What must I do to be saved?

Ephesians 1:3-6

A. We’ve been studying the seven ones that equal unity from Ephesians 4:4-6.
1. In our text for this series, Paul declared: 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
2. So far in the series, we’ve been blessed to explore the one body, the one Spirit, the one hope, the one Lord, the one faith, and the one baptism.
3. Today, we will explore the one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

B. Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote says: “Nothing is certain except death and taxes,” but a similar quote that is also true says: “There are two sure things in life: #1 – There is a God. And #2 – You are not Him!”
1. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament affirm the truth that there is only one God.
2. Deuteronomy 6:4 says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
3. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, He replied, “The most important is Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mk. 12:29-30)
4. James wrote: “You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe – and they shudder.”

C. I firmly believe that God is one and that there is no one else like Him.
1. I also believe that God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. This unity of the three into one has been called “the trinity.”
3. The word “trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible and was first used by Tertullian, a theologian and church leader in the last decade of the 2nd century.
4. The word is a combination of the word “three” (tri) and one (unity), and when used to describe God simply means that there is only one God who exists in three distinct persons.
5. Although I believe it is important to use biblical terms to describe biblical things, it isn’t wrong to use non-biblical terms as long as they accurately reflect what is found in the Bible.
6. The word “Bible” is not found in the Scriptures, it is a transliteration of the Greek word “biblion” which means an ordinary “book” or “scroll.”
7. Other non-biblical words that we use that can be helpful in our understanding of God are “omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient” which mean “all powerful, present everywhere, and all knowing.”

D. Nevertheless, the whole idea of the one God existing in three persons can be quite confusing.
1. The story is told about a father who was talking with his children about God and the triune nature of God and he asked them a trick question.
a. He asked his kids: “Considering the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which of them is God?”
b. His four-year-old daughter answered, “The tallest one.”
2. We tend to think of the tallest person being the one in charge, but that’s not always the case.
3. We all know that the right answer to that father’s question is that all three of them are God.
4. We might not be able to understand it completely or be able to explain it clearly, but it is true.

E. The three members of the Godhead each play different roles in God’s eternal purpose.
1. In our series on the 7 ones of Ephesians 4, we have already devoted a sermon to God the Holy Spirit who is the one Spirit and God the Son who is the one Lord.
2. Now let’s turn our attention to the one God who is God the Father.

F. Let’s focus in on the description that Paul gave for this one God – He is the Father of all, He is above all, He is through all, and He is in all.
1. I believe that each of these descriptors are significant and instructive.
2. Let’s talk about each of them in the order that Paul presented them.

G. First of all, Paul says that God is the “Father of all.”
1. One of the greatest things about our understanding of God in the Bible is that God is our loving Father.
2. Certainly God is also our King and our Judge and our creator, but how wonderful that He is our loving Father! Amen!
3. The Bible declares that “God is love” – not just that “God loves” – because God is love, we can know that He is a perfect Father.
4. When Paul said God is the Father of all, he might also have been emphasizing that God is the creator of all – the Father of all things.
5. God is the creator of all things; including human beings who are made in His image. (Gen. 1:26).

H. Second, Paul says that God the Father is “above all” or “over all” and this speaks to God’s sovereignty and supremacy.
1. God the Father sovereignly controls His creation and has power over all.
2. Being over all or above all means that He is the supreme, transcendent ruler of everything.
3. God is so much bigger and greater than anyone or anything.
4. We are finite and limited in our abilities, thoughts, and in our time of existence, but in contrast to us, God is infinite and limitless in His thoughts and abilities.
5. And no matter how things might look to us, God is always in control.
6. There may be floods, but “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood.” (Ps. 29:10)

I. Third, Paul says that God the Father is “through all” which suggests His pervasive involvement and activity in every part of His creation.
1. God works through all to accomplish His perfect will.
2. God did not create the world and set it into motion as someone might wind up a clock and leave it to run down.
3. God is all through His world, guiding, sustaining, and loving.

J. Fourth and finally, Paul said that God the Father is “in all” which indicates that He is present with His people – He Himself lives within His people.
1. This speaks of God’s immanent pervasiveness.
2. God is present in time and space – He is near us.
3. I love how Paul stated that in his sermon on Mars Hill, when He said: “For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’” (Acts 17:28) – God is in us and we are in Him.

