Valentine’s Day

The Phony Love of Valentine’s Day

It’s that time of year again, when businesses pull on the heart strings of couples to buy cards, chocolates, flowers, or jewelry—Valentine’s Day. This annual holiday is often symbolized with hearts and images of “Cupid” shooting his arrow—but the real symbol of this special day is the almighty dollar.  Last year, American consumers spent $18.9 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts for their loved ones.

What kind of Love is on display for Valentine's day?

What kind of Love is on display for Valentine’s day?

I love my wife—and I don’t need some marketing ploy to guilt me into purchasing flowers or chocolates. In fact, I enjoy buying her special treats and gifts when she is not expecting it, just because I want her to know I love her all the time—not just when society indicates it’s Cupid’s turn for our wallet. Those who have been to our house know it is not uncommon to see fresh flowers in the kitchen all throughout the year—not just in February. So this is not the rant of some guy who refuses to buy gifts for his wife.

No, instead this is a rant that Christians start looking at love from a biblical perspective rather than a Hollywood version. Hollywood and those profiting from Valentine’s business want the general public to view love as a mushy feeling that causes someone to feel warm and fuzzy inside. But real love is an action. Listen to the Biblical definition:

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Want to really spoil your wife? How about obeying the command that Paul wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26). Notice it doesn’t say to love your wife if she cooks your favorite meal or if it is Valentine’s Day. We are commanded to love our wives. Furthermore, how many of us are actually washing our wives with the water of the word?

Want another Biblical wake up call? Read Titus 2:4 “that they [older women-BH] admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children.” Did you catch that? Older women are to teach younger women to love their husbands. Why? According to the view the media presents “love” is something you “fall into” if you wear the right perfume, clothing, or drive the right car, right? Yet, the Bible is commanding older women to teach younger women to love their husbands. Want to know why? Because friends, love is an action that requires work. Sometimes your husband may not be very lovable, and it is in those moments when older women are to instruct how to love him anyway! That’s real love. It is easy to love someone who loves you back or who is kind to you. But what about someone who is having a rough month, is sick, or knows all your faults?

Hollywood would not like the real picture of love, because the picture painted by Scripture is a selfless love. The beautiful picture we are given is Christ and the church, and the text reminds us that Christ gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25). Real love is about lifelong commitment—not some short-term fling that you can announce on Twitter in an effort to gain attention. And real love is about loyalty. Jesus Christ would never cheat on His bride, the church. And we are to follow His example.

Yes, Valentine’s Day is coming. Isn’t it time we demonstrate to our spouses and children what real love is all about? Take some time to read together Ephesians 5, Song of Solomon, 1 Corinthians 13, and Titus 2. It’s way past time for our children to understand what real love is all about, and not base their relationships on some phony Hollywood version. Yes, I may shell out $5-8 on a card, and I may even purchase a special gift for my wife this year. But my real gift to her is what I’m trying to do the other 364 days in the year—and that is to love her the way Christ loves the church.

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Saved by Works?

Baptism: Are We Saved By Works?

This series of articles which studies what the Bible says about baptism has shown how the Scriptures teach that baptism is something one must do in order to be saved and have sins forgiven (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).  Many disagree with this for several reasons.  One such objection stems from a very understandable line of thought:  “The Bible says we are not saved by works (Eph. 2:8-9), and baptism is a work; therefore, baptism is not necessary for salvation.”

Salvation cannot be earned by works, disobedience will earn damnation.

Salvation cannot be earned by works, disobedience will earn damnation.

Certainly baptism is something one does, and therefore is a “work.”  However, is it a work of merit (by which one EARNS salvation)…or is it a work of faith (by which one RECEIVES salvation)?  Furthermore, who is the one who is doing the work?  Is it the man or woman who submits to being immersed…or is it God who forgives and regenerates them through the blood of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit?

