Posted on 02/23/2015 11:33:40 AM PST by RnMomof7
“I’m believing based on consideration of ALL the pertinent verses, not just a selected few. I find that the more plausible approach.”
Believing based on ALL the pertinent verses is precisely what you aren’t doing. Rome distorts select verses to maintain her system. And let’s be honest, that’s what she must do. Rome would fall if she were judged by the full counsel of the Word.
Romans 11:6
Ephesians 2:8-10
Titus 3:4-7
Those are great verses of instruction, written to people who were already born again. That had already followed the Lord’s, and his apostles, commands for rebirth. Acts 2:38 is spoken by Peter, but is the direct order of Jesus Christ, as his commissions prove (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47; and John 20:23).
And there are several detailed accounts, in Acts, of conversion by the plan ordered by Jesus Christ. You will not find one detailed account of a New Testament conversion in the epistles. You have to go to Acts.
Why do many of you ‘faith without moving a muscle’ folks ignore the Lord’s own words concerning remission of sins? It’s his plan, not anybody else’s.
Please search the scriptures to see if these things be so.
But Paul through the Holy Spirit speaks of God rendering eternal life (salvation) to those that have done these works. You turn the verse around and read it to say "those who are saved will do such works." Like I said above, the "sola fide" crowd invariably twists the verse or ignores it.
Matt. 16:27 specifically uses the word in Greek that means deeds or actions and is talking about rewards which have nothing to do with salvation.
Except contrary to your claim, the works are placed in the context of God rewarding eternal life (salvation). So again your appeal to the Greek misses the mark.
You know what I mean....
Luke 23:43 says what I’m talking about.
I can't find that. Post the verse or passage you think is doing that.
>>Except contrary to your claim, the works are placed in the context of God rewarding eternal life (salvation).<<
That can't be. Believers are only given rewards. All sins of believers have been forgiven and never brought up again. How could God possibly bring them up when He said they were forgiven never to be brought up again? Matthew 16:27 is talking about when Christ returns. Christians are forgiven when the believe and accept Christ. Only good deeds remain.
Yes that’s what Ephesians 2:8-9 says. My point was that I believe MANY have come to Salvation by Fearing the Lord (by terror of punishment for the unbeliever). We were all there at one point in our lives. The fear you talk about in #17 is for Saved Christians. Yes, we are in Awe of Him—always!
Many IMHO!
Isn’t it a testimony to God’s Eternal Mercy, that a murderous thief at the very end of his life on a Roman Cross, reached out to his last lifeline (who is God next to him suffering the same fate), and asked that the Lord remember him when He enters His Kingdom?
This man came to the epic genius decision in less than three hours that God had come in the flesh and was there waiting for him, just as he’s breathing his last breaths.
By today’s standards, the fools with 140+ IQ’s continue to deny His existence and live over 80 years in denial.
The thief’s testimony and his works outshine most Christian’s “works” in this day and age by light years. I can’t wait to meet him!
Ok?
Except here I am putting forth these additional verses without ignoring the others. You, on the other hand, are doing much to avoid the ones I cite. Go figure.
Rome distorts select verses to maintain her system.
The verse I cited (and others like it) make a clear connection between works and salvation. Rome isn't the one twisting here.
let’s be honest, that’s what she must do. Rome would fall if she were judged by the full counsel of the Word.
That's your conceit. Honesty to me points in a different direction.
**Luke 23:43 says what I’m talking about.**
You can’t be the ‘thief’. Since Luke 23:43, the Christ said “it is finished”, bowed his head, and died. Then he arose, and instructed his apostles to go and teach....to preach repentance and remission of sins......in his name. He told THEM to remit sins.
Acts 2:38 is where the Lord’s post resurrection will, for ‘whosoever’, is plainly laid out.
Baptism is a work. It’s something we do to honor Christ but it will not save anybody by itself nor is it necessary for a confessed believer in Christ to do.
Romans 10:9-10 spells out crystal clear who is saved. Baptism comes AFTER this fact.
