We have come to the halfway point of our series, having already discussed repentance from dead works, faith toward God, and having begun, if only ever so briefly the discussion of the doctrine of baptisms. Since during the last program we discussed the baptism of John, today we will be continuing in our exploration of the doctrine of baptisms, and discuss what has come to be known today as water baptism, or the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins. Yes, the baptism of John differs from the baptism of Christ for the remission of sins, for while the baptism of John was only one of repentance, the baptism of Christ encapsulates both the baptism of John, which is the baptism of repentance, but adds to it, and completes it, including also the remission of sins.
Since both the baptism of John and the baptism of Christ for the remission of sins include the element of water, and of being submerged in water, before getting into the differences between the baptism of John and the baptism of Christ, before discussing baptism itself, I wanted to talk a little about the element of water. Throughout the Word of God it is conclusive and without equivocation that water is a religious symbol.
The Bible speaks of water as a symbol of creation, a symbol of destruction, and a symbol of purification.
2 Peter 3:5-6, “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water, and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.”
Within the context of warning about the scoffers and those who would mock the Word of God, Peter reminds us what some willfully forget, that by the word of God the earth stood out of the water, and in the water, and the fact that the world that once existed, the world which perished, was flooded with water. Within this passage, as well as others which time does not permit us to discuss at length, we see the element of water as a symbol of creation. Within this same passage we see the element of water as a symbol of destruction, as Peter reminds us of the great flood from which only Noah and his family escaped. Within the context of the parting of the red sea, and the subsequent destruction of Pharaoh and his armies, we also see water as a manifestation of God’s judgment.
The last symbol, to which the element of water is directly connected to in the Word, is that of purification, and it can be traced as far back as the consecration of the priests in the book of Exodus.
Exodus 29:4, “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water.”
Numbers 19:7, “Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp;”
Now ritual bathing in water and the fact that water is a symbol of purification can be traced back for millennia. The members of the tight knit community known as the Essenes at Qumran avoided any human contact whatsoever. They practiced daily ritual bathing, and practiced ablution or the ritual bathing of one’s face and hands before every meal. In order to become a member of this community one had to go through two years of ritual bathing as prescribed by the Essenes at Qumran.
The reason I bring up Qumran and the Essenes, who were members of an ascetic Jewish sect in the first century before Christ, is because some consider that John adopted the practice of baptism from them, where it is believed that he was raised, but this is impossible for three reasons.
First, baptism is a singular, one time act, while the ablutions at Qumran ware repetitive in nature. Second, baptism is administered by a second party, while the ritualistic bathing at Qumran was self induced. Third, while disciples of the Essenes at Qumran could only participate in the ritualistic bathing after two years, John baptized men the same day.
Just a little history before we get into today’s topic. I found it interesting so I thought I’d pass it along.
Well, as we discussed during the previous post, John the baptizer was in the wilderness, near the river Jordan, preaching repentance and baptizing those who repented and confessed their sins. One day, Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to also be baptized by him.
Within the exchange between John and Jesus, we see the difference between the baptism of John, and the baptism of Christ. As Jesus approached John that He might be baptized, John tried to prevent Him from doing it, even saying to Jesus, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’
John recognized the authority of Christ, the power of Christ, and the divinity of Christ. John knew that the baptism of Christ was far superior to his own, and in humility he said to Jesus that it was he who needed to be baptized by Him, and not the other way around.
We know that there was no sin in Christ. We know that Jesus was the only sinless man to ever walk the earth, and so being baptized into a baptism of repentance and confession of sin would seem pointless to us, since Jesus had no sin to confess, and nothing to repent of. Jesus was the righteousness of God, and unless he was instituting a new baptism, he had no need of the baptism of John.
What Jesus was doing was instituting the means by which men ought to make a covenant with God; the means by which men would from that point forward dedicate their lives to the heavenly Father. Jesus was not being baptized with the baptism of repentance or confession of sins; He was instituting the new baptism, the baptism into Christ.
Although John protested, although John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized Jesus answered and said to him, “permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
So why ought we submerge individuals for baptism? For thus it is fitting. Why ought we not to baptize infants? Because an infant cannot repent, an infant does not know the difference between good and evil, but most importantly because thus it is fitting. Jesus instituted true baptism by being baptized in the Jordan, and as such we must follow His example, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Through the act of baptism, Jesus demonstrated the fulfillment of the righteousness of God. He already was the righteousness of God, but by getting baptized, Jesus demonstrated it, and He showed it. Baptism is man’s confession of having fulfilled the righteousness of God by faith; it is man’s confession that in Christ and through Christ he has attained the righteousness of God; that he has been justified by faith.
Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into the grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Jesus never simply told people what they must do, He first did it himself, then simply said, ‘you must do likewise.’ First He loved, first He preached, first He healed, first He encouraged, first He rebuked, first He sacrificed, then after having first done these things, he taught us to do likewise. We must do as Jesus did, that we might become the image of Christ.
Matthew 3:16, “Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Seven Things You Should Never Have To Ask A Preacher!
So today I've officially been married for eleven years. I don't feel that old, nor does it seem like that much time has passed, but here we are, the year of our Lord 2011, and although I'm no math wizard, it comes out to eleven years. For today only, I decided to take a break in posting the 'fundamental teachings' series, and just give you something that would be lighthearted if it wasn't so sad. So, without further ado, I present to you, seven things you should never have to ask a preacher:
7. Is the indoor pool heated too, or just the outdoor one?
6. Did your wife know about the affair?
5. Is it two or three wives you’re paying alimony to?
4. How many facelifts have you had?
3. Is that a new Rolex or one of the old ones?
2. How many jets do you own?
1. How come you never mention Jesus?
Like I said, it would be funny if it wasn't so sad!
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
7. Is the indoor pool heated too, or just the outdoor one?
6. Did your wife know about the affair?
5. Is it two or three wives you’re paying alimony to?
4. How many facelifts have you had?
3. Is that a new Rolex or one of the old ones?
2. How many jets do you own?
1. How come you never mention Jesus?
Like I said, it would be funny if it wasn't so sad!
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Fundamental Teachings Part 10
In order to see the dramatic difference between the baptism of John, and the baptism of Christ, we need look no further than a certain Jew named Apollos, who was born at Alexandria. The Word tells us that Apollos was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures and that he came to Ephesus. This was by no means an ignorant man since the Bible also tells us that he had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and that being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Now let’s get this clear. Although Apollos had only known the baptism of John, he was still mighty in scripture, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, and taught accurately the things of God.
Acts 18:26, ‘So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
So even though Apollos taught the things of God accurately, Aquila and Priscilla took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately still. All Apollos had known, was the baptism of John, until he met these two individuals who showed him more accurately the way of God.
Acts 18:1-6, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
So within six verses, we see the three baptisms identified and enumerated individually. First we see the baptism of John, with which these men had already been baptized, we see the baptism of Christ, with which these men were baptized upon hearing of it, and finally we see the baptism of the Holy Spirit which these men received as Paul lays hands upon these men and they begin to speak in tongues and prophecy.
Once again, because it is very important, these are three distinct and separate baptisms.
So what were the requirements of receiving the baptism of John? Was it just showing up, standing in a line, saying you wanted to be baptized then proceeding to wade into the water? Surely John must have made it easy for people since so many went out to him that they might be baptized, surely he could not have required anything of them because it would conflict with the modern adage of ‘the less you require of people, the more people will flock to your cause!’
Matthew 3:1-6, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of the one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’ And John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins.”