K. Any view of God that violates God’s supremacy, pervasiveness, and immanence does not paint a true picture of God.
1. Paul was not teaching pantheism which says that God is in everything so we should worship nature.
2. Paul was not teaching universalism which says that everyone is saved because God is the Father of all.
3. What Paul did teach is that as the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God, He rules over creation and exercises His power through His followers on behalf of the church.
4. As Christians, our worldview holds that we live in a world that is God-created, God-controlled, God-sustained, and God-filled – isn’t that amazing and wonderful.
5. How different and dark it is for those who don’t have that worldview.
6. Our God is the Father of all, above all, through all, and in all.

L. And because God is all these things, God is worthy of our praise, honor, and obedience.
1. Psalm 148:13 says: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth.
2. Jeremiah 10:10, 12 says: But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at his wrath, and the nations cannot endure his fury…He made the earth by his power, established the world by his wisdom, and spread out the heavens by his understanding.
3. In Romans 11, Paul gave us this incredible and truthful hymn of praise:
Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33-36)
4. Isaiah wrote down these inspiring and powerful words:
See, the Lord God comes with strength, and his power establishes his rule.
His wages are with him, and his reward accompanies him.
He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them in the fold of his garment.
He gently leads those that are nursing.

“To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
Look up and see! Who created these?
He brings out the stars by number; he calls all of them by name.
Because of his great power and strength, not one of them is missing.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth.
He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.
He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.
Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall,
but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary,
they will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:10-11, 25-26, 28-31)
5. Our God the Father is worthy of all praise, honor, and obedience, and anyone who puts their trust in God is blessed beyond measure.

M. God is not only worthy of our praise, honor and obedience, but He is also worthy of our love.
1. I want to finish this sermon with a focus on the wonder of God being our loving Father.
2. The apostle Paul liked to emphasize that God is our Father.
3. In the letter to the Ephesians that contains the 7 ones, including the “one God and Father of all,” we see Paul using the phrase “God our Father” over and over again.
a. Eph. 1:2 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father…
b. Eph. 1:3 – Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
c. Eph. 1:17 – I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
d. Eph. 2:18 – For through him (Jesus) we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
e. Eph. 3:14-15 – For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
f. Eph. 5:20 – Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father.
4. What does it mean to you that God is your loving heavenly Father?
5. God is the most powerful and supreme being in the universe and we should have reverent awe and fear of God, but God is also our loving heavenly Father who welcomes us into His presence and wants to scoop us into His arms.

N. During the presidency of John F. Kennedy, Jr., it was not unusual for someone at the State Department or other government agencies to receive a memo from the president, complete with the doodlings of his young daughter Caroline.
1. Caroline and her brother John often played in the Oval Office while their father attended to the nation’s business.
2. Picture young John, not quite three years old, skipping down the imposing corridors of the White House.
a. Armed servicemen, the best of the best, took no notice of the child who ran past their assigned posts.
b. The boy passed several staff members on his way, who likewise took little notice except for an occasional smile.
c. Passing a secretary’s desk, the little boy did not acknowledge her wave, intent as he was on his goal.
d. In front of the door stood another armed sentry, but the guard made no movement to hinder the progress of the child who opened he door and went inside.
e. With a grin, the boy ran across the carpet of the Oval Office and climbed into the lap of the most powerful man in the world.
3. People are fascinated by the idea of a small child with that kind of unhindered access to the world’s most powerful leader, but that’s what happens when your father is the president.
4. Take that heartwarming earthly picture and multiply it by a million and we begin to have a sense of our relationship with our heavenly Father.
a. We have free and unhindered access to our heavenly Father who is the Ruler and Maker and Sustainer of the universe, and is the God who loves His children.

O. God is the Father of all true believers because God has adopted us into His family.
1. Paul wrote about this wonderful truth in the first chapter of His letter to the Ephesians: 3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. (Eph. 1:3-6)
2. Adoption is a wonderful thing – a child who needs a family becomes a legal and loving member of a family, who takes them in and takes care of them just as they would if they were their biological child.
3. Spiritually speaking, we have no right to be a member of the family of God, except that God’s eternal plan allows us to be adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family.
4. And this only happens because of God’s grace and love that He lavished on us through Jesus.
5. Paul wrote about this clearly and beautifully in his letter to the Romans: 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:14-17)
6. As adopted children of God, we have the right to call God our “Father” and we are given rights to God’s inheritance – eternal life, heavenly blessings.
7. There is no greater blessing for any of us than to know that we are God’s children!