And that statement didn't even get a rise out of anybody
(Maybe it didn't because it's true)
The new birth is not some command we are expected to obey. From start to finish, salvation is wholly a monergistic work of God. Just as no man contributes to his physical birth, so also does no sinner contribute to his second, spiritual birth. The new birth, then, is something that happens to a man, not by a man. It is the power, work and grace of God that enables a dead sinner to repent and believe upon Christ. When that sinner is ‘born again,’ he is ‘born from above,’ and thus all glory for that salvation must necessarily be lavished upon God for His saving work.
Please watch this video to better understand the new birth. It will help you much more than I can in a comment box. This is vital!
The Blueprint for Being Born Again Dr. John MacArthur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tutZptMHx8c
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Rom. 4:2–5)
The common misunderstanding is rather when some teach that works MUST be added to faith in order to justify us before God. That is completely wrong as the Holy Spirit makes plain in many passages of Scripture including the above from the book of Romans. We don't add our works to Christ's sacrifice in order to make us worthy of God's grace. Grace means unearned, undeserved, unmerited and not worked for. We nullify grace if we try to add our works of righteousness to the equation. Good works are the fruit of genuine faith just as figs are produced by a fig tree planted and nourished by the farmer - it's a natural result.
**Baptism is a work. It’s something we do to honor Christ but it will not save anybody by itself nor is it necessary for a confessed believer in Christ to do.**
That’s not what Jesus Christ or his apostles teach. You are just repeating the tradition of men, that hurdle the Lord’s conversion commands.
**Romans 10:9-10 spells out crystal clear who is saved.**
Which was written to people already born again:
Romans 1:7 “To all that be at Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...”.
They were reminded of their conversion here:
Rms 6:3; “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’s certainly not Spirit baptism, because the Spirit is life.) “..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.”
17 “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
18 “Being THEN made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”
Romans 10:13 is also quoted out of context quite regularly:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
Let’s keep it in context by continuing:
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?..” Rms 10:14,15
Now go back to Acts to see how these ‘sent’ preachers preached to the lost, starting with Acts 2:14, and coming to the part where the convicted souls ask, “Men and brethern, what shall we do?”
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. Acts 2:38
Is that verse from heaven, or of men?
I believe it’s from heaven, and it’s author is to be believed, and that Peter was simply the messenger. And I believe that the author is very serious with those words.
You got that right! :o)
I’m not ignoring the verses you cited. They simply do not mean what you suggest they mean and you have cherry-picked a few proof texts while ignoring the clear passages I cited. The overwhelming weight of Scriptures are on my side here.
You seem committed to popery, so I rather doubt I will change your mind. And I know you can’t change mine. I’ve had a really tough 36 hours or so and I’m running on fumes. I’m too tired to go back and forth. I know I shared the truth in my initial comment. Accordingly, I said “believe as you will.”
By the way, you did not deal with ALL the “pertinent” verses. Here are a few more that teach salvation is not by works. Someone sent me this list, so I don’t know who put it together. I simply know it’s a good place for someone trusting works, whether in whole or in part, to start studying. Wrestle with these and get back to me.
1. Eph. 2:8-9 - “For BY GRACE are ye SAVED THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
2. Rom. 4:6-7 - God imputes “Righteousness without works.” (See #9, #4, #45, #7, #12, #53)
3. Rom. 10:3 - It’s a grave mistake for anyone to try to, “Establish their own righteousness.”
4. Rom. 5:17 - Heaven deserving righteousness is a “GIFT,” not something you earn.
5. Rom. 5:18 - Justification to God is a “FREE GIFT,” not something you work toward.
6. Phil. 3:9 - Paul, as ‘good’ as he was, still wouldn’t trust his “Own righteousness” to save him.
7. Rom. 3:22 - God’s righteousness is credited to “ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE,” not all that work.