There were two nonnegotiable requirements made of everyone that came to seek the baptism of John, first they were to repent, and second to confess their sins publicly. Then, and only then, after they’d repented and confessed their sins would John baptize those seeking his baptism. I realize this might seem outlandish to some in today’s generation, how can such requirements be placed on individuals who simply required to be baptized? Because they were necessary for the baptism to be something more than taking a bath with one’s clothes on, they were necessary in order to place the individual squarely in front of the enormity of his sin and bring about repentance.
Even with these requirements, the word tells us that Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the regions around the Jordan went out to John and were baptized by him in the Jordan. So just as a side note, the remedy to dwindling church attendance and overall lack of interest to the Christian faith is by no means the lowering of the bar, or the lowering of the standards, but adherence to the truth of God’s Word.
Now many of the Pharisees and Sadducees of the time were also among those who came to be baptized by John. These were the power elites of the time, men with influence, and power, men with money and great authority among the people. Rather than be swayed by the men that stood before him, rather than attempt to accommodate them, John said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father.’
Absent repentance and absent fruit of repentance water baptism is a pointless exercise. The Pharisees and the Sadducees wanted the baptism of John, but without the requisite repentance and confession of sins. What they really wanted was an insurance policy against the wrath to come, not understanding the fact that absent true repentance, there could be no reconciliation with God, there could be no transformation or renewing of the mind.
Although John preached repentance, although Paul preached repentance, although Christ preached repentance as a mandatory step to being baptized, repentance has become taboo among many believers today, marginalized and sidestepped becoming a controversial topic among those who claim the name of Christ. Speak of anything else, even tell tall tales which have no basis in fact, but if you dare bring up repentance as a prerequisite to living a life in the fullness of Christ, if you dare bring up repentance as a mandatory experience in the life of every believer, then you will quickly be shunned, labeled a zealot, and banished by those who see themselves as progressive, all inclusive Christians.
Why have I gotten off on the topic of repentance again? I return to the topic of repentance, because repentance and baptism are intertwined, and cannot be separated, and one cannot occur and be of spiritual use unless the other is first and foremost done.
The baptism of John was a forerunner to the baptism of Christ, Just as John the baptizer was a forerunner, or one who prepared the way of the Lord for the Lord’s arrival. We still discuss the baptism of John today, and it is still part of Christian tradition because not only did Jerusalem, all of Judea and all the region around the Jordan go out to him to be baptized, but there was one other who came to John that He might be baptized as well.
Matthew 3:13-15, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.”
John recognized the authority and power of Christ, and so when Jesus came to him to be baptized, John rightly surmised that he was the one that had need to be baptized by Jesus, and not the other way around. Was it mandatory for Jesus to be baptized with the baptism of John? No, it was not mandatory, He was the Son of God, He had no sins to confess, He had nothing to repent of, yet He was baptized with John’s baptism that all righteousness might be fulfilled.
Jesus is our example, He is the prototype of that which we desire to be transformed into, and knowing this Jesus went to be baptized, that when we come to believe, when we come to repent, when we come to confess our sins, we too might be baptized, not with John’s baptism, but rather with His baptism. We will discuss the baptism into Christ, or the baptism of Christ in subsequent posts, but for now let me reiterate that these are two different baptisms.
The baptism of John, the baptism of law, the baptism of the old covenant and Old Testament, has been replaced by the baptism into Christ, the baptism of the new covenant and the baptism of grace. In essence the baptism of John became obsolete when the baton was passed, and the practice of baptism into Christ began.
More could be said about the baptism of John, but alas it would seem we are quickly running out of time, and the next teaching in this series promises to be as exciting if not more so than this. We will continue with the doctrine of baptisms, and focus on two other baptisms, the baptism into Christ, as well as the baptism of the Holy Spirit which promise to be enlightening and uplifting, challenging and nourishing. May we never forget that we must never stop growing in God, growing in wisdom, growing in grace, and growing in understanding of God’s will for our lives. The more we grow, the more we mature, the more we will be of use to the kingdom of God.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Now let’s get this clear. Although Apollos had only known the baptism of John, he was still mighty in scripture, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, and taught accurately the things of God.
Acts 18:26, ‘So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
So even though Apollos taught the things of God accurately, Aquila and Priscilla took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately still. All Apollos had known, was the baptism of John, until he met these two individuals who showed him more accurately the way of God.
Acts 18:1-6, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
So within six verses, we see the three baptisms identified and enumerated individually. First we see the baptism of John, with which these men had already been baptized, we see the baptism of Christ, with which these men were baptized upon hearing of it, and finally we see the baptism of the Holy Spirit which these men received as Paul lays hands upon these men and they begin to speak in tongues and prophecy.
Once again, because it is very important, these are three distinct and separate baptisms.
So what were the requirements of receiving the baptism of John? Was it just showing up, standing in a line, saying you wanted to be baptized then proceeding to wade into the water? Surely John must have made it easy for people since so many went out to him that they might be baptized, surely he could not have required anything of them because it would conflict with the modern adage of ‘the less you require of people, the more people will flock to your cause!’
Matthew 3:1-6, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of the one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’ And John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins.”
There were two nonnegotiable requirements made of everyone that came to seek the baptism of John, first they were to repent, and second to confess their sins publicly. Then, and only then, after they’d repented and confessed their sins would John baptize those seeking his baptism. I realize this might seem outlandish to some in today’s generation, how can such requirements be placed on individuals who simply required to be baptized? Because they were necessary for the baptism to be something more than taking a bath with one’s clothes on, they were necessary in order to place the individual squarely in front of the enormity of his sin and bring about repentance.
Even with these requirements, the word tells us that Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the regions around the Jordan went out to John and were baptized by him in the Jordan. So just as a side note, the remedy to dwindling church attendance and overall lack of interest to the Christian faith is by no means the lowering of the bar, or the lowering of the standards, but adherence to the truth of God’s Word.
Now many of the Pharisees and Sadducees of the time were also among those who came to be baptized by John. These were the power elites of the time, men with influence, and power, men with money and great authority among the people. Rather than be swayed by the men that stood before him, rather than attempt to accommodate them, John said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father.’
Absent repentance and absent fruit of repentance water baptism is a pointless exercise. The Pharisees and the Sadducees wanted the baptism of John, but without the requisite repentance and confession of sins. What they really wanted was an insurance policy against the wrath to come, not understanding the fact that absent true repentance, there could be no reconciliation with God, there could be no transformation or renewing of the mind.
Although John preached repentance, although Paul preached repentance, although Christ preached repentance as a mandatory step to being baptized, repentance has become taboo among many believers today, marginalized and sidestepped becoming a controversial topic among those who claim the name of Christ. Speak of anything else, even tell tall tales which have no basis in fact, but if you dare bring up repentance as a prerequisite to living a life in the fullness of Christ, if you dare bring up repentance as a mandatory experience in the life of every believer, then you will quickly be shunned, labeled a zealot, and banished by those who see themselves as progressive, all inclusive Christians.
Why have I gotten off on the topic of repentance again? I return to the topic of repentance, because repentance and baptism are intertwined, and cannot be separated, and one cannot occur and be of spiritual use unless the other is first and foremost done.
The baptism of John was a forerunner to the baptism of Christ, Just as John the baptizer was a forerunner, or one who prepared the way of the Lord for the Lord’s arrival. We still discuss the baptism of John today, and it is still part of Christian tradition because not only did Jerusalem, all of Judea and all the region around the Jordan go out to him to be baptized, but there was one other who came to John that He might be baptized as well.
Matthew 3:13-15, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.”
