Salvation
Charles Wages
Charles Wages
"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." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Grace is simply God's willingness to do something for us that we cannot do for ourselves. It is often said that God helps them that help themselves, however, the important thing is that God helps them that cannot help themselves! This is where God's grace really is evident.
If there should be one area in which man proves his helplessness, it is in trying to save himself from sin. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Also, that "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23). Therefore all men are subject to death because of sin. What can sinful man do about it? The answer is-nothing! What can God do about it? He can cleanse us from all sin!
The Scripture says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). God's grace is so bountiful that it overabounds all our sin. Romans 5:20 tells us, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Yes, God saves us by His grace, keeps us by His grace, teaches us by His grace, and by His grace we shall appear with Him in the glory (Titus 2:11-14).
Dear Friend, and reader of this, please keep in mind that, doing the best you can, changing your ways, joining a church, becoming religious, or whatever, will never save your soul. However, if you will simply trust His grace to save you from your helpless, hopeless condition, He will.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"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 4:4-5)
Someday the silver cord will break And I no more as now shall sing: But oh, the joy when I shall wake, Within the palace of the King! And I shall see Him face to face And tell the story, saved by grace.
Eternal Life
It is not only difficult, but really impossible for anyone to fully grasp the meaning of eternity. No one really knows when time began and when time will end. No man saw the beginning, nor can any man see the end. The only thing we can say with certainty about eternity is that it never stands still. We just have to trust God that He knows because He was there when time began and He will be in existence forever. Habakkuk exclaimed in Habakkuk 1:12, "Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One?"
The Scriptures teach that God's power is eternal (Romans 1:20), His purposes are eternal (Ephesians 3:11); and His wonderful Person is eternal (I Timothy 1:17).
In the wonderful prayer of our Lord recorded in John 17, Jesus said, "And this is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (vs. 3). In other words, everlasting life is to know God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent. But how do we get to "know" God and Jesus Christ?
We get to "know" God by believing what He has said. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, He gives us His life, which is eternal. He said in John 14:19, "Because I live, ye shall live also." God led Paul to write in Colossians 3:3-4, "For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
One of the most familiar truths in the Scripture is that which Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:7, "Ye must be born again." Jesus knew the natural man would die. Hebrews 9:27 states, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Only the life that God gives when we believe on the Lord Jesus is eternal. What do we believe concerning the Lord Jesus ? The gospel that saves is simply stated: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." (I Corinthians 15:3-4)
Eternal not only refers to the duration of the life that God gives, but also to its quality. It not only speaks of a future position but also of a very present reality. And wonder of wonders, it cannot be lost or taken from us! Jesus said in John 10:28, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my Father's hand."
Our eternal life is in God's hand, not ours. Our assurance depends on God's faithfulness, not on our weakness. Paul was led to write, "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (II Timothy 1: 12).
Yes, the eternal life God gives is as eternal as God is. And, yes, the eternal life He gives is the eternal life we should live. If you have not as yet trusted Jesus Christ for eternal life, remember the Scripture says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
The Church
"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23)
If a random group of people were asked "what does the word 'church' mean to you?", a varied amount of answers would be forthcoming. To some, it would mean a particular building, to another a particular congregation, such as Catholic, Lutheran, or Baptist. However, we all need to "search the scripture" for the real meaning and especially in this "church age."
The original word used in Scripture is ecclesia and simply means "a gathering of called out ones." One of the main distinctions that must be made is between the nation Israel as a "called out group," and the church of this age called the Body of Christ. When this distinction is made much of the confusion that is prevalent among and in religious groups will disappear.
A wonderful thing to know and believe is that all people who have been saved by God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the church, which is the body of Christ. The body of Christ is not an earthly denomination even though some speak of being members of "the church of Christ," "the universal (Catholic) church," "the church of God," and other names. The true body of Christ is an heavenly organism, not an earthly organization. Some in early times met in houses, others in buildings, but really the real "church" was not the house or building but the believers!
The scripture teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church,
"And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;" (Colossians 1:18-19)
The head of the church does not sit or live in some ancient city on earth, but He lives in glory! He (Christ) is "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." (Ephesians 1:21).
