All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.- 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Old Testament is the revelation of God to show man what God is like, who God is, what God tolerates and does not tolerate, and how God desires holiness and punishes sin. The New Testament is God revealed by his Son, and in the culmination and the coming of his Son to establish His eternal Kingdom. But in either case, Old Testament, New Testament, God spoke. And what we have is indeed the word of God. This is not the word of man.

So, Men were not inspired, but scripture is. God breathed into them and they worte it down, word by word, what God breathed into them. It was more than dictation. They weren’t just listening to some voice and writing mechanically every word; it was flowing through their heart and their soul and their mind and their emotions and their experiences. But it came out every word the Word of God. As God breathed into them the message and they were carried along by the Holy Spirit, they said it and some of them wrote it down. Miraculous, inexplicable process that yields to us the word of God. – John MacArthur

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I fear the snares that Satan lays for you on this point. I fear that he will succeed in filling your minds with the vain notion, that to be a true Christian as a youth is impossible. I have seen many carried away by this delusion. I have heard it said, “You are requiring an impossibility in expecting so much Christianity from young people. Youth is no time for seriousness. Our desires are strong, and it was never intended that we should keep them under such strong Christian control, as you wish us to do. God meant for us to enjoy ourselves. There will be plenty of time for religion in the future.” And this kind of talk is only too much encouraged by the world. The world is only too ready to wink at youthful sins. The world appears to think it a matter of course that young men must “sow their wild oats.” The world seems to take it for granted that young people must be irreligious, and that it is not possible for them to follow Christ.

Young men, I will ask you this simple question–Where will you find anything of this in the Word of God? Where is the chapter or verse in the Bible which will support this talking and reasoning of the world? Doesn’t the Bible speak to old and young alike, without distinction? Is not sin–sin, whether committed at the age of twenty or fifty? Will it form the slightest excuse, in the day of judgment, to say, “I know I sinned, but I was young then?” Show your common sense, I beg of you, by giving up such vain excuses. You are responsible and accountable to God from the very moment that you know right and wrong.

I know very well that there are many difficulties in a man’s way. But there are always difficulties in the way of doing right. The path to heaven is always narrow, whether we be young or old. There are difficulties, but God will give you the grace to overcome them. God is no hard master. He will not, like Pharaoh, require you to make bricks without straw. He will make sure that the path He requires us to walk is never an impossible road. He never gave commands to man which He would not give man the power to perform.

There are difficulties, but many a young man has overcome them in the past, and so can you. Moses was a young man with passions like yourself; but see what is said of him in Scripture: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26). Daniel was a young man when he began to serve God in Babylon. He was surrounded by temptations of every kind. He had few people with him, and many against him. Yet Daniel’s life was so blameless and consistent, that even his enemies could not find any fault in him, except “it has something to do with the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5). And these are not solitary cases. There is a cloud of witnesses whom I could name. Time would not allow me, if I were to tell you of young Isaac, young Joseph, young Joshua, young Samuel, young David, young Solomon, young Abijah, young Obadiah, young Josiah, young Timothy. These were not angels, but men, with natural hearts like your own. They too had obstacles to contend with, lusts to mortify, trials to endure, hard places to travel, like any of you. But young as they were, they all found it possible to serve God. Will they not all rise in judgment and condemn you, if you persist in saying it cannot be done?

Young men, try to serve God. Resist the devil when he whispers it is impossible. Try, and the Lord God of the promises will give you strength in the trying. He loves to meet those who struggle to come to Him, and He will meet you and give you the power that you feel you need. Be like the man whom Bunyan’s Pilgrim saw in the Interpreter’s house, go forward boldly, saying “Write down my name.” Those words of our Lord are true, though I often hear them repeated by heartless and unfeeling tongues: “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Difficulties which seemed like mountains shall melt away like snow in spring. Obstacles which seemed like giants in the distance, will dwindle into nothing when you actually face them. The lion that blocks the way that you are traveling and causes you great fear, will prove to be chained and unable to harm you. If men believed the promises more, they would never be afraid of their assigned duties. But remember that little word I press upon you, and when Satan says, “You cannot be a Christian while you are young:” answer him, “Get behind me, Satan: by God’s help I will try.”

John Charles Ryle – Bishop of Liverpool – Ten from Thoughts for Young Men

If you had every pleasure and everything you could ever wish for in this life but did not know God, then you are the sorriest being in the universe (this is the case with many); however, if you had nothing at all, and lived on the streets with only clothes and food for the day, but you knew God intimately (as it was with the rich man and Lazarus) then you are the most fortunate and blessed creature in the universe. It is better to be near to God with nothing than to have all things and be far away from him as so many are.