John recognized the authority and power of Christ, and so when Jesus came to him to be baptized, John rightly surmised that he was the one that had need to be baptized by Jesus, and not the other way around. Was it mandatory for Jesus to be baptized with the baptism of John? No, it was not mandatory, He was the Son of God, He had no sins to confess, He had nothing to repent of, yet He was baptized with John’s baptism that all righteousness might be fulfilled.
Jesus is our example, He is the prototype of that which we desire to be transformed into, and knowing this Jesus went to be baptized, that when we come to believe, when we come to repent, when we come to confess our sins, we too might be baptized, not with John’s baptism, but rather with His baptism. We will discuss the baptism into Christ, or the baptism of Christ in subsequent posts, but for now let me reiterate that these are two different baptisms.
The baptism of John, the baptism of law, the baptism of the old covenant and Old Testament, has been replaced by the baptism into Christ, the baptism of the new covenant and the baptism of grace. In essence the baptism of John became obsolete when the baton was passed, and the practice of baptism into Christ began.
More could be said about the baptism of John, but alas it would seem we are quickly running out of time, and the next teaching in this series promises to be as exciting if not more so than this. We will continue with the doctrine of baptisms, and focus on two other baptisms, the baptism into Christ, as well as the baptism of the Holy Spirit which promise to be enlightening and uplifting, challenging and nourishing. May we never forget that we must never stop growing in God, growing in wisdom, growing in grace, and growing in understanding of God’s will for our lives. The more we grow, the more we mature, the more we will be of use to the kingdom of God.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Fundamental Teachings Part 9
Just to refresh your memory, and reconfirm the truth of what the elementary principles are, I will begin today’s post by reiterating those three verses in Hebrews chapter six and they say as follows:
Hebrews 6:1-3, “Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”
What is troublesome to me, and the reason I felt impressed to do this series on the elementary principles of Christ, or the fundamental teachings of the faith, is that although Paul calls them elementary, although he calls them the basic foundations of the faith, far too many believers today do not have an accurate understanding of them, nor do they perceive their necessity. These elementary principles, these fundamental teachings are necessary and essential for every believer, because they are the foundation upon which our faith is built, they are the foundation upon which our spiritual homes stand, and if they are not firmly established, if they are not, as they ought to be, cemented in our hearts, then everything we build up from the foundation runs the risk of collapsing in on itself.
We have already covered repentance, as well as faith toward God, and today we begin to study the doctrine of baptisms. Yes, there is more than one baptism and in the subsequent posts, as well as this post, we will discuss the doctrine of baptisms in its entirety.
Now I know some of you might be thinking to yourself that I could have found a more exciting topic to expound upon, something that would get the blood pumping like end times prophecy, the book of Revelation, and as Paul said, this we will do if God permits. But first and foremost, as I stated earlier, before we get into seals, and bowls, and plagues, and beasts, we must be certain that our foundation is well established, immovable, and unshakeable. There are some who make the tragic error of focusing on prophecy and the end times before their foundation is established, and since they have no foundation to speak of, they are swept away with the first storm of their life.
Since I am, as my wife affectionately calls me a prophecy geek, it would be far easier, and less time consuming for me to delve into the topic of end time prophecy, and write at length about it, but easier isn’t always best, and I know it is far more important for believers to have a true and stable foundation, than know what the future holds as pertains to the prophetic.
Is the prophetic irrelevant? By no means, but sometimes we must do things in the order they were intended to be done. Before we can graduate from college, we must first graduate high school, and before we can graduate high school we must first graduate elementary school and junior high. It is the way of things, and spiritually speaking there are many today walking around believing they have a college degree, when they haven’t yet successfully graduated elementary school. What we learn in elementary school, is the foundation for our learning throughout our lives. We learn to read, to write, we learn addition, subtraction and multiplication, and these things aid us throughout our lives and as we grow and mature, we build on them. Spiritually speaking, the elementary principles of Christ, or the fundamental teachings are the tools by which, and with which we build upon.
I’ve said this often enough but it warrants repeating, whenever it comes to spiritual things, whenever it comes to supernatural things, it is paramount that we go directly to the source, directly to the Word, and see what God would teach us. There are many opinions floating about concerning spirituality, baptisms, the Holy Spirit, and anything else one might think of, but there is always only one truth and that is found in the Bible. So today you will not be hearing my opinion on the doctrine of baptisms, but rather what the Word of God has to say about it. As followers of Christ, as worshippers of God, our duty is to submit to the authority of His word, to submit to the authority of His will, and obey that which He commands. Too many have taken it upon themselves to interpret the will and mind of God, too many have taken it upon themselves to twist the simple truth of God’s word toward their own nefarious ends, and we see the outcome of these distortions within the churches today, manifesting themselves in various kinds of deceptions and half-truths. The Bible is our instruction manual, it is the light by which we see the path upon which we must walk, and it is through the prism of this book that we will study and grow in grace, perceive and understand the importance of these fundamental teachings, thereby maturing spiritually and deepening our relationship with God.
Although the Bible speaks of a handful of baptisms, from the baptism of Moses, to John’s baptism, to the baptism of suffering, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of fire, and the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, within the context of the study on the doctrine of baptisms, we will be focusing on the three most relevant ones. As such, we will be discussing water baptism, or John’s baptism, or the baptism of repentance, then move on to the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, and finally the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is the one baptism that has been woefully marginalized within the church for a very long time. If we have time we will also discuss the baptism of suffering, or the baptism of fire of which Christ spoke, and of which he said He was to be baptized shortly before His crucifixion.
As I said, we will begin with the baptism of John, also known as the baptism of repentance, or more simply put, water baptism.
The word baptism itself comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’, which in essence means to immerse or submerge. When John baptized with the baptism of repentance, in the river Jordan, he immersed, or submerged those individuals who came seeking baptism.
Mark 1:4, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
Now some would ask, and rightly so, why I have separated the baptism of John, from the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, and whether or not they were in fact one and the same. The short answer, is that no, the baptism of John, and the baptism into Christ are not the same. John did not baptize in the name of Jesus, he simply baptized a baptism of repentance. The baptism of Christ, the baptism that Christ commanded His disciples to perform, was very specific, and when analyzed thoroughly we see the difference quite clearly.
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When Jesus commanded His disciples to go, He did not tell them to baptize everyone who showed up at the meetings, he did not tell them to baptize everyone they could talk into dunking themselves in a river or a lake, the first command Jesus gave was to make disciples, and after these became disciples, they were to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Dare I say there are many today who are being baptized, who are not Disciples of Christ. Dare I say there are many today who feel secure because they put on the white robe and got into the pool, but who were never discipled, who never knew the fullness of Christ, nor the things that Christ commands. Christ’s first command was to make disciples, then and only then were these newly made disciples to be baptized.
These dear friends are not semantics, they are glaring oversights made by many denominations today, because to disciple someone takes time, and effort, and wisdom, and knowledge of the Word of God. It is far easier to have someone raise a hand, say a prayer, dunk them in some tepid water, and call them saints requiring their tithe check as a sort of membership fee.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s return to the baptism of John or the baptism of repentance and see what we can learn of it, how it differs from the baptism of Christ, and what the Bible says about it.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Hebrews 6:1-3, “Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”
What is troublesome to me, and the reason I felt impressed to do this series on the elementary principles of Christ, or the fundamental teachings of the faith, is that although Paul calls them elementary, although he calls them the basic foundations of the faith, far too many believers today do not have an accurate understanding of them, nor do they perceive their necessity. These elementary principles, these fundamental teachings are necessary and essential for every believer, because they are the foundation upon which our faith is built, they are the foundation upon which our spiritual homes stand, and if they are not firmly established, if they are not, as they ought to be, cemented in our hearts, then everything we build up from the foundation runs the risk of collapsing in on itself.
