Many times when I hear Galatians 5 taught, or see it used in a book on sanctification or hear expository sermons on it I hear it discussed as the “fleshly Christian vs the Spiritual Christian”. I want to tell you why I disagree with this given the context. I also want to note many people use Galatians 5 to back their position on Romans 7, which I also disagree with wholeheartedly, it is the old cut and paste method that one person can use to defend their position but others can’t use (I will discuss this in a future post).
First lets note. The warnings to the Galatians are real warnings. They aren’t generic. Paul really means that if they want to be justified by works of the law they will fall away from Christ. I know many of my Calvinistic brothers won’t like that; and will say “well they were not really saved at first”. However, given Hebrews and given Galatians these warnings Paul provide are serious and has a huge impact on the readers. To accept circumcision would make “Christ of not avail”!
Now on to reason of this post here are the verses:
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God
Paul talks about two different people! First those who are led by the flesh are “under the law” and are not of the Spirit! There isn’t this dual fight going on as many propose today! Paul believes those who are led by the flesh are in opposition to the Spirit. We all know the fruit of the Spirit verses but I really believe what Paul is conveying here is not a Christian but one who is under the works of the flesh and in layman terms is not a believer.
generic prescription drugsPaul says those who “practice” such things will not “inherit the kingdom of God”. Paul doesn’t say “they will not be spiritual christians but fleshly christians”. He says quite plainly that their abode will be hell! He isn’t telling them to walk by the Spirit to be better Christians but to walk by the Spirit to prove their Christianity! Once again many of my “justified by faith” brothers will want to hang me and that is fine also!
What Paul is providing us with is a salvation that works (thats for Q-Dog LOL)! Those opposed to the Spirit are not believers walking in the flesh but nonbelievers that are OF THE FLESH! Paul says something key here about the flesh:
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Now if I follow the plain reading (as many of my expository brothers say) then Paul means what he says and says what he means. That is that those who are of Christ have “crucified the flesh”! If the flesh is not crucified (I am not talking sinless perfectionism, but a real and living work of the new nature and heart given to all believers) then we are of the flesh and not of the Spirit and are deeds prove to us that we are of the flesh and as Paul says “we will not inherit the kingdom of God”.
I want to stop there; however, Paul is looking for Christian to be more Spiritual but to be Christians, the other side of that is fleshly and that my friend is where Paul says “you will not inherit the Kingdom of God”!
Hey Lionel,
I guess since my name is in the post, I should be the first one to comment??
I believe you are right to say that Gal 5:16 must be kept in context to the rest of the discussion, particularly in Gal 5…but I think you have misinterpreted Paul.
So, I have a couple of questions for you
1) So I assum that you do not believe there is any Spirit-flesh tension taught in the Scriptures? Or to day it another way – is sin in any way at odds within the Christian to the point that a Christian may struggle with sin? (Btw, identifying a “struggle” with sin in the Scriptures does not imply a “carnal” vs “spiritual” Christian motif…only that sins relationship to the individual is not antagonistic to their true desires.)
2) If not, what do you do with the latter part of verse 17: “… to keep YOU from doing the things YOU want to do.” (emphasis mine)
3) If not, what do you do with 1 Peter 2:11? “Beloved (addressed to believers), I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from FLESHLY LUSTS WHICH WAGE WAR AGAINST YOUR SOUL.” (emphasis mine again)
4) If not, how do you NOT advocate some form of perfectionism? The problem with your interpretation is that you say “Paul talks about TWO different people! …Paul believes THOSE who are led by the flesh are in opposition to the Spirit.” So, if it is two different people Paul has in view in his discussion of the Spirit and flesh then what you then have is a Christian who consistently lives by the fruit of the Spirit – all the time.
5) If not, how do you explain to the Christian “why” they experientially have an inward battle with sinful desires?
