Doctrines Of The Bible
Part 3
Sin
Who has sinned? The Bible clearly states that all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (Romans 3:23 and James 1:15) The psalmist David
reenforced this truth when he said, "There is none that doeth good, no not one." (Psalm 53:3)
Because of one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. (Romans 5:19) Adam and Eve
disobeyed God, and sin came into the world. As all sin must be punished, Adam and Eve were driven from their
beautiful home, the Garden of Eden. All mankind everywhere must also suffer their other punishments, too, which
included suffering, toil, and finally, death.
Yes, because of sin, death was introduced. But when Jesus Christ suffered death on the cross
for our sins, He arose the third day, conquering death, hell, and the grave. He arose as a victorious Christ! No more
would Satan have dominion over death and the grave. Jesus suffered the atonement that we might have eternal life.
He literally redeemed us from Satan by His supreme sacrifice.
Repentance
Because of Adam's disobedience, all men are born in sin, and, no matter how good they may try to be,
they must follow God's plan in order to be saved. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of water and
of the Spirit. (John 3:5) On another occasion, Jesus said, "I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish." (Luke 13:3)
God has always been very specific in His instructions. He made the plan of salvation very
clear, which is to repent, be baptized in Jesus' name for remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(Acts 2:38)
Who preached repentance?
- John the Baptist preached it (Matthew 3:1,2)
- Jesus preached it (Matthew 4:17)
- Jesus commanded the Twelve to preach it (Luke 24:47)
- Jesus commanded the seventy to preach it (Luke 10:9)
- Both Peter and Paul preached it (Acts 2:38 and Acts 20:21).
After our Lord gave Peter the keys to the kingdom, and Peter used his authority on the Day of Pentecost, the
standing multitude asked an important question, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The first thing Peter
told them was, "Repent."
How do you repent? Tell God you are sorry for your sins. Ask Him to forgive you, and He
is willing and just to forgive you of your sins. Turn away from sins. The scripture says that godly sorrow worketh
repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:10) If you are really sorry and turn away from sin, resolving never to do those things
again, you are ready for baptism, which is the second step in the plan of salvation.
For more information on this subject, please read the study Born again.
Baptism
Baptism is a very important step in salvation. It is absolutely essential for candidates to be
baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins in order to be saved. The Bible clearly
states, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:16)
The proper "mode" or method of baptism is important, too. The word baptism comes from
a Greek word, baptizo, which means "to dip, plunge, immerse, or be overwhelmed." It is clear from this definition that
the word baptism means "immersion." Only by immersion can one be identified with Jesus Christ in burial. (Romans
6:4 and Colossians 2:12)
Why must candidates be baptized in the name of Jesus? Because we are obeying Jesus
Christ's commandment in the Great Commission, which said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. . . ." (Mark 16:15,16) Notice also Jesus' words, "Go ye,
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
(Matthew 28:19) Notice this word "name" is singular. What is the name? There is only one name given under heaven
whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) That name is Jesus.
Jesus is the NAME of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The terms Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost are not names, but are only titles. There is only One name: Jesus! How wonderful to know He was God
manifested in flesh and clothed in humanity. How wonderful that this God-man became personally acquainted with
our grief and sorrows. He experienced, first-hand, our frail human emotions, and He understands our problems. He
sacrificed His life so that all men everywhere might know they have a chance of eternal life.
In every instance in which a convert was baptized in the Book of Acts, we find he was baptized in the
name of Jesus. In Acts 8:16, ". . . Only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Acts 10:48, "And
he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." Acts 19:5, "When they heard this, they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Even at Ephesus, when Paul arrived on the scene and found disciples of John, he asked,
"Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" They had not even heard of the Holy Ghost, but when they
heard, they gladly received his words and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:1-6) John's converts
were converted to Christ and baptized in Jesus name!
This doctrine of water baptism in Jesus' name is fully documented throughout the Scriptures.
If the Apostles never performed a baptism using any other formula, then surely it would be presumptuous and sinful
for any mortal to deliberately formulate his ways and means for baptizing his candidates.
For more information on this subject, please read the study Born gain
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