All these things have got to be considered and must not be brushed aside. All these things can be handmaidens, can be of very great value; but we must always be careful in our use of them. We must be equally careful not to over-correct their abuse to such an extent as to become dull, colourless, and lifeless. As long as we forget ourselves, and remember the devil, we shall never go wrong” ~Martyn Lloyd Jones from Preaching and Preachers.

It is not enough to reply, “I belong to the church; I suppose I’m a Christian.” Thousands of nominal Christians show none of the signs of being born again which the Scriptures have given us—many listed in the First Epistle of John.

No Habitual Sinning

First of all, John wrote: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin” (I John 3:9). “Whosoever is born of God sinneth not” (5:18).

A person who has been born again, or regenerated, does not habitually commit sin. He no longer sins with his heart and will and whole inclination. There was probably a time when he did not think about whether his actions were sinful or not, and he did not always feel grieved after doing evil. There was no quarrel between him and sin; they were friends. But the true Christian hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, considers it his greatest plague, resents the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under its influence, and longs to be completely delivered from it. Sin no longer pleases him, nor is it even a matter of indifference to him; it has become a horrible thing which he hates. However, he cannot eliminate its presence within him.

If he said that he had no sin, he would be lying (I John 1:8). But he can say that he hates sin and that the great desire of his soul is not to commit sin at all. He cannot prevent bad thoughts from entering his mind, or shortcomings, omissions, and defects from appealing in both his words and his actions. He knows that “in many things we offend all” (James 3:2). But he can truly say, in the sight of God, that these things cause him grief and sorrow and that his whole nature does not consent to them.What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

Believing in Christ

Second, John wrote: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (I John 5:1).

A man who is born again, or regenerated, believes that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour who can pardon his soul, that He is the divine person appointed by God the Father for this very purpose, and beside Him there is no Saviour at all. In himself he sees nothing but unworthiness. But he has full confidence in Christ, and trusting in Him, he believes that his sins are all forgiven. He believes that, because he has accepted Christ’s finished work and death on the cross, he is considered righteous in God’s sight, and he may look forward to death and judgment without alarm.

He may have fears and doubts. He may sometimes tell you that he feels as if he had no faith at all. But ask him if he is willing to trust in anything instead of Christ, and see what he will say. Ask him if he will rest his hope of eternal life on his own goodness, his own works, his prayers, his minister, or his church, and listen to his reply.What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

Practicing Righteousness

Third, John wrote: “Every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him” (I John 2:29).

The man who is born again, or regenerated, is a holy man. He endeavors to live according to God’s will, to do the things that please God and to avoid the things that God hates. He wishes to continually look to Christ as his example as well as his Saviour and to prove himself to be Christ’s friend by doing whatever He commands. He knows he is not perfect. He is painfully aware of his indwelling corruption. He finds an evil principle within himself that is constantly warring against grace and trying to draw him away from God. But he does not consent to it, though he cannot prevent its presence.

Though he may sometimes feel so low that he questions whether or not he is a Christian at all, he will be able to say with John Newton, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

Loving Other Christians

Fourth, John wrote: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (I John 3:14).

A man who is born again has a special love for all true disciples of Christ. Like his Father in heaven, he loves all men with a great general love, but he has a special love for those who share his faith in Christ. Like his Lord and Saviour, he loves the worst of sinners and could weep over them; but he has a peculiar love for those who are believers. He is never so much at home as when he is in their company.

He feels they are all members of the same family. They are his fellow soldiers, fighting against the same enemy. They are his fellow travelers, journeying along the same road. He understands them, and they understand him. They may be very different from himself in many ways—in rank, in station and in wealth. But that does not matter. They are his Father’s sons and daughters and he cannot help loving them. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

Overcoming the World

Fifth, John wrote: “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world” (I John 5:4).

A man who is born again does not use the world’s opinion as his standard of right and wrong. He does not mind going against the world’s ways, ideas and customs. What men think or say no longer concerns him. He overcomes the love of the world. He finds no pleasure in things which seem to bring happiness to most people. To him they seem foolish and unworthy of an immortal being.

He loves God’s praise more than man’s praise. He fears offending God more than offending man. It is unimportant to him whether he is blamed or praised; his first aim is to please God. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

Keeping Oneself Pure

Sixth, John wrote: “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself’ (I John 5:18).

A man who is born again is careful of his own soul. He tries not only to avoid sin but also to avoid everything which may lead to it. He is careful about the company he keeps. He knows that evil communications corrupt the heart and that evil is more catching than good, just as disease is more infectious than health. He is careful about the use of his time; his chief desire is to spend it profitable.

He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country—to wear his armor continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to be watchful, humble, prayerful man. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

The Test

These are the six great marks of a born again Christian.