An alternative understanding of the context…(A Q-Doggian perspective
The Spirit-flesh contention in the context of Paul’s discourse concerning justification is two fold:
a) Paul begins in verse 13 to argue against the erroneous implication people make regarding his teaching of justification by faith and that is a licentious life – so they are not to use the freedom from the law as “an opportunity for the flesh” (beginning to allude to the tension with the flesh…) – thus, justification should motivate one to obedience not fleshly living…
b) So, then Paul acknowledges a problem with “the flesh” and the answer is the very work of the Spirit Who brought them to the faith that justifies…they have been set free by the Spirit the answer to not live by “the desires of the flesh” and “biting and devouring one another” is to “walk in the Spirit”
So the Spirit that applies the work of justification is the Spirit that also applies the work of sanctification.
But, there is an obligation to walk by that very Spirit or then they will fulfill their own sinful desires leading to selfishness and devouring of one another. – as your boy Sho said, “without the Spirit I’m an arrogant, wicked and adulterous dude…” (the context of his statement was walking in the Spirit daily)
I believe to not understand what Paul has in mind in Gal 5:16 as an inward Spirit-flesh contension will do damage to understanding Gal 6:1 and a brother who is”caught” in sin.
How can a believer be “caught” in sin? Does he then cease to inherit the Kingdom?
I believe that is the troubling question that necessarily arises from your interpretation…
Bless you bro…(we still gonna have that discussion on church governance…i ain’t forgot
Q
A correction to the last statement in my first question:
(Btw, identifying a “struggle” with sin in the Scriptures does not imply a “carnal” vs “spiritual” Christian motif…only that sins relationship to the individual is NOW antagonistic to their true desires.)
Lionel,
Those who “pratice such things” seems to indicate those who have decided to continue in the flesh without ceasing as opposed to a believer who has been overcome in a sin (allowed flesh to reign) for a season(compare with Gal 6). Or else where is the line drawn. I’m sure if we are all honest, we all probaly have done some things in the flesh in the past few months/weeks/days/hours. Would we all then be considered unbelievers? It would seem that what you are saying is a type of “sinless perfectionism” doctrine. Or maybe I’m not understanding you clear.
Hey Q,
1. I do believe that there is a daily tension. I experience it daily and I agree that the flesh is now antagonistic because it goes against our true nature. I think that answers your following questions.
2. The only problem with the follow up is this statement “will not inherit the kingdom of God” and “have crucified flesh”. I do believe that Paul is dealing sanctification as he has dealt with Justification extensively in the first 4 chapters.
3. But now let me ask why does Paul even throw in “will not inherit the kigdom”. He starts by saying “walk in the Spirit”. He doesn’t talk much about liscence here. He is directly telling them that being of the flesh leads to hell, thus walk by the Spirit! Why? Because those of the Spirit have crucified the flesh.
4. Now let me throw in the last question for fun. What does Paul mean by verse 24 given the tense of the verb? How is that a reality as Paul proposes here?
Lionel stated:
“3. But now let me ask why does Paul even throw in “will not inherit the kigdom”. He starts by saying “walk in the Spirit”. He doesn’t talk much about liscence here. He is directly telling them that being of the flesh leads to hell, thus walk by the Spirit! Why? Because those of the Spirit have crucified the flesh.”
“will not inherit the kingdom”
What is the kingdom?
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
I Cor 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
That’s why if someone (believer or unbeliever) does not abide in Christ (walk in the spirit) they will not enjoy the the righteousness, peace, joy, and spirtual power in the Holy Spirit which is the kingdom of God.
Lionel you asked:
“4. Now let me throw in the last question for fun. What does Paul mean by verse 24 given the tense of the verb? How is that a reality as Paul proposes here?”
