What Does the Bible Say About Why Am I A Member of the Church of Christ #15?

In this episode, Glenn, Arnie and Fred continue discussing Acts chapter 8 where Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit to go near the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch who was returning from worshipping God in Jerusalem. We discussed how Philip did that and was able to preach Jesus to him from Isaiah chapter 53. We note how the eunuch learned about baptism, belief and confession. We then note that there is one more thing that one must do to be saved according to Jesus, and we talk about that. We move on to a discussion of each of the specific things that New Testament says one must do to be saved. We point out the specific passages that the tell us what the Lord requires everyone to obey in order to be saved. We note that denominations teach differently about what one must do to be saved. We ran out of time before we finished this subject and will address the conclusion next week. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this episode provided for your convenience.

Transcript

Fred Gosnell: 0:00

This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com or to Glenn Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com

Arnie: 0:42

Oh, good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Glenn Landrum and Fred Gosnell. And this is what does the Bible say, brought to you by the church of Christ at Woodland in Sumter, South Carolina. And we hope if you happen to be in the Sumter area, either visiting the military at Shaw Air Force base or or just examining the things that we have to offer here by reason of entertainment in Sumter, South Carolina, we hope that you'll stop in and be with us on the Lord's day in the morning for Bible class and and worship, and then again in the evening for worship, and we meet Wednesday nights as well to have Bible study. So we hope that you'll be with us. What does the Bible say has to do with with Bible things. And we're we've been talking about why you should be a member of Christ's Church. And Glenn, would you like to pick it up from there?

Glenn: 1:50

Yeah, last week, we had read from from Acts and we were reading in Acts 8, 26, through 29. We read that passage, and just a recap of that. Philip was was visited by by an angel and told to to go to the south of Jerusalem into the desert. And he did that, and he met an Ethiopian, Ethiopian there, who was a eunuch, who worked for the Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. And he was reading the Scriptures. He had been to Jerusalem to worship, and he was reading the scriptures. And he was reading from Isaiah 53. And Philip got into the chariot that he was riding in and asked him, said, Do you understand what you're reading? And the Ethiopian eunuch said, How can I without someone to explain? So the words that by that are, that are in the text, there are, Philip began at that passage and preached to him, Jesus. Well, that's a very important point when we see what, what they did. They had, they had driven on for a while, while Philip was preaching to him, or teaching him about that passage, and preaching Jesus to him. And when they came to water, the eunuch said, There's water. What hinders me from being baptized? And Philip told him, said, If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you can. And so Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him, and then Philip was caught away. Well, a very important point about this is that it never talks about Philip teaching the eunuch, a eunuch about the need for baptism. It only says that he preached to him, Jesus. We can deduct from from this that preaching Jesus includes teaching about the need to be baptized after one confesses Jesus. So Mark 16, 16 teaches belief and baptism, but doesn't say anything about confession. We also learn from the passage we just read in Acts Eight that preaching the gospel includes teaching about baptism and confession. There are yet other things people must do to be saved. Luke, 13, three says, I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will also like likewise perish. This passage doesn't say anything about being saved, but we cannot be saved if we perish. Therefore we must repent to be saved. Acts 2, 38 says that repentance is necessary for salvation. Then Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This passage teaches that repentance and baptisms are needed to be saved. This is yet another passage that is easy to understand, but most denominations teach that baptism is not required for salvation. There is one more thing that we must do to be saved, but is not a one time thing or a one time event. Revelation 2, 10 says, Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. Being saved and having the opportunity to go to Heaven is not something that is based on a one and done event, such as many denominations teach. Many denominations teach that once a person accepts Jesus into their heart as their personal Savior, they will, they are and will forever be saved. And there is nothing else that Christian can do. The passage we just read in Revelation is not saying that at all. It is saying that we must live faithful lives until the end, then we will receive salvation. That's the crown of life. Throughout the New Testament, there is instruction on living good lives that are good, not sinful, but righteous. In the beatitudes in Matthew five, two through 12, Jesus taught about the attitudes that we should have as followers of him. And just after that, he spoke of his followers being salt and light. Jesus, throughout his ministry, taught people about doing good and avoiding sin. We have constant reminders in the Epistles about avoiding the sins of the flesh and practicing the fruits of the Spirit. Yes, God requires us to remain faithful. Of course, as humans, we continue to sin even after we become Christians. Therefore, God has given us a way to acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness. God is faithful to forgive us our sins when we repent First John one, five through 10.