P. Allow me to end with a story from an orphanage.
1. One day there was excitement through the orphanage, for a woman had come to take a little girl named Jane home with her.
2. The woman was kind, but young Jane was nervous about the thought of becoming this woman’s child.
3. “Do you want to go with me and be my daughter?” the lady asked Jane in a gentle tone.
4. The little girl said, “I don’t know.”
5. Then the kind lady said, “But I’m going to give you beautiful clothes and a lot of things, including a room of your own with a beautiful bed and table and chair.”
6. After a moment’s silence, the little girl said anxiously: “But what do I have to do for all this?”
7. The woman had tears in her eyes and said, “All you have to do is love me, and be my child.”

Q. When the one God and Father of all who is “above all, through all and in all” adopts us, all that He asks in return is that we should love Him, and be His children.
1. Of course, loving God is more than an emotion, Jesus said that we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, as I mentioned earlier in this sermon. (Mk. 12:29-30)
2. On a different occasion, Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” (Jn. 14:15 )
3. Obedience and love go hand in hand.

R. I hope and pray that all of us will allow God to adopt us into His family, the one body.
1. The adoption process involves faith, repentance, confession and baptism into Christ.
2. Although we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ, our faith must be expressed in living a life of loving God and loving others in obedience to God’s commands.
3. This keeps us in a right relationship with the one God and Father, the one Lord Jesus, the one Holy Spirit, the one body, the one hope and the one faith.

Resources:
• Ephesians and Philippians, Jay Lockhart and David Roper, Truth for Today Commentary, 2009.
• Ephesians, William Barclay, Westminster Press, 1976.
• The Basis for Christian Unity, Steven Cole
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-26-basis-christian-unity-ephesians-44-6
• Ephesians 4:4-6 Basis for Church Unity, http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/eph4v4.html
• The Basis for Unity, Brent Kercheville, Westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com
• There is One God, the Father of All, Sermon by Roger Hasselquist, SermonCentral.com
• There is One God & Father of All, Sermon by Nick Angel, Pleasant Plains church of Christ
• There is One God

Dave Schmidt

Before we get into the text, I want to emphasize this point. You cannot be saved by obeying man! Men can be wrong; they can deceive; they can teach error – usually sincerely, but sincerely wrong.

Jesus teaches us in John 3:3-5 that we have to be born again “by the Spirit” in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit when he wrote in Romans 8:14: “all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

One more passage… Paul wrote in Galatians 5:25: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

SCENE #1 – 18:1-4:

It was common among Jews to train their sons in some skill they could use to make their living, even if they wanted to be a Jewish rabbi. Jesus, of course, was trained as a carpenter. Paul was trained as a leather-worker. I have been trained as a biology teacher. Greek culture, however, despised manual labor and philosophers and teachers should live on the generous donations of others, especially specific patrons.

Paul would speak often of his working with his own hands in order to share the gospel of Christ with others: Acts 20:33-35; 1 Cor. 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 These. 2:3-9; 2 These. 3:6-8.

SCENE #2 – 18:5-8:

Here is where hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is extremely relevant and important. In 1 Corinthians 2:11, Paul writes that no one knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God. So the Spirit was working through the apostle Paul as he preached the Gospel in Corinth. He was preaching that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, the Savior of mankind. Everything Paul could teach had to have been guided by the Holy Spirit. Crispus and these others, from his household and others who lived in Corinth heard that message and they trusted that message.

Paul will write about the miracles he performed in Corinth while he was there (1 Cor. 12:3) and those miracles gave those people reason to believe that what Paul was saying was true, the truth of the Gospel. The Corinthians trusted Paul’s message and then they obeyed it. Before I go any further, it is obvious that when Luke writes that Crispus’s “household” was baptized, he was not talking about children. Children who do not understand the nature of sin and the salvation available in Jesus Christ are not eligible to become Christians. Far too many people think they become Christians when they are young, but all they’re doing is obeying mom and dad; they really don’t understand what the Holy Spirit teaches about salvation. You have to be old enough to understand what the Holy Spirit teaches about salvation before you can become a Christian.