24 And those who belong to (abide in) Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
No one can serve two masters! A believer (in my current understanding) can become willingly enslaved to the flesh by obeying his or her carnal desires for a seson. If a brethren is overcome in any fault he/she at the time has ceased to abide in Christ in that area. This will cause disruption in our fellowship with Christ which corresponds to disruption in our peace, joy, righteousness, and spirtual power in the Holy Spirit which is the kingdom of God. The person is still to be counted as a believer who has indeed griefed the Holy Spirit. But God then chastises/judges/corrects/refines/purges the believer to conform him/her more into Christ’s image. Thank God for His everlasting mercy!
Thanks for taking time with my questions.
Re #1: I think you have to first ask yourself – “On what Scriptural basis do I believe there is a tension? Or, where does the understanding of an antagonistic relationship come from?”
Re #2: glad we agree that sanctification is the issue
Re #3: simple answer…I agree with you. the reality of warning and judgment is always to be sanctifying, every time Paul makes statements about not inheriting the Kingdom of God – it is to remind believers that those who live in a lifestyle of direct disobedience to God will certainly not inherit the Kingdom. Thus, it is to motivate them away from sin, to not presume on the grace of God and trample afoot the blood of Christ. Hell was preached by Christ primarily with the purpose of detering believers from sin. Peter does the same in 2 Pet 3. However, this doesn’t mean that Paul is talking about two different people in Gal 5:16, it just means that believers should live like the people God has made them to be (and conversely it is possible that at times they will not).
Re #4: Thus, the answer here is to understand vs. 24 in light of everything we have said (I believe we agree on this). Those who have crucified the flesh, should live according to the Spirit (putting to death the deads of the flesh – Rom 8:13 – because this is not the true nature of believers). However, there is still the possibility that believers will sucumb to the flesh (as you admitted there is a daily tension with which we live…which by the way I believe Gal 5:16-17 is clearly explaining)…thus vs 25 says…
“If we live by the Spirit (justified, made alive, saved), let us walk by the Spirit (being sanctified and bearing fruit).”
If we have been justified, then we must live as such. Paul isn’t advocating a “carnal” Christian in our usual contemporary understanding of the term, but he is admitting the reality of the Spirit-flesh tension that Christians live under and thus can sucumb to the flesh (as Jon pointed out).
So, I agree that Paul does mean to make a distinction in two kinds of people in 5:16-26…those who walk by the Spirit and those who walk by the flesh. But, he is also pointing out a “dual fight” (that it seems you reject, I think). I wouldn’t necessarily call it a dual fight…but, again, I would say there is a tension with the flesh that the believer lives in daily and I believe that is what Gal 5:16-17 is getting at. (My question to you again is – where do you understand biblically the Spirit-flesh tension if not from Gal 5:16-17?)
(Btw, I also believe that Romans 7 is dealing with the very same Spirit-flesh tension…but that’s for another time. This is an area of great interest for me and hope to do much study and, prayerfully, writing on later in the future.)
So, let us live by the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh and therefore live!
Jude 2-3,
Q
P.S. Glad to see you haven’t abandoned the doctrines of grace (your last post on Arturo Azurdia)…I was beginning to worry about you!
Bro. Lionel,
I don’t have anything to offer on the interpretation of this text at this time. But I would like to offer some advice both to you and to other readers of this post. Because we have had this discussion with each other before, I know that you will not receive this negatively.
1. If we give our interpretation and application of a text of scripture and we then feel it necessary to remind our readers or hearers that “I’m not talking about sinless perfectionism”, then maybe we should rethink either our interpretation or our application of that text. It could be that we ourselves see that as a reasonable conclusion of what we have said that the text means or teaches. If we really were not teaching sinless perfectionism, then it would seem that it would not need to be said. A certain popular “evangelist” does this all the time. He gives his audience the impression that unless they live sinless lives they can’t believe that they are really Christians and then he says “Now, I’m not teaching sinless perfection”.
2. If and when we hear someone teach strongly concerning the behavior that Christians should maintain and our reaction is to accuse them of teaching sinless perfection, then perhaps we should take a step back and realize that we may be feeling some guilt over our own shortcomings and remaining sins, and we just need to repent.