We have already covered repentance, as well as faith toward God, and today we begin to study the doctrine of baptisms. Yes, there is more than one baptism and in the subsequent posts, as well as this post, we will discuss the doctrine of baptisms in its entirety.
Now I know some of you might be thinking to yourself that I could have found a more exciting topic to expound upon, something that would get the blood pumping like end times prophecy, the book of Revelation, and as Paul said, this we will do if God permits. But first and foremost, as I stated earlier, before we get into seals, and bowls, and plagues, and beasts, we must be certain that our foundation is well established, immovable, and unshakeable. There are some who make the tragic error of focusing on prophecy and the end times before their foundation is established, and since they have no foundation to speak of, they are swept away with the first storm of their life.
Since I am, as my wife affectionately calls me a prophecy geek, it would be far easier, and less time consuming for me to delve into the topic of end time prophecy, and write at length about it, but easier isn’t always best, and I know it is far more important for believers to have a true and stable foundation, than know what the future holds as pertains to the prophetic.
Is the prophetic irrelevant? By no means, but sometimes we must do things in the order they were intended to be done. Before we can graduate from college, we must first graduate high school, and before we can graduate high school we must first graduate elementary school and junior high. It is the way of things, and spiritually speaking there are many today walking around believing they have a college degree, when they haven’t yet successfully graduated elementary school. What we learn in elementary school, is the foundation for our learning throughout our lives. We learn to read, to write, we learn addition, subtraction and multiplication, and these things aid us throughout our lives and as we grow and mature, we build on them. Spiritually speaking, the elementary principles of Christ, or the fundamental teachings are the tools by which, and with which we build upon.
I’ve said this often enough but it warrants repeating, whenever it comes to spiritual things, whenever it comes to supernatural things, it is paramount that we go directly to the source, directly to the Word, and see what God would teach us. There are many opinions floating about concerning spirituality, baptisms, the Holy Spirit, and anything else one might think of, but there is always only one truth and that is found in the Bible. So today you will not be hearing my opinion on the doctrine of baptisms, but rather what the Word of God has to say about it. As followers of Christ, as worshippers of God, our duty is to submit to the authority of His word, to submit to the authority of His will, and obey that which He commands. Too many have taken it upon themselves to interpret the will and mind of God, too many have taken it upon themselves to twist the simple truth of God’s word toward their own nefarious ends, and we see the outcome of these distortions within the churches today, manifesting themselves in various kinds of deceptions and half-truths. The Bible is our instruction manual, it is the light by which we see the path upon which we must walk, and it is through the prism of this book that we will study and grow in grace, perceive and understand the importance of these fundamental teachings, thereby maturing spiritually and deepening our relationship with God.
Although the Bible speaks of a handful of baptisms, from the baptism of Moses, to John’s baptism, to the baptism of suffering, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of fire, and the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, within the context of the study on the doctrine of baptisms, we will be focusing on the three most relevant ones. As such, we will be discussing water baptism, or John’s baptism, or the baptism of repentance, then move on to the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, and finally the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is the one baptism that has been woefully marginalized within the church for a very long time. If we have time we will also discuss the baptism of suffering, or the baptism of fire of which Christ spoke, and of which he said He was to be baptized shortly before His crucifixion.
As I said, we will begin with the baptism of John, also known as the baptism of repentance, or more simply put, water baptism.
The word baptism itself comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’, which in essence means to immerse or submerge. When John baptized with the baptism of repentance, in the river Jordan, he immersed, or submerged those individuals who came seeking baptism.
Mark 1:4, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
Now some would ask, and rightly so, why I have separated the baptism of John, from the baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, and whether or not they were in fact one and the same. The short answer, is that no, the baptism of John, and the baptism into Christ are not the same. John did not baptize in the name of Jesus, he simply baptized a baptism of repentance. The baptism of Christ, the baptism that Christ commanded His disciples to perform, was very specific, and when analyzed thoroughly we see the difference quite clearly.
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When Jesus commanded His disciples to go, He did not tell them to baptize everyone who showed up at the meetings, he did not tell them to baptize everyone they could talk into dunking themselves in a river or a lake, the first command Jesus gave was to make disciples, and after these became disciples, they were to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Dare I say there are many today who are being baptized, who are not Disciples of Christ. Dare I say there are many today who feel secure because they put on the white robe and got into the pool, but who were never discipled, who never knew the fullness of Christ, nor the things that Christ commands. Christ’s first command was to make disciples, then and only then were these newly made disciples to be baptized.
These dear friends are not semantics, they are glaring oversights made by many denominations today, because to disciple someone takes time, and effort, and wisdom, and knowledge of the Word of God. It is far easier to have someone raise a hand, say a prayer, dunk them in some tepid water, and call them saints requiring their tithe check as a sort of membership fee.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s return to the baptism of John or the baptism of repentance and see what we can learn of it, how it differs from the baptism of Christ, and what the Bible says about it.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fundamental Teachings Part 8
There is this imperious sense of self-righteousness that I have often spotted in some believers who believe works are unnecessary in the lives of Christians, who do not realize that every hungry person they meet, every needy person they encounter is an opportunity to show the love of Christ, to show the grace, and the mercy of Christ and not merely talk about it.
There is something truly profound in what James says when he says I will show you my faith by my works. This is the role of works in the lives of believers; by our works we show our faith.
I have often been asked why as a ministry we still focus so much on benevolence, on orphans and widows, on helping the poor and feeding the hungry.
‘You yourself said you were called to preach the gospel, to encourage people to repentance, why all the other things?’
We do these things, we help the needy and clothe the naked, because by our works we show our faith. Because rather than build my own kingdom, rather than amass for myself, my faith compels me to give as much as I can to those in need, to be the hands of Christ in a world that is growing increasingly indifferent, and to be the heart of Christ in a world that is growing increasingly heartless.
We do works not in order to be saved, but rather, we do works because we are saved. The new nature, the new mind, the new heart, demand that we be the embodiment of Christ on this earth, His ambassadors, His representatives and as such we must possess His heart.
Now there is a caveat to all this, something we need to discuss and flesh out, and that is even though faith and works are symbiotic and they work together for a common good, faith is preeminent to works.
James 2:21-22, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect?”
I included both verses because I wanted you to understand the context, but what I want to focus on is the second part of this scripture reading, wherein Jude points out that faith was working together with Abraham’s works. It is his faith that fueled his works, and not his works that fueled his faith. Yes, his faith was made perfect by works, but his works were not the instigator of his faith. Abraham had faith, long before he was called to bring Isaac to mount Moriah, and because of his faith, he followed through with action and did as God instructed. A faith that is not active, a faith that is not working, a faith that is not evident, is a dead faith. Faith is made perfect by works, when our works are fueled by our faith.
Between the writings of Paul and the writings of James we see the inward state of the regenerate man, the inward state of a man who has been reconciled unto God and sanctified through faith in Christ, as well as the outward state of a man who has been saved and redeemed. While Paul deals primarily with the inward part, the unseen things of man’s nature, James deals with the outwardly manifestation of our inward faith, that which men must readily see in us if we are truly of Christ.