Now, these Corinthians, including Crispus, heard the gospel preached and they trusted that message and then they were baptized. I can assure you that Crispus did not believe he was a Christian simply by trusting Jesus. There was nobody on earth at that time who taught that. Nobody at that time taught the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer.” I know that Crispus did not believe that because nobody taught that. Nobody guided by the Holy Spirit taught that. What did they teach? I’ll just give three examples:

Acts 2:38 – ““Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” It is clear from this verse that the Holy Spirit does not teach that someone is a Christian before he or she repents or before he or she is baptized. If someone teaches that, he or she is not guided by the Holy Spirit. Crispus was taught by the apostle Paul and Crispus understood that his baptism was for the forgiveness of sins and that he would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit because that’s what the Spirit teaches.

Romans 6:3-4 – “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” If Crispus was saved at the moment he believed – if he was made alive spiritually at the moment he trusted, then at his baptism, Paul would have been burying a live person! But, you don’t bury a live person and you don’t baptize someone who is already saved!

Galatian 3:26-27 – “you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” The Holy Spirit here clearly teaches that you put Christ on, when you are baptized into Christ. When men teach that someone is saved at the moment of faith, then he is teaching that someone can be saved without putting Christ on. And that’s when we know that that person is not being led by the Holy Spirit of God.

You can’t be saved by obeying man. Crispus obeyed the Holy Spirit as He revealed the truth through the apostle Paul.

SCENE #3 – 18:9-11:

God tells Paul He has many people in that city, a theme introduced in Acts 15:14 – where words from Exodus 19:5 are applied to those in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.

When you hear the Gospel preached, trust the message from the Holy Spirit, and obey that message.

Paul Holland

Introduction: The blood of Jesus is one of the central themes of the Bible. But it is one which is coming under attack by modernists. People deny the atoning power of the blood! One of the largest denominations in the United States, about 60 years ago, tried to do away with all reference to blood in their hymn-books, and in their Conference came up only a few votes short.

But we cannot do away with the blood and remain true to Bible teaching. The atonement for sins is found only in the blood of Jesus.

• Leviticus 17:11—“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
• 2 Chronicles 7:4, 5—Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. ⁵ King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
• Romans 3:21–26—But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
• Romans 5:6–11—For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
• Colossians 1:19–20—For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
• Hebrews 9:13, 14—For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
• Hebrews 9:22—“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
• Hebrews 10:1–4—“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³ But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
• Hebrews 10:28–29—Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
• Hebrews 12:22–24—But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³ and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
• 1 Peter 1:17–19—^“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸ knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
• 1 John 1:7—“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
• Revelation 1:4–6—John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• Revelation 5:9–10—And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰  and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
  

• Revelation 7:13–14—Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• Revelation 12:11—And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Having seen the importance of the blood, let us now notice three things which the Bible says are inseparable from the blood of Jesus.

1. The New Testament (Matthew 26:28)
2. The Old Testament was dedicated with blood (Hebrews 9:18–21).
3. The Law was dedicated with the blood of animals. Exodus 24; Hebrews 9:19—Moses sprinkled the book and the people with blood.
4. Hebrews 10:28—Even though it was inferior to the Law of Christ, yet obedience by those under that Law was required, and disobedience was punished!
5. Leviticus 10:1–4—The fire offered by Nadab and Abihu did not have the blood of the covenant upon it. The blood of the covenant makes it holy (cf. Exodus 30:7–9).
6. Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:1–11) had not been consecrated by the blood to set him apart as a priest or Levite who could then handle the holy vessels of the tabernacle (cf. Leviticus 8).
7. The New Testament is so far superior!
8. Hebrews 10:29—The blood of the covenant must be upon what we do in our worship to God.
9. Those who follow the doctrines and commandments of men follow a system which does not have the blood of the covenant upon it.
10. Respect for the blood of Jesus demands that we go not beyond the covenant!
11. The name you wear (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).
12. The doctrine you follow (A creed? Doesn’t have the blood of the covenant upon it!)
13. Singing—the mechanical instrument does not have the blood of Jesus upon it!
    

1. The body of Christ (Acts 20:28)
2. If we love and respect the blood of Jesus, we will love and respect His body.
3. Ephesians 1:22, 23; Colossians 1:18
4. The church is the body. It cannot be separated from the blood.
5. Christ did not purchase with his blood something that is unimportant. If you want to benefit from His blood, you must be a part of the church which He bought (Ephesians 5:23).
6. If there is salvation apart from the church, there is salvation apart from the blood!

• Remission of Sins (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7)

1. The blood of Jesus is the fulfillment of the shadow (Hebrews 10:1).
2. Jesus did not die only for men who lived since he died (Hebrews 9:1).
3. No one, not even the patriarchs, can be saved apart from the blood of Jesus!
4. Read Acts 13: 38, 39.