There is a vast difference in the depth and distinctness of these marks in different people. In some they are faint and hardly noticeable. In others they are bold, plain and unmistakable, so anyone may read them. Some of these marks are more visible than others in each individual. Seldom are all equally evident in any one person.

But still, after every allowance, here we find boldly painted six marks of being born of God.

How should we react to these things? We can logically come to only one conclusion—only those who are born again have these six characteristics, and those who do not have these marks are not born again. This seems to be the conclusion to which the apostle intended us to come. Do you have these characteristics? Are you born again?

Baptism Or Christ

by Charles Leiter -LakeRoadChapel.Org

Not long ago a friend of mine became a Christian. Now, I do not say that he “made a decision” or “had an emotional experience.” No, this was a miracle! After years of wandering in spiritual darkness, caring nothing about the things of God, he was wonderfully apprehended by the risen Christ and transformed by power from on high. In the words of Paul, he became “a new creation,” “old things passed away and all things became new.” The things he once loved, he now hated; the things he once hated, he now loved. Christ and His Word became exceedingly precious to him, and he could say with the man of John 9, “One thing I know, that whereas once I was blind, now I see.” With this new love for God came a desire and power to break with sin that he had never known before.

How amazing then, in the light of all this, that my friend was later told (by one who also pro- fessed the name of Christ) that he could not possibly be a Christian! No, he was in fact “dead in sins” and still under the wrath of God! And the reason? Why, he had not yet been baptized! “According to the Bible,” he was told, “a man’s sins are not washed away unless and until he is baptized.” It matters not what evidences there are of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence, what signs of the life of God in the soul of man; all these are labeled false and deceptive because the new believer has not yet had his body physically dipped in water!

Now the fact that such things are being taught, even by those in professedly orthodox Christian circles, would not be so important if it were simply a matter of being a slightly different angle on Christian truth. But that is not the case. What we have here is not the true gospel viewed from a different standpoint; it is an entirely different “gospel” altogether — a false gospel. In other words, we are dealing here, not with the difference between a red apple and a green one, but the difference between an apple and a tomato. Here there are two entirely different messages, which lead the soul to two entirely different destinations.

Salvation by Works

Why is this the case? What is it about the “baptismal forgiveness” message that puts it in a different category than the true gospel? The answer to this question is not far to seek: The Bible teaches that men are justified solely through the avenue of faith, and is thus a proclamation of “sal- vation by faith”; the “baptismal forgiveness” message teaches that men are justified by “faith plus obedience,” and is thus a proclamation of “salvation by works.” Now the advocates of baptismal forgiveness will immediately insist that this is not the case — that theirs is not a message of “salva- tion by works,” but the Scriptures make it clear that is most certainly is the case nonetheless. We could quote literally hundreds of Bible passages to demonstrate this (e.g. Jn 3:14-18, 5:24, 6:47; Acts 16:30-31; Rom 1:16-17, 3:21-22, 5:1, 9:30-33, 10:1-13; I Cor 1:21; Gal 2:16, 3:1-14; Eph 2:8; Phil 3:8-9; I Pet 2:6-8, I Jn 5:1), but must content ourselves with quoting just one, which is il- lustrative of the rest — Romans 3:28. “We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” It is important to notice at the outset that justification is here taught to be by faith alone; it is specifically said to be “apart from” or “without” works. In fact, faith must be alone, or it is not “faith” in the Biblical sense of the word. The very idea of “believing on Christ” means that we trust Him as the One who has finished the “work” of salvation, so that there is nothing left for us to do. “To the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works.” (Rom 4:5-6) Faith and works belong to two mutually

© Lake Road Chapel | www.lakeroadchapel.org 1exclusive categories as far as a man’s forgiveness before God is concerned. Accordingly, when the “Judaizers” at Galatia tried to teach that men are justified by “faith plus circumcision,” Paul condemned them as “false brethren” (Gal 2:4), teaching a false “gospel” (Gal 1:6-9), and uttered the strongest of curses upon them (Gal 5:12, 1:8-9). To add “works” to “faith” in any measure is thus, according to the Bible, to believe in “salvation by works” and to place oneself under a curse. (See Galatians, chapters 1-6). “We maintain,” therefore, “that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

“Yes,” says someone, “but Paul was speaking here only of the works of the Mosaic Law, not works of obedience to Christ.” “It’s true that we can’t be justified by faith plus keeping the Law of Moses, but we can be justified by faith plus obedience to the commands of Christ.” Nothing could be further from the truth! When Paul set out to contrast “salvation by faith” with “salvation by works,” he was not for a moment limiting himself to the works of the Law of Moses. He often singled out the Law of Moses, true enough, because it was the particular “religious hang-up” of the people of his day. But when Paul says that justification is by faith and that “works” can have no part in it, he is speaking of all human activity or goodness whatsoever. Consider, for example, Romans 9:11. “Though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls.” What does Paul mean by the term “works”? The answer is given within the verse itself. By “works” Paul means “doing anything good or bad”! Or again, consider 2 Timothy 1:9. “Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but accord- ing to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” Here “our works” are contrasted with “God’s own purpose and grace.” What are “works” then? Not the deeds of the Law of Moses only, but anything whatsoever from the realm of human activity and initiative. Even truly righteous deeds are ruled out. “He saved us, not on the basis of works which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy.” (Titus 3:5) Again, verse after verse could be cited. It is obvious, then, that Paul intended his words to apply to any and all religious ceremonies or commandments that men might set forth alongside faith as a condition for justifica- tion, not just the ones that happened to be a problem in his own day.