In answering these legitimate questions, it must first be pointed out that there are different kinds of works.  For instance, there are works of merit, which are done to earn something.  Those who have done such works believe they “deserve” something; they believe they will be saved because they kept the Ten Commandments, or because they did good deeds and went to church.  They do not realize that all the good we might do cannot outweigh even one sin (James 2:10), which is why we need the grace of God and faith in order to be saved (Rom. 3:27-28; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:4-5).

There are also works of faith, which are done to receive something.  Those who do works of faith believe that they “deserve” nothing.  They understand their obedience did not earn or merit their salvation.  They know their salvation rests upon the mercy and grace of God, not because God owes them anything.  This is why works of faith could also be called works of God.  In fact, Jesus called faith itself a work of God (John 6:28-29).  Other works of faith commanded by God are repentance (Acts 17:30) and confession (Rom. 10:9-10).  Jesus himself will specifically state on Judgment Day that those who will enter heaven will do so because of the benevolent deeds which they had done in their lives, while those who will enter hell will do so because of the LACK of benevolent deeds done in their lives (Matt. 25:31-46).

Those who say that one does not have to be baptized in order to be saved because baptism is a work…does one have to have faith in order to be saved?  Jesus said so (John 3:16; Mark 16:16).  Does faith require works, something done by you?  Yes (James 2:14-26).  Does one have to repent of sins in order to be saved?  Jesus said so (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30).  Is repentance a work, a deed done by you?  Yes.  Does one have to confess their faith in Christ before men in order to be saved?  Jesus said so (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10).  Is confession a work, an action done by you?  Yes.  Does one have to do good to all men at every opportunity in order to go to heaven?  Jesus said so (Matt. 25:31-46; Gal. 6:10).  Are benevolent deeds works, deeds done by you?  Yes.

What’s the difference between obeying God’s commands to have faith, repent of sins, confess one’s faith before men, and do good to all men at every opportunity in order to be saved…and obeying God’s command to be baptized in order to be saved?  To ask is to answer.  Would one say that one does not have to have faith, repent of sins, confess faith, and do good to others in order to go to heaven?  Such notions blatantly contradict what the Bible teaches.  So if faith, repentance, confession, and doing good are required of us in order to be saved…why not baptism as well, since it also is commanded by God?

What is hard for some to comprehend is that even though works such as faith, repentance, confession, and benevolent deeds are commanded by God, they are not meritorious works; we do not earn salvation through them (Luke 17:10).  Instead, they are works God has ordained we do in order to receive his salvation.  When all is said and done, salvation is still by God’s grace and mercy.

Baptism, therefore, is a work of faith.  It requires faith (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36-37), and is an act of faith by which one receives (not earns) the forgiveness of sins and gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).  Through it one receives (not earns) union with Christ in his death and is raised with him to new life (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27).  The fact that baptism is not a work of merit is emphasized by Paul when he wrote in Titus 3:4-5 that God saves us “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (an allusion to baptism; compare this phrase to what Jesus said in John 3:5 and the continual scriptural references of water with baptism in John 3:23, Acts 8:36-39, and Acts 10:47-48), but does not save us by “works of righteousness” (i.e., works of merit).  God does not owe us salvation because we were baptized.  Baptism, like faith, repentance, confession, and benevolent deeds, is simply an act of faith by which we receive salvation.

This is so because baptism involves the working of God.  Paul said while talking about baptism that we are buried and raised with Christ “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:11-13).  It is God who does the work, not us!  We are dead in our sins, but when we were baptized God made us alive, forgiving us of our sins.  It is God who saves us, not we ourselves, and he saves us “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:4-5)…baptism.

When one undergoes surgery, it requires faith in the skills of the surgeon in order to submit to the operating table.  No patient after the surgery thinks they have earned or merited healing; rather, they had faith in the doctor and were willing to submit to him.  In like manner, baptism is a spiritual operation in which the Great Physician does his work.  Our faith in God and in the death of his Son for our sins prompts us to submit to this spiritual operation of baptism, in which God does his wonderful work of cleansing us by the blood of his Son and the regeneration of his Spirit.

