First,
we should not that RECEIVED does not mean FAITH ONLY or TRUST ONLY.
Received is the Greek:
Paralambano (g3880) par-al-am-ban'-o;
from 3844 and 2983; to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act
or relation); by anal. to assume an office; fig. to
learn: - receive, take (unto, with).
And Jesus going up to
Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart
in the way, and said unto them, Matthew 20:17
The Jailer RECEIVED the
gospel of Christ and therefore RECEIVED His messengers.
His result was to show the fruit of repentance and OBEY
their direct command to be BAPTIZED. Washing their wounds
did not save him or remit his sins:
And he took them the same hour of the
night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his,
straightway. Acts 16:33
Receiving Christ Jesus
is receiving His WAY. However, this does not DEMAND that one is saved by TRUST
ONLY or experience the NEW BIRTH by belief only:
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Col 2:6
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving. Col 2:7
Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments
of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:8
Therefore, one has to
disciple with Christ through the Word and walk in His
shoes to have the power to be a son of God.
When Philip preached the GOSPEL to the
eunuch he understood that baptism was necessary.
Therefore, RECEIVING CHRIST through teaching gave him the
POWER but the power does not get the job done:
And as they went on
their way, they came unto a certain water: and the
eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be
baptized? Acts 8:36
And Philip said, If
thou believest
with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Acts 8:37
Faith in Jesus as God's Son (meaning
God) gave the eunuch THE POWER TO BECOME the son of God.
If he believed and had the POWER he still could not be a
SON without baptism.
Paul had the POWER over others but this
did not mean that the power was exercized:
If others be partakers
of this power
over you,
are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things,
lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 1 Co. 9:12
The same word POWER
resides in the Head. However, once again, this POWER is
made available only by having FAITH IN THE OPERATION OF
GOD.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Col.2:10
In whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Col 2:11
Buried with him
in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation
of God,
who hath raised him from the dead. Col 2:12
And you, being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses; Col 2:13
Again being a companion
of Christ and accepting His Word and His Power gives one
the power to become a child of God. But the same Paul said
that to get IN Christ BY FAITH we have to be baptized:
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:26
For as many of you as have
been baptized
into
Christ have put on Christ. Gal 3:27
Therefore, becoming a
SON BY FAITH in Christ is the same as HAVE BEEN baptized
into Christ and therefore PUT ON Christ. We are children
of God BY FAITH when we ACCEPT THE COUNSEL OF GOD FOR OUR
LIVES. This SAVING FAITH means that we HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED
into Christ so that He covers us like a GARMENT of
fatherhood.
Max Lucado: Jesus says, Listen, I stand
at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in... Revelation 3:20
This passage has a
before and after. First, Jesus Christ is speaking to the
CHURCHES. Therefore, He is not speaking of initial
salvation.
Second, he DOES NOT
accept "just knocking."
Third, note that Christ has an OFFICE: He is the Holy
Spirit.
And unto the angel of
the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God; Rev 3:14
I know thy works,
that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot. Rev 3: 15
So then because
thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out
of my mouth. Rev 3: 16
Because thou sayest,
I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: Rev 3: 17
I counsel thee to
buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest
be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that
thou mayest see. Rev 3: 18
As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3: 19
Behold, I stand at
the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me. Rev 3: 20
To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with my Father in his throne. Rev 3: 21
He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches. Rev 3: 22
Like all of Max's
proof text, they apply to those who are already saved.
Rubel Shelly notes
of one passage used for "works salvation": They are Paul's
Spirit-given words, but they are not his instructions to
lost persons who want to be saved. They are a
challenge to godly believers that they should, by their
devoted walk with Christ, "continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who
works in you to will and to act according to his good
purpose" (Phil.2:12-13).
And Tertullian notes of Christ's
invitation to those who are believers under trial:
For the people, after crossing the sea, and being carried about in the desert
during forty years, although they were there nourished with
divine supplies, nevertheless were more mindful of their
belly and their gullet than of God.