Fred Gosnell: 7:12

Well, and John writes there, he says, Now this is the message which we have heard from Him. And declare to you that God is light in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. So in this passage, John tells us that we are supposed to try to live like Jesus lived sinless, and we will have fellowship with Jesus and God. We are supposed to walk in the light, which is to try to live just like Jesus, who had no sin. But we cannot say that we do not sin, because we do. So when we do, we can be assured that God will forgive us and when we confess those sins. Of course, this is this is only given to the Christian. If you're not a Christian, then you don't have this. You don't have this, right. So this is how we we do it to be saved. So we obey the gospel. We hear about who Jesus is, what he did for us, what we're supposed to do, do what we are supposed to throughout our lives, admit when we fall short, and ask for forgiveness each time we do sin. This is but a bit different than what most denominations teach. Of course, this is what the Bible teaches, which is what members of the Church of Christ believe and teach. We ask you to examine what the church you are a member of teaches. Does it teach the truth of God's Word? So since we have just covered the basics of how a person is saved, we will list other scriptures that support what we have just presented. Important thing that we want you to pay attention to is that any differences you notice between what the Bible says and what the church you are a member of teaches. So we are simply presenting what the Bible, the scriptures teaches and nothing else. So we're not trying to spin any kind of interpretation on any of the scriptures. We're just reading and presenting it. Any explanation is completely in line with what the Scriptures say. So there's no interpretation.

Arnie: 9:35

Let's talk a little bit about hearing the word or reading it for that matter, as one of the things that we need to do in order to be saved. It's not just one thing, just go, go get baptized, but there, there are several things that lead to that, so that we understand what we're doing and and are committed to obeying, obedience to God's will. And and so hearing the word or reading the Word is is a part of that. Hebrews chapter 11 and and verse six tells us that, Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that who comes to God, must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So reading the Scripture is is certainly very clear there. We have to, we have to know what God's will is and and to to to know it, we've got to either read it or someone teach it to us. Because even though this doesn't specify the the word here in it, one's got to learn that information in one way or another, either read it or or believe what someone has showed him in in the Bible. This one works with with both hearing or reading and and believing, believing. Romans, 10 is another passage and and verse 17 says that when, So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of of God. And so when you, when you think about what that's telling us, it's directly saying that we gain our faith by hearing God's word or by by reading it, once again, there. John six is, is is another passage I think that we that we want to look at, verses 44 and 45 Jesus says, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught by God. Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes by me. That's pretty straightforward, isn't it? Anyone who's heard and learned from the Father comes to Jesus, And so hearing from the Father is either hearing someone preach or reading it in the Bible, perhaps a little bit of both of those. And and the reading, of course, is equivalent to hearing, since that's how information travels to us and and enters the the mind. Let me give you one more passage on on this thought about hearing as well. Revelation two and and verse seven, where Jesus is speaking to the seven churches in in Asia. And he says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. So John says this phrase to each of the seven churches, by the way, and that'll appear in all seven of his letters to the churches there in in Revelation two and three. And the Holy Spirit was, was the one who was adressing the readers in that particular case and addressing them, He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says.