Not “Demon Faith”

“But,” someone protests, “James teaches that we are not saved by faith alone.” (See James 2:14-26). And, of course, this is true. But the type of “faith” James is referring to is mere mental assent, something even the demons have. (James 2:19) James is concerned to emphasize that true saving faith is much more than just heartfelt mental assent. Because it always involves a complete renewal of the mind (“repentance”) and is the result of a supernatural revelation of Christ to the heart (Mt 16:15-17, 2 Cor 4:3-6, Mt 11:25-26), saving faith inevitably leads to a life of obedience to God. When James says that Abraham was “justified by works when he offered up Isaac,” he does not mean that Abraham’s sins were not forgiven until this time. (Paul makes it very clear that Abraham was justified long before he was even circumcised, much less offered up Isaac! See Rom 4:9-11; Gen 15:6, 17:10, 22:1.) What is James saying then? He is simply saying that justifying faith always manifests itself through works. It is “perfected,” “fulfilled,” and vindicated through works. In the words of John, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (I Jn 2:4) The true believer will desire to obey Christ’s commands, including the command to be baptized. But notice here, good works are the outcome (Eph 2:10), not the cause (Eph 2:8-9), of salvation in Christ.

What is Faith?

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“But even if you say that men are saved by ‘faith alone,’ still ‘believing’ itself is just another type of ‘work’ –something men do in obedience to Christ which obtains the favor of God.” Abso- lutely not! When God pronounces repentant sinners to be “just” in His sight, He is looking at the blood and merits of Christ, not the faith of man! The gospel is not a “new law,” a series of steps “1,2,3,” that men confidently obey in order to “get saved.” On the contrary, the very idea of “be- lieving on Christ” involves giving up entirely on all our own “doing” and ability. Justifying faith, in its very essence, is reliance upon Another. It is the attitude of one who has given up all hope of anything virtuous he himself can ever do — including even his own “believing,” “repenting,” or “obeying” — and has then looked entirely and completely to Another for his salvation. Faith is self-despair directed Godward. It is the helpless soul’s gaze upon the Savior.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives a glorious illustration of this in John 3:14-15, when He explains saving faith in terms of the serpent in the wilderness. (Num 21:4-9) Just as the serpent was lifted up by Moses that men might look at it and be saved, so Jesus would be lifted up on the cross that whoever believes (i.e. “looks”) on Him might have eternal life. How were men saved in relation to the serpent? By “looking plus works”? By “looking plus baptism”? No! By “looking” alone! “When he looks … he shall live.” (Num 21:8) Moreover, since faith is the gaze of the soul upon Christ, it is impossible to exercise Biblical faith and to look at ourselves at the same time. Those who put confidence in anything but Christ, whether it is their own supposed “faith” or tearful “repentance” or “obedient baptism,” are still trusting in their own works and will go to hell for certain.

Some Particular Examples

In light of these great general principles taught throughout the Bible concerning the way of sal- vation, it is amazing that anyone should misinterpret the particular passages of Scripture relating to baptism. These passages have been misinterpreted, however, and we need in the space which remains to deal briefly with some of them. The usual method of those who believe in baptismal forgiveness is to ignore the great doctrinal sections of Scripture where the way of justification is dealt with specifically and in depth (e.g. Rom 1:16-4:25; Gal 2:11-3:29) and to turn to the Book of Acts, where the history of various conversions is set forth. Because the baptism of new converts is specifically mentioned in most cases, it is not difficult to come up with an impressive list of New Testament conversions, all containing the word “baptism.” (This is precisely the same method used by those who desire to prove that “tongues” are the “one true evidence” of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.)

