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"Thus it is written, and thus
it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye
are witnesses of these things. And,
behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:46-49).
"But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
"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" (Acts 2:38).
"Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12)
"As we said before, so say I
now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed" (Galatians
1:9).
"And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20).
"As I besought thee to abide
still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some
that they teach no other doctrine" (I
Timothy 1:3).
"All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16).
The Bible is the
inspired Word of God, giving a true history of the creation of heaven, earth
and humanity and containing a correct prophecy of the ages to come regarding
heaven, earth, and the destiny of humanity.
Moreover, there is no salvation outside of what is taught in its pages.
There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of heaven and earth, and of
all living beings. He has revealed
Himself to humanity as:
- the father (Creator)
- the son (Savior)
- the Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit)
God is a Spirit (John 4:24). He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all
things, and the Father of all humanity by creation.
He is the First and the Last, and beside Him
there is no God (Isaiah 44:6).
There was no God formed before Him; neither
shall be there any after Him (Isaiah
43:10).
Jesus is the Son
of God according to the flesh (Romans
1:3) and the very God Himself according to the Spirit (Matthew 1:23).
Jesus is the
Christ (Matthew 16:16); the creator
of all things (Colossians 1:16-17);
God with us (Matthew 1:23); God made
flesh (John 1:1-14); God manifested
in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16); He
which was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8); the mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of
peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus Himself testified of His identity as
God when He said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:7-11) and "I and my Father are
one" (John 10:30).
It took shedding of blood for the remission
of the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:22),
but God the Father was a Spirit and had no blood to shed.
Thus He prepared a body of flesh and blood (Hebrews 10:5) and came to earth as a
man in order to save us, for in Isaiah 43:11 He said, "Beside me there is no Saviour."
When He came in flesh the angels sang, "For
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord" (Luke 2:11).
The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God (the Creator);
the Spirit of the resurrected Christ.
The
Holy Ghost comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of everyone who believes and
obeys the gospel, as the comforter, Sustainer, and keeper (John 14:16-26; Romans 8:9-11).
The Holy Ghost is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the very Spirit of God.
Sin is the
transgression of the law, or commandments of God (I John 3:4).
The guilt of sin has fallen upon all humanity
from Adam until now (Romans 3:23).
The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept salvation as set forth in the Word of
God.
Salvation consists of
deliverance from all sin and unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The New Testament experience of salvation
consists of:
- repentance from sin
- water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
- baptism of the Holy Ghost
After which the Christian is
to live a godly life (Acts 2:36-41).
Water baptism is
an essential part of New Testament salvation and not merely a symbolic ritual.
It is part of entering into the kingdom of
God (God's church, the bride of Christ), and therefore, it is not merely a part
of local church membership. (See John 3:5; Galatians 3:27).
Water baptism is to be
administered only by immersion.
Paul
said, "We are buried with him [Jesus Christ] by baptism" (Romans 6:4; see Colossians 2:12), Jesus came up "out of the water" (Mark
1:10), and Philip and the eunuch went down "into the water" and came up "out
of the water" (Acts 8:38-39).
Jesus' death, burial and resurrection are
applied to our lives when we experience New Testament salvation:
"Repent [death to sin], and
be baptized [burial] 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
[resurrection]." (See Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7; 8:2).
Sprinkling, pouring or infant
baptism of any kind cannot be substantiated by the Word of God, but are only
human traditions.
The name in which baptism is
administered is vitally important, and this name is Jesus. Jesus' last command to His disciples was,
"Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19).
We should notice that He said
name (singular) not names.
As previously
explained, Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not names of separate persons, but
titles of positions held by God.
An
angelic announcement revealed God's saving name in the New Testament: "She
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins" (Matthew
1:21).
The apostles understood that
Jesus was the name to use at baptism, and from the day that the church of God
was established (the Day of Pentecost) until the end of their ministry, they
baptized all nations (Jews--Acts 8:16;
Gentiles--Acts 19:5) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, Jesus is the only name given for our
salvation.
"Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
The baptism of the Holy Ghost
is the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5).
This spiritual baptism is necessary to put
someone into the kingdom of God (God's church, the bride of Christ) and is
evidenced by speaking in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit of God
gives utterance.
