Posted on 09/26/2019 4:52:56 AM PDT by metmom
Studying God’s Word ping
And many still didn’t look up!
I love the reminder that “The use of analogies and common knowledge is most effective in sharing gospel truth with others. ”
Thanks for sharing this with us.
King David is a good one also.
From the OP: “The stricken Israelites were cured by obediently looking to the elevated serpent, apart from any works ....”
Num 21:8 “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.”
God’s grace provided a way to be cured of a snake bite but it CONDITIONALLY required obedience on part of the Israelite to go and look upon the brass serpent. Sitting idle and having faith only would not cure a snake bite but the cure required doing, obedience to God in looking upon the serpent. The obedience did not earn a cure but a necessary condition that had to be met to be receive God’s gracious cure.
Likewise those bitten by the poison of sin can obediently go to the cross and find a gracious cure for sin. Sitting idle, doing nothing cannot cure sin. One must come obediently unto Christ (Mt 11:28) in belief Jn 8:24 repentance Lk 13:3 confession Mt 10:21-33 baptism Mk 16:16.
And that was the ONLY thing they needed to do.
It cannot be used as a justification for works based salvation and adding all kinds of extras that people must do in addition to looking.
Does Adam Shiff qualify as a Venomous Snake..
Faith in God moved the Israelites to obey by going and looking upon a brass serpent. Yet no one today can be saved by going and looking upon a brass serpent. Faith in God in the NT requires one repent Lk 13:3 confess Mt 10:32-22 be baptized Mk 16:16.
Only believing.
The Israelites did not have to look and then baptize. They just had to look.
John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
As far as Mark 16, there is dispute about whether that was part of the original manuscript so basing doctrine on it is not a wise course of action.
That passage also goes on to say that those who believe And these signs will accompany those who believe: "in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
If you are going to demand accepting baptism as part of salvation,t hen the rest of this MUST follow. Do you also advocate all of that? Do you speak in tongues, cast out demons, lay hands on people and see them recover, drink poison, or snake handle?
While others turned a salvific instrument of God into an object of worship (or as Catholics could label it, "veneration").
He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:4)
x
Correct, as it is faith which is counted for righteousness, by which we are washed, justified sanctified and accepted in the Beloved. (Rm. 4:5; Acts 10:43; 15:8,9; Titus 3:5; 1 Co. 6:11; Eph. 1:6)
However, as you know, in Scripture living, saving faith is distinguished from dead fruitless faith. And since obedience by the Spirit is how a believer and his faith is made manifest, thus not only is salvation promised to those who believe, (Jn. 3:16) but to those who confess and obey the Object of that faith. (Mk. 16:16; Hebrews 5:9; Rm. 10:9,10) Thanks be to God. Who are thus exhorted to persevere in that faith and warned against casting away their confidence.
Baptism saves, remits sins, it’s when the new birth takes place and one walks in newness of life, how then can baptism not save?????
Water baptism for remission of sins did not exist under the OT law of Moses for Christ had not shed His blood. Yet is is a requirement today under the NT where Christ’s shed blood washed away all sins.
The common denominator under both the OT and NT that saves is an obedient faith. Obedient faith to the OT law saved those under it and obedience to the NT law saves us today.
—Mark 16:16 is as genuine and valid as any other NT verse. If one questions the validity of Mark 16:16 one then must question the validity of all the NT.
—Mk 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe;”
The nearest plural antecedent of “them” in verse 17 is “the eleven” of verse 14. In the context it was the 11 apostles that did not believe, Jesus upbraided them for their unbelief, v14. So of them (apostles) that believe would have these signs following. Paul called these signs “signs of an Apostle” in 2 Cor 12:12.
Furthermore, the pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’ in verses 19 and 20 clearly show all the plural pronouns refer back to the apostles, not to any and everyone that believe.
Even in the first century when these signs existed not all believers/Christians possessed all the signs mentioned in verses 17 and 18, some Christians had no signs at all, 1 Cor 12:29,30. In writing to the Christians at Corinth Paul wrote: “All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?”
A NT belief INCLUDES repentance Lk 13:3, confession Mt 10:32-33 and baptism Mk 16;16.
Belief alone cannot save those that refuse to repent, that refuse to confess Christ, those that refuse to obey God’s command to be baptized.
A false dichotomy. Rather, to believe in sola fide is to repent, confess Christ and obey God’s command to be baptized. The classic doctrine of sola fide means salvation by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone. For to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means not only to trust in Him (as the Divine Son sent by the Father, who died for our sins and rose again) for salvation, but it also signifies a turning from darkness to light, a change of heart as concerns not only the means of salvation, but a change of Lordship and life direction, relative to the light one has.
Thus sola fide means to trust in Christ to save you by faith, not the merit of works, with a faith that will effect obedience by the Spirit.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:19-21)
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. (Acts 10:43-48)
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-8)
Glory and thanks be to God.
Belief only cannot save those that refuse to repent...Jesus said to repent or perish (Lk 13:3). The impenitent will be lost Rom 2:4-5.
Faith cannot be alone and not alone at the same time. That is a false dichotomy. Faith alone is dead while a saving faith is living for it includes repent, confession and baptism.
Faith itself is a work, not a work of merit, but obedience to God’s will.
Rom 10:10——believe>>>>>>>>>>>unto righteousness
Rom 6:16-——obedience>>>>>>>>>unto righteousness
Since there is one way to be saved, then belief must be obedience.
There simply is no saving faith that is alone in sola fide, which does not teach that a barren faith saves, but that effectual faith is what appropriates justification, and not works themselves = faith alone saves, but not a faith that is alone.
Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love. [Westminster Confession of Faith, CHAPTER XI. Of Justification.
Faith cannot be alone and not alone at the same time. That is a false dichotomy.
Rather, the logical fallacy is by you confusing faith as being the means by which the believer is accounted righteous, not by works, with the effect of faith to which it is thus joined to (like fire and heat), but is not the actual means by which one obtains justification.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:3-5)
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
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; (Titus 3:5)
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:2)
By what work were the hearts of Cornelius and company cleansed and they regenerated and made accepted in the Beloved?
Faith itself is a work, not a work of merit, but obedience to God’s will.
Rather, saving faith is confidence, trust in God, which is counted for righteousness and is set in opposition to works as regards the means of salvation, but it is put together with works as regards its effect.
Rom 6:16-——obedience>>>>>>>>>unto righteousness [Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)]
You are confusing the effect of faith (yield yourselves servants to obey,) with its cause, that of the "obedience of faith" in believing the gospel, which is not a work but effect the same:
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18)
Do not confuse the actual means of obtaining justification with its effect, although since they go together in that way then salvation is promised to those who believe as well as those who obey.
Faith moves the hand of God and obtains promises, but faith is manifested by works of faith:
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (Hebrews 11:33)
And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. (Mark 2:4-5)
And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. (Mark 2:4-5)
But since the cause and effect go together, the Lord could ask:
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. (Mark 2:9-11)
However, the Cause (forgiveness, obtained by faith) is not the Effect. Likewise to tell people to believe is, in effect, to tell them to obey Christ, and to tell them to do that latter (including be baptized) is to tell them to believe. However, as seen in the cause of Cornelius and company, heart-purifying washing of regeneration was by faith.
Since there is one way to be saved, then belief must be obedience.
Since there is one way to be saved, then belief must be that which will effect obedience, but the Cause is not to be confused with the Effect as regards what obtains acceptance in the Beloved, (Eph. 1:6; 2:5,6) nor the two separated as regards works.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
Then WHY was John the 'baptist' doing it?
And why did Jesus want be baptized?
Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
(NASB) Matthew 3:13-15
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