Glenn: 13:53

Well, the next one we want to cover is believing God's word and the gospel. Hebrews 11, verse six, we read that a few moments ago. But without faith is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Mark 16, 16 says, He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. We we listed this passage just a little bit ago, and it's very clear the person who believes will be saved. That is not the only thing a person needs to do, but after one who has heard the word, it is fitting that he understands it and believes it. It is belief that prompts one to go further. When we believe in something, we believe all the precepts concerning that that they're true. If we believe in something, we will abide by the concepts and precepts that are part of what we believe. It would be foolish for us to say we believe in God and Jesus and not do what they ask and demanded. To not do as they tell us to do simply says that we do not believe in them. John 8, 24 says, Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I Am, you will die in your sins. In this verse, Jesus made a statement that he was I Am, that's the name for God. So he was saying that he was God. Therefore men say we believe in Christ. We all are also saying that we believe that Christ is God. Christ came to earth having been with God, became a man, lived a sinless life, took our say, our sins upon him, and sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. See if I you can read in Philippians, two, five through 11, and that gives a very good explanation. Why don't we turn there and, and I'll read that, and, and I think you'll see this, this is one of the the best explanations of this, this, this concept that we can we can read about, It's the Philippians two, beginning in verse five. It says, Let this mind be in you, which it was also in Christ, Jesus, He Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and become became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Very important passage for us to know and be aware of. In Acts 16, 31 to 33 through 33 says, So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to them and to all who were in his house, and he took them that same hour of the night and washed their stripes. Immediately he and all his family were baptized. This was Paul, Timothy and Silas when they were in jail in Philippi and the jailer responded to the Gospel, and above is what felt what he told them. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the jailer, and the members of the family also believed and were baptized. When? Immediately. So there, there should be no dispute at all. And I don't believe there is with anyone about this, about believing. To follow Christ and to be one of his disciples, we must believe in Him. We don't believe are there any questions concerning this point. Everyone is on board with this requirement. One must believe in Jesus, Christ, who he is, what he did, both in heaven and on earth, and what he did for us to offer us salvation.

Fred Gosnell: 18:40

So in Luke 13, Jesus made a statement there. He says, I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Of course, in verse five of this chapter, he says exactly the same thing. So again, it doesn't mention salvation, but we know that anyone who is condemned to perish will not inherit salvation. So So repentance is one of the things that we are required to do. So in Acts 3, 19 there it said, Repent therefore and be converted. I think this is Peter speaking, that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. So then, in Acts 17, verse 30, there says, Truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this by to all, by raising Him from the dead. So we see that God requires us to turn away from our sins. Repentance is turning away from those that's the things that we do that are against God and our fellow man. So even that are against our own selves. So even though all these verses do not specifically say that a person cannot be saved, it is evident that is what is being talked about. Take a look at the last one again, God had overlooked the ignorance of people in the past who did not know what he wanted at one time. But now the times related to Christians of serving unto Christ in the New Testament times, God requires everyone to repent, because he will judge them in the end by Jesus Christ.

Arnie: 20:26

Let's talk also about a fourth requirement in obeying the gospel. We've talked about hearing, believing, repenting, and now let's talk about confessing Christ. In Matthew chapter 10 and verse beginning in verse 32 Jesus said, Therefore, whosoever confesses Me before men him will I also confess before My Father, who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men him, I will also deny before my Father, Who is in heaven. So it's not only necessary to believe that that Jesus is the Christ and and that he's the the Savior there. We've we demonstrate that faith in in confessing, then. Very clearly, we've got to confess that we know and that we believe in Jesus Christ, Matthew chapter 16 is another passage that I'd like for you to turn to if you're using your Bible while you listen there. Verse 16 of Matthew 16 involves Peter, the Apostle. Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus had asked him, Who do you say that that I am? And so Peter frankly confessed that. In Acts chapter eight, which which Glenn read to us a little while ago and and talked to us about with the Ethiopian nobleman there. Acts eight and verse 37 Philip is speaking to him and Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. He had asked the question, What must I do to be saved and and to be baptized? He said, If you believe with all your heart, you may And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. These, these last two items here, Matthew 16 and Acts chapter 8 offer a great example of how we confess Jesus Christ. We must admit that we that we believe in him and that he is, in fact, the Messiah there. Let me give you, let me give you one other passage here, Romans, chapter 10, and beginning in in verse eight, Paul says, What does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith which we preach, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. So you know, as we read this, this passage, we recognize that it's very important, because it lets us know that confession is required for salvation. We don't just hear, believe and and get baptized. It has to be known by the person that's that's going to baptize us, that we are, in fact, believers and and are entitled to be baptized there for the remission of sins. This passage, very important, lets us know that the confession is required and and it also lets us know that the confession is a verbal confession made with the the mouth, so we have to believe in Jesus and be willing to admit it, confess it, in other words, confess it to other people. It should be easy for us to understand this concept. It's much more difficult to actually say the words of belief. You know that I believe that Jesus, Christ is the son of of God, especially to other people. It truly demonstrates true belief.

