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Kenny's Blog
| August 19, 2009 |
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"What it took then is what it takes now." |
This past Sunday we spoke about the subject of salvation
which began being offered 2,000 years ago and exactly what
is required to secure such a wonderful gift. The answer is
simple "What it took then is what it takes now." We looked
at the Apostle Paul's conversion story which is told three
times in the book of Acts as a prime example.
Far too many people refer to Paul's conversion as happening
ON the road to Damascus which is not true. Paul was
confronted on the road to Damascus, not converted. Jesus
confronted him and told him to go into the city and wait.
The disciples were told to wait until they had received
power and that power came from the Holy Spirit which could
not come until after Jesus glorification...that is his
resurrection and ascension.
John 7:39 (NIV) 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom
those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that
time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet
been glorified.
This is the reason the thief on the cross did not have to
speak words of repentance or faith or even be baptized for
the Holy Spirit had not been poured out which is by which
souls are convicted as they were on the day of Pentecost.
Jesus told him he would be with him in Paradise and Jesus
word is all that was required that day.
I have printed all three occasions of Saul/Paul's testimony
from the book of Acts which it would behoove us all to look
at once again. The books of Mathew through John tell of
Christ, Acts tells how to become a Christian,
Romans through Jude tell how to live as a Christian
and the book of Revelation tells how to die as a
Christian. So let's look at what it takes to be saved:
Acts 9:1-19 (NIV) 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing
out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went
to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,
so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,
whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to
Jerusalem.
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light
from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting," he replied.
6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told
what you must do."
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they
heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes
he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into
Damascus.
9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink
anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord
called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he
answered.
11 The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight
Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is
praying.
12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and
place his hands on him to restore his sight."
13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports
about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints
in Jerusalem.
14 And he has come here with authority from the chief
priests to arrest all who call on your name."
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen
instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their
kings and before the people of Israel.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing
his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus,
who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has
sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the
Holy Spirit."
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes,
and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Acts 22:6-16 (NIV) 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus,
suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul!
Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
8 "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth,
whom you are persecuting,' he replied.
9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand
the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord
said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that
you have been assigned to do.'
11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because
the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout
observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews
living there.
13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your
sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to
know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words
from his mouth.
15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen
and heard.
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized
and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
Acts 26:12-18 (NIV)
12 "On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with
the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light
from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my
companions.
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to
me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is
hard for you to kick against the goads.'
15 "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "'I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.
16 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to
you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you
have seen of me and what I will show you.
17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the
Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are
sanctified by faith in me.'
In all of these accounts I do not see where Saul/Paul was
converted ON the road to Damascus. If you do, write me and
show me cause I just cannot see it. And remember, Jesus said
we must "come as a child" and so it would only stand to
reason that it must be so that a child could understand it.
There is one passage however which has caused some
difficulties over the years and even today people differ
over the interpretation. The passage is 1st Corinthians 15
verse 12. Some Christians at Corinth denied the resurrection
of the dead and Paul saw that as a serious error. If there
is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ was not
raised, there can be no salvation, and Paul's preaching and
the Corinthians' faith would all be in vain. Thus Paul
argued in 1st Corinthians 15 for the reality of the
resurrection of the dead. As part of his argument he
mentioned a practice of some of the people at Corinth—that
is, the practice of baptizing "for the dead" (1 Cor. 15:29).
Two things are important to note here. First, we are not
sure exactly what is entailed in the practice of baptizing
for the dead. Chrysostom (an early church father) explained
the practice of an early Christian group of hiding a living
person under the bier of a dead person. The corpse would be
approached and asked if he would like to be baptized. The
person hiding underneath would answer in behalf of the
corpse that he desired baptism. The living person would then
be baptized for the dead one. It is possible that something
along this line was being practiced in Cornith.
Second, Paul was not advocating the practice of baptizing
for the dead. Paul was pointing to the inconsistency in the
thought of the Corinthians in trying to convince them of the
reality of the resurrection of the dead. The argument seems
to be: "If, as some of you Corinthians claim, there is no
resurrection from the dead, then why do you go to the
trouble of baptizing for the dead? Only those who hope for
life after death would attempt to influence the eternal fate
of those who have died. Your thinking on the subject is
contradictory. You claim there is no resurrection, but your
actions betray that you really believe there is something
beyond this life."
Baptism is the element in the salvation process which some
believe can be left out but which Jesus himself submitted to
AND which he commands us to perform as well. That itself
should be enough to cause us to move forward with baptism
when someone expresses faith in Christ. But a text we will
consider this coming Sunday is often quoted to defend the
belief of salvation preceding baptism. This verse is:
Acts 10:44-48 (NIV) 44 While Peter was still speaking these
words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured
out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said,
47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with
water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few
days.
Ohhhhhh, I can't wait until Sunday and neither can you for
the answer is sooooo simple. So simple even a child could
understand it. You are really gonna like this one, it has to
do with the Holy Spirit so don't miss it. Come on out and
enjoy the worship we offer to God.
P.S. thanks for the second offering which goes to repair
some air conditioning problems. We also discovered that the
one motor which went out of the sanctuary unit is the same
motors (Plural) which went out of the Gym unit this past
Saturday. WHEW! But thanks for your generous 2nd offering,
we have a $1,300 more to put toward the other unit and this
repair expense as well.
See you Sunday,
Kenny |
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