Category Salvation

May 2 2007

God, the Gulf Coast, and you…


roycetina.jpg Last Wednesday my wife Carol and I drove to Bayou La Batre, Alabama to join others in working for the kingdom. Several folks from the Cox Blvd church in Sheffield, Alabama, 2 couples from Sumerset church in Ohio, and others handed out flyers, knocked on doors and shared the gospel with about 60 people. Of those, 19 responded in faith to Christ and were baptised. Then yesterday, two more were baptised. Russ Blackwell from Cox Blvd and Don Hudson from Tenn. were the leaders in the evangelistic effort. We met many wonderful people and loved the fellowship.

We visited New Orleans on Thursday and there visited with two brothers who are doing great works of service, laying the ground work for a harvest in East New Orleans. God has done amazing things all along the Gulf Coast but more is yet to be done.

Wed through Saturday nights we had services withe the BLB congregation. My dear friend John McCord, minister from El Campo church spoke on Wed, the minister from Cox Blvd spoke on Thursday, the minister from nearby Creekwood church spoke on Friday, and I spoke on Saturday. It was a blessed event and much good was accomplished.

The infant church in Bayou La Batre has been faithfully serving in the face of many obstacles and they continue to work night and day serving through the Bayou Recovery Project and the church. Many of those who became Christians last week were people who had been loved by this little group for many months, one plants, one waters, but God gives the increase.

In the next several hours the congregation will have a building under contract and they need help making the many repairs and at least $80k to pay for it. I have confidence God will provide. They will be assisted this summer by the Hilltop Relief and Rescue group who will set up a work camp in mid June. Many other groups have committed to come and help as well. Our congregation, Whites Ferry Road, West Monroe, La, has had a strong presence since the outset and plan to continue. We have repaired, cooked, cleaned up, preached, prayed, taught, and gladly loved this wonderful group of believers in Jesus.

I was delighted to be asked to baptise one of the converts. The picture is the site every day on the main street where passing motorists witnessed people being baptised. What a thrilling thing!

Congregations and individuals all across the country are helping in this needy area. Why don’t you consider helping too? If you have questions, call the church office and ask for Carol with WFR Relief or contact me through the blog and we will provide any information  you request. There are many needs all across the hard hit areas of the coast but this one has stolen our hearts and I felt I must share the need and the harvest with you.

Grace to you,
Royce

Apr 2 2007

Obey the Gospel!


Words mean things. Especially in the Bible, words are very important. “Obey the Gospel”, “He has not obeyed the Gospel”, “You need to obey the Gospel”, are familiar terms with RM people. In every case when you hear that terminology, you can be sure the speaker is talking about water baptism.

Interestingly, I cannot find even one direct reference to water baptism in connection with statements in the Bible like “obey”, “obeyed”, “disobedient”, etc. I wonder who the first man was who incorrectly used the term. Obviously it stuck.

Here is what I find in the Bible about obeying the gospel.

(If I missed a reference, please let me know. Of course I could have over looked one or more.)

“And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”. Acts 5:32 (Obedience is believing as we shall see.)

“Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” Acts 6:7

“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” Romans 6:17

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:12-17

(Here in context it is quite clear, obeying the gospel is believing it.)

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith”Romans 16:25-26

(Here again, the way to obey the gospel is to believe it)

“In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10

(Those who have not obeyed the gospel have not believed it. Paul makes a clear contrast between those “who do not obey” and those “who believe”. Those who obey the gospel believe the gospel. Those who disobey the gospel do not believe it and are thus condemned because they have not believed on Jesus as God commanded. 1 John 3:23)

“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation toall who obey Him”, Hebrews 5:9

(What is the overwhelming truth about salvation repeated over and over again in the Bible? It is received by believing!)

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” 1 Peter 1:18-23

(Verse 21 explains verse 22 and makes it clear what obeying the truth is, believing in God that raised Christ from the dead)

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“ Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“ The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”   They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 1:4-10

(Here is the stark, undeniable, contrast. Obedience is faith and disobedience is unbelief)

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17

(Again there is a contrast. The “Us” are Peter and those he is writing to who have believed the gospel as opposed to those who have not believed.)

“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” 1 John 3:23

(Men and women and boys and girls who do what this verse says are obeying the gospel and those who reject it and do not believe do not obey the gospel)

I was glad to be baptized at the first opportunity I had after I trusted Christ as Savior. I am not against baptism. I am for baptism. I have instructed every person I have ever led to Christ to be baptized and join a Bible teaching church.

After Christ’s death and resurrection, I can find no instance in the Bible of a Christian who was not baptized.  Nor can I find any case where it was not believers who were baptized.  The Bible pattern is always the same. They hear the gospel, they believe, and they are baptized.  The great commission says we are to “go and make disciples, baptizing them….” How do we make disciples, or learners? By preaching the gospel. That is the way Paul and Peter did it.

Every person I have talked to who believes that water baptism is essential to salvation will agree that it is possible, and even likely, that a person can be baptized and yet be lost. And they will also agree that the reason that could happen is that they did not believe. So what saves? And I say that no person can believe on Christ and be lost. Baptism does not save then, faith does. We are baptized showing a good conscience toward God, identifying with Christ and His church. We are saying when we are immersed, the “old man” has died, I am burying my “old self”, and I will be raised to live a New Life in Christ. We are baptized into His death that we might be raised with Him in life everlasting. In baptism we “put on” Christ by faith and we live “in Him”.   Saving faith, or belief, or trust, is much more than giving mental assent to the facts of the gospel story. You may believe in the historical record of Jesus and even believe that His resurrection from the dead actually happened. But if those facts you believe in your head are not “mixed with faith” (Hebrews 4:2) you will die in your sins.