8. Rom. 8:3-4 - The flesh is too “Weak” to save itself. We need a Saviour. We need Christ. (See #86)
9. Rom. 4:3 - Abraham’s faith, not works, “Was counted unto him for righteousness.”
10. Rom. 4:4-5 - Works are “Not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” Faith is counted as righteousness.
11. Gal. 3:10 - To earn Heaven you’d have to “Continueth,” perfectly, in the whole law. (See #81, #86)
12. Titus 3:5 - “NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which we have done, but according to
his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
13. John 5:24 - In Christ we’ve “PASSED from death unto life.” We don’t have to “wait” to find out.
14. Rom. 9:31-32 - Israel, “Sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.” (#33, #54)
15. Acts 4:12 - No other name but Christ can save us— not the name of works, nor our own name.
16. John 1:12-13 - Only God’s power, through His Son, makes us a child of God. We are not born into
God’s family by “Blood” (heritage, family ‘pedigree’), “Nor will of the flesh” (good works), “Nor will
of man.” (minister, or man made religion), “But of God.” (See #12, #53, #21, #17, #22, #46, #15)
17. Isa. 45:22 - No one else can save a soul from Hell but God; “There is none else.”
18. Acts 13:39 - “And by him [Christ] all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye
COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED by the law of Moses.” (See #33, #54, #53, #5, #42, #64, #82, #87, #80)
19. Rom. 8:7 - We can’t follow God’s law even if we wanted to. So how can we save ourselves? (#86, #8)
20. Matthew 7:21-23 - Christ describes a future scene in which some who are trusting in their “Many
wonderful works,” will, sadly, be told by Christ: “I never knew you: depart from me, Ye that work
iniquity.” Their good works will not save them. We all have to trust Christ, and Him ALONE. (#46, #12)
21. John 10:1 - We must enter through Christ, “THE DOOR,” not by “Some other way..” (See #46)
22. John 8:24 - A person can work all they want, but it won’t save them. Jesus said the bottom line is
that, “If ye believe not that I am he [the only way], ye shall die in your sins.” (See #53 and #69)
23. Rom. 4:2 - If Abraham could have saved himself, he’d have something to brag about. (See #25, #1)
24. Acts 10:1-43 - Cornelius’ good works would put anyone today to shame, yet he still had to get saved
by trusting solely in Christ to save him. (See #6, #12, #1, #88)
25. Rom. 3:27-28 - “Where is boasting then?...Of WORKS? nay.” (See #1 and #23)
26. 1 John 5:13 - If your salvation depends on a lifetime of good works, then why does the Bible teach
that you could “KNOW” for sure, before you die, that you are going to Heaven? The answer is because
salvation doesn’t depend on you, but on Christ, who ALREADY paid the price for your sins. (See #87)
27. Heb. 1:3 - “He had BY HIMSELF purged our sins.” He doesn’t need help from us! (See #15)
28. Heb. 2:3 - If we have to work at earning it, why does the Bible call it “So great salvation”?
29. Heb. 2:9-10 - Christ is “The CAPTAIN of their salvation.” He tasted “Death for every man.”
30. Heb. 2:14-15 - Christ is the one who will “DELIVER” us from death, not ourselves! (See #53)
31. Heb. 2:17 - Christ makes “RECONCILIATION for the sins.” We can’t reconcile ourselves.
32. Heb. 5:9 - Christ is “The AUTHOR of eternal salvation,” not us! It’s not in our hands.
33. Gal. 2:16 - “Knowing that a man IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, ....that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and NOT by the WORKS
of the law: FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.”
34. Heb. 9:28 - “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” God won’t accept good works.
35. Heb. 10:10-12 - Christ’s body was offered “Once for all.” So stop insulting God with your works.
36. Heb. 10:14 - “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them.” STOP WORKING at it!
37. Heb. 10:17-18 - “There is no more offering for sin.” So stop offering your good works.
38. 2 Cor. 1:9 - “We should not trust in ourselves, but in God,” who has ALREADY paid the price.
39. 2 Cor. 1:10 - Christ “Delivered us from so great a death.” He had to; we can’t deliver ourselves.