Paul details man in relation to God, digging deep into the spiritual implications of salvation by faith, while James details man’s relation to his contemporaries and fellow men. What we must understand, is that we need both in order to be complete believers, ready for every good work. The inward condition has no worth without the outwardly manifestation thereof, just as the outwardly manifestation has no worth without the inward condition thereof. As I said in yesterday’s post, faith and works are symbiotic and they make up a complete believer.
Abraham was counted righteous, or as James said was made perfect when he believed God. Abraham however was also made perfect when he took his son Isaac from home, and made the journey to the mountain God had instructed him to go to. In the first instance, wherein Abraham believed God, we see the inward faith of Abraham. In the second instance, wherein he took Isaac and was ready to sacrifice him, we see Abraham proving his inward faith before heaven and earth. It is worthwhile to ponder this difference, and realize that we must live outwardly what we have inwardly.
There must always be a balance between our faith, and its expression in good works. When faith is present in the life of a believer, God will speak to him time and time again directing him where to go, and what he must do, who he must help, who he must comfort, who he must lift up, and who he must correct. All these things are the expression of our faith toward God, and our obedience toward His sovereign voice. When we obey, God continues to send us, He continues to instruct us, He continues to task us with certain responsibilities, but when we refuse to heed His voice, when we reject His stirring, when He speaks and we pretend as though we did not hear Him, He will send another to do what we ought to have done.
God is God. He does not beg, He commands! Regrettably many believers today have relegated God to being some shut in that is just happy to have the company whenever we decide to drop by, who does not dare ask anything of us, but offers us everything He has just so we stay awhile longer. We dishonor God by minimizing Him and His attributes, by not seeing Him as He is, on the throne full of glory and power, but rather shrunk down to our level of a lowly bearded fellow who just wants to hug everybody.
He is God, and when His faith is poured into us, the outwardly manifestations of this faith must be evident in our lives. There is one last verse I want to touch upon before we end today’s teaching, and I believe it clarifies once and for all the symbiosis between faith and works, and proves Biblically that they are in fact not mutually exclusive but are rather integral parts of a whole.
James 2:24, “You see then that man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”
It is said that we are a product of our individual environment. Although I believe one can rise above their circumstances and their environment, I also believe that works of any kind must be a byproduct of our faith, wherein they have their root and their genesis. Men judge other men not by the words that come out of their mouths, but by their actions, their conduct, and even their reactions to certain things in their life. Someone can say they know how to tailor a suit, but if you give them the thread, the needle, and the necessary material and they can’t follow through and prove that they know that which they claimed to know, then they are, by their own inability to perform the task, liars. It is true that first and foremost one learns the theory of tailoring, but if they never progress and practice what they learn, if they never practically apply the theory of their learning, then they can never call themselves a tailor.
It is the same with justification. Yes, we are justified by faith in Christ Jesus, but if we have come to Him and have not learned a new life, if we have not been transformed in our thinking, our desires, our way of life, and our outlook, then that faith is dead. First comes faith, then due to the true and living faith that now resides in us, works must follow. First comes the tree, but then in order to know what sort of tree it is, whether good or bad, we must wait to see its fruit. Yes there are fruitless trees in the church, just as there are fruitless trees in an orchard, but those fruitless trees are soon cut down to make room for those trees that would bear fruit. As faithful servants of Christ, as followers of God, we must bear the fruit of our faith, and we must live this life with the full assurance that through faith in Jesus we will soon receive our eternal reward.
True faith, abiding faith, is one that is evident in an individual’s life. True faith is not something that can be hidden, but rather something that is made manifest in all we do, in all we say, it is who we are from the inside out, not temporarily but in perpetuity.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
There is something truly profound in what James says when he says I will show you my faith by my works. This is the role of works in the lives of believers; by our works we show our faith.
I have often been asked why as a ministry we still focus so much on benevolence, on orphans and widows, on helping the poor and feeding the hungry.
‘You yourself said you were called to preach the gospel, to encourage people to repentance, why all the other things?’
We do these things, we help the needy and clothe the naked, because by our works we show our faith. Because rather than build my own kingdom, rather than amass for myself, my faith compels me to give as much as I can to those in need, to be the hands of Christ in a world that is growing increasingly indifferent, and to be the heart of Christ in a world that is growing increasingly heartless.
We do works not in order to be saved, but rather, we do works because we are saved. The new nature, the new mind, the new heart, demand that we be the embodiment of Christ on this earth, His ambassadors, His representatives and as such we must possess His heart.
Now there is a caveat to all this, something we need to discuss and flesh out, and that is even though faith and works are symbiotic and they work together for a common good, faith is preeminent to works.
James 2:21-22, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect?”
I included both verses because I wanted you to understand the context, but what I want to focus on is the second part of this scripture reading, wherein Jude points out that faith was working together with Abraham’s works. It is his faith that fueled his works, and not his works that fueled his faith. Yes, his faith was made perfect by works, but his works were not the instigator of his faith. Abraham had faith, long before he was called to bring Isaac to mount Moriah, and because of his faith, he followed through with action and did as God instructed. A faith that is not active, a faith that is not working, a faith that is not evident, is a dead faith. Faith is made perfect by works, when our works are fueled by our faith.
Between the writings of Paul and the writings of James we see the inward state of the regenerate man, the inward state of a man who has been reconciled unto God and sanctified through faith in Christ, as well as the outward state of a man who has been saved and redeemed. While Paul deals primarily with the inward part, the unseen things of man’s nature, James deals with the outwardly manifestation of our inward faith, that which men must readily see in us if we are truly of Christ.
Paul details man in relation to God, digging deep into the spiritual implications of salvation by faith, while James details man’s relation to his contemporaries and fellow men. What we must understand, is that we need both in order to be complete believers, ready for every good work. The inward condition has no worth without the outwardly manifestation thereof, just as the outwardly manifestation has no worth without the inward condition thereof. As I said in yesterday’s post, faith and works are symbiotic and they make up a complete believer.
Abraham was counted righteous, or as James said was made perfect when he believed God. Abraham however was also made perfect when he took his son Isaac from home, and made the journey to the mountain God had instructed him to go to. In the first instance, wherein Abraham believed God, we see the inward faith of Abraham. In the second instance, wherein he took Isaac and was ready to sacrifice him, we see Abraham proving his inward faith before heaven and earth. It is worthwhile to ponder this difference, and realize that we must live outwardly what we have inwardly.
There must always be a balance between our faith, and its expression in good works. When faith is present in the life of a believer, God will speak to him time and time again directing him where to go, and what he must do, who he must help, who he must comfort, who he must lift up, and who he must correct. All these things are the expression of our faith toward God, and our obedience toward His sovereign voice. When we obey, God continues to send us, He continues to instruct us, He continues to task us with certain responsibilities, but when we refuse to heed His voice, when we reject His stirring, when He speaks and we pretend as though we did not hear Him, He will send another to do what we ought to have done.
God is God. He does not beg, He commands! Regrettably many believers today have relegated God to being some shut in that is just happy to have the company whenever we decide to drop by, who does not dare ask anything of us, but offers us everything He has just so we stay awhile longer. We dishonor God by minimizing Him and His attributes, by not seeing Him as He is, on the throne full of glory and power, but rather shrunk down to our level of a lowly bearded fellow who just wants to hug everybody.
He is God, and when His faith is poured into us, the outwardly manifestations of this faith must be evident in our lives. There is one last verse I want to touch upon before we end today’s teaching, and I believe it clarifies once and for all the symbiosis between faith and works, and proves Biblically that they are in fact not mutually exclusive but are rather integral parts of a whole.