Conclusion: Have you been washed in the blood? When you are, you will have obeyed the New Covenant; receive remission of sins; and be added to the body of Christ!

Ken Burton

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

The first three beatitudes are related to entering the kingdom. One will not enter the kingdom without the attributes of a poor spirit, mourning over sin, and a meekness of spirit. The fourth one, “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Mt. 5:6), is significant regarding the disciple’s growth in the kingdom. Our beatitude for consideration, “Blessed are the merciful,” is related to maturing in the kingdom.

The word merciful (eleemon) is similar to the word sympathy but is more than a feeling of pity for someone. It is a “responsive pity” toward the needs of others. Mercy is a state of mind that acknowledges a need for mercy and thus manifests itself in demonstrations of mercy toward others.

This same term is used of Jesus where Hebrews 2:17 says, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Becoming man, He was enabled (at least personified for our understanding), to see and feel what we go through. The mercy or pity of Christ, then led Him down a difficult and grueling path toward the cross. Part of “taking up our cross” (see Mt. 16:24-26), involves the road that mercy takes us down!

In contrast with Christ, the Roman world of the first century did not glorify the virtue of mercy (to say the least). In fact, it was widely seen as weakness. The Jews bought into this human philosophy as well. If one was suffering, it was likely because of his own sin (see Lk. 13:1-5), so they thought. But perhaps we could say that this attitude was “championed” by the Jewish leaders of the day.

A stellar example of this is the course and hardened Pharisees dealing with a man who was born blind in John 9. But before we get to that we encounter a peculiar question by the disciples. They stated in verse 2: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.” While we might be perplexed at least by the first part of this question, it certainly gives insight into the view of suffering in that day! Of course, Jesus responds that neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this blindness was permitted in order to showcase the wonderful works of God.

The account of John 9 continues forward with the Pharisees interrogating the young man and his parents about his healing. The problem they had with Jesus, likely began with jealousy that already existed (see Jn. 11:47-48), but was further exacerbated by what they considered to be a violation of the Sabbath (see vv. 13-15), which of course, was not. At the end of this account the Lord assures the Pharisees that they remained in their guilt (v. 41). They had neglected a “weighty” part of the law… mercy (see Mt. 23:23), while holding tightly to their man-made traditions (compare Mt. 15:8-9). Those who showed no mercy, would be afforded no mercy by the Lord.

God’s mercy will not be received by everyone. In our beatitude the word “they” is emphatic. “They” will receive mercy. Not others, but the select group who demonstrates mercy. The reception, or realization of the mercy of God, is conditioned upon one demonstrating mercy. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray in the next chapter (Mt. 6), part of that model prayer includes: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (vv. 12, 14). The one who shows mercy, will receive mercy. The one who does not, he will likewise not receive mercy.

Now for just a moment, lets note the important harmony between mercy and justice. Real mercy is never opposed to a correct understanding of justice. For instance, providing for the man who is able but refuses to work, is not real mercy (see 2 Thess. 3:10). This is because true and genuine mercy never manifests itself in a way that is contrary to the will of God. Mercy and justice work in amazing harmony with one another. Mercy is not “turning a blind eye to sin.” Sin is as serious as the cross. Sin separates man from God (Is. 59:1-2). However, my thinking and my opinions hold no water. I cannot refrain from showing mercy to others under the premise of them not obtaining to my standards.

Listen carefully to what Jesus stated concerning Jerusalem. Matthew 9:35-38 says, “‘And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”

Jesus was distressed inwardly because they “like sheep without a shepherd” (v.  36) , they were lost. Christ certainly did everything He needed to do for them. Now it is our turn to be merciful to our neighbors. Especially merciful concerning their spiritual needs. Jesus told His first disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (4:19).

Remember, we do not treat others according to the way they deserve to be treated, but according to the way they need to be treated especially for the sake of their eternal souls. We need to be moved to treat others the way Jesus would treat them. That is most challenging to say the least, but it is best for them, and it is best for us!

Daren Schroeder

Parents often focus on changing behavior to such an extent that we overlook the importance of changing the heart. Yet, changing behavior is short-term (“Don’t touch this vase.”) while changing the heart is long-term (“Respect things especially that don’t belong to you.”) First, let’s look at God’s word…

In James 1:22-25, James writes: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

When I was young, I would tease endlessly until one or the other parent corrected me. I was teased as a younger brother so when I became an older brother, I continued the tradition. But my parents wanted me to stop; it was disrespectful to my brother.

