The baptism of the Holy Spirit was a direct overwhelming of a person by the Holy Spirit instigated by Jesus Christ Himself for the purpose of miraculously demonstrating divine approval. The Bible only records two bona fide instances of Holy Spirit baptism that are labeled as such.
Yes, we are saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them." Some accuse the churches of Christ of not believing this. They reason that since we teach that baptism saves, we are not teaching salvation by grace but by works of merit. What Paul wrote, however, does not exclude works of obedience. He also says that we are created for good works.
The thief on the cross was saved, but was he saved without baptism? We do not know. We cannot say that he was NEVER baptized. John baptized many. Matthew 3:5-6 says, “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” John 4:1 says, “…Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John.” How could one absolutely KNOW that the thief on the cross was not among these people? Given Matthew and John’s statements regarding the number of people who were baptized, it is more likely that he was.
It doesn’t matter if it does bring in people; you still have a dangerous problem. Just because people will flock to see something doesn’t make it safe or good. Unscriptural worship is like a toxic waste that can eat away the children of God in worldly self seeking people. Just because it may draw a crowd does not make it right.
It doesn’t matter what your voice sounds like on its own, when the church gathers together and lifts up praises to God in harmony, it is a beautiful thing to God. They are functioning like a body, each part working in one purpose for the whole. Not Me but Us.
Christian duty does not begin and end at the doors of the building. A person can never miss an assembly and still be unfaithful in regards to seeking the lost, loving one another, or doing good works. Attendance shouldn’t be the end of our commitment to Christ but rather the stimulus to do more in the kingdom.
The Preacher tells us this truth in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?” Satisfaction doesn’t come in getting what you want; it comes in wanting what you already have.
It was just a coincidence but the tragedy still weighed on Robert Lincoln. He isn’t the only one. Many folks get weighed down thinking they are responsible for things that they really don’t have much control of. Things like other's behavior or choices. We think if we would have done this or that maybe things would be different.
It was because they knew him. Maybe better said they were used to him. They had seen him grow up. They knew his brother and sisters. His father had done carpentry work for them. He was too ordinary to be something so special. Familiarity breeds contempt.
Why do some feel as if God has become stale? Is it God or something else? When people think that they have nothing left to learn, nothing to change in their lives, no more relationships to pursue, and nothing left to give, God becomes stale to them. This is not God’s fault, but theirs. It is a fundamental failure to practice the attitude of repentance.
Three little Killdeer chicks were motionless on the ground trying to blend into the pebbles surrounding them. By the end of the day, all three were up and walking and finding something to eat in the grass adjacent to the lot. Nesting in a parking lot did not seem like such a bright idea, but it was successful due to the benevolence of the parking lot’s owners – the New Boston church of Christ.
We must not be satisfied with the status quo. We must always try to improve who we are in Christ. God wants us to conform to the identity of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29). Jesus is the model. Paul wrote, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).
This time reminds us that life in the fast lane isn’t necessarily what it’s advertised to be. Sometimes, it’s best to slow down, think about our lives soberly, and focus on what is important, and wherever we go and whatever we do, loving God and loving our neighbor is the priority (Matthew 22:38-40).
Pain, however, is an opportunity for God’s grace to shine. God wants us to depend on Him to get through life, not our own good feelings about things. When the Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient,” He wanted Paul to let His power work presently in his life. Pain can be very distracting, but the Lord’s power is greater: peace, contentment, joy, truth, faith, virtue, hope, love—thinking on these things helps us to overcome all of life’s challenges.
Will God forgive rebellious Christians? He will, if they repent and turn back to Him. In Acts 8, Philip went to Samaria and preached the gospel to many people. Simon was among those who were baptized, but he was also a very greedy person. When Peter and John came to Samaria, Simon saw that they were giving people the ability to do miracles. Simon wanted to buy this ability and sell it so that he could make money.
God’s grace is effective for all sins as the Christian regularly repents and confesses his sins, but what about someone who rebels against God? Will grace cover that person’s sins? The book of Hebrews covers this topic. Some Jewish Christians renounced Christianity and turned back to Judaism. The book was written to encourage Christians to stay faithful and warn what would happen if they abandoned Christianity.
In the previous article, we concluded that the Christian may so sin as to fall from grace, but many Christians struggle with sin and want to be assured of their salvation. They wonder whether a person is constantly falling out of and getting back into God’s grace. They want to know whether committing a sin will instantly cause them to lose salvation, or does God’s grace apply in such cases?
Another false doctrine about grace that is widely believed today is that one cannot fall from it. This is also known as the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. Does the Bible teach that one cannot fall from grace? In the book of Galatians, Paul wrote to Christians who were being led astray by the false doctrine that gentiles were required to keep the Law of Moses. This doctrine came from Pharisees who had become Christians (Acts 15:5). Paul wrote a letter to the churches of Galatia and told them not to believe this. He said regarding those who did, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).
When a person obeys the gospel and is baptized, he demonstrates faith in Christ’s commands. It is at that point that God saves Him based upon the merit of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross wherein He has all authority (Matthew 28:18). To do anything less is not to fully obey Jesus’ commands proving a lack of faith in Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16;16, John 3:5). Upon baptism, he becomes a child of God, and as a child, God favors Him with the benefits of being part of Jesus’ family.
No discussion of grace can exclude Ephesians 2:8-10, which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”