It is a wonderful and assuring truth to know that we are "members" of His church, our names are in heaven's book, we don't need men's "letters" and that we cannot be "excommunicated" or put out of the church! It is also blessed to know that all believers are one in Christ. We are brothers in Christ. This should make all love one another as our Saviour desires.
Yes, the meaning of "church" does make a difference. It makes us to see that we are "complete" in Christ (Colossians 2:10) and that our position is in glory. Our salvation is eternal, and our life here on earth can be both satisfying, enjoyable, and useful.
Baptism
The Scriptures have a lot to say about "baptism," but many seem to think it all pertains to water baptism. Even on the subject of water baptism, there is a vast difference of opinion among religious bodies as to its significance. Some believe strongly that water baptism is necessary unto salvation, others that it is a testimony of salvation, others that it is necessary for membership and service.
There is also a great difference of how it should be administered. In other words, the mode or manner in which it is performed. Does water baptism mean sprinkling? Does it mean immersion? Does it mean pouring? Should infants be baptized? Should persons be baptized more than once? The questions that could be advanced are numerous, but none of them really are as important as some believe.
Really, when one considers the doctrine of "baptism," it must be realized that the subject embodies a lot more than just "water." Anyone desiring a rich study should pursue the truth concerning all the baptisms taught in the Old and New Testaments and especially as presented in the epistles of Paul. For example, the Lord mentioned three in one verse of Scripture, Matthew 3:11. The Lord spoke of his death on Calvary as a baptism (Luke 12:50). He made this statement quite a while after He had been baptized in the river Jordan by John. I Corinthians 10:2 tells us that the children of Israel "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea."
However, the most important question should be, what is God's plan for today in regard to baptism? Important and key verses to study are, Romans 6:1-4, I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:4-6, and Colossians 2:10-23. When a person "rightly divides the word of truth," (II Timothy 2:15), it will be clear that "water" baptism was in God's program as long as He dealt principally with the nation of Israel.
The true church today is the body of Christ in which there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-18). God's divine method of placing a believing person into the Body of Christ is the Holy Spirit baptizing that person into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. "Water" baptism is not necessary today either for salvation or a testimony. God saves us when we are "washed" in the blood of Christ and raised into a newness of life. Our testimony should not be a ceremony or ritual but an every day life that testifies to God's saving and keeping power through the Lord Jesus Christ.
When a person sees that he or she has been placed into the body of Christ by the baptism for this age, the baptism into His death by the Holy Spirit, then earthly ordinances become meaningless. What is important is that we are "complete in Christ" (Colossians 2:10), and that we are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3).
"Thorny was the crown that He wore,
And the cross that His body o'er came
Grevious were the sorrows He bore,
But He suffered thus not in vain
May I to that Fountain be led,
Made to cleanse my sins here below
Wash me in the blood that He shed
And I shall be whiter than snow.
Father, I have wandered from Thee,
Often has my heart gone astray;
Crimson do my sins seem to me
Water cannot wash them away.
Jesus to that Fountain of Thine,
Leaning on Thy promise, I go;
Cleanse me by Thy washing divine, and
I shall be whiter than snow.
Whiter than the snow;
Whiter than the snow.
Wash me In the blood of the Lamb
And I shall be whiter than snow."
The Lord's Supper
It has been stated that, "when many differences of opinion on a subject prevail among honest believers, it goes without saying that there is room for re-examination." it might be also added that when there are as many differences in reasons for and observances of this "ordinance," that it is quite questionable that God intended such practice for His church today.
Here are a few Biblical points to consider in approaching this particular subject.
The only time the expression, "the Lord's supper" is found in the Word of God is in I Corinthians 11:20 where it is stated, "When you come together, therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper." The reference to eating of bread in the book of Acts, if carefully studied, will reveal that no ritual or ordinance is intended, but rather the regular eating of meals in fellowship. It is far more than just interesting, but entirely noteworthy to see that this subject is not taught or developed anywhere else in God's book. The books of the Bible such as Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians in which the truth concerning the Church which is the body of Christ is developed, make no mention of anything related to the Lord's supper. In fact, just the opposite is given, notably such passages as Colossians 2:20 which warns,
"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not, taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines men?"