If I am diagnosed with a serious heart problem that requires surgery to correct, it will not be sufficient to know the doctor and have confidence in him. For the result I want and need I must trust him to do the surgery. I must place myself at his disposal, leaving the results to his care. Anything short of that will not solve my heart condition. You and I have been diagnosed with a fatal condition, SIN, and the result is physical and spiritual death. Jesus is the doctor. Only He can cure the SIN problem. Only he can give life to the dead. Trust yourself to Him to do what He has promised. Place yourself at his disposal by simple trust and He will give you eternal life and forgiveness of sins.

Grace to you,

Royce Ogle

Mar 26 2007

Faith alone in Christ alone? #2


Our first stop on our journey through Acts is the 2nd chapter. Peter, along with the others has obediently waited as Jesus instructed until he was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Everyone present has seen the signs and wonders, heard men speak miraculously in their own languages, and have been told by Peter that this is the promised Holy Spirit as foretold by the prophet Joel. Peter then rises to preach the first gospel message on record after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. He accuses the hearers of being murderers and gives a powerful witness to the deity of Jesus, that He was the promised Messiah, and of His bodily resurrection. After telling this mainly Jewish audience this Jesus has been made both Lord and Christ, they were “cut to the heart” and cried out “what shall we do?” Peter’s reply is at the heart of the theology of the modern Restoration Movement churches. Acts 2:38 is without question the most often quoted verse in coC class rooms and pulpits.

“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Then the Bible says in verses 40 and 41 “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”

This text raises some questions that I believe have been answered incorrectly. Will you agree with me to see what the Bible says about this important subject? Will you put aside presuppositions and heritage and take God’s word as final authority? If not, you are wasting your time reading further. The Bible is its own best commentary. When we allow it to interpret itself we find the truth. We all agree that “about three thousand” people were saved that day. The questions arise concerning when and how.

  1. Were they saved when they repented, when they were baptized, or when they “received his word”?
  2. When did they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, when they repented, when they were baptized, or when they “received his word”?

I believe these “about 3,000” people were saved by faith in Christ. When they heard Peter’s testimony about Jesus their faith is implied when they asked “What must we do?” How did they “receive his word”? They received it by faith, by believing in and trusting on Christ. Romans 10 is crystal clear on this matter.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

One “believes with the heart” is how one is saved. That is the response Phillip preached to the Ethiopian. When he asked if he could be baptized he was told “If you believe with all your heart, you may”. (Acts 8:37) The Bible continues in Acts 2:44 saying “Now all who believed were together..” The common denominator for Christians is belief, or faith, not baptism. When did these new believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Was it when they were baptized or when they believed? This is really the crux of the matter isn’t it? A whole movement of Christendom stands of falls on this answer. I will not answer the question. Peter is the man who said , “

and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”

lets let him answer the question.

In Acts 10 Peter arrives at the house of Cornelius having been sent by the Lord to the Gentiles. Peter boldly preached Christ to them and verses 44-48 we find this chain of events.

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days”.

These people received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized. While Peter was still speaking He fell on those who “heard the word”. Then Peter asks an important question. “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” Just as we have! They had just received the Holy Spirit by hearing and believing the word and Peter says he and the others received the Holy Spirit the exact same way! They did not receive the Holy Spirit when they were baptized but before when they believed. Let’s allow Peter to confirm this once more. When speaking to the counsel at Jerusalem Peter said of the Gentiles

“So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” (Acts 17:8-11)

Peter leaves no doubt; these Gentiles were saved just like he was. There is “no distinction between them and us”. He purified their hearts by faith. He expected to be saved “in the same manner as they”.

Still not convinced? Let’s hear Peter say it once more. In Acts 11:17 Peter defended his message to the Jewish brothers in Judea and when telling them about the Gentiles being saved and receiving the Holy Spirit he said to them,

“If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”(Acts 11:17)

This is the same Peter who is quoted in Acts 2:38 and he says he and the others received the gift of the Holy Spirit “when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ”. I am not teaching a “faith only heresy”, I am teaching the Bible. Peter’s own inspired words stand in stark disagreement with those who have misunderstood the meaning of Acts 2:38. Acts 2:38 says in part

“and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.

If I have a party “for” my wife’s birthday, does the party cause the birth, or the birthday? No, the party celebrates her birthday and confirms that she was born on that day. It is not in any remote way the cause of it.The key word in Acts 2:38 is “Repent”, not “be baptized”. When one hears the message about Christ and changes his mind, turns in his heart toward Christ, he trusts Christ and is saved, and according to Peter, receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I am not demeaning baptism. It is a command to be obeyed by a child of God. It does not make one a child of God. Peter could have said “Repent” and do any number of good things and “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. The efficaous act is the obedience of faith, not the obedience of submission to baptism. Should we tell people they will be lost if they do not obey the gospel? Absolutely we should, but first make sure you know what it means. Romans 10 states it plainly enough for anyone to understand. In Romans 10:16a the scriptures say

“But they have not all obeyed the gospel”.

Then, in the last part of the verse we find what it means to obey the gospel;

“For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?”

Those who don’t believe the report have not obeyed the gospel. Further, in verse 17 the Bible says

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

The Bible is consistent and clear that to obey the gospel is to believe it. In my next post I will go into more detail about what it means to “Obey the gospel”. I don’t intend to impose my view on anyone. It is my purpose to teach what the Bible clearly says.

Until next time Grace and Peace,

Royce Ogle