40. Eph. 1:12-13 - You are saved by trusting in Christ, and, “After that believed, ye were SEALED.”
41. Jer. 17:5 - “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.”
42. Job 25:4 - “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a
woman?” (For God’s answer, see #86, #63, #54, #33, #82, #80, #73, #5 and Isaiah 1:18)
43. Isa. 12:2 - “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust.” Don’t trust good works, trust the Saviour.
44. Luke 18:9-14 - Jesus gives a parable teaching that self righteousness WILL NOT save a person.
45. Ezek. 33:13 - “If he trust to his own righteousness...” He better be perfectly sinless or else!
46. John 14:6 - Jesus said, “I am THE WAY...no man cometh unto the Father, BUT BY ME.”
47. 1 Tim. 2:5-6 - There’s ONLY “One mediator between God and men,” Jesus Christ, not ourselves.
48. Col. 2:14 - Christ took our sin debt, “Nailing it to his cross.” It’s ALREADY paid for! (See #34-37)
49. John 19:30 - While on the cross, Christ said, “It is finished.” It’s paid. We don’t have to work for it.
50. Matt. 11:28-30 - Christ offers “REST” to all those working at trying to earn their way to Heaven.
51. Isa. 53:4-6 - Christ was, “WOUNDED FOR OUR transgressions.” Why? So WE don’t have to be.
52. Heb. 4:9-10 - The person who accepts Christ as Saviour, “Hath CEASED from his own works.”
53. Gal. 2:21 - If you could earn Heaven, why did Christ die? “Then Christ is dead in vain.” (See #86, #8)
54. Rom. 3:20 - “Therefore by the deeds of the law there SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED in his
sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (See #33, #14, #82, #80, #87, #42, #73)
55. Gal. 5:1-4 - “Christ hath made us free.” He had to; we can’t free ourselves, no matter how “good.”
56. 2 Tim. 1:10 - “Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death,” with no help from us.
57. 1 John 4:14 - Christ was sent, “To be the Saviour of the world”; we couldn’t save ourselves.
58. 1 Tim. 4:10 - “The Saviour of ALL men.” Why try to save yourself? You already have a Saviour.
59. Acts 16:30-31 - When the Philippian jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul didn’t say,
keep the Ten Commandments, but rather, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
60. Luke 7:49-50 - Christ told the woman: “Thy faith hath saved thee,” not thy works! (See #1)
61. Eph. 1:7 - “Redemption through HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins,” not through our works.
62. 1 Pet. 1:3-5 - “According to his abundant MERCY,” not according to our good deeds. (See #12)
63. Rev. 1:5 - Christ, “Washed us from our sins in his own blood”; can’t wash ourselves with works.
64. Titus 3:7 - We are “Justified by his grace,” not by our good deeds, baptism, or church membership.
65. Titus 2:11 - “The grace of God that BRINGETH SALVATION hath appeared to ALL MEN.”
66. Eph. 4:32 - We are forgiven, “For Christ’s sake,” not because of our good behavior. (See #88)
67. Eph. 2:4-5 - “(By grace ye are saved),” not by works. The two don’t mix according to Rom. 11:6.
68. Acts 26:18 - “Through this man [Christ]...forgiveness of sins,” not through our efforts!
69. Heb. 7:25 - Only Christ is “Able to save.” Only He can “Make INTERCESSION for them.”
70. Rom. 3:10 - “There is none righteous, no, not one.” So how can anyone save themselves?
71. Rom. 3:12 - “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” So how can anyone save themselves?
72. Eccl. 7:20 - “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good.” Can anyone save themselves?
73. Rom. 4:25 - Christ has already died for our sins. He, “Was delivered for our offences and raised
again FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION.” So what role does a person play in their own salvation?
74. Rom. 5:10 - “We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” not by the fruits of our works.
75. John 6:28-29 - “Then said they unto him, WHAT SHALL WE DO, that we might work the works
of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YE BELIEVE
ON HIM whom he hath sent.” (See #59, #22, #10, #53)
76. 1 Pet. 3:18 - “Suffered for us...that HE might bring us to God.” Do we have to help Him save us?