But does the Book of Acts actually teach that men must be baptized in order to be saved? The answer to this question is, “No!” Consider, for example, the case of Cornelius and his friends. (Acts 10:44-48, 11:12-18, 15:7-9) While Peter was still speaking, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.” One can imagine the folly of trying to convince these Spirit-filled believers, who were “speaking in tongues and exalting God,” that they were still dead in sins because they had not yet been baptized! The Bible leaves no room whatever for any ques- tion as to whether these people were truly saved before baptism. They had received the “gift” of the Holy Spirit “just like the Apostles.” (Acts 10:45, 47) This is interpreted by Peter to be the “same gift” that had been promised by Christ (Acts 11:15-16) and had earlier been given to the Apostles themselves “after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.” When the disciples at Jerusalem heard about this outpouring of the Spirit, they concluded that God had “granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18) And Peter, speaking of this incident later, considers the gift of the Holy Spirit to be an evidence that “God who knows the heart” was “bearing witness to them”

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and “making no difference” between the Jewish Christians and them, “cleansing their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:7-9) In fact, it was the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon Cornelius and his friends that Peter gave as the reason why they should be baptized! (Acts 10:47-48) Now, if baptism is not necessary to salvation, how can some men teach that it is?

Paul’s Conversion

But let us consider another example from the Book of Acts — the conversion of Paul. (Acts 9, 22, 26) Those who believe in baptismal forgiveness often appeal to Acts 22:16, in an effort to prove their position (“Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”), in- sisting that the phrase “wash away your sins,” is meant quite literally. In other words, when Anan- ias tells Paul to “be baptized and wash away his sins,” he is not referring to what baptism signifies and symbolizes (the internal washing away of sins by the blood of Jesus), but to what baptism ac- tually does. Now we know this cannot possibly be the correct interpretation of this verse, because of the Scriptures we have examined. (Exactly the same thing is involved here as in the other New Testament ordinance, the “Lord’s Supper.” When Jesus says, “This is My body…,” we know from Scripture as a whole that His words cannot possibly be meant at face value, though many insist on interpreting them that way.) Nevertheless, if we look more closely at the events surrounding Paul’s contact with Ananias, we find that even this passage of Scripture points in the opposite direction of baptismal forgiveness. What happened prior to Paul’s baptism? Ananias “entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus … has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 9:17) When we consider these words concerning the purpose for Ananias laying his hands on Paul, especially in the light of such pas- sages as Acts 8:14-19 and Acts 19:6, the evidence is very strong indeed that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid his hands on him and at the same time that he received his sight. In other words, the conversion of Paul follows the same pattern as that of Cornelius — he was a child of God and received the fullness of God’s Spirit before he was baptized.

The Gospels

There are other books in the New Testament besides Acts, however, which give us a historical account of the conversions of individual people, and these books are the Gospels. What do we find in the Gospels concerning the necessity of baptism? Exactly the same things as in the Book of Acts! Jesus tells people their “sins are forgiven” without ever saying a word about baptism. (See, example, Luke 5:20, 7:48.) It is important to realize here that the practice of baptism had already been confirmed by Jesus Himself. (Jn 3:22, 4:1-2) (It was not invented on the day of Pentecost!) This, then, would have been the perfect opportunity for Jesus to have insisted on baptism before pronouncing forgiveness. Instead He says, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Lk 7:50)

Another example is provided in the case of the tax-gatherer, who cried out in despair, “God be merciful to me the sinner.” This man “went down to his house justified” — without baptism. (Lk 18:13-14) One might also think of the thief on the cross, who would have been in a most wretched condition if he could not have been saved without baptism. What a consolation it is for the sick and frail (for whom baptism is often dangerous or impossible) to know that they can find pardon from the Savior the same way this thief did, simply by crying to the Lord for mercy. (Lk 23:42-43)

The Old Testament

It is not only in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, however, that people are saved by faith

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alone, without baptism or other works. The way of salvation has always been the same, from the beginning of the Bible to the end. Even the people of the Old Testament were not saved by works, as some suppose, but entirely by faith. This is brought out clearly in such passages as Romans 4:1-12 and Hebrews 10:36-12:2. In Romans 4:1-12, Paul’s whole purpose in bringing up the cases of Abraham and David is to prove that the way of salvation by faith which he is preaching is not some new thing, but the manner in which men have always been saved. This is true whether they lived before the Law of Moses was given (as Abraham did) or lived directly under the Law of Moses (as David did). Verses 3, 5, and 6, could hardly be clearer in their teaching as to the way of salvation during the Old Testament period.

But what about circumcision? What part did circumcision play in an Old Testament believ- er’s justification before God? Non whatsoever! Abraham was counted righteous in God’s sight through faith alone, long before he was ever circumcised. (Rom 4:9-10; Gen 15:6, 17:10) Cir- cumcision was a sign and seal of the righteousness he already possessed while still uncircumcised. (Rom 4:11) Now just as circumcision was the covenant-sign of the Old Testament, so baptism is the covenant-sign of the New Testament. (Col 2:11-12) Is it not amazing, then, that those who lived under the Law of Moses could be justified apart from circumcision or any other work, and yet we are told by some men that those who live under the Gospel of the Kingdom must be baptized before they can be saved! It would seem that such people live in a period of less grace than the Old Testament, rather than more grace, as the Bible tells us! And isn’t God the same “yesterday, today, and forever”? How, then, could something so basic and important as the way of salvation ever change? In fact, why would Paul appeal to the cases of Abraham and David at all, if not because they were saved in exactly the same way that we are?