Parenting is training our children to think maturely. If we just focus on changing behavior, there are only so many punishments we might use. If we haven’t trained our children to bring their hearts into subjection to God’s word, then they become adults who still need coercion or correcting or external behavior modification.

When we children did not do a chore correctly, my mom would look over it and make us do it again. She would often say, “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, where are you going to find time to do it a second time?” Dad’s correction was a little more picturesque: “Son, you need to lick your calf over again!”

When we have our children back up and do an action a second time, correctly, then we are training them to modify their own behavior and keep it within God’s boundaries. If your parent made you return something you stole as a child, this is what we are talking about. There is a broad biblical principle: “Do not steal” and a parent is training the child to change his or her behavior based on that principle.

Children, of course, don’t always know what the right thing is. That’s where parents have to show them their behavior as it is mirrored in the word of God. It will take time, but with practice good habits become ingrained. You might even choose to take away a privilege – not temporarily but indefinitely – until the child shows a pattern of corrected behavior.

Teach your children the Truth and then have them show you they understand the Truth by modifying their behavior appropriately. That is a good indication they have embraced the Truth in their hearts.

Paul Holland

A preacher-friend of mine stated one time, “Faithfulness is what you do while you’re being patient for Christ to come again.”

Listen to the words of James in 5:7 – “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.”

Keep on being patient or persevering or enduring until Christian character has been perfected. Which basically means “until you die!” There is never a time to despair and give up on being patient or enduring.

Now I want us to examine more closely James 1:9-18…

TRIAL THROUGH POVERTY AND RICHES – 1:9-11:
Every Christian sits in an exalted place in the kingdom of Christ (Eph. 2:6). So any Christian, regardless of earthly success, can rejoice in Christ.

However, the wealthy individual has to “humble himself” in the sight of God (James 4:10) and realize that his wealth does not entitle him to special status or privilege in the church of Christ. Paul wrote that the kingdom was composed of those who were “not wise, not mighty, not noble” (1 Cor. 1:26).

Both poverty and wealth can be a test of our faith. That’s why Solomon wrote: “Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Prov. 30:8-9).

THE REWARD FOR ENDURING – 1:12:
“Crown of life” is the reward for being approved. “Crown” here is stephanos, the victor’s crown. It is a symbol of achievement in a contest, indicating victory over temptation in this context. Jesus came to give us life, and to give us life abundantly (John 10:10).

LUST – THE SOURCE OF SIN – 1:13-16:
God has honored us with the ability to choose for ourselves. We have the freedom to make good choices and we have the freedom to make bad choices. But the choice is ours. God has given us guidelines, as He did Adam and Eve, to help us make right choices and He urges us to make right choices. But He does not force us to do that.

GOD – THE SOURCE OF ONLY AND ALL GOOD – 1:17-18:
God is not the source of temptations; He is the source of good.

It is through God’s will that we experience the new birth from darkness / ignorance into light / knowledge of salvation. In this way, we can be “firstfruits” of His. That is, we can belong to God. This is God’s purpose for mankind, not destruction.

Embrace trials as means by which God is recreating us in Christ’s image; the reward is the “crown of life.” God does not change; He blessed others, He’ll bless us.

Paul Holland

How is it that we go about communicating the purpose of a thing? I googled a question about this and the first thing that came up was from a website entitled “Jefferson Lab.” I know literally nothing about Jefferson Lab, but here is how they advised one communication purpose: “Communicate your message as directly and concisely as possible.” That certainly sounds reasonable. Don’t use unnecessary words and jargon. Don’t “beat around the bush.” Just indicate very simply and concisely what the purpose is. Don’t make it complicated.

So how does the Lord communicate through His word regarding eternally important matters? What about the purpose of baptism? Let’s take a look.

We begin with the “Great Commission.” The “Great Commission” is the charge that the Lord specifically gave to the apostles before He ascended to heaven. He told them in Mark 16:15-16, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” To say the least, we see that baptism must be very significant if it is a part of the response to the Gospel of those who will be saved.

