scripture instructs of baptism in the NAME (singular) of the FATHER (John 5:43 "I am come in my Father’s name", the SON (Matthew 1:21 "And thou shalt call his name Jesus"), and the HOLY GHOST (John 14:26 "The HOLY GHOST, whom the Father will send in my name") In all of these titles we find but one name; the NAME of JESUS! Acts chapters 2:38 through 22:16 only record baptisms in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that the Spirit was like:

a. A river of living water (John 4:10-14)

b That the Spirit would be the power of God in us (Acts 1:8, Colossians 2:12, and Titus 3:5 ).

The word GHOST in the Bible is also translated SPIRIT in some places. Both words are translated from the Greek word PNEUMA, meaning spirit. So, the HOLY SPIRIT or HOLY GHOST is the SPIRIT of God. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit in them after their faithful baptism in the family name of God. (Which is Jesus, according to Ephesians 3:14-15. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.)

God's Spirit is very important to us in our lives. It is a very sacred thing, so much so that Jesus warned us not to blaspheme (speak against), the Holy Ghost. Forgiveness can never be obtained for this sin (Mark 3:28-30). Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the ONLY unpardonable sin. Any and all other sins can be forgiven.

Great stress is laid upon the importance and the essentiality of the Holy Ghost in the Bible. There are three basic and important reasons why the Spirit of God indwells each Christian:

1. It is necessary for salvation (Romans 8:9-11; I Corinthians 12:3.)

2. It will lead us into all truth (John 16:13).

3. It acts as a discerner and intercessor. (Romans 8:26).

Once a person has accomplished the steps of faith, repentance, baptism; then their salvation from sin is complete. Even as the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in dove form, so it will upon all who are baptized in his name. Allow the man of God to baptize you and then God will enter into your heart and life. This is explained out in 1 John 5:4-6. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. This is Bible Salvation.