As we have already seen, circumcision was intended by God to be a “sign” and a “seal” of the righteousness which Abraham possessed while uncircumcised. In Colossians 2:11, we are given some insight as to just what it was that circumcision symbolized. It was an external removal of physical flesh that signified the internal “circumcision of the heart” and “putting off the old man.” (See also Rom 2:28-29, Acts 7:51, Jer 4:4, Dt 30:6, etc.) Now if circumcision, the covenant-sign of the Old Testament, was meant as a sign and a seal, is it not altogether reasonable to suppose that baptism, the covenant-sign of the New Testament, is also intended as a sign and a seal? And, as a matter of fact, is this not exactly what we find Paul teaching in Colossians 2? For, after explain- ing the symbolism involved in circumcision (v. 11), Paul immediately presents the symbolism set forth by baptism (v. 12). What is it then that baptism signifies? It signifies the burial and resurrec- tion of the believer with Christ. The believer goes down under the water as a picture of his burial with Christ, then comes up out of the water as a picture of his resurrection with Christ. (See also Rom 6:3-4.) Again, those who would teach baptismal forgiveness insist that this is not merely the picture presented in baptism, but what baptism actually accomplishes. We trust that enough has already been said to show the wrongness of such an interpretation. Paul did not place anywhere near the importance on baptism that such people would like to think that he did. When writing to the Corinthians, he tells us that he was sent “not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” He can’t even remember for sure who he did baptize! These are hardly the words of a man who looks to baptism to wash away sins!

“Problem Passages”

But what about all those passages which are used to teach baptismal forgiveness? Several of them have already been touched upon in the preceding discussion. The honest seeker will find that many of the others do not even relate to water baptism at all. For example, the word “baptism”

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is often used in reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on of the distinguishing marks of the New Covenant. (Mt 3:11, Acts 1:4-5, Gal 3:2-5) Fiery trials and sufferings are also described as a “baptism.” (Lk 12:49-50, Mk 10:38-39, Mt 3:11) The word “water,” too is often used in a symbolical sense, and represents such things as the Holy Spirit, or cleansing by the Word of God. (Jn 4:14, 7:37-39, 13:5-11, 15:3, 17:17; cf. Eph 5:26) The same is true when the Bible speaks of “washing.” (Jn 13:5-11, 15:3, etc.; cf. I Cor 6:11, Tit 3:5)

Nor are passages such as Mark 16:16 difficult to understand. Baptism is mentioned here in the same breath with believing because baptism is integrally involved in what it means to become a disciple and to follow Christ. It is one of the first steps of obedience to Christ and is the initiation rite, so to speak, whereby the new believer is officially received into the company of the church. There were many in Jesus’ day who were only willing to “believe” on Him secretly, because of fear of men. (See Jn 12:42-43, Jn 2:23-25.) It was the costly and humbling act of baptism, however, that was often the acid test of whether their “faith” was true saving faith or mere “mental assent” such as James warned against. For this reason Jesus spells out one of the conditions of disciple- ship right while he is giving the Great Commission. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mk 16:16) But note the contrasting parallel. “He who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Jesus does not say, “He who has not been baptized shall be condemned,” for baptism has nothing to do with the real point of what He is saying.

Another passage which fits into the same category as Mark 16:16 is Acts 2:38. “Repent and be baptized!” Peter tells those who a short time before had been mocking and persecuting the church. In other words, if they wanted to get right with God, they must not only “make a decision” or say they “believed,” but have a complete about-face in their whole way of thinking. They must come out and identify themselves officially, by baptism, with the despised group of Christ’s followers. Nothing less is involved in true saving faith. Again, then, it was because baptism was a stringent test of one’s profession of faith and the “badge” of becoming a Christian that Peter called his hear- ers to “repent and be baptized.” It should be noted, furthermore, that the phrase, “baptized for the forgiveness of sins,” again has to do with what baptism signifies, not what it actually does. This can be seen by a comparison of Matthew 3:11. Baptism in the name of Christ “for” the forgive- ness of sins (Acts 2:38) no more means that baptism effects forgiveness than John’s baptism in water “for” repentance (Mt 3:11) caused those who were baptized to repent. They were already repentant, or they would not have come to John for baptism. John’s baptism was rather a baptism that signified repentance on the part of those baptized. Repentance was the thing that his baptism stood for and was specifically identified with. (Note: The same Greek word “eis” — “for” — “unto” — appears in both of these passages.)