Just a few weeks after the ascension of Jesus, the Spirit descended upon the apostles and Peter preached to the Jews assembled on the Day of Pentecost. When his message convicted them of their sins, they cried out in verse 37 and said, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (v. 38). Peter’s audience knew they had a serious problem… they were separated from God in their sin (see Is. 59:1-2). Peter told them they needed to repent (turn from their sin) and be baptized. Why, or for what purpose? “for the forgiveness of sins.” The word “for” clearly designates the purpose for which they were to be baptized.

Now, in order to check ourselves and be certain we aren’t misunderstanding something regarding the purpose of baptism, look with me at two other passages:

Acts 22:16 – “‘And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’”

1 Peter 3:21 – “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Why be baptized? To “wash away your sins.” What does baptism do? It “now saves you.” The Bible simply and concisely teaches the purpose for which penitent believers are to be baptized. Baptism, according to the revelation of the Holy Spirit, is “for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38).

Daren Schroeder

Jeremiah said this about the people of his day, “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end” (5:30-31 NASB)?

In this article notice three things: (1) The message of the text, (2) The results of the text, and (3) The application of the text.

The Message of the Text

The background of the text: In the beginning of the chapter, God wanted Jeremiah to find one righteous person so that the city could be saved, (5:1). The text shows the root of Jerusalem’s problems – “the priests rule on their own authority.” The principle: God has always expected His people to live by His authority. The biblical principle is stated clearly in Colossians 3:17. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” “In the name of” means by the authority of.

Part of the duty of priests in the Old Testament was to educate the people in the Law of God, (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 24:8; 31:9-13; 33:10). But rather than teach the Law of God, the priests in Jeremiah’s day taught their own opinions. Thus, it is not hard to understand why the people loved it.

The Result of the Text

When the priests taught according to their own authority here are some sins found in the book that they committed: (1) They rejected the true prophet, (Jeremiah, 1:18; 18:18; 20:1; 26:7, 11), (2) They said to a tree “you are my father” and to a stone “you gave me birth” (2:26-27), (3) They defiled the house of God by putting detestable things in it, (32:32-33), (4) They worshipped idols and made their sons pass through the fire (offering the children as a burn sacrifice), (32:34), (5) They gave false hope by saying “peace, peace when there was no peace,” (8:10-12), (6) Their conscience was so seared they could not blush, (6:13-16; 8:12), (8) They were greedy for money, (6:13-16), (9) They were deceitful, (8:10-12), (10) They caused others to sin, (32:34), (11) They shed innocent blood, (Lamentation 4:13), (12) They did not ask of God; They did not listen to God, (32:32-33), (13) They did not know God because they turned their backs on God, (2:8; 32:32-33). 

Remember that Jeremiah was from the priestly family, therefore he is condemning his own family (1:1).

The Application of the Text 

Look at the actions of denominational people and churches. (1) By their own authority they call sprinkling and pouring “baptism,” when according to the Bible it is a burial (Colossians 2:12), (2) By their own authority they make worship vain by the use of instrumental music and make changes in the Lord’s Supper, (See Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:16; I Corinthians 11:23-30) (3) By their own authority they change the government of the church (See Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3).

But we are made even more sad by looking at some in our own brotherhood. (1) By their own authority they use instrumental music, (2) By their own authority they make changes in the Lord’s Supper. Some have served it on days other than the Lord’s Day. Some have placed it at the back of the auditorium and encouraged individuals to go partake of it anytime during the service, (3) By their own authority they have changed the role of women so that women can be elders, and take leading roles in the worship service (See I Corinthians 14:34-35; I Timothy 2:8-15), (4) By their own authority they have changed God’s law of marriage, divorce, and remarriage (Matthew 5:32; 19:9; I Corinthians 7:10-11), (5) By their own authority they have accepted into fellowship those who are not God’s children (2 John 9-11). (6) There are now homosexual churches of Christ. Although Max Lucado has long departed from the faith, recently, I’ve read that Max Lucado now accepts the homosexual community.

Conclusion

The problem in any age is when those commissioned to teach God’s word, decide to teach from their own authority. Jeremiah gave us the root of the problem when he said that the priests ruled by their own authority. God can only be honored when we accept and follow His authority.

We must go back to “book, chapter, and verse” teaching – “To speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent.” If you are a preacher or teacher, join me in re-committing ourselves to be the kind of preacher and teacher who does not speak from our own authority, but we will speak only as the oracles of God speak (I Peter 4:11). Those of you who sit in the pew to listen to the teachers and preachers, may you demand that they follow Peter’s command, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (I Peter 4:11).