Glenn: 25:05

Well, we this covers confession. There is another point I wanted to make about about that. Although this verse that we just read does not mention it and is not really in the context with with this verse, think about confessing Christ to those who are adamantly against God and Jesus, will you? Will you confess your faith? Will you confess that Jesus is the Son of God? And I think that's very important. That's, that's, I think, where Christ was talking in Matthew was it 8, 32, 32 and 33. And we read that a few moments ago that he said, if, if you confess me before people, I will, I will confess you before Father, my Father in heaven. Well, the next we're going to talk about is baptism, Mark 16, 15, and 16, which we read probably a number of times, And he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. We have quoted this verse a few times, but it's straightforward and absolutely true. The two things Christ said that need to be done are believe and be baptized. Both must be done, and baptism is not canceled out because of the last part of the verse in verse 16, which many claim to be the case, if one does not believe, there would be no baptism in the first place. John did not have to say he who does not believe and he who doesn't is not baptized. All he needed to say was He who does not believe. Acts 2 , 38 which we've read before by Arnie read a few moments ago. Then Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter was answering the people on the day of Pentecost, when he was preaching the first gospel sermon, when they asked what they needed to do to make things right between them and God for the sins that they had committed and sending Christ to the cross. He told them to repent and be baptized for remission of sins in the name of Christ, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a lot like the statement in Mark 16, 16, in that it links two things together that are equally important, repent and be baptized for remission of sins. Every example of conversion in the book of Acts involves those coming to Christ being baptized, and that's the case here as well. Baptism is not an afterthought or something done later. Verse 41 says that those who gladly received his word were baptized, and about 3000 souls were added to the church. We learn some very important lessons in this passage. And the verse is following what had been quoted. First, both repentance and baptism is for remission of sins, that is forgiveness of sins, and it's required. If remission of sins is a result of repentance and baptism, then that means that if either is not done, the person will not have their sins forgiven, thus no salvation. The baptism is also done by the authority of Jesus Christ. That is shown by the saying in the name of Jesus Christ. Finally, this passage says that those who repent and are baptizo will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Excuse me. That is simply saying they will be saved. It's not referring to the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit that were passed on later. Acts 10, 48, Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized? Can anyone forbid water these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. This was when the Gentiles first received the Holy Spirit to identify to the Jewish Christians that the Gentiles had been accepted by God to be part of his family and that they should receive salvation as well. Peter asked if anyone could forbid water, or could anyone give a good reason why these Gentile Gentiles could not be baptized then he commanded them to be baptized. Baptism is a command. It is not optional. We see here that they were baptized right then, and they did not wait a period of time as many in many denominations do. Many will, as we mentioned before, someone is said they accept Jesus as their Savior, and then week or two later, they'll, they'll do the baptism. Well, that concludes our time today, and we'll have to pick up with that. We still have a few more passages on baptism we would like to share with you. And the point I'd like to give you here is that with all the passages that indicate that baptism is required, there's, there's, should be no misunderstanding about that at all,

Arnie: 30:38

And that baptism is immersion. It's not sprinkling or pouring of water at all. We thank you for listening to us this afternoon. We hope that you'll be with us next Lord's Day. Have a good day.