Didn’t He suffer enough to pay the price? Heb. 7:25 says He did. He saves to “The uttermost.”
77. Matt. 5:20 - Your self-righteousness would have to surpass that of the Pharisees— Impossible! (#70)
78. 1 John 2:2 - Christ, “Is the propitiation [payment]...for the sins of the whole world.” If He can
pay for the sins of the whole world, why would He need our help in saving us— mere individuals?
79. Rom. 8:8 - “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” So what chance does anyone have?
80. Rom. 3:23-25 - Through Christ’s death we are “Justified freely” (made right with God). His death
provides: “Redemption” (we are bought back to God), “Propitiation” (a settlement of our sin debt),
“Remission [forgiveness] of sins.” It’s all by God’s “Grace” not our works. (See #1, #35, #36, #78)
81. James 2:10-11 - “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE POINT, he is
guilty of all.” We can’t possibly save ourselves; God demands sinless perfection. We need a Saviour.
82. Romans 5:8-9 - We are “Justified by his blood,” not our good works. That’s why “When we were
sinners, Christ died for us.” Therefore, “We shall be saved from wrath through him.”
83. Matt. 18:11 - Jesus came “To save that which was lost [us].” Why? Because we can’t save ourselves.
Otherwise, why send Christ to die for our sins if we could pay for them ourselves? (See #53, #8, #86, #76)
84. Acts 15:10-11 - “Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved,” not through
works. Grace is not works; works is not grace, as explained in Rom. 11:6 (see #90, #1, #53)
85. 2 Cor. 5:21 - “Christ was made sin for us...that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him.” Why trust our own “righteousness” if God offers to impute us His righteousness? (Rom. 4:22-24)
86. Matt. 19:25-26 - “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, WHO THEN
CAN BE SAVED? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE;
but with God all things are possible.” (See #8, #41, #42, #81, #11, #45, #70, #19)
87. Rom. 5:1 - “Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our
Lord Jesus Christ.” There can be no real peace when a person spends their life wondering if they have done
enough good works. Peace is knowing it’s been paid for ALREADY. (See #52, #50, #26, #53)
88. 2 Tim. 1:9 - “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR
WORKS, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began.” God had a “payment plan” ready before any of us were even alive to work!
89. Rom. 10:9-13 - “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [i.e. Repent], and shalt
believe in thine heart [i.e. Trust] that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED
...For whosoever shall CALL upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED.” (See #15)
90. Rom. 11:6 - “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.”
91. Gal. 1:4, 92. Rom. 1:16, 93. Gal. 3:21, 94. Heb. 9:22, 95. 1 Tim. 2:6, 96. Acts 10:43,
97. Isa. 43:11, 98. Gal. 3:24, 99. Heb. 9:12-14, 100. 1 Tim. 1:15, 101. Heb. 6:1
Soli Deo Gloria!
I agree. I often wonder, if those who truly believe that their works MUST be added to faith in order for one to be saved, what percentage they imagine those two make up. Is salvation based on a balance between 50% faith and 50% works? is it 70% - 30%, 30% - 70%, 25% - 75%??? At what point do they come to where they think they have done enough works to merit/qualify/earn heaven? And, lastly, is trusting in ones' works contributing to ones' salvation at any point really trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior or is it more about ones' own efforts and what God "owes" them?
It seems to me that Scripture is abundantly clear that we cannot save ourselves and if not for God's gift of eternal life by His grace, we would be destitute and forever at enmity with Him. Why would God use words like "grace" and "gift" if we must work for or earn eternal life?
I’ve heard Mr. MacArthur enough to know that he doesn’t believe Acts 2:38. To me that is terribly vital.
Nevertheless, I listened to him get as far as ‘the definitive text in the gospels’, concerning the new birth. That’s just the start of the Lord’s definitive texts on the subject. Among other places, He teaches about it in his commissions. While the Lord made clear that HE would be sending (baptizing with)the Holy Ghost, he hammered home to his apostles that THEY were to baptize, that they were to preach repentance and remission of sins, that “whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted..”.