When speaking about being near to God, this is what really defines a person’s state; you are not truly at peace until you have peace with God. You may feel that you have peace, but it is not true peace.  JI Packer defines true peace like this, “The peace of God, then, primarily and fundamentally, is a new relationship of forgiveness and acceptance – When Jesus came to his disciples in the upper room at evening on his resurrection day, he said “Peace be with you”; and when “he said that, he showed them his hands and side” (John 20:19-20). Why did he do that? Not just to establish his identity, but to remind them of the propitiatory death on the cross whereby he had made peace with his father for them. Having suffered in their place, as their substitute, to make peace for them, he now came in risen power to bring that peace to them.” This is the only peace that is worth having, peace with God.

This is what God wrote through James over 1000 years ago, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God….“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:4–10)

Reading the above (James 4:4-10), you cannot fail to see/notice the urgency and seriousness in what is written. It can be staggering when first read, and this is the first thing we must realise: the matter of drawing near to God is a very serious one, hence, James says things like “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.”  This is a call to a serious, humble and sober assessment; it is a call to reality. You have nothing to be happy about if you are far from God.

WAKE UP!

In this year, I have attended two funerals and last week, It is a sobering reality that we all someday must die and stand before God. If we live for 10 years or 100 years we must die, and the sooner we realise this and live in light of it, the better for us.” William Gurnal said, “We can soon run from ourselves as to run from death.” and Hebrews 9:27 says, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…”.

James therefore shows that for someone who has realised the seriousness of not being close to God, there is repentance: they are called to “cleanse their hands” and “purify their hearts”. “Hands” has the general idea of the things you do, and “hearts” has the idea of your motives, the things in your heart. God calls not just for an outward show of religiosity, like the self-righteous religious rulers of Jesus’ time did, but calls for a true change of heart: a single heart that is set on truly, honestly knowing God, and following him whatever the cost. This is echoed in the above passage where James says, “draw near to God and he will draw near to you”, then he immediately says “cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double minded”. This is what you may call being born again, where God by the power of his holy spirit changes the heart of a person in such a way that it can be said of that person that they are a new creature. Have you been made new born from above? Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “God will not pardon for repentance yet NOT without it”, says Thomas Watson.

REALITY CHECK!

No one who is seriously seeking to draw near to God will go chasing after the very things that has caused that individual to be far from God in the first place, namely Sin, because any real desire to draw near to God is based upon a realization to some degree that God is the most precious being in all of the universe and that drawing near to him and being on his side, is the only acceptable way to exist. Thomas Brooks, an old preacher understood this when he said, “A greater hell I would not wish any man, than to live and not love the beloved of God”. A lot of people claim to have a belief in God, but if the things we say are tested by the way we live, this would prove not to be true. If you believed that you would die if you jumped out of an airplane, you would not jump, but if you didn’t believe it, you may jump. Some claim to believe God but live as if God does not exist, and so James in effect calls us to a reality check: to approach God in the right way, and with the right attitude, coming humbly before God to recognize his greatness as God and our nothingness as man, and to seek his friendship. He basically says what the call to the gospel is, repent and believe the Gospel. And reading this, some may say well, I want to draw near to God, I want to know God, and if this is your earnest desire, I am thankful to God for that, and my conscience will not give me rest if I do not explain to you the way to truly know God; the only way there is, the only way there ever have been or ever will be.

First I ask you a question, do you believe Romans 3:23 which says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”? You may say yes. Let us examine that claim; a lot of individuals say they believe themselves to be sinners, however, when accused of a crime like lying, they fume with anger as though they are absolutely innocent of ever lying. Do you truly believe yourself to be a sinner – someone who has deliberately broken Gods laws, from when you were young till now? Have you ever faced that reality honestly? Have you realised that every time you have told a lie, it has been recorded, against you, as a crime against God? When I was younger I would imagine that I would sin against God all my life, and just before I die, I would quickly say sorry for all my sins. That kind of thinking shows how much sin has affected our minds. I wouldn’t have even fathomed the idea of doing that to a person I knew or a friend I knew, because it would be crazy to imagine that I would deliberately wrong someone all my life and then just before I die, quickly say sorry! Is this what you are doing? Do you think that somehow, you can get away with any sin you have ever committed? God sees all, and every wrong deed or thought you have ever had is recorded against you and will be brought before you in God’s courtroom. My dear friend, do you believe this? If you do, then I will ask you another question: have you ever read Romans 6:23?  It says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.  Just as you work, and at the end of the month, you would expect any good and just organisation to pay you the wages you deserve, the same way, as you have sinned, God, being a good and Just Judge, MUST pay you the wage you deserve, and that wage is death; not only physical death, but eternal death. The last book of the bible, Revelations, looks ahead for us and tells us what will happen and it is terrifying “”But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”.” (Revelation 21:8). Friend, are you on that list? I was also on that list, and though this may seem all gloomy and dark, this is NOT where the message ends. In fact, the gloom of the above, and the sad state of all described in the above is what makes the message of the Gospel a joyful and happy one. Let me explain…

