Author: imikemedia

There is a well-known hymn based on the phrase, “Oh, to be like Thee!” It explores the realization that the most worthy goal in all the world is to know, love, and have fellowship with almighty God. People who have experienced the ups and downs of life often decide that they want to be on the side of the solution rather than continuing to be part of the problem. They realize that what the Bible says is true: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

They realize that they have sinned and need forgiveness.

Ever since Jesus died on the cross of Calvary some 2,000 years ago, the way for any person to be “together with God,” or to be more like God, to share in His blessings and favor, is to be what the writers of the New Testament call “in Christ.” The question then is how to get into Christ, how to be saved and be a member of His church. People want to know how to be converted to Christ, or changed to become His follower, therefore being in Christ.

The Bible provides evidence in the New Testament of a process of conversion, also called God’s plan for salvation. Collecting all the scriptural passages about it assures those seeking to be in Christ that they are fulfilling their part in obeying God’s directives leading to salvation. Every act of obedience leading to salvation is good, as long as it is the response that God desires from a biblical directive or example. If we obey only some of these teachings, we are part way there, but not all the way. If we obey them all with sincere hearts, we can say we have made the journey into the state of salvation and are in Christ. Here are the steps on that path, the biblical elements of the plan of salvation.

Hearing

Most people agree that one cannot follow anyone or anything about which he knows nothing. The Bible reinforces this concept with ample evidence that hearing the message of salvation in Christ is the most basic element of becoming His follower. In Romans 10:14 the apostle Paul asks, “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”  Romans 10:17 answers, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

It is when we hear His message taught from the Bible that we are able to develop saving faith. Acts 18:8 provides an example, reporting that, “…many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.” From the Old Testament, Ezekiel 18:20 demonstrates that we cannot simply inherit faith from our parents or ancestors. Back in the New Testament, the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 clearly show that Christianity is a teaching religion, and to be a part, we must hear the teaching.

Believing

Many people throughout history have heard the message of Christ and have not believed it. To stop after having heard it produces a person who might be well informed but cannot be saved, cannot be in Christ. Jesus confronted the supposed experts of His own time by saying, “…unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

Jesus would later send out the apostles to all the known world, telling them to preach the gospel to everyone in all creation. That gospel or good news was that Jesus was the only begotten son of God, and that through Him and because of His sacrifice on the cross, people could be saved. He added, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. He who does not believe shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) That seems crystal clear and gives us another necessary step to make toward salvation.

Repenting

To say we want to be saved from sin is the same as saying we want to be saved from our own sins and our tendency to sin, as well as the sin that surrounds us. We are not just victims. We ourselves are guilty. Life in Christ is by definition a life that has chosen God’s way over the ways of sin. Therefore a renouncing of one’s sinful deeds, a turning away or repenting must take place. We no longer place our faith in wrong things, thinking they will give us the good life, but in God through Christ Jesus, leading to eternal life with Him.

Jesus taught that everyone was under the penalty of sin, and said, “I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3) When Peter preached the first known Christian sermon, he urged his hearers to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2:38) Peter would later teach the people of Jerusalem, “Repent therefore and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing my come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) What a wonderful promise, to get rid of the old sinful self and move into a time of refreshing with the Lord. To obtain it, we need to obey the Lord’s directive to repent of sin.

Confessing

Confession or publicly acknowledging belief in Christ is very prominent in biblical teaching on how to be saved. In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said that we must confess Him before men, in the presence of other people, if we want Him to confess or acknowledge His relationship with us to our heavenly father. Paul writes in Romans 10:8-9,

“…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.”

A prominent Ethiopian taught by the apostle Philip the good news about Jesus asked what kept him from being baptized into Christ. Philip said he could be baptized if he believed, and the Ethiopian responded by confessing, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” He then was baptized and went on his way rejoicing at being saved. (Acts 8:35-38)

Being Baptized

The act of baptism in the Bible involves being immersed in water, and the words baptism and immersion have the same meaning. Baptism existed during the time of Christ, as in the case of John the Baptist, but it was not Christian baptism. Jesus left instructions for the practice of His church, saying that, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Christian baptism is made possible by Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and it symbolizes it in a way, as one is immersed in the water like a burial and rises up to a new life.

Baptism follows belief. If someone doesn’t believe the gospel message, he or she cannot be truly baptized. It also follows repentance. The people of Jerusalem asked Peter what they must do to be saved, and he said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, so that your sins may be forgiven.” (Acts 2:38) If one has not repented of sin, he or she cannot be truly baptized.

Putting all this together, the Bible teaches that people who are old enough to have sin in their life, hear and understand the gospel, decide that they believe it, repent of their sins, and publicly acknowledge their belief that Jesus is the Son of God are candidates for baptism. Even though some churches have baptized babies through the years, such a practice is not taught or supported in the Bible.

Walking in the Light

Any discussion of being in Christ would benefit from giving thought to the question of what happens after we emerge from the waters of baptism. In Romans 6:1-7 Paul writes to the Christians in Rome,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”

1 John 1 teaches that God is light, and 1:7 says, “…if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin.” That is a good basic answer to the question of what happens next after baptism. We rise to walk in newness of life, and we continue by walking in the light of God’s love.