Just something I think we need to consider.
BLD,
I hear you though I disagree. For example when we come to 1 Corinthians 6 and Paul says “9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God”
What am I to do with the text as I teach it? I have two options. 1. ignore or 2. teach it in its context. The only viable option is 2. Thus when I approach this text I will have to say that one proclaiming to be renewed by Christ but practicing such sins may not be truly born of God. I can’t escape that meaning; however, I have to preface with the fact that believers may do these things and still be believers.
Thus as we teach the text we have to stay away from theological false teaching/ or what we coin heresy. Such as:
1. We believe in election but we also believe in evangelism, to say God will save whom he will save thus disengaging the world for Christ would be a theological heresy called “hyper-calvinism” we must preface the doctrines of grace with this.
2. We believe in eternal security however we don’t believe in a liscence to sin because of it, we must preface the text with this statement
3. We believe in grace but we don’t believe in antinomianism, Paul prefaces his teaching in Romans 6.
4. We believe Jesus is God but seperate from the Father, we must preface the trinity with this.
5. We believe that God has everlasting
See where I am going? A Christian should be growing and one mark of growing (with others) is less sin, just like a better handling of the word, greater love for the saints, manifesting more fruit of the Spirit, making disciples, a greater dependence on the Spirit and so on.
Prefaces aren’t bad especially when you must discount or clear up something you want to teach. Many of our great doctrines must be prefaced or the hearers may get something confused and it cause them to stumble or even fall off into false teaching.
Bro. Lionel,
I can agree that neither prefaces nor afterwords are necessarily bad and you are correct that there are many instances in the scripture where the speaker (Paul especially) uses them to clear up possible confusion. But…and I don’t mean to sound like a nitpicking skeptic but often this is what these messages sound like:
1. Christians should not sin a lot.
2. If a person sins a lot, then they may not be a Christian.
3. But it is true that Christians do sometimes sin a lot.
This actually says nothing when it is taught outside of :
1. The basis of justification not being rooted in an ability to not sin a lot but rather in the finished work of Christ on the cross. And…
2. The promise of regeneration that instructs an individual that they now have an ability to resist sin that they did not have before. (Now they can walk in the Spirit)
But this too begs an obvious question. Why doesn’t this new ability, which I assume comes from the new heart promised in the new covenant, NOT lead to sinless perfection. Perhaps we are assuming that it does not based on experience rather than what scripture teaches. Our experience as Christians may be why we are so eager to make sure that everyone knows were NOT teaching sinless perfectionism. But maybe we should be if we now have this new ability to resist sin.
Okay, the can of worms is officially full of wigglers, LOL!!!
BLD,
No not at all.
1. A Christian should be growing in holiness and righteousness. This is the promise of the new heart which is the ability to obey.
2. A Christian who sins continually and when confronted with scripture refuses to repent is to be put under discipline of the saints and if he still refuses to be reconciled then he must not be a Christian or God is going to deal with him swiftly and firmly.
3. Lordship is a gift not a requirement (I know you know this). All who are born from above have a new disposition towards sin. The carnal christian theology is a bogus and gross misrepresentation of Justification by Faith.
Hey BLD,
Hope you’re doing well brother. I think you raise some good thoughts/questions…particularly this one…
“But this too begs an obvious question. Why doesn’t this new ability, which I assume comes from the new heart promised in the new covenant, NOT lead to sinless perfection. Perhaps we are assuming that it does not based on experience rather than what scripture teaches. Our experience as Christians may be why we are so eager to make sure that everyone knows were NOT teaching sinless perfectionism. But maybe we should be if we now have this new ability to resist sin.”
I think that is an honest question…I believe here in lies the mystery of sanctification and the very question of “if I am born again, why do I still sin (in any degree)?”
