The Lord built His
church and paid for it with His blood. He is its head and has all
authority in it. It is not my church, your church, or our church. It
is not ours to plan its mission or work, nor do we enter it except
by pleasing God so that, He of His own free will, adds us to it. We
do not plan the terms of enhance any more than we plan the
organization, work, or worship. Every one is accepted on the Lord's
terms or he is excluded\from it and has no-inheritance in it
(Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:23-25).
God is no respecter of persons, so He does not reject one because of the
color of his skin or the color of his hair. Neither the conduct of his
ancestors nor his own past life makes it impossible for him to become a
child of God. He can be born of water and of the Spirit and, by the grace of
God, enter the kingdom. He can be adopted into this great family and join
with other redeemed people in crying, "Abba, Father." God is interested in
one's present humility and worthy plans for the future. A man's sins can be
washed away in the blood of Christ and be remembered against him no more
(Rom. 2:6, 11; John 3:5; Rev. 1:5).
He that believeth not shall be damned. It is absolutely impossible for one
who does not believe to please God. There are a few things that we must
believe. We must believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him. Unbelievers are without excuse, and the lukewarm who
show no zeal for the Lord's church are an abomination to Him. We are not
only to accept God, but we are to accept Jesus as His Son. The well
established fact of the resurrection of Christ is the sign of signs to
confirm His Sonship. In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. In this land
of Bibles
there are some who do not believe, so they do not study His word. If we look
at this sad fact from another point of view, we could say that some do not
study His word, so they do not believe. Faith comes by hearing the word of
God. The Bible will produce precious faith in those honest and good hearts
who study His word, but it will not produce faith in any one while it lies
on the shelf collecting dust (Mark 16:16; Heb. 11:6; Rom. 1:20; Rev.
3:14-22; John 8:24; Col. 2:9; Rom. 10:17).
Repentance is also one of the essential terms of entrance into the church
according to the Lord's own plan. God is not willing that any should perish
but that, all should come to repentance. It is a matter of "repent or
perish." God commands all men everywhere to repent, but He leaves man the
power to refuse. It is man's choice. He can set his mind on things above
and, by controlling himself, he can press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God. Peter made his Jewish audience, on the first
Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, aware of the fact that they had
killed the Prince of life and that God had made Him both Lord and Christ.
When the Jews were pricked in their hearts and cried for help, they were
told to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins. Peter was opening the door for those who believed his sermon by
using the keys of the kingdom. By accepting the terms given they could enter
the kingdom (Luke 13:5; 2 Pet. 3:9; Acts 17:30; 2:38).
Heaven had no objection to Peter's giving the terms of entrance to those who
had demanded the death of Jesus. Christ had prayed that they might be
forgiven. They could now have this and other grievous sins forgiven by the
grace of God and the blood of Christ. It was the will of Christ that
repentance and the remission of sins should be preached to all nations. This
is indeed a great commission, and it reminds us again of the great love of
God and of our dying Savior. People may reject repentance and be lost, but
they are all invited to gladly receive the word and be saved (Luke
23:34;
24:47).
The goodness of God and the godly sorrow of man lead to repentance, but the
godly sorrow is not repentance. The reformed life follows repentance as
night follows day, but the reformed life is not repentance. The change of
will brought about by the godly sorrow and leading to fruit meet for
repentance is what our Lord was commanding when His qualified ambassadors
bound repentance as one of the necessary conditions of pardon which makes
church membership possible (Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor. 7:10).
It is interesting how so-called Protestant churches can teach salvation by
faith only and still recognize repentance as necessary. These two important
ideas are not the same. Some can teach salvation by grace only, along with
faith only, and still require repentance. The unfortunate addition is the
word "only." We are saved by faith, grace, and repentance, but the word
"only" does not belong even at the conclusion of this list. The Church
instructed the apostles that they teach baptized believers to observe all
things whatsoever He had commanded them. The devil would have us stop short
of accepting all the terms of admission to and service in the family of God
(Matt. 20:18-20; James 2:14-26; Eph. 2:8).
Our Lord asked the men who thought they had the highest authority at the
temple about the baptism of John. He asked if it was from heaven or from
men. We might ask about the baptism which is in the name of, or by the
authority of, Jesus. Is it from heaven or from men? How could it be of men
if it is in the name of Jesus? We should have no room to quibble over its
importance or necessity if it is commanded by Jesus who is head over all
things to the church. In giving the Great Commission to the apostles, He
asked them to teach and baptize all nations. Actually they were to baptize
those who would gladly receive the word among all nations, for obedience is
individual in nature. Each will give account for the deeds done in his own
body at the final judgment. The gospel is to be preached to every creature
in all the world, but "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."
