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Those who are obedient to the gospel become servants of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). As servants, they are to serve. They are to be doing those good works for which they were created in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:10). In fact, they are to be “zealous” for those works (Titus 2:14). Romans 12:1-2 encourages Christians to be “living sacrifices” for the Lord. That is accomplished when we start living for the Lord and doing those things His will would have him do. One of the things the Lord wants His disciples to do is to serve others. He illustrated and emphasized this in John 13.

At what many have come to call the “Last Supper,” Jesus paused, girded Himself with a towel, took water, and washed His disciples’ feet. He told them, “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater then he who sent him” (John 13:13-16). Jesus was not binding the rite of “foot-washing,” rather, He was showing that those who would be His disciples were to be of a mind to serve others, regard their needs, and do what they could to help them.

James declares that if one is going to have a saving faith, that serving others is an essential aspect of that faith. In the second chapter he states, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17). One can profess again and again to be a Christian and to have great faith, but if he does not see to the needs of his brethren he, in reality, has no faith.

Opportunities abound for those who would be like Christ to demonstrate their love for Him by their service to their brethren. They can start by giving their brethren a friendly hello and a warm greeting. They can speak a kind word of encouragement; send a card to the sick or those absent from services; prepare a meal for the shut-ins; visit the sick, elderly, the weak, or discouraged; help the sick and/or elderly with chores; provide financial assistance when needed; and, of course, pray for their brethren. It is vitally important for all Christians to actively serve their brethren for in so doing, they serve the Lord. BY ERIC PAQUETTE

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

In spite of the clearest statements of Scripture to the contrary, most Protestant denominations deny that baptism is a condition of God’s forgiveness of our sins. Some reason that acceptance of such would equal salvation by one’s own works.   Others reject the necessity of baptism because of their erroneous dictum of salvation by “grace alone” and “faith alone” (not realizing that logically must exclude either “grace” or “faith”). In order to maintain their “denial syndrome” relative to baptism, men have invented numerous ingenious ploys to avoid the force of explicit statements of inspired men, including those made by Jesus (e.g., Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3–4; Gal. 3:27; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet 3:21; et al.).

Those who teach and practice the New Testament doctrine concerning baptism in God’s plan of salvation have been accused of teaching “water salvation.” Acts 22:16 may elicit this accusation more often than any other passage: “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.” When we emphasize the plainness of this declaration that the guilt of sins is removed , but in, the act of baptism, we hear the retort: “You believe that water will wash away sins.” If this passage so states, then we would all be obligated so to teach. However, neither this nor any other statement of Scripture so teaches, and we have never met anyone who believes such obvious heresy.

One must look elsewhere to discover the only agent that can “wash away” the sins that will bring eternal condemnation, if not forgiven. Jesus “poured out” His blood for remission of the sins of mankind (Mat. 26:28). We are redeemed by Jesus’ blood (1 Pet. 1:18–19). He “washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1:5; cf. 7:14). The old hymn asks, “What can wash away my sin?” and flawlessly answers: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Unless one applies Jesus’ blood to his sins he will be eternally lost. What, then, does Acts 22:16 teach? Not what washes away sins, but when one’s sins are “washed away.” The “what” (as noted above) is the blood of Jesus; the “when” is in the act of baptism. Romans 6:3 explicitly makes baptism the access to Jesus’ blood by saying one is “baptized into his death.”   The Scriptural conclusions are unavoidable:

(1) Forgiveness/salvation apart from the blood of Christ is impossible, (2) baptism is the means of access to the blood of Christ, and therefore, (3) no baptism, no blood, no forgiveness/salvation. BY DUB McCLISH

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