Overview

It may be profitable here, in summary, to point out that the whole position of baptismal forgive- ness involves a mistaken concept of the nature of salvation in Christ. Salvation as set forth in the Bible is a gloriously reasonable thing. That is, it makes sense. Union with Christ takes place in the spiritual realm, through a spiritual revelation of Christ to the heart, and can be known by the spiritual graces that are evident in the life of a true believer. Those who believe in baptismal for- giveness, though, must insist that a person who has not yet been physically dipped in water is not a Christian, no matter how strong the evidences are that God has taken up residence in his life. This is an irrational, superstitious, legalistic, and sacramental view of salvation. It is irrational in that it makes no moral sense whatsoever. It is superstitious in that is causes men to believe that somehow a physical action is necessary for union with Christ, even though they can’t understand why this

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should be true. It is legalistic in that it teaches men to obey a commandment in order to get peace with God. It is sacramental in that it gives a semi-magical quality to the ceremony of baptism.

Some have testified of the sense of “peace” and apparent release from the burden of sin that they have experienced as a result of being baptized. There is an excellent psychological reason for this. If distressed men are told, “Do THIS, THIS, and THIS, and you will be saved” (and they really believe what they are told), then when they do they do the things commanded, they will of course experience some sort of “release.” John Bunyan, in Pilgrim’s Progress, speaks of this very thing in the advice that Worldly Wiseman gives to Christian concerning how he may “be rid of his burden.” “Why, in yonder village (the village is named Morality) there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality, a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine are from their shoulders.” How much easier it is to follow Mr. Le- gality and “do something” in order to get rid of our burden, than to wait upon an invisible God to remove it for us!

A Personal Appeal

I see now, in review, that I have spoken quite plainly at times in my zeal against the false teach- ing of baptismal forgiveness. And so it should be. The early apostles, not to mention the Lord Jesus Himself, condemned false doctrine in a way that seems almost “unChristian” to us today, and we too are commanded to “contend earnestly” for the faith and to reprove men “severely.” (Jude 3, Tit 1:13) Our motive in this, though, must be love. It is because we love men that we cry out with all our hearts against the error that threatens to damn them. Against you, dear friend, who are caught or confused by this false teaching, I bear no resentment or contempt whatsoever. I love you and have written that you may be blessed. God forbid that this tract should be used against you by bitter opponents who want only to win an argument and care nothing about your soul.

And how is it with your soul? Is your faith in a Person or in a thing? No matter how you may say that you do not believe in “salvation by works,” do you still maintain that men must do some- thing besides trusting Christ in order to be saved? One need not be around those who teach bap- tismal forgiveness for very long in order to discover that their message is not “CHRIST, CHRIST, CHRIST,” but “BAPTISM, BAPTISM, BAPTISM.” Is that your message? Or do you glory in Christ alone? Has God opened your eyes to the wonderful message of salvation by Jesus’ blood and righteousness? If so, will you now renounce your faith in your baptism for the hellish thing that it is and cast your all upon the Savior? Will you come to him just as you are, not bringing any “good works” or supposed “obedience” with you, and rely on Jesus alone as your Salvation? If you will, He will surely catch you in His all-sufficient arms and cause you to become “the righ- teousness of God in Him.”

“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:15

Shocking statement? Unquestionably! But can it be proven? Only to those who believe the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God. To those who do not, nothing can be proven, for their own darkened mind is the only absolute they know. Nothing can be proven to them that they do not wish to believe.
Jesus Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice for sins. God has appointed His Son, the Christ, the Savior, the Redeemer, the substitute sin-bearer, to take away the sins of all who trust in Him. But there is a sin for which the blood of Christ will not avail, for which there is no sacrifice.

“For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).
Now what is this “willful sin” for which there is no sacrifice? The man does not live who has not sinned since being enlightened with truth. Then are all men doomed? Will they all go to hell because they have sinned after they knew better? Assuredly not! Christ has redeemed and purchased with His blood a people for His glory. They will never perish. Sin, in the general sense, is not in view here. The preceding verse names the sin for which there is no remedy.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is . . .” (Hebrews 10:25).
Jesus Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). The word church is translated from a Greek word meaning “called out assembly.” It is the unvarying nature of those who are called by God to salvation to assemble together. Buy nature they are gregarious. They love to congregate. There is no exception to this rule. Governments may pass laws against it; they will break them. Burn their meeting houses; they will meet in barns. Torture them and put them to death; they will meet in holes in the ground under bridges, in the wilderness. You can sooner prevent the rivers from flowing to the seas than stop the redeemed people of God from meeting. If you fancy that you have a salvation, yet no longing to congregate with others who are only pilgrims and travelers through this world, then you have a Christianity that is alien to the Bible and to Christian history. Those who forsake, abandon and utterly leave the company of the just go to hell, because they have no grace of God in them. They do not have the nature of God’s called out assembly.