Every soldier in the army of the Captain of our salvation is a volunteer.
None can be scripturally baptized except by his own consent (Matt.
21:23-27; 2 Cor. 5:16; Mk. 16:16).
Peter's answer to the question of those guilty listeners on the day of
Pentecost was important to them, but it has also been very important to all
true seekers after the way of safety in the following centuries. If he had
his opinion only, or the opinion of some other man or group of men, it would
not be very important. If the Holy Spirit guided him in binding the will of
the Father and of the Son on earth, it was a very important answer. Those
that gladly received the word on that day of Pentecost were baptized. The
same has been true of all honest and true men who have had hearts open to
receive the word since that day. Everyone: was told to repent and be
baptized for the remission of sins. Those who were so guilty and were
convinced of their sins were eager to have those sins washed away (Acts
2:36-41, 47).
The Lord added to the church daily those that were being saved. They could
eat their bread with gladness and singleness of heart after they were added
to the church because only saved people were added, and the Lord was the one
who did the adding. He keeps the records; no hypocrite has mocked and
deceived Him and, thus, had his name added to the Lamb's book of life. Men
have added the names of some hypocrites to their lists of church members,
but God does not go by their lists. He knows what is in man's heart (Acts
2:47).
When Philip preached Christ to the people of the city of
Samaria
and confirmed his message by the signs God allowed, there was great joy in
that city. When they believed Philip as he taught them concerning the
kingdom and the name of Christ, they were baptized. How did they know to be
baptized if this picture of the burial and resurrection was not included in
preaching the truth about Christ and His kingdom (Acts 8:5-12)?
When Philip received orders which led him to the nobleman from Ethiopia, he
preached Jesus to him and, from this one sermon, the sincere man learned to
ask for baptism. He was not refused. Philip and the Ethiopian went down into
the water, Philip made his way to Caesarea and the new convert went on his
way rejoicing. He had changed from the Jewish religion to the teachings of
Christ. That is a turning that can be called repentance. He confessed his
faith in Christ as the Son of God. Those at Jerusalem on Pentecost, those
who heard Philip at Samaria, and the Ethiopian treasurer were baptized as
penitent believers.
Saul was a penitent believer after the Christ appeared to him; he was told
by Ananias to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins. The same message
should be given to all who desire to be saved. The Lord adds the saved to
the church. He is no respecter of persons, so the terms are the same for all
(Acts 22:4-16).
The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. He left His church on
earth with the task of upholding the truth that can make men free. There
are, not. two sets of rules, one of which guides a man to salvation and
another which guides him in becoming a member of the church. Saved people
are added to the church. Each gospel preacher who preached in the days of
the apostles taught faith which one was willing to confess with the mouth,
repentance which would lead to a new life, and baptism which was a picture
of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Sometimes mention may not
be made of faith or repentance in the brief accounts of conversions given in
the book of Acts, but they are clearly implied from the things said. Baptism
is the commandment most often rejected by men, and it is the term most often
mentioned. Evidently God knew that men would-tend to reject it, so He was
that careful students could not overlook it (Luke 19:10; 1 Tim. 3:15;
Rom. 10:9, 10; Rom. 6:1-18).
When God made it abundantly evident that He would accept Gentiles on the
same terms that were required of the Jews, Cornelius was commanded to- be
baptized. The Philippian jailer and his family were baptized after Paul and
Silas preached the word of the Lord to them. They also believed and
repented. The faith is mentioned, and their actions necessarily implied the
repentance. Lydia and her household were baptized when their hearts were
opened by God's truth. Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were
baptized. Let all of us follow the Bible pattern. Men have offered many
plans, but the Bible is right. None is in the church except those who have
entered through the strait gate into the narrow way that leads to life
(Acts 10:47;
48; 16:30-34;
16:14,
15).
Questions
-
Can we enter the church by doing our
own will? How, then, do we enter?
-
What must one believe to be pleasing to
God?
-
Is it enough to accept God and not
accept Jesus as His Son? Why?
-
In commanding all men everywhere to
repent, what has God required of man?
-
On the first Pentecost after the
resurrection of Christ, what did Peter tell the Jews they should do to
be saved?
-
Is godly sorrow repentance?
-
What did Christ instruct the apostles
to teach all bap tized believers?
-
Who does the adding to the church and
who is added?
-
Will all whose names are on lists as
church members be added to the Lamb's book of life? Why?
-
What did each gospel preacher, in the
days of the apostles, teach about faith, repentance and baptism?
Truth
Magazine - January 3, 1980