I think this is where we will agree that the teaching of examining fruit can become problematic (though I believe that this teaching is a biblical motif…see 2 Peter 1:3-11)…but I think the biggest problem is a lack of understanding of “the flesh” and its sinful corruption and the relationship of the soul and body. Many seek to avoid the error of Greek dualism and rightly so…but the problem is that we seek to explain the corrupt flesh as “unredeemed humanness” which is mad ambiguous.
What we can say clearly is that the presence still remains, but yet we are now partakers of the divine nature and thus can live as those who overcome the REIGN of the flesh’s corruption, yet can be overcome (and are constantly still affected in ways we do not realize) by the flesh’s corruption if not diligent but yet we cannot remain ensnared because of the new nature. So, the co-dwelling sinfulness flesh (the old man) and the newness of our soul (new man) growing and moving towards the ultimate goal of sinless perfection (only to be reached in glory) is a biblical reality…I believe growing in this understanding is the key to sanctification.
Though, I did not solve the seeming paradox or problem you have stated…but this is the mystery to which we have the privilege of search the Scriptures to understand more fully.
Until then, I will seek to put to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit (through the Word) on the basis of the finished work of Christ that has wrought justification and sanctification on my behalf.
2 Tim 2:15,
Q
…and I will also continue to hope in the resurrection to which then I will be made like him for I will see Him as He is…
Right on Brother Q, right on!
This tension actually makes me wish for the swift dealing of God through discipline that Lionel mentioned. For my own sake I wish sometimes that God would take it even further. Let me explain….
Because I believe that it is not cut and dry as to whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were saved, I believe that we can look at the story as an example of the swift and sometimes fatal discipline of God upon His children. Their discipline came at a time when God seemed to wish to establish the seriousness of His intention to protect the church from corruption of any kind. As we are told, the result of their respective deaths was that “fear came upon the whole church.”! If they weren’t saved to begin with, then why would the church (those who are saved) fear. The church could simply say “hey, we’re really saved so we don’t have to worry about being done that way by God.” But the fact is, the church did fear! So back to me.
At times, and not because of being guilty of what would be characterized by some as “gross sins”, but because of my own awareness of my imperfections and failures, I too wish that God would just take me out so that I can bring no further embarassment to Him. And also so that I can no longer bring harm to myself or to those who are watching me.
You get what I mean?
I understand you fully brother…but there in lies the mystery of grace…and of sanctification…
One thing I’m still working through (and btw, I plan to make sanctification the focus of my long term studies…hopefully PhD studies)…is what does it mean that “no one will see the Lord” without sanctification/holiness? (Heb 12:14)
Is there a since in which there is a “level” of holiness to which we must reach in this life before God will bring us home??? And once we reach that point (or the point where we have sinned to the point of receiving God’s discipline)…God brings us home? I’m just thinking out loud, not suggesting anything…as this seems antithetical to justification by faith alone.
But, I often wonder…
anyhoo…glad that we have found something we agree on!
Bless you brother,
Q
Just some thoughts,
Could it be that a true believer not only realizes their sin but also maintains a desire to eventually change from being disobedient in any particular area(s).
Versus someone (believer or unbeliever) who also realizes their sin but fell to maintain their desire for change (cast away their faith, spewed out, cut from the vine, etc.). Or they never had any real desire to change in any particular personally known area of sin.
Only God knows our hearts! We can’t fool Him!
Hey Jon,
You’ve had some really good input. I think you’ve put very simply a good description of the new nature. Unfortunately, the problem and question still remains of explaining remaining sin and the believers metaphysical relationship to it…which is the mystery I’m speaking of…
I think in your second paragraph you’ve offered a potentially good description of the “other” soils and possibly the “branches in me” that get cut off. That’s something I still need to work through all the way.
But, you are so right only God knows our heart. I myself have been praying Psalm 139:23-24 as of late.