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Eyes of Faith

Eyes of Faith Looking Upward

It is remarkable how often the Bible makes reference to our ability to see. The contrast between righteousness and unrighteousness is illustrated by referring to light and darkness. The Bible uses the spiritual eyes of Christians walking by faith in contrast to those who walk in darkness. Our God wants us to use the eyes of faith to look upward.

Do your eyes see when life is dark?

Do your eyes see when life is dark?

David, whose heart was like the heart of God, gives insight into the source of his spirituality. How did he begin his day? Take time to read his words slowly and think about them. “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You and I will look up” (Psa. 5:3). Imagine how busy the life of the king of Israel was, yet he found time each day to look upward and spend time with God. How foolish are we when we get so busy that we cannot find time to look up to our God!

The prophet Micah also showed this same use of spiritual eyes. “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me” (Mic. 7:7). Reading his description of Israel is like reading the description of America today. It was a land where men went to bed at night but not to rest. “Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it” (Mic. 2:1). Some men practice evil, but the prophet described Israel as those who “…successfully do evil with both hands” (Mic. 7:3). How did Micah deal with all of this? He looked upward to God, waiting for God to bring about His salvation. As you are filled with despair about all that is happening in this land, look upwards and wait for God.

The writer of Hebrews dealt with those whose faith was being challenged and who were tempted to turn away from God and choose a less demanding life. What illustration did he use to encourage them? He described life as being like a race. He urged them to lay aside every weight which encumbered them as they ran and to keep going onward with patient steadfastness. Then he said, “Looking unto Jesus…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Instead of focusing on our own “crosses” and adversities, we should look upward to see our Lord seated in heaven. He never gave up, and we can look upward and see Him there awaiting our arrival.

So, when you are in the midst of trial, remember the examples set before us by David, Micah and the Lord. We are never alone, for He will never leave us or forsake us. Instead of looking outward at the problems, may God help us to look up. The eyes of faith see things which others will never see!

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The Thief on the Cross

Baptism:  What about the Thief on the Cross?

In continuing this series of articles on baptism and what God’s Word says about it, we’ve seen that baptism is necessary for sins to be forgiven and thus necessary for salvation (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21; Mark 16:16).  However, many questions still arise about whether baptism is a scriptural necessity for salvation.  Despite all that is revealed about the purpose of baptism in the New Testament, one of the most popular questions which object to the necessity baptism pertains to the thief of the cross (Luke 23:39-43).  Here was a man whom Jesus undoubtedly saved, and yet we fail to read that he was baptized.  Thus, the understandable conclusion is made that baptism is in fact NOT essential to salvation.

Many thoughts on baptism surround the thief on the cross.

Many thoughts on baptism surround the thief on the cross.

In examining the validity of this objection, we must remember that we are commanded to “rightly divide” or accurately handle God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15), which means that we must take into account the entirety of what Scripture says about any given subject in order to arrive to the whole truth about it (Ps. 119:160).  With this in mind, might there be something in Scripture overlooked by those who cite the thief on the cross as proof that baptism is not needed for salvation?  Something that renders the salvation of the thief irrelevant to the issue?

There is no doubt that the thief was saved.  Jesus had the power to save him because Christ had the authority while on earth to forgive sins, something which he did on several occasions (Luke 5:18-26; 7:36-50).  While on the cross, Jesus clearly offered the thief salvation when he promised him he would be with Jesus in Paradise that very day (Luke 23:42-43).  Yet, the question still remains as to whether the salvation of the thief is relevant to the issue of whether baptism is needed for salvation today.