It was prophesied by
Joel (Joel 2:28-29) and Isaiah (Isaiah 28:11), foretold by John the
Baptist (Matthew 3:11), purchased by
the blood of Jesus, and promised by Him to His disciples (John 14:26; 15:16).
The
Holy Ghost was first poured out on the Day of Pentecost upon the Jews (Acts 2:1-4), then upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:17), and later upon the
Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6).
"The promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call" (Acts 2:39).
Speaking in tongues means
speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker, as the Spirit gives
utterance. Tongues can be classified in
two ways, according to function:
- Speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God
gives utterance is the manifestation God has given as the definite,
indisputable, supernatural witness or sign of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6). It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as
the rest and the refreshing (Isaiah
28:11-12), foretold by Jesus as a sign that would follow believers of the
gospel (Mark 16:17), and experienced
by Jews and Gentiles alike.
- The gift of "divers kinds of tongues," mentioned by
Paul in I Corinthians 12:1-12 and
concerning which he gave regulations in I
Corinthians 14:1-40, is given by both for self-edification (I Corinthians 14:4) and for the
edification of the church (I Corinthians
14:27-28). In church meetings, the
gift of tongues is used to give a public message, and it is to be interpreted. Since this gift can be misused in public, it
needs proper regulation (I Corinthians
14:23-28).
Not all believers exercise
the gift of tongues, which is different in function from tongues given by God
as the initial witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues"
(I Corinthians 14:39) and "I thank
my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (I Corinthians 14:8).
Who
dares to teach or preach to the contrary?
After we are
saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11).
We are
commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without
holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews
12:14).
We must present ourselves as
holy unto God (Romans 12:1), cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (II Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all worldliness (James 4:4). If the righteous scarcely be saved, where
shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
(I Peter 4:18).
No one can live a holy life by his own power,
but only through the Holy Spirit.
"Ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8).
God has made
Himself known through the ages by miraculous healings and has made special
provisions in the age of grace to heal all who will come to Him in faith and
obedience.
Divine healing was purchased
for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24).
Jesus went everywhere healing
those who were sick (Matthew 4:23-24),
and He commanded His disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:8).
He said
concerning those who believe the gospel, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover" (Mark 16:18).
Mighty healings and miracles followed the
disciples wherever the gospel was preached.
There is no sickness or disease too hard for God.
Any of us, our children or our friends can be
healed by the power of God.
"Is any sick
among you? let him call for the elders
of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up: and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray
one for another, that ye may be healed" (James
5:14-16).
Jesus Christ is
coming back to earth in bodily form, just as He went away (Acts 1:11).
He will catch
away a holy people (His bride, His church) who have accepted redemption through
His blood, by birth of water and of the Spirit, and who are found faithful when
He comes.
"For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
"One
shall be taken and the other left" (Luke
17:36).
Will we be ready? The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril are here indeed, with forms
of godliness void of the power of God; society and politics corrupted; and people's
hearts filled with pride, blasphemies, unholiness, love of evil, and love of
pleasures (II Timothy 3:1-13).
These things, together with multitudes
running to and fro, the increase of knowledge (Daniel 12:4), the persecution of the Jews and their return to
Palestine (Luke 21:24), and scores
of other things are starting signs that Jesus' coming is drawing near.
Wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes,
storms, floods, distress of nations, perplexity, and people's hearts failing
them for fear are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus' coming is at hand (Matthew 24:6; Luke 21:25-28). "Prepare to meet thy God" (Amos 4:12).
There will be a
resurrection of all the dead, both just and unjust.
"Marvel not this: for the hour is coming, in
the which all that are in graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth;
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29).
"And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God . . . and the sea gave up the dead
which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them" (Revelation 20:12-13).
(See
also Daniel 12:2; I Corinthians 15:13-23).
"It is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). For this reason,
there will be a resurrection for everyone.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every
one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad" (II
Corinthians 5:10).
The eternal
destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just God who knows the secrets
of everyone's heart.
"And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . .
Then shall he also say unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels. . . .
And these shall go
away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46).
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