Jude 24-25,
Q
Bro. Lionel, Q and Jon,
Last night, while researching another topic, I came across a verse of scripture that may get at the heart of the matter:
Matthew 22:29- “But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Now this verse hit home with me. I think that what Lionel is attempting to let us know is that there is a power in the “new man” under the “new covenant” that is ours and is available to use to combat personal sins in our lives so that we do not have to live constantly defeated by them. We do not have to search the scriptures to find, nor should we even see, a defense for the “carnal” Christian. Even if we doubt perfection as a reality there is nothing that should cause us to reject it as a goal.
Jesus highlighted for me where my problem in grasping this may lie. Either I don’t understand the scriptures that deal with this reality or I don’t understand the power of God that brings about this reality or both. Either way, I solicit all of your prayers as I work through this. To God be the glory!
Bro Lawrence D.-
Good insight. Thank you for that precious nugget.
I think we can all agree that 1 Corinthians 10:13 clearly indicates that as new creations in Christ indwelt by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, that we do not have to sin.
There is always a way of escape at our disposal.
We have gone from being slaves to sin and death to a position where we now struggle with sin and in the struggle we can stand and victory can be obtained every time when we walk in the Spirit.
Hi Lionel,
Although we have never met, I’ve heard a lot about you. Tyris and I worship together at Christ Fellowship. We live about a mile apart and I sure appreciate him.
I fully agree with your comments on Galatians. The distinction throughout the book is that you are either walking in the Spirit or you are walking after the flesh. Paul is contrasting the truth of the Gospel (walking in the Spirit) with the heresy of the Judaizers (walking after the flesh). It is interesting how many people use 5:16 as a proof text to support Romans 7.
I also fully agree with your use of 5:24. If we are in Christ, we have, BY FAITH, crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the mindset we are to live by. Sin no longer has dominion over us. We are dead to sin and alive to Christ. So many today focus their attention on the idea that sin lives in them and that is where their mind seems to dwell. Romans 7 and indwelling sin seems to be their theme. It is refreshing to hear you take this interpretation.
To those who would say we are denying the temptations of the flesh–we are to abstain from fleshly lusts that wage war against our soul, but we do so from the standpoint of our victory and standing in Christ. We have died to sin, the old man is crucified with Christ, we are alive in Him and He has given us His HOLY Spirit.
Looking forward to meeting you one day brother!
The Lord be Magnified
Dan
Dan,
I have heard a great deal about you. Thanks for commenting.
I agree with what most of all every body has stated, In Galatians 5
You all have blessed me by your comments, Maturity in Christ is the Goal. I have not been a pastor for very long, I have found that the Lord wants our integrity to match or surpass our individual gifting. The dominion of sin is greatly diminished with practical application of the Word Of God. This Sanctification process is painful at best, but glorious in manifestation as the reality of being the new creature is revealed in us! I am excited for all of you, enjoy your journey with the Lord, serve him with anticipation of him using you to be a powerful witness to build up his Kingdom in the earth!
May God richly Bless you all
Leroy Little
Pastor/ Now Faith Pentecostal Tabernacle
Is it your belief that if a person falls away that he was not really saved? Do you believe that we can be perfect here on earth after we have received the Holy Spirit?
In refeerence to the first question, if your answer is no, please look at Revalations 2:1-6. A letter to one of the seven churches is being told that they have left their first love and that if they do not repent then He will remove their lampstand out of its place. This is a body of believers who are saved according to your beliefs of faith yet they are told if they don’t repent they will not receive their reward.