Also we are instructed and admonished in Colossians 3:1-3,
"If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
The only time the expression, "the Lord's supper" is found in the Bible, it is connected with the Jewish passover. How anyone can attempt to disconnect and separate this subject from Jesus' teaching of the passover in Matthew 26 and related gospel passages, is hard to be understood in view of the fact that Paul quoted from these passages in I Corinthians 11:23-24.
The only time the expression "the Lord's supper" is found in scripture, it gives no clear instructions for the manner, materials, or time in observance. This is in contrast to God's detailed and important instructions to His people Israel in regards to the passover. It is both devisive and disheartening to hear people talk about "closed communion;" "transubstantiation;" "sacraments;" "miracles;" "one cup or many;" "crackers or unleavened bread;" "wine or grape juice;" "quarterly participation, weekly, or once a year;" "in the evening or morning;" "at the altar by priest or served in the pews." Many feel that this observance is a "symbol" of the "body and the blood" of the Lord Jesus, somewhat according to their own peculiar feelings or leanings. Also, this is exactly the same reason given for all the "sacraments" including water baptism, last rites, joining the church, etc. These could go on and on as it reflects the traditions and teachings of men in various parts of the world.
The only time the expression "the Lord's supper" is found in Holy writ is given in a portion of the Word that was written during a transitional period of God's dealing with Israel and the first revealings of the Body of Christ. The sign gifts such as unfamiliar "tongues," healings by men, hair requirements, and water baptism, are found in this period in which First Corinthians was written. However, it certainly appears that the people of Corinth were engaged in an unruly corruption of eating in trying to emulate the passover. Paul could do nothing more than correct and reprove them; which he did as God's apostle. A thought provoking question might be, what would be Paul's reaction to today's many and varied observances of a "Lord's Supper?"
The expression found in I Corinthians and the rebuke by Paul for this error by the Corinthians should make all believers think of real spiritual communion with our Lord.
What a wonderful meal the Word of God provides for those who will partake of it in an orderly and worthy manner. When we see that the Word of God is spiritual (I Corinthians 2:9-14); that believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13 and Romans 6:3-4); that the Holy Spirit is our teacher (I Corinthians 2:13); and that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), we should easily acknowledge a spiritual communion.
All of this should lead us to our glorious privilege, as heavenly citizens, of having real spiritual communion with our Lord. We have plenty of meaningful and clear instructions as to how to have this spiritual communion through the Word. The believer is not left in the dark as to how, when, where, and what is needed to partake of the Word! The believer doesn't have to wait until he or she gets to "church" on a prescribed "Lord's day" to have communion, but by "Seeking those things which are above," and "setting their affection on things above," can enjoy "close" communion with the Lord anytime and anywhere.
The Three L's
If you were asked to pick your three favorite words or to pick three words that have the most meaning to you, what would they be? Let's briefly consider three that begin with the letter "L."
Live
Yes, "live" is a very meaningful word, but do we really know what it means? The Apostle Paul said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)
There can be no real life apart from the Lord. Christ is our life. He said,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
Living with and for the Lord makes life meaningful. It also gives life a future for the life God gives is eternal. Someone once said, "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward."
Love
This is the most popular word in every language or vocabulary. Some have even called it a universal language in itself. There is no question of its importance in knowing God and His Word. The most familiar passage of the Bible probably is John 3:16. But let us not forget I John 3:16, and that we are told in I John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
Isn't it wonderful that"God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners; Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Learn
We should be yearnmg for learning, so we can be earning. However, we have to be reminded that learning can be bad as well as good. Also, we had better be very careful not only what we learn, but from whom we learn. There are many, many false teachers in the world system.
Some learning takes place naturally, like a baby nursing. Some comes from experience, like putting your finger on a hot stove. Most comes from applying our hearts unto wisdom.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15)
The noble Bereans of Acts 17:11 "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so." Learning is a process whereby we learn about life as God has prepared it.
Knowledge without God's wisdom puffeth up (blows up like a balloon) and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)
You have always known the three "R's" Have you given much thought to these three "L's"?
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