James 2:24, “You see then that man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”
It is said that we are a product of our individual environment. Although I believe one can rise above their circumstances and their environment, I also believe that works of any kind must be a byproduct of our faith, wherein they have their root and their genesis. Men judge other men not by the words that come out of their mouths, but by their actions, their conduct, and even their reactions to certain things in their life. Someone can say they know how to tailor a suit, but if you give them the thread, the needle, and the necessary material and they can’t follow through and prove that they know that which they claimed to know, then they are, by their own inability to perform the task, liars. It is true that first and foremost one learns the theory of tailoring, but if they never progress and practice what they learn, if they never practically apply the theory of their learning, then they can never call themselves a tailor.
It is the same with justification. Yes, we are justified by faith in Christ Jesus, but if we have come to Him and have not learned a new life, if we have not been transformed in our thinking, our desires, our way of life, and our outlook, then that faith is dead. First comes faith, then due to the true and living faith that now resides in us, works must follow. First comes the tree, but then in order to know what sort of tree it is, whether good or bad, we must wait to see its fruit. Yes there are fruitless trees in the church, just as there are fruitless trees in an orchard, but those fruitless trees are soon cut down to make room for those trees that would bear fruit. As faithful servants of Christ, as followers of God, we must bear the fruit of our faith, and we must live this life with the full assurance that through faith in Jesus we will soon receive our eternal reward.
True faith, abiding faith, is one that is evident in an individual’s life. True faith is not something that can be hidden, but rather something that is made manifest in all we do, in all we say, it is who we are from the inside out, not temporarily but in perpetuity.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Fundamental Teachings Part 7
Since we’ve already discussed repentance, and faith toward God today we will be fleshing out the doctrine of faith, and discussing the relationship between faith and works. Yes, there is a relationship between faith and works, and it is a symbiotic one, and as we make our way through the Word of God you will see the symmetry of these two ideas laid out in the Bible.
It is astounding to me that although Paul considered things such as repentance, faith toward God, and eternal judgment, just to name a few, elementary principles of Christ, things that all believers ought to know and be familiar with, an abundance of professing Christians today have not a clue as to these doctrines of the faith, or their importance and relevance in our daily lives.
There is always a danger when we bypass the necessary for the irrelevant, or as a popular cliché so aptly states, when we focus on the minor issues and dismiss the major ones. These elementary principles of Christ, are the fundamentals of the faith, they are the bedrock, the foundation upon which our faith stands, and withstands the storms and trials of our spiritual walk. Ask any believer and they will tell you there are seasons of spiritual drought, seasons of spiritual hardships, and seasons of spiritual lack in this journey we call our walk of faith. Absent a sturdy foundation, absent a deeply rooted knowledge of the elementary principles of Christ, men’s faith is inevitably shaken once a spiritual storm is unleashed.
During the previous posts we established the definition of faith, if only in broad strokes, and established that faith is the substance necessary for us as believers, that we might see that which can only be seen by spiritual eyes. Faith in fact is the evidence of things not seen, and try as one might, they cannot peer into the spiritual absent faith.
When all else is gone, when all else has abandoned us, faith keeps us and sustains us. Faith keeps us from desperation, faith keeps us from hopelessness, faith gives us the assurance that as long as we remain in the will of God, He will be faithful in keeping us and protecting us.
When the Syrian army surrounded the city of Dothan, and Elisha’s servant became fearful of them, Elisha did not pray for the Lord to send a bigger army, he did not pray to be supernaturally translated from the place he was in to another, he simply prayed that God open the eyes of his servant, that his servant might see what he already saw. The chariots of fire were already there, the protectors of the righteous had already been dispatched, the only problem was the servant’s perception. He had no eyes of faith, and so only saw the Syrian army surrounding them. It was only when Elisha prayed that God opened the servant’s eyes, and he too saw what Elisha had been seeing all along through eyes of faith.
Because he had eyes of faith, there was no doubt in Elisha. He knew that those who were with him far outnumbered the Syrian army. He knew that His protection was assured, and that God was on his side.
2 Kings 6:17, “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Now before his eyes were open to the spiritual reality surrounding them, it was this selfsame servant who came to Elisha and said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ having seen only the physical, having seen only the Syrian army and not the angelic hosts that had been dispatched to protect the man of God.
This is why faith is so important it keeps us from being overwhelmed with fear and apprehension when we see the enemy’s armies advancing against us. When the enemy advances, and we possess faith, with spiritual eyes we see God’s armies as well, with their chariots of fire all around us.
Faith is not hope, faith is assurance. When we say, ‘I have faith that God will heal me’, it is merely an expressed hope veiled as faith. When however we say ‘I have faith that God has healed me’, we are expressing a present assurance of an unseen event. This is the essence of faith; that we presently believe for that which we as yet do not see. We do not hope that Jesus will return, we are certain of it, faith giving us the full assurance that one day we will see our beloved Savior, in the clouds and in glory returning for a spotless and undefiled bride.
Since I said we would be discussing the relationship between faith and works today, and since there are so many misconceptions about these two symbiotic realities of the Christian walk, we will get right into it.
The first and most important thing that we must understand about faith and works is that they are not mutually exclusive, but rather they work together toward a good end. They are symbiotic, and cannot be separated in the life of the believer, because once a believer has faith, his works will prove out his faith. Faith and works are like two sides of the same coin, both being part of the whole, both necessitating that they be visible in order for the whole to be complete.
I realize it is easier to say, ‘I raised my hand in church once so I’m done, I’m good, I’m saved, redeemed, and on my way to heaven,’ but when we begin to study and search out the word of God, and the hidden things of God, we realize that when we believe in Jesus, then our lives must automatically change, we must as a direct result of believing and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives be transformed into a new creature that goes about doing the things of the kingdom of God. If there is no fruit, if there is no transformation, if there is no evidence that faith has indeed taken root in one’s heart and as such compelled them to good works, then perhaps the individual merely had an experience but was never really saved.
James 2:18-20, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man that faith without works is dead?”
‘So what are you trying to say brother Mike, that we are saved by works? No, absolutely not, works cannot save you, works cannot grant you entrance into the kingdom of God, only faith can. However, what I am saying is that faith proves itself by works. This is the selfsame thing that James said in his epistle.
Now I’m going to backtrack a little, and show you in the Word why I do not believe that man can be saved by works. I realize some may be reading this today who are under this misconception, that if they simply do enough of something, they don’t have to have that abiding faith in Jesus, in His birth, death and resurrection, but rather being a ‘good person’ will earn them the right to enter the hallowed halls of heaven.
Ephesians 2:4-9, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
So did the Bible just contradict itself, where in one passage it says that faith without works is dead, and in another it says that we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves, and not of works lest anyone should boast but rather as a gift of God?
No, the Bible did not contradict itself. We are saved through grace, by faith, yet faith proves itself by works.
Faith must be seen, it must be evident, the fruit of it must be visible to the naked eye, and God increases our faith that we might show it through the works that spring forth from our faith. God sees your works as the fruit of your faith, and men see your faith by your works.
As God considers nothing we do as good works lest it come from faith and through faith, men do not see my faith as a living, viable, and visible thing unless it is accompanied by works.
As James so adequately explains the works that spring forth from our faith, he poses a question to which we must give an answer as individuals.
James 2:15-16, “If a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘depart in peace, be warmed and filled’, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?”
The answer is very clear, it profits nothing for us to tell someone who is hungry go and be filled, or someone who is naked go and be warmed, when our duty as children of God, when our duty as the heart, the hands and the feet of Christ is to go beyond words and help those who are in need, help those who are hurting and who are suffering.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
It is astounding to me that although Paul considered things such as repentance, faith toward God, and eternal judgment, just to name a few, elementary principles of Christ, things that all believers ought to know and be familiar with, an abundance of professing Christians today have not a clue as to these doctrines of the faith, or their importance and relevance in our daily lives.