Wayne Burger

As Christian parents, we want to train our children to be internally motivated to do the right thing, even to handle their own chores. Too often, we have resorted to “bribes” to entice them to get things done. “If you do…, you can…” Sometimes, we even encourage bad behavior (using sweet snacks as an enticement), which has long-term repercussions. An even worse outcome of this type of motivation is that kids can grow up always asking, “What’s in it for me?”

Instead, parents should focus on training children to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. That means parents need to focus on the heart. That’s where our motivations begin and where our values are stored. This means parents need to think long-term and deal with character rather than simply behavior.

Parenting our children’s hearts means we need to spend time with them and know their character. Bible-based parenting is time-consuming, to be sure. But you know you have made the wisest investment when your children grow up to lead Bible studies, worship, and other acts of service. If that’s your goal as parents, you can’t short-cut that!

Think about God’s evaluation of David: “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

One “tool” you can use is your own heart rather than anger. Anger can be a very poor tool to use for motivation, especially if it used too much, too often, or too intensely. The kid will just think, “Well, I made mom mad!” And then he or she will wait until Mom or Dad get over their temper-tantrum and the child has not learned anything except how to avoid the parents’ wrath.

Instead, Mom or Dad could express their disappointment in the behavior of the child, how the misbehavior caused damage, etc., and how that behavior will have long-term negative consequences in future relationships and even in their relationship with God. We’re not talking so much about laying on a guilt trip (which my own dad used often), but being sincere.

Without using the Bible as a club to beat your child over the head, you can and should use it to help direct your child down the path of self-discipline as God defines it. The Hebrew writer describes this value of the Word: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

Use the Bible to teach character qualities that God requires us to have. You could also make reference to the “heart” of your child while you are correcting him or her: “Calm your heart down” (for example). Also, when you praise, try to be specific in your compliments rather than generic and if you can, again, bring the Bible or Jesus’ example into the discussion, it would be a positive thing.

Paul Holland

In the parable of the sower (Luke 8), Jesus illustrates some hearts by suggesting they are like “thorny ground.” The word of God is sown in their hearts and they have “heard” (8:14) but, as they go on their way, the word is choked with “worries and riches and pleasures of life.” Consequently, they do not bring “fruit to maturity.” The things we worry about are not necessarily sinful. “Riches” are not inherently sinful. “Pleasures of life” are not always ungodly pleasures. But they can be a distraction from what God requires of us.

King Uzziah was blessed by God because he “did right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 26:4). But those blessings became a distraction. Later, in verse 16, the historian writes that “when he became strong [from his blessings from God!], his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God.” Subsequently, he decided he did not have to submit himself to the restrictions of the Word of God.

In the 1920s, in Ethiopia, a man named Haile Selassie decided to bring peace to the land, in the face of fighting among warlords. He was described as a gentle and quiet man. As he grew in power and influence, in 1927 he invited warlords to recognize him as the nation’s leader. One warlord, Balcha, decided to defy Selassie. Eventually, Selassie insisted that Balcha join him for a banquet. Balcha agreed, if he could bring 600 of his personal bodyguards, for he suspected Selassie of deception. Selassie allowed him.

At the banquet, Balcha ordered his bodyguard to be suspicious and not to get drunk. During the banquet, Selassie treated him with honor and respect. When the time came for the songs to honor Ethiopia’s leaders, Selassie allowed only songs to praise Balcha. Throughout the whole event, Balcha decided in his mind that he could eventually defeat Selassie. He would return with his entire 10,000-man army and either kill or imprison this pushover.

However, when Balcha returned to his camp with the aforementioned 10,000-man army (minus his 600-man bodyguard), he found the camp deserted and nothing but smoke arising from the fires. Selassie, during the banquet, had sent the army of an ally to buy out the loyalty of Balcha’s men – with gold and other valuables. Surrounded by this formidable army, Balcha’s men were intimidated and yielded. His entire army was disarmed and disbanded. Balcha eventually surrendered and agreed to become a monk.

Balcha was distracted with the “blessings.” We, too, can get distracted by our blessings and think that these “riches” and “pleasures” are an end in themselves. The proper view of blessings is described by Paul in Romans 2:4: “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

Blessings from God should motivate us to constantly reexamine our life to make sure our behavior measures up to His expectations. That is the mark of true faithfulness, not the quality or quantity of our blessings. In Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, our Savior warned, “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full” (6:24). Don’t get distracted with wealth or pleasures.

Paul Holland