Please do not think you have satisfied this criteria with the “electronic church.” You cannot assemble, exhort and comfort one another around the image of a “boob on a tube” or a bellow from a box. I will tell you why you prefer the television or the radio to the local church. You have nothing in common with the people of God, so you feel uncomfortable among them. You can salve your conscience with some generous donations to your favorite “electronic pastor” and avoid the costly, soul-searching experience of direct encounter with genuine living saints of God.

I say again, people who do not go to church go to hell. But where is the church? Is it in the “established church”? Is it the building on the corner with the steeple on the roof? Not necessarily. These may not be the church at all. But please be warned. It is most certainly not a casual visit or an occasional meeting with another professor of Christianity when the subject of religion may pop up inadvertently. The church is the deliberate and purposeful meeting of the redeemed around Jesus Christ expressly for worship and instruction in the Word. It is a gathering of those who worship God in Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). They have a fellowship that cannot be held solitary. It must be shared.

There are, of course, those who are infirm, who cannot go where believers assemble. But if believers are near, and know of such a Christian, then they will surely come to him. Then there are those who live where there are no other Christians. When a true believer finds himself in such a circumstance, he will witness and preach until there is a church with which to worship. Then, of course, there is that slim possibility of “death bed repentance.” But the likelihood that God would then grant you repentance who have all your life rejected the gospel is indeed most precarious.

Then will I go to hell because I do not go to church? Certainly not. You will go to hell because you despise the law of God, you trample under feet the Son of God, you consider His redeeming blood of no more value than slaughter-house sewage, and you despise God’s Holy Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:28-29).

Will going to church assure me of salvation? Not at all. Only God can save. You must be born from above. Salvation is of the Lord. You must first of all acknowledge that you are a wicked hell-deserving sinner and all you r pretenses of righteousness are useless; your excuses lie and your good works are worthless. Get your mind and heart under the preaching of a man of God who knows God and the gospel and is not afraid to preach it. Trust God to forgive and save you from your sins for Christ’s sake. And when the Lord does save you, I can tell you on the authority of heaven, you will continue to meet with the company of believers.
“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39).

Conrad Murrell

1. It teaches us the dangerous power of idolatry.
2. It teaches us the reality that all flesh is like grass.
3. Enormous wealth is poisonous to flesh.
4. It confirms the Biblical Truth that fallen man is given to self-destruction.
5. It was the example of a WASTED LIFE.
6. Shows us that life is a vacuum outside of Jesus Christ.
7. Is a great reminder that it’s been given unto man once to die and then the judgment.
8. It teaches us the vanity of popularity.
9. It reminds us of how short life really is.
10. Teaches us that in the end, he is just another man.

The song at the start titled No Hope in Time by Jason Bellard

Phillipians 3:8 – Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

The seriousness of the damage became evident when Columbia reentered the earth’s atmosphere on February 1. The damaged wing was no longer protected from the extreme heat caused during reentry. The shuttle disintegrated in midair killing all seven astronauts. NASA’s failure to correctly assess the damage prevented it from taking action that could have avoided the devastating results.

Mankind faces a similar but even more tragic situation. Shortly after creation, Adam sinned. With Adam as the head, the whole human race fell under God’s condemnation. Sin now rules every unregenerate heart, and if it had its way, it would destroy and damn every soul.

What Does God Think About Your Sin?
If you refuse to see your sin as God does, you cannot escape His eternal judgment. If you want to deny your guilt or hide your own sinfulness, you’ll never discover the cure for sin. And if you try to justify your sin, you’ll forfeit the justification of God. Until you understand how offensive your sin is before God, you can never know Him.

Sin is abominable to God-He hates it (cf. Deuteronomy 12:31). Sin is contrary to His nature (Isaiah 6:3; 1 John 1:5). It stains the soul and degrades humanity’s nobility. Scripture calls sin “filthiness” (Proverbs 30:12; Ezekiel 24:13; James 1:21) and likens it to a putrefying corpse-sinners are the tombs that contain stench and foulness (Matthew 23:27). The ultimate penalty-death-is the consequence of sin (Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Romans 6:3). The human race is in bad shape.

God wants you to understand how bad sin is and how terrifying its consequences are. You dare not take sin lightly or dismiss your own guilt frivolously. Quite the contrary-you should hate sin.

But sin tempts the best of saints, and even the godliest among us commit sin. David was a man who followed after God with all his heart (1 Kings 14:8); and yet he entered into temptation and committed unimaginable sin-adultery, deception, betrayal, and murder. And until God confronted David through the prophet Nathan, David denied his sin. That’s the natural tendency of every fallen sinner.

What Do You Think About Your Sin?
If a man of David’s caliber can fall so terribly, where does that leave you and me? If you’re honest, you’ll admit that you sometimes love your sin, delight in it, and seek opportunities to act it out. You know instinctively you are guilty before a holy God, yet you inevitably attempt to camouflage or disavow your sinfulness. In a word, you deny it, just like David did.