There is always a danger when we bypass the necessary for the irrelevant, or as a popular cliché so aptly states, when we focus on the minor issues and dismiss the major ones. These elementary principles of Christ, are the fundamentals of the faith, they are the bedrock, the foundation upon which our faith stands, and withstands the storms and trials of our spiritual walk. Ask any believer and they will tell you there are seasons of spiritual drought, seasons of spiritual hardships, and seasons of spiritual lack in this journey we call our walk of faith. Absent a sturdy foundation, absent a deeply rooted knowledge of the elementary principles of Christ, men’s faith is inevitably shaken once a spiritual storm is unleashed.
During the previous posts we established the definition of faith, if only in broad strokes, and established that faith is the substance necessary for us as believers, that we might see that which can only be seen by spiritual eyes. Faith in fact is the evidence of things not seen, and try as one might, they cannot peer into the spiritual absent faith.
When all else is gone, when all else has abandoned us, faith keeps us and sustains us. Faith keeps us from desperation, faith keeps us from hopelessness, faith gives us the assurance that as long as we remain in the will of God, He will be faithful in keeping us and protecting us.
When the Syrian army surrounded the city of Dothan, and Elisha’s servant became fearful of them, Elisha did not pray for the Lord to send a bigger army, he did not pray to be supernaturally translated from the place he was in to another, he simply prayed that God open the eyes of his servant, that his servant might see what he already saw. The chariots of fire were already there, the protectors of the righteous had already been dispatched, the only problem was the servant’s perception. He had no eyes of faith, and so only saw the Syrian army surrounding them. It was only when Elisha prayed that God opened the servant’s eyes, and he too saw what Elisha had been seeing all along through eyes of faith.
Because he had eyes of faith, there was no doubt in Elisha. He knew that those who were with him far outnumbered the Syrian army. He knew that His protection was assured, and that God was on his side.
2 Kings 6:17, “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Now before his eyes were open to the spiritual reality surrounding them, it was this selfsame servant who came to Elisha and said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ having seen only the physical, having seen only the Syrian army and not the angelic hosts that had been dispatched to protect the man of God.
This is why faith is so important it keeps us from being overwhelmed with fear and apprehension when we see the enemy’s armies advancing against us. When the enemy advances, and we possess faith, with spiritual eyes we see God’s armies as well, with their chariots of fire all around us.
Faith is not hope, faith is assurance. When we say, ‘I have faith that God will heal me’, it is merely an expressed hope veiled as faith. When however we say ‘I have faith that God has healed me’, we are expressing a present assurance of an unseen event. This is the essence of faith; that we presently believe for that which we as yet do not see. We do not hope that Jesus will return, we are certain of it, faith giving us the full assurance that one day we will see our beloved Savior, in the clouds and in glory returning for a spotless and undefiled bride.
Since I said we would be discussing the relationship between faith and works today, and since there are so many misconceptions about these two symbiotic realities of the Christian walk, we will get right into it.
The first and most important thing that we must understand about faith and works is that they are not mutually exclusive, but rather they work together toward a good end. They are symbiotic, and cannot be separated in the life of the believer, because once a believer has faith, his works will prove out his faith. Faith and works are like two sides of the same coin, both being part of the whole, both necessitating that they be visible in order for the whole to be complete.
I realize it is easier to say, ‘I raised my hand in church once so I’m done, I’m good, I’m saved, redeemed, and on my way to heaven,’ but when we begin to study and search out the word of God, and the hidden things of God, we realize that when we believe in Jesus, then our lives must automatically change, we must as a direct result of believing and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives be transformed into a new creature that goes about doing the things of the kingdom of God. If there is no fruit, if there is no transformation, if there is no evidence that faith has indeed taken root in one’s heart and as such compelled them to good works, then perhaps the individual merely had an experience but was never really saved.
James 2:18-20, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man that faith without works is dead?”
‘So what are you trying to say brother Mike, that we are saved by works? No, absolutely not, works cannot save you, works cannot grant you entrance into the kingdom of God, only faith can. However, what I am saying is that faith proves itself by works. This is the selfsame thing that James said in his epistle.
Now I’m going to backtrack a little, and show you in the Word why I do not believe that man can be saved by works. I realize some may be reading this today who are under this misconception, that if they simply do enough of something, they don’t have to have that abiding faith in Jesus, in His birth, death and resurrection, but rather being a ‘good person’ will earn them the right to enter the hallowed halls of heaven.
Ephesians 2:4-9, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
So did the Bible just contradict itself, where in one passage it says that faith without works is dead, and in another it says that we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves, and not of works lest anyone should boast but rather as a gift of God?
No, the Bible did not contradict itself. We are saved through grace, by faith, yet faith proves itself by works.
Faith must be seen, it must be evident, the fruit of it must be visible to the naked eye, and God increases our faith that we might show it through the works that spring forth from our faith. God sees your works as the fruit of your faith, and men see your faith by your works.
As God considers nothing we do as good works lest it come from faith and through faith, men do not see my faith as a living, viable, and visible thing unless it is accompanied by works.
As James so adequately explains the works that spring forth from our faith, he poses a question to which we must give an answer as individuals.
James 2:15-16, “If a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘depart in peace, be warmed and filled’, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?”
The answer is very clear, it profits nothing for us to tell someone who is hungry go and be filled, or someone who is naked go and be warmed, when our duty as children of God, when our duty as the heart, the hands and the feet of Christ is to go beyond words and help those who are in need, help those who are hurting and who are suffering.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Fundamental Teachings Part 6
Another characteristic of the nature of faith that all believers should be aware of and acquainted with is that faith places its trust, and has as its foundation in the Word of God. The will of God, the mind of God, the plan of God for mankind, all are found within the Bible, His holy word.
We were given faith dear friend, that we might understand the kingdom of God, and see those things which are unseen by eyes of flesh. This faith, faith toward God, gives us access to this spiritual world, and I would dare say is more real than this present world. Why would I make such an assertion? Quite simply I can make such an assertion because while the spiritual world is eternal, this world of ours and everything in it is passing away. Faith gives us spiritual eyes, and with eyes of faith we see the spiritual realm, and the spiritual world that surrounds us.
Now when I say that a spiritual world surrounds us, it is by no means hyperbole or exaggeration. There is a real and present spiritual realm that surrounds us even now, and I can prove it biblically.
In the book of second kings, there is an incident wherein the king of Syria sent horses, chariots, and a great army to surround the city that Elisha the prophet found himself in. At the time Elisha had a servant with him, and this servant arose early and went out, only to see this mass of humanity with chariots and horses surrounding them on all sides. Panicked, he returns to Elisha and says to him, “Alas my master! What shall we do?”
Elisha’s answer was short, yet powerful in its implications.
“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” This was Elisha’s answer, even though the young man only saw the Syrian army that surrounded them, and nothing more.
I am certain the servant gave Elisha a disbelieving look, perhaps thinking to himself that the man was delusional. There was no one else there, what was he talking about? Where was this army that was on their side? All the young servant saw were the Syrians.
Then something wondrous happened. Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes might be opened, that he might see.