Thereupon the Lord,
driven apart into desert places after baptism, showed, by maintaining a
fast of forty days, that the man of God lives "not by bread alone," but "by the word of God;
" and that temptations incident to fulness or
immoderation of appetite are shattered by abstinence.
Therefore, blessed ones, whom the grace of God
awaits,
when you ascend from that most sacred font of your new birth, and spread your hands for
the first time in the house of your mothe, together with
your brethren, ask from the Father, ask from the Lord,
that His own specialties of grace and distributions of gifts may
be supplied you. "Ask," saith He, "and ye shall
receive."
Well, you have asked, and have received; you have knocked, and it has been opened
to you. Only, I pray that, when you are asking, you be
mindful likewise of Tertullian the sinner.
Max Lucado: With all of my heart, I
urge you to accept God's destiny for your life. I urge you to get on
board with Christ. According to the Bible, "Jesus is the
only one who can save people. His name is the only power
in the world that has been given to save people. We must
be saved through him" (Acts 4:12).
We need to repeat the
facts about ACCEPTING GOD'S DESTINY because if you don't
HANG Christ's words together then you will probably HANG
like Judas.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:11
If the Pharisees had believed they had
the POWER to become the children of God. But the Jews
RECEIVED HIM NOT. That is they disbelieved and
therefore:
But the Pharisees
and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30
In the same way, the
Hebrews REJECTED the Book of the Covenant of Grace at Mount Sinai.
They turned back to musical idolatry and therefore
despised God by despising His Word. The PROOF IN THE
PUDDING was that God abandoned them to the BOOK OF THE LAW and later to musicians to
lead them into captivity and death;
The Baptist baptism of
Max Lucado is based on the false dogma that the Great
Commission was only to the Jews. The SECOND baptism would
be the Gnostic SPIRIT ONLY baptism which must be
EXPERIENCED before one can go down into the depths of
water baptism.
However, this must
deliberately skip some important Biblical resource: For
instance,
Too bad for false
teachers: Simeon was ready to die because he saw Jesus
to be:
For mine eyes have
seen thy
salvation,
Luke 2:30
Which thou hast
prepared before the face of all people; Luke 2:31
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. Luke 2:32
To find Jesus we have
to GO OUTSIDE THE CAMP. Therefore, the structural
tabernacle of David was a CARNAL type just like ALL
nations. However, the Spiritual house was identical to
what God promised David: to build a FAMILY but not a
HOUSE made with human hands:
Simeon hath declared
how God at
the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
Acts 15:14
And to this agree
the words of the prophets; as it is written, Acts 15:15
After this I will
return, and will build again the tabernacle of David,
which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins
thereof, and I will set it up: Acts 15:16
That the residue
(remnant) of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is
called,
saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Acts 15:17
Known unto God are
all his works from the beginning of the world. Acts
15:18
While Peter was
reluctant to go to the Gentiles for fear of the Jews, he
understood at Pentecost that the call to repentance and
baptism was NOT just to the Jews but to all of those
whom God would call through preaching and all of those
who would RESPOND or call upon the name of God.
Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38
For the promise is
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call. Acts 2:39
The Old Covenant of
Book of the Law was added because of transgression along
with the kings, kingdom, physical temple, animal
sacrifices.
Not according to the
covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day when I took them by the
hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because
they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. Heb.8:9
Epilambanomai (g1949)
ep-ee-lam-ban'-om-ahee; mid. from 1909 and 2983; to seize
(for help,injury, attainment or any other purpose;
lit. or fig.): - catch, lay hold (up-) on, take (by,
hold of, on).
For this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their
mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them
a God, and they shall be to me a people: Heb 8:10
And they shall not
teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the
greatest. Heb 8:11
For I will be
merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no more. Heb
8:12
This was prophetic
of the Spiritual Israel who come into Christ ONLY at
the time and place of water baptism. The result is
that God will give each BROTHER a new spirit, A holy
spirit or a clear conscience.
For ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal
3:26
For as many of you as have
been baptized
into
Christ have put on Christ. Gal 3:27
Again Max Lucado: With all of my heart, I
urge you to accept God's destiny for your life
The DESTINY of God
is conditional: if you accept Him, believe in Him and
are Baptized INTO Him then you are IN Christ and
therefore a child of God. Counsel is:
Boule (g1012) boo-lay'; from
1014; volition, i.e. (obj.) ADVICE, or (by impl.) purpose:
- / ADVISE, counsel, will.
God predestinated us to accept His Counsel
and accept water baptism which determines the ETERNAL
DESTINY of our souls. However, we can REJECT God's plan
made for us:
In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Ep.1:11
God's plan was to WORK
His Own Operation at the Laver. The denial of the power
of water baptism clearly seems to be the MARK of those
who from old rejected the counsel of God for their
lives.
Buried with him
in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation
of God, who hath raised him from
the dead. Col 2:12
However, Max insists
that God's OWN WILL is not his COUNSEL which he preaches
to the whole world:
All they needed
to do was to trust him to save them.
All those who believe this are reborn!
It is clear that Max's
WILL and COUNSEL directly contradicts GOD'S OWN PREDESTINATED WILL to save ONLY THOSE
who RECEIVE Christ to the extent of following Him to be
EMPALED alongside Christ and be BURIED with Christ.
God chose to dwell in
a HUMAN BODY composed almost entirely of WATER. When He
POURED OUT that water and blood he intimately connected
the PREDESTINATED
Will of
God who as Word created all things IN the water and OUT
of the water.
God's DESTINY is tied
up in receiving only the HUMBLE who will just accept His
counsel for their lives and just DO what Jesus commands.
Max Lucado and the
Baptists at the Red Sea:
The Israelites were
between an army and the deep blue sea: they knew that they
could not save themselves. So, rather than obey God in the
TYPE of baptism they just CALLED UPON THE NAME OF THE
LORD:
And when Pharaoh drew
nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and,
behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were
sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto
the Lord. Exod 14:10
Caaq (g6817) tsaw-ak'; a
prim. root; to shriek; (by impl.) to proclaim (an
assembly): - * at all, call together, cry (out),
gather (selves) (together).
Max and the Baptists
agreed: wow, go down into the BYTHUS or depths of the Red
Sea to be drowned by God? So, Faith Only Moses had NO
faith:
And Moses said unto
the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the
Lord,
which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom
ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for
ever Exod 14:13
While Max demands to see
the GRACE of God just by prayer or calling, God (Jesus
Christ) issued a direct command which refutes what is
truly FAITHLESNESS and DESPISING the will og God:
And the Lord said unto
Moses, Wherefore
criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: Exod 14:15
But lift thou up thy
rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and
divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Exod 14:16
Faith only is
FAITHLESSNESS: despising the will of God and guaranteeing
that the Old Man of Sin will not be left in the tomb.
You see, FAITH makes
sure that only
the OLD MAN
is drowned as sin is put on the OLD side of the water. The
New Faith put its trust in GOD. What comes out on the
other side is a Spirit Guided new person walking in the
Light of Christ the Pillar and drinking from Christ the
Rock.
The CALVINIST or Baptist
SINNER'S PRAYER is not the COUNSEL OF GOD. It is not IN
Scripture and is Anti-Christian and Anti-Biblical.
Max Lucado: Would you let him save you?
This is the most important decision you will ever make.
Why don't you give your heart to him right now? Admit your need. Agree with his work.
Accept his gift. Go to God in prayer and
tell him, "I am a sinner in need of grace. I
believe that Jesus died for me on the cross.
I accept your
offer of salvation."
It's a
simple prayer with eternal results.
That is a fact: if you
depend on the PRAYER to save you it is because the word
RECEIVED is not mistranslated: it is simply twisted into
meaning the TRUST which automatically makes one a SON OF
GOD. We have shown that this is anti-scriptural or
non-scriptural and therefore if you PRAY the prayer of
faith you REJECT THE COUNSEL OF GOD making you less
important than sinners who RECEIVED Christ by BEING
BAPTIZED.