Like the rest of fallen humanity, your denial of sin falls into three general categories: you seek to cover it up, you try to justify yourself, and, most often, you are oblivious to your sin.

First, you try to cover up. That’s what King David tried to do when he sinned against Uriah. He had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. When she became pregnant, David first plotted to make it seem as if Uriah was the father of the baby (2 Samuel 11:5-13). When that didn’t work, he schemed to have Uriah killed (vv. 14-17). That only compounded his sin.

For all the months of Bathsheba’s pregnancy, David continued to cover his sin (2 Samuel 11:27). Later, when David repented, he confessed, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4).

Second, you attempt to justify yourself. Adam blamed Eve, whom he described as “the woman whom You gave to be with me” (Genesis 3:12, emphasis added). In blaming Eve, Adam was blaming God too. God, he reasoned, was responsible for the woman who victimized him.

You also try to excuse your wrongdoing by saying it’s someone else’s fault. Or you argue that you have a valid reason for sin. You convince yourself that it’s OK to return evil for evil (cf. Proverbs 24:29; 1

Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9). You can call sin a sickness, a mental condition, or a hormone imbalance; you can excuse yourself as a victim; you can even deny what you’ve done is really wrong. Your sinful heart is endlessly creative in finding ways to justify its own evil.

Third, you can be oblivious to your own sin. Whether in ignorance or presumption, you sin, and you sin often. That’s why David prayed, “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins” (Psalm 19:12-13). It’s those “hidden faults” that God sees in plain daylight, and they are just as offensive to Him as the “presumptuous sins.” Because sin is so pervasive, you naturally tend to be insensitive to your own sin, just as a skunk is impervious to its own odor.

What Are You Going to Do About Your Sin?
Sin is a horrible malignancy for which there is no human cure. It is an incurable leprosy of the soul (Isaiah 1:4-6), and all humanity is sick with it from top to bottom, inside and out.

As a sinner, you cannot improve your own condition. Jeremiah 13:23 says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” Your tears and sorrow can’t atone for your sin. Your “good” deeds can’t make amends for your wrong against God. Your prayers and personal devotion can’t soften your guilt or cover it in any way.

And don’t buy into the erroneous concept of purgatory-the fires of hell over a million lifetimes could never purify the soul from its own corruption or atone for its own sin. If you are looking for a do-it-yourself solution to the problem of sin, you only shackle yourself all the more securely to your guilt.

But there has to be a solution to our problem; there must be a way God can satisfy His perfect righteousness and still display His rich mercy toward sinners. I’m delighted to tell you that there is a solution to the human sin problem-it’s called the Gospel. The cross of Christ provided the way to God by enabling the only acceptable Sacrifice to atone for human sin once for all.

Our Lord, the sinless One, was the Lamb of God offered as a perfect sacrifice for sin (John 1:29)-it was the very purpose for which He came. “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Isaiah prophesied, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried…He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him” (Isaiah 53:4-5, emphasis added).

Jesus Christ “offered Himself without blemish to God” to cleanse our consciences (Hebrews 9:14). He paid the penalty to the fullest on our behalf. All the sins of everyone who believes are imputed to Christ, and He died for them. Jesus then rose from the dead to declare His victory over sin and death-”[He] was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25).

Furthermore, God reckons all believers righteous in Christ-He accounts Christ’s righteousness to the believer. That’s the truth taught in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

God redeems those who believe and makes them new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you are a believer, you know what I’m talking about. God gave you an entirely new nature, including a love for righteousness and hatred for sin.

If you’re unsure of your salvation, reading this should bring you to the point of despair. What can you possibly do to change your hopeless condition? Nothing. You are utterly dependent on God’s mercy. But if the cry of your heart is something akin to that of the Philippian jailer who said, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30), take heart-the Spirit of God is already working in you! Here is Jesus’ clear and concise command to the troubled sinner: “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

To repent is to “turn away from all your transgressions” (Ezekiel 18:30). It means confessing and forsaking your iniquities (Proverbs 28:13), and completely hating your sin (2 Corinthians 7:11). If repentance stresses turning away from sin and self, believing emphasizes what to turn toward-”Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).

You can’t lay hold of Christ while still clinging to your sin. Unless you pry your heart from the passing pleasures of sin, you’ll never see God. God’s salvation from the flames of an eternal hell involves a glorious liberation from the control of sin.

That’s good news! You can be set free from sin’s dominion of your life. Take hold of Christ, and take this gospel offer seriously. It may be your last opportunity!

Deuteronomy 12:31, Isaiah 6:3, 1 John 1:5, Proverbs 24:29

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Adapted from The Vanishing Conscience © 1995 by John MacArthur.