Posted on 09/26/2019 4:52:56 AM PDT by metmom
“‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life’” (John 3:14–15).
To emphasize for Nicodemus that there was no excuse for him to be ignorant of the way of salvation, Jesus appealed to a familiar incident in the Old Testament (Num. 21:5–9).
The event took place during Israel’s forty years of wilderness wandering after leaving Egypt and before entering the Promised Land. As a judgment on the people’s incessant complaining, the Lord sent venomous snakes to infest their camp. In desperation, the Israelites begged Moses to intercede on their behalf. And God answered Moses’ prayerful petition by showing mercy to His rebellious people. He instructed Moses to make a bronze replica of a snake and raise it above the camp on a pole. Those who were bitten would be healed if they but looked at it, thereby acknowledging their guilt and expressing faith in God’s forgiveness and healing power.
The point of Jesus’ analogy is that just “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (crucified; cf. 8:28; 12:32, 34). The term “must” emphasizes that Christ’s death was a necessary part of God’s plan of salvation. He had to die as a substitute for sinners. The stricken Israelites were cured by obediently looking to the elevated serpent, apart from any works or righteousness of their own, in complete hope and dependence on God’s Word. In the same way, whoever looks in faith alone to the crucified Christ will be cured from sin’s deadly bite and “will in Him have eternal life.”
Ask Yourself
The use of analogies and common knowledge is most effective in sharing gospel truth with others. What are some of the most compelling ones God has registered in your heart? Be deliberate about getting these down, grounding them biblically, then having them mentally available to share.
But UNbelief is the only thing listed in the Bible that will DAMN them.
In Hebrew it’s called ‘tevilah’ and was done regularly when one visited Jerusalem for festivals, and for other purposes. Actually, it still is done by the religious, but usually in a more comfortable and convenient ‘mikveh’, although natural lakes, springs and rivers are certainly acceptable for tevilah.
You posted “ faith alone saves, but not a faith that is alone.
This is a contradictory statement. Faith cannot be alone and not alone at the same time.
One cannot be saved by works of merit (Eph 2:9) and earn salvation, but one can be saved by being obedience to God’s will (Rom 6:16).
Rom 10:10-—belief>>>>>>>>>>unto righteousness
Rom 6:16——obedience>>>>>>>unto righteousness
Belief does not bring about obedience, belief IS obedience.
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
“Believeth” is contrasted to “obeyeth not” meaning belief is obedience and unbelief is disobedience.
John 6:27-29 “Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed. They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may 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.”
Jesus said to WORK for the food and in the context the WORK Jesus gave them to do is to believe.
The Bible gives just two options
1) condemnation
2) salvation
Paul puts forth these two options in Rom 6:16 when he shows each one of us is serving either;
1) sin unto death - (condemnation)
2) obedience unto righteousness - (salvation)
I serve obedience unto righteousness. Luther’s faith only denies ‘obedience unto righteousness’ leaving faith only serving sin unto death.
John’s baptism was for remission of sins yet Heb 9:22 says without shedding of blood there is no remission. But John’s baptism happened BEFORE Christ shed His blood. That can only mean John’s baptism remitted sins in promise looking toward Christ’s death. THose baptized with John’s baptism therefore had their sins remitted when Christ finally did die on the cross. John’s baptism was replaced by Christ’s baptism of the great commission in Acts 2:38.
There was no baptism as Acts 2:38 under the OT law of Moses. They did not have the shed blood of Christ to remit, wash away all sins but only had the blood of bulls and goats that could not take away sins Heb 10:4.
Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.
Men, unlike Christ, have sins that must be remitted before man can be saved and only in baptism does the blood of Christ take away all sins.
If you are unable to understand the difference btwn cause and effect then there is little warrant for continuing this debate, which should not be necessary. I have provided enough for you to see that that effectual faith is what justifies, and not the merit of works, which is what sola fide means. Cornelius and company believed the gospel and thus confessed the Lord Jesus in word and in baptism. And some man named Luther stated,
Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever...Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire! [http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/luther-faith.txt]
This is what I have often said, if faith be true, it will break forth and bear fruit. If the tree is green and good, it will not cease to blossom forth in leaves and fruit. It does this by nature. I need not first command it and say: Look here, tree, bear apples. For if the tree is there and is good, the fruit will follow unbidden. If faith is present works must follow.” [Sermons of Martin Luther 2.2:340-341]
“We must therefore most certainly maintain that where there is no faith there also can be no good works; and conversely, that there is no faith where there are no good works. Therefore faith and good works should be so closely joined together that the essence of the entire Christian life consists in both.” [Martin Luther, as cited by Paul Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther [Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1963], 246, footnote 99]
if you continue in pride and lewdness, in greed and anger, and yet talk much of faith, St. Paul will come and say, 1 Cor. 4:20, look here my dear Sir, "the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." It requires life and action, and is not brought about by mere talk.” [Sermons of Martin Luther 2.2:341-342]
“This is why St. Luke and St. James have so much to say about works, so that one says: Yes, I will now believe, and then he goes and fabricates for himself a fictitious delusion, which hovers only on the lips as the foam on the water. No, no; faith is a living and an essential thing, which makes a new creature of man, changes his spirit and wholly and completely converts him. It goes to the foundation and there accomplishes a renewal of the entire man; so, if I have previously seen a sinner, I now see in his changed conduct, manner and life, that he believes. So high and great a thing is faith.”[Sermons of Martin Luther 2.2:341]
“For it is impossible for him who believes in Christ, as a just Savior, not to love and to do good. If, however, he does not do good nor love, it is sure that faith is not present. [Sermons of Martin Luther 1:40]
if obedience and God’s commandments do not dominate you, then the work is not right, but damnable, surely the devil’s own doings, although it were even so great a work as to raise the dead...And St. Peter says, Ye are to be as faithful, good shepherds or administrators of the manifold grace of God; so that each one may serve the other, and be helpful to him by means of what he has received, 1 Peter 4:10. See, here Peter says the grace and gifts of God are not one but manifold, and each is to tend to his own, develop the same and through them be of service to others.” [Sermons of Martin Luther 1:244]
You are on your own now.
Interesting!
Is that found in the bible?
There are several occasions on which biblical or rabbinical regulations require immersion of the whole body, referred to as tvilah.
Depending on the circumstances, such ritual bathing might require immersion in "living water" - either by using a natural stream or by using a mikveh
(a specially constructed ritual bath, connected directly to a natural source of water, such as a spring).
This article discusses the requirements of immersion in Rabbinic Judaism and its descendants. Some other branches of Judaism,
such as Falasha Judaism, have substantially different practices including the requirement of an actual spring or stream.
such an absolute.
The stricken Israelites were cured by obediently looking to the elevated serpent, apart from any works or righteousness of their own, in complete hope and dependence on God’s Word.
I see no 'obedience' here; as GOD did NOT 'command' anyone to look.
What I see is FAITH in what GOD had proclaimed:
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
There's that ONLY again.
Like the thief on the cross? He was not baptized so was. heist lying when He said the thief was saved?
should be was Christ lying? i think not.
The word used in the Five Books of Moses is ‘rachatz’. As in other instances, details aren’t explicit but can be deduced from other references and descriptions in the Bible.
That doesn’t even come close to what baptism ‘means’ today.
https://www.haggadot.com/clip/rachatz-washing-hands-meal
Well, yes, contemporary Hebrew/Aramaic terms do not necessarily have the same meanings they did one thousand or three thousand years ago, and secular Hebrew words sometimes have far different meanings than they have in traditional religious usage established in the last few hundred years.
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