The above has shown us that all have sinned, and all anyone deserves from God is their wages, which is nothing less than eternal punishment to satisfy God’s perfect Justice.  If someone killed a member of your family, you would expect a good Judge to give that person a Just punishment for their action, and so it is with the Lord; he is a good God and he is a Just Judge. Once there is sin, that sin must be paid for, and he is Just therefore he cannot let you go free, he cannot let your good deeds cancel out your bad deeds – perfect justice must be done. And this is where we get to the heart of the message of the Gospel: because God is infinitely wise, and infinitely merciful, he created a way whereby he can still be Just and show perfect mercy to poor, helpless and hopeless sinners! And that is through Jesus Christ. When Jesus was on that cross, although the Roman soldiers nailed Him there, that was NOT the greatest thing he suffered there on the cross. Isaiah tells us that, “it pleased the Lord to Crush him” and that “God has laid on him the iniquity of us all”, on the cross. The most dreadful reality was that Jesus was bearing our sin, he was taking the wages that we deserve, and he was doing this for us. It is fascinating to consider who Jesus was and what he did. He was God himself, he made all things, and held all things together, yet he willingly subjected himself to the Roman insults, nails, and his father’s wrath to bear the guilt of all who would come to trust in him for their salvation. He never sinned, or told a lie like me and you have, rather, he was utterly perfect, he knew no sin. Yet God laid on him the iniquity of us all so that his righteousness may be given to us just as our sin was laid on him. As such for all who have come to turn away from their sin and put their hope in Jesus Christ for salvation, fully acknowledging that he is none other but the Sovereign Lord, the rightful King and Ruler of their lives, they are looked upon by God as perfectly forgiven of all sin! past, present and future! They have the perfect, spotless righteousness of Christ.

Imagine a story of a man and his wife: Every day he wakes up and says to her, “I love you”, and she says, “Well you always say you love me, don’t just say you love me, show me you love me.” One day she has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital, she needs a new heart. Her husband comes to the hospital and without thinking asks for his heart to be given to her. She is restored to health, he dies by sacrificing himself, and she is at his funeral; amongst everything that may be going through her mind, that wife would be able to put her finger on that event and say, “by this my husband has shown me he loves me, by this he has shown is care for me”. This is what Paul wants us to get when he says, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7–8). The infinite greatness of God’s love is not shown by him becoming unjust and pardoning everyone’s sin (as some say), but by him sending his Son to be a perfect sin bearer for anyone who would believe in him and trust him for salvation.

WAGES VS A FREE GIFT

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Friend, which one do you want? Do you want your wages or will you cast off your wages and thankfully accept the free gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus? Jesus said eternal life is to know God through him. This is what it means to truly be near to God and have peace with God.

God is holy, your sin has put a dividing wall of hostility between you and God, but Jesus Christ through his death has made peace. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1).  To be justified means to be taken to court and to be made free, to be acquitted – free of any guilt. And so, because of Jesus you can stand free from any guilt or condemnation if you will but leave off sin and put all your hope in Jesus’ Death and Resurrection as your only hope of forgiveness. Just like a person who is dropping down from an airplane will hope in a parachute as his only hope, so you must cast all your hope on Christ death and you shall be saved. “He hideth our unrighteousness with His righteousness, He covereth our disobedience with His obedience, he shadoweth our death with His death, that the wrath of God cannot find us.” said Henry Smith.

TRULY SATISFIED!

And even with the forgiveness we receive by faith in Christ, there is also a joy and satisfaction that comes from knowing him that can never be found outside Christ, you shall remain empty until you have come to know the Lord. You may try to satisfy yourself with one sin after another, but true satisfaction is found in knowing the Lord, and he calls you to come and take forgiveness freely. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live….” (Isaiah 55:1–3). “In all their Jollity,” says Richard Sibbes, “they are but as a book fairly bound, which when it is opened is full of nothing but tragedies. So when the book of their consciences shall be once opened there is nothing to be read but lamentations and woes.”

What are you doing to do? Are you going to act like you have never read this? God forbid! If someone came to you and said an individual stood in your place yesterday when you were going to be shot and took your bullet, would you just ignore it as though nothing happened? Surely you would at least investigate to see if it is true? And if you are not moved in the least at what you have read, this only shows you the dreadfulness of your state, and your need of the grace of God, so I urge you friend, leave your sin and fly to Christ and find true peace with God.

Or else you will be one of those spoken of here “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev 6:15-17 ESV). Hebrews tells us “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Heb 10:31).

An unbeliever shall have a double condemnation; one from the law which he hath transgressed, and another from the gospel which he hath despised: as a malefactor, that being condemned and dead in law, rejecteth his prince’s pardon. But it is otherwise with these that are in Christ Jesus. The law cannot condemn them, because they have appealed; the gospel cannot because they have believed. – John Trapp.

Do not waste any time, flee to Christ at once! He receives sinners!

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