They followed his rebirth instructions to the ‘t’, with Peter preaching them first in Acts 2.
These ‘ever learning’ men, such as MacArthur, can’t teach the Acts 2:38 experience because they haven’t experienced it themselves.
I don’t believe the words of Acts 2:38 are authored by Peter. I believe they are authored by the Lord, and only spoken by Peter.
The dogged effort to dodge, all the detailed conversions in Acts, by these acclaimed ‘Drs of Divinity’ is telling. If they do attempt to deal with those accounts it’s ‘divide and conquer’: saying, that is water, but that isn’t. It’s important, but it’s not for remission of sins. And on and on.
The only way for me to REALLY make it plain is to tell my story. I usually avoid to, because it has a lot of ‘I’s in it, and I just related it yesterday on this forum. But, hopefully you can bear reading it.
For my first 28 yrs I was a Calvinist, but not so different from many other groups that professed a faith that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose again. The big difference was this: The biblical rebirth experience.
While I had done, as a teen, the ‘give my heart to Jesus’, ‘accept him as my personal Savior’, moments, that are so commonly used as conversion ‘proofs’, deep down I just knew there HAD to be more. It was something that would enter my mind during a church service, or funeral, or just when I would dwell on thoughts of spiritual things.
My step-mother, an attractive but very worldly woman, stole my dad from my mother. My dad, while an adulterer, was conservative in every other way. I was 23, and figured I understood women enough by then to make a educated opinion: There’s no way the marriage would last a year. I was wrong.
She visited a church (independent, but like United Pentecostals) simply because it was nearby their new (to them) home. She felt the tug at her heart while there, and refused to go back. But, staying away didn’t fill the hole either. She eventually went back, and had a biblical conversion, following the Acts 2:38 formula. She spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance. I wasn’t present, but through the days and weeks saw her change dramatically in almost every way. Her joy was constant. I remained skeptical.
In the meantime, I married a very lovely woman. She was always curteous to my dad and step-mother, but was adamant: “I’m not going to their church!” That was no problem, for I was in total agreement.
Then ‘idiot president 1.0’, already letting the economy go out of control, embargoed grain to Russia. Reagan steps in and hits inflation with a sledge hammer. The combined chaos was financial hardship for many, and not just farmers.
It knocked down my trust in the wisdom of men across the board, myself included. Even made me take a hard look at my church’s leadership. As my studying expanded, I thought it strange that the miraculous experiences of rebirth in the book of Acts were not happening in mainline churchs in my area.
Then one of my brothers received the same Acts 2:38 rebirth as my step-mother, ONLY, he lived 900 miles away. That wasn’t all, as a couple of months later it happened to my youngest brother, that lived with my dad. I decided I had to step in and ‘save’ my family.
My wife and I made an exception to our rule, and visited my dad’s church on Father’s day, 1982. We DID have to admit that the people there were genuinely happy, the preacher very neighborly, and not at all pushy. We felt that we were believers, and repentant in our walk with God, so we felt a church change was completely unecessary.
We didn’t go back for a few months, but only then because of our seeing the command of baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. Our Calvinist church didn’t meet on Sunday nights, so we went to the other church at those times for a few weeks.
My wife and I were baptized, by immersion, in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. We felt glad, and praised God. We still wanted that biblical Spirit birth, that the Lord promises (Acts 2:38) “to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32). A week later, in prayer, my wife began praising God in a language she had previously never spoken, lasting about a minute or so. It was so smooth, as if she had spoken it all of her life. It happened to me almost five months later, during a revival service.
That was our ‘beginning’, our being born again. It changes your life like nothing else. In my previous years, my reverence for the Word of God kept me from many troubles. The Word is wisdom (that’s why so many can put the scriptures in their own words, call it a commentary, and possibly get paid well for it).
If you made it this far,
God bless you
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