And the Lord said unto
Max, Wherefore criest thou
unto me?
speak unto the children of
Israel, that
they go forward: Exod 14:15
But lift thou up thy
rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and
divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Exod 14:16
If you don't do that,
Max, the people you are misguiding will be destroyed by
and with the Egyptians who are equated to the
Babylonians, Canaanites, Jerusalem and Sodomites.
This is the old SINNER'S
PRAYER which means that we are SAVED BY PRAYER. However,
this ignores the large body of Biblical teaching which
associates baptism with salvation and the remission of
sins BECAUSE we have faith in the OPERATION OF GOD which
He performs ONLY at the time and place of water baptism.
Now that you are A CHILD
OF GOD by trust or prayer, baptism is something you do but
we see a contradiction here as throughout this CREED.
Max Lucado: Once you've placed your faith in
Christ,
I urge you to take three steps. You'll find them easy to
remember. Just think of these three words (they each
start with b): baptism, Bible, and belong.
Baptism demonstrates and celebrates our decision to follow Jesus.
Our immersion into
water symbolizes our immersion into God's
grace. Just as water cleanses the body, so grace cleanses the soul. Jesus
said,
"Anyone who believes
and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).
But, Paul uses the
example of the Red Sea. Their baptism did not SYMBOLIZE
their decision to follow Moses an inferior type of Christ.
Remember?
And the Lord said unto
Moses, Wherefore
criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: Exod 14:15
But lift thou up thy
rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and
divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Exod 14:16
In Hebrews 11 all acts
of faith are ACTIVE VERBS:
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which
the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. Heb.11:29
MOREOVER, brethren, I
would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 1 Cor 10:1
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud
and in the sea; 1 Cor 10:2
They were not safe until
they had PASSED through the Sea. Over the Sea was
hoovering the CLOUD representing Christ. In water baptism
Christ COVERS us and hide us from sin and Satan.
When one obeys by faith
and jumps out of the way of a speeding car, their act IS
NOT A CELEBRATION of Faith Only. Only on the other side of
baptism:
And did all eat the same spiritual
meat; 1
Cor 10:3
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that
spiritual
Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 1 Cor 10:4
Contradicting Max
Lucado, all of Scripture says that BAPTISM is God's MEANS
just as surely as the human body of God was His MEANS to
our salvation.
John did baptize in
the wilderness, and preach the baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins. Mk.1:4
And he came into all
the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; Lu.3:3
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned. Mark 16:16
Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for (in order to) the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. Ac.2:38
And now why tarriest
thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of
the Lord. Ac.22:16
The like figure (The ARK) whereunto even
baptism doth
also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of
the flesh, but the REQUEST FOR a good conscience toward
God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1Peter 3:21
Max Lucado: When the apostle Paul became a believer, he was asked this question:
"Now, why wait any
longer? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away,
trusting in him to save you" (Acts 22:16).
Paul responded by being baptized immediately. You
can, too.
The people at the Red
Sea trusted God to save them but Moses was a type of MAX
who said: "Just stand still and watch God save us."
However, God asked, why are you WHINING to me? I have
shown you how you can be Saved by Faith: just raise your
hand and MARCH into the dangerous waters of death.
No Jew ever thought that
their walking through the Red Sea was what CAUSED the
death- dealing waves to abate. No one believes that their
own effort can save them. And NO ONE who even minimizes
the OPERATION OF GOD in baptism has even MINIMAL faith in
the TRUE Lord Jesus Christ Who is our superior Moses.
BELIEVERS are baptized
believers:
And all that believed were together, and had
all things common; Ac.2:44
There is nothing said
about Paul BECOMING
A BELIEVER
(I.e. Saved). Nor is there anything which can be
translated as TRUSTING IN HIM TO SAVE YOU. All of the major
translations read:
And now why tarriest
thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:16
And he trembling and
astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Ac.9:6