A gospel preacher in the 1800’s taught about salvation by using five fingers to represent the five steps mentioned above that lead to salvation. One stood for hearing, one for believing, one for repenting, one for confessing Christ, then he would motion down the finger and up to the thumb, which stood for going down into the waters of baptism and emerging to live a new life. Five biblically documented steps, and we are saved—but he always mentioned that, if he had a sixth finger, that would represent walking in the light and living that new life made possible for us by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Anyone who is interested in following Jesus would have to say what a great blessing that is! We get to live among people who have cast off the sinful self and are now free to behave toward us in a way that is no longer shackled and controlled by sin. Also, we enjoy the blessing of constant communion with God, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us and teaches us through God’s word. What more could anyone ask for in this life? If this looks like the life for you, come visit with us as soon as possible, and let us know of your interest in being saved and living for Jesus! BY ALAN KAYE

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE

The Law of Moses was added because of transgressions till the seed should come (Gal 3:19). It was to shut up all things under sin (Gal 3:22). It was to bring us unto Christ (Gal 3:24). These purposes of the Law of Moses are suggestive of the nature of the Law. Each purpose for which Paul said the Law was given is a temporary purpose, and therefore one may make a valid conclusion that God did not give the Law to be a permanent fixture. So, how long was the law of Moses to be in effect?

There are some people who inform us that the Law of Moses is yet binding upon us, and that therefore we should keep the Sabbath Day (Saturday) instead of meeting for worship upon the First Day of the week as prescribed in the New Covenant (Acts 20:7). And there still are people who believe and teach that all one has to do to be saved is to keep the 10 Commandments. Paul told us that the Law of Moses was for a certain purpose. Then he said that the Law of Moses served its purpose, and therefore was done away. We are no longer under it.

Till the Seed Should Come

The first point we would like to make on the duration of the Law is stated in Gal. 3:19. Notice the context: “Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise has been made: and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.” Notice especially the statement, “It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come.” It was to last “till the seed should come.”

So how long was the Law to last? Paul said it was to last “till” the seed should come. Well, how long was that? If we simply read the verse preceding the one we have just read, this will be clear: “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16). Paul said that the seed spoken of is Christ. The Law was to last “till” Christ should come. When the seed or Christ came, the Law was to be done away. This coincides perfectly with what Paul had previously said about man’s being made dead to the Law through the body of Christ (Rom. 7:4). The duration of the Law, therefore, was until the death of Christ. At that time Moses’ Law was nailed to the cross. The nature of the Law was temporary.

Till We are Brought To The Instructor

In Gal. 3:24, 25, Paul made another statement that gives us light into how long the Law of Moses was intended to last. Verse 24, says, “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” We saw that one purpose of the Law was to bring us to Christ. The Law was our “tutor” or “schoolmaster” to bring us to Christ. It was a purpose of the Law to see that mankind was safely delivered unto Christ, the instructor.

Now, in order that the truth stated by Paul may be all the more clear, look at the passage again: “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal. 3:24,25). If there is any one passage in the New Testament that makes it unequivocally plain that the Law of Moses was temporary, this is it. In language which no man can misunderstand Paul stated the duration of the Law of Moses. This might be language which some do not believe, but it is not language which is not understood. He first said that the Law is our tutor to bring us to Christ (v. 24). Then, he declared that now that faith is come we are no longer under a tutor (v. 25). If the Law is a tutor, and Paul said we are no longer under the tutor, how can men yet declare and argue that we are bound by the Law of Moses? Paul’s argument is that we are released from the Law of Moses, and that we have perfect freedom in Christ. So here is a second statement of Paul as to the duration of the Law. First he said the Law was added because of transgressions till the seed should come (3:19), and then he said the Law is a tutor, but we are no longer under a tutor.

We will consult but one other passage in the Galatian epistle on the duration of the Law. In chapters 3, and 4, Paul demonstrated the relationship between the Law of Moses, and the Gospel of Christ. So now turn to Gal. 4:21-31: “Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman. Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the free woman is born through promise. Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answers to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bears not: Break forth and cry, thou that travails not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that has the husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, so also it is now. Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.”

In this passage Paul said that those who yet want to be under the Law do not even pay attention to what the Law says, for in the Old Testament we read of Abraham’s two wives, and his two sons. These historical realities, Paul declared, contain a vital and important lesson. The two women represent two covenants. Hagar is representative of the covenant given from Mt. Sinai in Arabia, which can be no other than the Law of Moses. This covenant answers to the Jerusalem that now is. Jerusalem was literally the center of worship under the Old Testament Law. As Hagar’s children are of the flesh and are in bondage. Sarah, Abraham’s real wife, is representative of the Jerusalem that is above, or the heavenly Jerusalem: “but you are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” Sarah’s children are not after the flesh, but are of promise, and are not in bondage, but are free. Then Paul said, but brethren we are children of promise.

Remembering that Paul said the children of Hagar, the handmaid, represented the Law of Moses, let us see the conclusion of Paul’s teaching: “Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman” (Gal. 3:31). Hagar represented the Law, so Paul said that brethren in the Lord, members of the church, are not under the Law. This would be plain enough for any who are willing to accept the Bible as the final standard of authority.

Conclusion: How long did the Law last? It lasted until Christ nailed it to the cross. Paul said, “God having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manner, has in these last days spoken unto us in his Son” (Heb. 1:1). We are not to go by the Law of Moses, but by the Law of Christ. Christ died to take the Old Testament out of the way, shedding his blood that we might have forgiveness of sins (1 Pet 1:18-20). The New Testament is in his blood for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats to take way the sins of the world (Heb. 10:4). BY ALFRED SHANNON, JR at: https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/the-duration-of-the-law-of-moses/

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE