God's Divine Surgery

Good day everyone. I hope this writing finds you learning and growing in Christ. Let's continue our study and look at the subject, from God's Word, on baptism. Matthew 28:19, Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…" He also spoke in Mark 16:15-16, "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." In Acts 2 beginning with verse 36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." John 4:1 "The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John…" I have a question for you to consider...Did Christ need sin removed from His Perfect, sinless life? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Go with me in your own copy of God's Word to; 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He (God) hath made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (KJV) On the cross, Jesus Christ The Son of The Living God did something tremendous. He died for OUR sins by becoming that sin, according to God's Word. He was OUR sacrifice that God accepted as supreme and this would allow us to have what He had to offer, salvation FROM sin. Of course, we know what happened 3 days after He died with that sin ON Him. Praise God, He arose from the dead. And we notice in the scriptures as He walked on this earth after His resurrection, He was different, He was glorified in a new life given by God in that resurrection. This is what we celebrate any and every Lord's Day when we come together to worship; it is the very reason we worship. The Apostle Paul revisits this event in Romans 6. Open your copy of God's Word and notice this with me. Romans 6:1-6, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (KJV) Sin ON Christ was destroyed, by God, when Christ was obedient to The Father and died as our sin sacrifice and was buried. When He resurrected that sin was gone, no longer to separate Christ from His Father as we saw in the crucifixion event. Paul tells us there in Romans that when we repent, die TO sin, and are baptized, buried with Christ, we then rise to walk differently, in a glorified state of being saved FROM our sin. How important is baptism? How important is it that you have sin taken away so you can receive the greatest gift ever offered to mankind? It is of eternal importance. Baptism is not a work of man as some want to claim. But it is a work, most definitely. Go again in your copy of God's Word to Colossians 2. Beginning in verse 11, "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" (KJV) Baptism is the divine surgery done only by The Great Physician Himself, and where He removes the one thing that separates us from Him, SIN! Like as Christ was raised by God to live that glorified life, we too rise from God's surgery to walk and live to serve Him for the promise of heaven itself. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. God bless until next time...

CONSCIENCE AND CONFESSION

The Holy Scriptures give practical, biblical advice on how to sharpen the divinely-implanted tool for Christian growth; that tool, your conscience. Through my years as a Minister of The Gospel, I have watched our culture come unraveled in its addiction to so much worldly corruption. More and more people are becoming enslaved to pornography with its ease of access, we have become insensitive to violence in movies and on T.V., and we are terminally self-consumed. The rapid increase in the openness and spreading of sin is paralleled by a decreasing sensitivity to conscience; not only in the world but also in Christ's Church. And we should not be surprised. Our culture over the years has trained our young to ignore their guilt; and yet at the same time it is what is destroying far too many. Our culture has declared war on guilt. The very idea is considered outdated, obsolete, and even unproductive. People who trouble themselves with feelings of personal guilt are often referred to therapists; and it is the therapist's job to boost self-image. After all, no one is supposed to feel guilty. Guilt is not conducive to dignity and self-esteem. Society encourages sin, but it will not tolerate the guilt that sin produces. But God's answer to dealing with our guilt is not to ignore it; that's the most dangerous thing a person can do. Instead, we need to understand that God has graciously implanted a powerful ally within us to aid in our battle against sin. He gave us our conscience, and that gift is the key to bringing us true joy and freedom. If you find your conscience polluted by this sinful world, you are not alone. According to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, people just like you come out of all kinds of sinful backgrounds, some of them seem worse than others. But, through the blood of Christ, God has been gracious to "cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:14). Did you notice "serve" there is the natural order after conscience is cleansed and dead works end? As a Christian, you have the capacity to walk before God with a clear conscience. In fact, that is your daily privilege and joy. Paul said, "I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men" (Acts 24:16). That can be an overwhelming task in this world, but rest assured, you have every resource to keep a healthy, sensitive, and pure conscience. Here are some simple principles to remember involving confession and conscience in our lesson today. Confession; Confess and forsake known sin . Examine your guilt feelings in light of Scripture. Deal with the sin as you see it revealed in God's Word. Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." First John chapter 1 speaks of confession of sin as an ongoing characteristic of the Christian life: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (v. 9). Again, in light of God's Word, we should certainly confess to those we have wronged: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed" (James 5:16). But above all, you should confess to the One most offended. As David wrote, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD'; and You forgave the guilt of my sin" (Psalm 32:5). Confession is so often a missing element in our lives today. It will only change when each individual makes the decision to be Godly in this way. Only then will we be of greatest benefit to those close to us. God bless until our next time.

"Godly Repentance"

Good day everyone. Our lesson today is on repentance as God's Word teaches. Repentance is the act of changing the mind. Webster defines the word as "to feel sorry for or reproachful for what one has done or has not done". Webster also gives the definition as to feel such regret and dissatisfaction over some past action or intention as to change the mind about it or to change a person's way. Repentance involves also the changing of affections - from earthly things to heavenly things. It involves turning to the living God from a god of self. It is looking to Christ instead of looking to anyone else. Repentance requires the right attitude towards sin. This is Godly sorrow. Repentance is the right attitude toward God, it is a return to God. Repentance is the right attitude toward self; The Prodigal Son came to himself. Repentance is the right attitude toward others; The Phillipian jailer took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. Repentance is not just Godly sorrow. Paul told the Corinthians in II Cornithians 7:10, that "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." Repentance is not gloomy despair. When Judas sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver, he was filled with gloom and despair, so much that he committed suicide, but he did not repent. Repentance is not quitting a sin for a time, it is totally turning from that act of sin never to visit it again. It is a complete one hundred-eighty degree turn. Repentance is not concealing sin. David tried to conceal his sin, but God exposed it. That story is told in Numbers 32:23. We even know about David's sin today. Concealing sin is like trying to cover up spilled seed in order to hide it. The seed comes up and is exposed. Repentance must be followed by works proving that change. In Acts 19:19, their repentance was made evident when the people brought unGodly books valued at fifty thousand pieces of silver and burned them for all to see. This let all men know of the change. The Thessalonians showed their sincerity by turning from idols to serve the one true God, First Thessalonians 1:9. Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians and included a bitter acusation of their sinful deeds. However, part of the second letter to them was written commending them for turning from their vile way of living. A certain man had two sons, and he said unto one, "Go work today in my vineyard", and he answered, 'I will not': but afterward he repented and went". This story is told in Matthew 21:28-29. Whatever this young man did, Jesus said he repented. Jesus called his actions repentance. The young man thought about his first reaction, and he came to realize that he was wrong, recognizing that he had sinned against his father. When, in his mind, he arrived at this conclusion, the young man changed his mind and went in an opposite direction and did according to his father's request. All men need to repent. All men sin and as a result, all men need to turn from sin and turn to righteousness. When Paul was speaking from Mars Hill to the Athenians and reasoning with them concerning the living God, he told them that in times past God had winked at such ignorance as the Athenians were then involved in, but now commanded all men everywhere to repent. This story is told in Acts 17:30. When repentance takes place there is a blessing. When man sins, he must repent according to God's Word or he will perish in his sin. It is just that simple. Man must face judgement and that is the reason God has commanded all men everywhere to repent. Acts 17: 31, "God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained whereof he has given assurance to all men in that he has raised Him from the dead." The goodness of God should lead any man to repentance. Peter in writing his second epistle, in Chapter 3:9, stated that 'God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' This is the goodness of God, This is the love of God. Repentance is a change in our affection, a turning to God. Leaving Satan and serving the Savior causes a person to avoid destruction. Christ said and Luke wrote it down in Chapter 13:3 of his account of the gospel of Christ, "I tell you nay, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish". It is bad to sin, but it is worse to sin and not repent. May God bless as you read and know His Word.