Something not realized by many is that Christ saved the thief BEFORE he commanded baptism.  The “one baptism” commanded under the new covenant of Christ (Eph. 4:5) was commanded after Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16).  This baptism, according to Paul, is a baptism into Jesus’ death (Rom. 6:3-4).  It goes without saying that the thief could not have been baptized into Jesus’ death when Jesus had not yet died when he promised the thief salvation.  Thus, the thief was never subject to the baptism commanded by Christ and his apostles because they first gave this command after he had died.  In this way, the thief joins the ranks of saved individuals such as Noah, Moses, David, and the like, none of whom had been baptized and yet all had lived before the death of Jesus and, like the thief, had never received the command to be baptized.

Granted, the thief had been alive when Jesus’ cousin, John, had been baptizing people (Mark 1:4-5).  However, the baptism of John was to prepare people for the coming of Christ and was designed to be replaced by baptism into Christ and his death (Acts 19:4-5).  So one might use the thief on the cross to say that John’s baptism was not necessary for one to be saved and become a Christian, but the argument can’t be made regarding the baptism which Christ later commanded.  It is clear that the thief died before Jesus commanded baptism in his name.  Since we live after Christ gave that commandment, how can we use the example of the thief to say baptism is not necessary?

In like manner, we must also recognize that the thief was saved before the old covenant was taken out of the way and replaced by the new covenant.  The Bible teaches that there are two different covenants.  There was first the covenant between God and Israel which governed all Old Testament Israelites such as Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, and the thief on the cross, a covenant which never commanded people to be baptized and, even more significantly, came to an end when Jesus died on the cross (Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:14).  It was replaced by the new covenant which is now in force (Heb. 8:6-7), the new covenant of which Jesus spoke when he instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:28) and which came into force only after he died (Heb. 9:15-17).  We now live under that new covenant, and therefore we must submit to Christ’s authority as expressed after his death, an authority delegated to his apostles (Matt. 28:18-20; John 13:20).  With that in mind, notice again that both Christ and his apostles clearly commanded baptism (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 10:48; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:11-12; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Therefore, we cannot appeal to the example of the thief, who lived and died before the new covenant came into effect, just as we cannot appeal to the example of David and Isaiah as what one must do in order to be saved.  Rather, we must heed what Jesus and his apostles taught after the new covenant began.  Yes, the thief was saved without baptism, something for which we should be thankful and praise God for his wonderful grace.  However, the thief’s example is irrelevant to the issue of baptism because he died under the old covenant, before the new covenant which commands baptism for salvation came into effect.  We live under that new covenant, and the command to be baptized has been given to us.  Salvation is given only to those who obey (Heb. 5:9; Matt. 7:21-27).

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Bearing Fruit

Bearing Fruit

In Luke 3:8 John tells the people to “bear fruits worthy of repentance.” There are those who will proudly proclaim that no one has to do anything in order to be saved and loudly complain about a perceived “works salvation.” So let’s be clear and balanced here…Does the Bible teach that we don’t have to do any-thing? Not even close! Does the Bible teach that we somehow merit our salvation by the works that we do? Nope, doesn’t teach that either. John tells the people that beyond even baptism there are things they should do (see Luke 3:10–14).

Does your life tree bear fruit?

Does your life tree bear fruit?

The truth, as often is the case, lies some-where in between the two extreme ideals of “doing nothing” versus “meritorious works.” John demanded that those who came out to be baptized return and “bear fruit” if they hoped to be saved. When many came to him asking what they needed to do he didn’t say that they didn’t have to do anything but instructed them in the ways of righteousness.

When Jesus came along he not only taught righteous living but also went about doing good, leaving us an example to do just as he did. Obedience to God is absolutely essential! Yet we must also consider that just going about doing good doesn’t define Christianity or righteousness. Jesus also said that the gospel needed to be preached. Doing good and bearing fruit is a vehicle through which we gain the opportunity to tell others about Christ, his love, and the hope we have in him.

Obeying God includes baptism, bear fruit is the evidence of repentance, and preaching the Good News is the ultimate act of love to those who are lost. Obedience and faithful living are essential to our preparation for heaven! Are you ready?

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