I do need to state that I am one who believes that baptism in water is a neccesary step. Not that God needs it to make us clean but that it is what Christ said must be done to be saved. Being baptized, hearing, believing, repenting confessing and listening to the Holy Spirit and walking in faith(obedient faith lest it be dead) once we have been saved are all the same. They are all things that we are commanded to do if we want to be sons of God. I am sure you have heard the statement about even the demons believe and are not saved. I take it a step further, not only did they believe but they obeyed Christ and yet they were not saved. From this point of view, being saved by faith alone does not work. I fully believe that Christ died for our sins and was resurrected from the dead so that we might rise with Him when He comes again. Just because I believe that does not mean that I am saved. If I do not make the conscious choice to take up my cross and follow Him then I will not be saved. In other words it is faith and works, not works of the Law (as in Moses) but works of obedience. The works of the Law of Moses are fulfilled if we love one another. If we do not live according to the Spirit then we are living according to the flesh, which was revealed to us by the Law of Moses. To live according to the flesh means to reject the guidance of the Holy Spirit which is blaspheme, the only unforgivable sin. This is why we christians are told to repent and return to our first love. If we do not repent then our lampstand will be reomoved from its place just like the church in Ephesus.
Let us look at it from another point of view. If know one went out and preached the gospel, would there be hope for any of us. The resounding answer should be NO because preaching is the way in which God chose to have the gospel spread. Let us go to the next step. If we do not hear the word then we have no chance of salvation or even if we hear but choose not to listen then we will not be saved. At this point, two decisions have had to be made by man. The first is to obey Christ and preach the gospel and the second is to hear and listen at which point we can decide to believe that Christ died for our salvation. Upon believing, we are called to repent. Here again are two more decisions that we must make, believe and repent. Then we choose to be baptized for the remission of our sins so that we may receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Even after we receive the Holy Spirit as God’s seal of the “Salvation to come”, we must again make a conscious decision to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. If we do not have the option of choosing to do these things then there is no reason for Christ to have died. He came living a perfect life as an example to us. He, Christ, made the conscious decision to obey the Father. He was baptized by John for the remission of sins to fulfull all righteousness and then the Holy Spirit decended on Him like a dove and God claimed Him as his son in whom he was well pleased. Then the Spirit led him out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan of whom he resisted using the scriptures as we are also commanded to do. Christ’s final act of obedience was giving His life up for the sake of the world of which we are also called to do by taking up our cross. In Christ’s death, burial and resurrection came the forgivenes of sins for all who believe in Him and do as He commanded. Others are saved by us giving up ourlives for the cause of Chirist, living as examples for the world to follow so that they to may come to Him.
I believe that Jesus can save us by any means he chooses. Yet he chose the method described above. The first introduction to His plan was in the Great Commission, go and preach to world, he who believes and is baptized will be saved, he who does not believe will be condemned. If we do not believe, there is no reason to be baptized. Just because it does not say “He who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned” does not negate the compound statement preceding it, “He who believes AND is baptized will be saved”. If baptism is not neccesary for salvation then there is no need to be baptized. If you are saved by faith alone then all we need to co is believe and nothing else. If I came to believe in faith only am I saved then I have know reason to live by the Spirit. I can live a life ultimately to please myself, how liberating that must be. Unfortunately that attitude does not fit with the statement that many are called but few will enter. I know many people who believe the Christ is who the Bible has revealed to us yet they choose to walk in the flesh. If it was by faith only then they too would be saved. How about homosexuals who believe in Jesus, are they saved even though they do not repent of their ways? Thus, even if baptism was something we only do after believing, if it is something that we must do, then it is not by faith alone but by both faith and works (obedience of everything that Christ commanded).
I prayerfully ask each of you to think about this carefully. For if what I stated above is true, then the millions of people who have been taught that it is faith only, they will be condemned. I would hate for that weight to be on my shoulders at judgement day.
1 John 1:5-7
And “this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth, but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son Clenses us from all sin.
If and only if we walk in the light as He is in the light will our sins be forgiven.
To do nothing but believe is to fool ourselves. James 1:21-27
Why is it so hard to believe that God put in a plan, a pattern for us to follow which is Christ Jesus. For he was born of a woman, raised up in the Lord, was baptized for the remission of sins to fulfill all righteousness and receive the the Holy Spirit which guides us and gives us strength to endure to the end. For this is exactly what Peter taught on the day of Pentecost. The gospel was taught, the people heard, they believed, repented of their sins, were baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.