2 Kings 6:17, “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
The horses and chariots of fire were already there. The young man just didn’t have the eyes to see them. The spiritual realm is all around us, but many, yes even many who call themselves believers, don’t have the spiritual eyes to see it. When I first got this revelation in my spirit it astounded me. The horses and chariots of fire were there already, it was the young man who could not peer into this reality. Elisha didn’t pray ‘Lord send some angels, Lord send some chariots of fire’; he simply prayed that the eyes of his servant be open to the horses and chariots of fire that were already there.
This is what faith does. It opens our eyes to the spiritual realm, the spiritual world that surrounds us that we might say as did Elisha, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
When we walk by faith and not by sight, we see beyond this present material world. There are so many instances in our lives when if we were to walk by sight alone we would grow despondent and discouraged. Absent of faith, we would look at our present circumstances we would look at our present trials, and be readily overcome by them. Faith however, allows us to see beyond what the eyes of flesh can see, and this gives us the assurance that if we run the race faithfully, if we remain steadfast and strong in our convictions, a crown of victory will be laid upon our heads.
Another wondrous beauty of faith toward God is that it can be ignited by just a single word. As Christ’s disciples sat in a boat, tossed by the waves, in the middle of the sea, in the fourth watch of the night they saw Jesus walking toward them. Some said it was a ghost, and cried out in fear, but Jesus immediately calmed their spirits by encouraging them to be of good cheer, and informing them that it was him, and that they should not be afraid. Peter the apostle of Christ was also among the disciples in the boat, and when he heard the voice of Christ he said, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Then in Matthew fourteen, verse 29, Jesus simply says, ‘Come’ and Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus.
One word, ignited Peter’s faith; one word turned the laws of nature on their ear; one word nullified the law of gravitational attraction; Jesus only spoke one word to Peter, Jesus only said ‘come’ and Peter’s faith was ignited and his faith took care of the rest.
For a while, Peter actually walked on water, but then he saw the wind and it was boisterous and so he became afraid. Peter took his eyes off Jesus, Peter allowed his fear to overwhelm his faith, and so he began to sink into the sea, and as he was sinking he cried out “Lord save me!”
Matthew 14:31, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Just consider that Christ’s only rebuke was the lack of abundant faith in Peter’s heart. Jesus didn’t ask what made you think you could walk on water. He simply asked Peter why he doubted. O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
The Word of God does not specify how many steps Peter took on the water, it doesn’t specify how far he got from the boat, but at some point his faith wavered, at some point he saw himself standing upon the waves, he felt the wind upon his face, and his human mind began to reason that what he was doing was indeed impossible. ‘Man can’t walk on water’, his mind screamed at him, and his faith was shut out.
If Jesus says ‘come’ do not let doubt steal away His promise toward you. If Jesus says ‘come’ even if it may seem impossible from a human perspective, even if all those around you would doubt the success of your endeavor, step out in faith, step upon the waves, and walk toward Him. Keep your eyes firmly planted upon Jesus, and let faith guide you toward His open arms.
So often we are afraid to step out in faith because well, Peter began to sink didn’t he, and if Peter sank, we are sure to sink, all the while forgetting that Jesus was there, Jesus stretched out his hand, and Jesus caught him. Jesus will not let you sink, if your faith wavers, He will be there to stretch out His hand toward you, and catch you.
Before I go there is one more thing about the nature of faith toward God that I want to make crystal clear, and that is that faith is not, and has nothing to do with positive thinking or positive affirmation.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that if you think positively, your faith will increase, or that if you affirm certain thing over and over again, that thing will be birthed into reality. Faith is a gift from God, and it is activated by the word of God. We can pray for greater faith, we can ask God for greater faith, but we cannot manufacture greater faith. Again, it is a gift from God.
When the gift of faith toward God is present in the heart, it exudes outwardly, and compels us to serve God, to worship God, to love God, and to obey God. Although Paul might have seen it as an elementary principle of Christ, it is this elementary principle, along with all the others we will be covering in this series that we must reacquaint ourselves with as a people and as a generation, because we have strayed from the basic teachings, and basic tenets of the faith, wandering in the wilderness unaware of the fact that we are powerless, and absent of direction until it is too late.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
We were given faith dear friend, that we might understand the kingdom of God, and see those things which are unseen by eyes of flesh. This faith, faith toward God, gives us access to this spiritual world, and I would dare say is more real than this present world. Why would I make such an assertion? Quite simply I can make such an assertion because while the spiritual world is eternal, this world of ours and everything in it is passing away. Faith gives us spiritual eyes, and with eyes of faith we see the spiritual realm, and the spiritual world that surrounds us.
Now when I say that a spiritual world surrounds us, it is by no means hyperbole or exaggeration. There is a real and present spiritual realm that surrounds us even now, and I can prove it biblically.
In the book of second kings, there is an incident wherein the king of Syria sent horses, chariots, and a great army to surround the city that Elisha the prophet found himself in. At the time Elisha had a servant with him, and this servant arose early and went out, only to see this mass of humanity with chariots and horses surrounding them on all sides. Panicked, he returns to Elisha and says to him, “Alas my master! What shall we do?”
Elisha’s answer was short, yet powerful in its implications.
“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” This was Elisha’s answer, even though the young man only saw the Syrian army that surrounded them, and nothing more.
I am certain the servant gave Elisha a disbelieving look, perhaps thinking to himself that the man was delusional. There was no one else there, what was he talking about? Where was this army that was on their side? All the young servant saw were the Syrians.
Then something wondrous happened. Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes might be opened, that he might see.
2 Kings 6:17, “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
The horses and chariots of fire were already there. The young man just didn’t have the eyes to see them. The spiritual realm is all around us, but many, yes even many who call themselves believers, don’t have the spiritual eyes to see it. When I first got this revelation in my spirit it astounded me. The horses and chariots of fire were there already, it was the young man who could not peer into this reality. Elisha didn’t pray ‘Lord send some angels, Lord send some chariots of fire’; he simply prayed that the eyes of his servant be open to the horses and chariots of fire that were already there.
This is what faith does. It opens our eyes to the spiritual realm, the spiritual world that surrounds us that we might say as did Elisha, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
When we walk by faith and not by sight, we see beyond this present material world. There are so many instances in our lives when if we were to walk by sight alone we would grow despondent and discouraged. Absent of faith, we would look at our present circumstances we would look at our present trials, and be readily overcome by them. Faith however, allows us to see beyond what the eyes of flesh can see, and this gives us the assurance that if we run the race faithfully, if we remain steadfast and strong in our convictions, a crown of victory will be laid upon our heads.
Another wondrous beauty of faith toward God is that it can be ignited by just a single word. As Christ’s disciples sat in a boat, tossed by the waves, in the middle of the sea, in the fourth watch of the night they saw Jesus walking toward them. Some said it was a ghost, and cried out in fear, but Jesus immediately calmed their spirits by encouraging them to be of good cheer, and informing them that it was him, and that they should not be afraid. Peter the apostle of Christ was also among the disciples in the boat, and when he heard the voice of Christ he said, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Then in Matthew fourteen, verse 29, Jesus simply says, ‘Come’ and Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus.
One word, ignited Peter’s faith; one word turned the laws of nature on their ear; one word nullified the law of gravitational attraction; Jesus only spoke one word to Peter, Jesus only said ‘come’ and Peter’s faith was ignited and his faith took care of the rest.
For a while, Peter actually walked on water, but then he saw the wind and it was boisterous and so he became afraid. Peter took his eyes off Jesus, Peter allowed his fear to overwhelm his faith, and so he began to sink into the sea, and as he was sinking he cried out “Lord save me!”
Matthew 14:31, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Just consider that Christ’s only rebuke was the lack of abundant faith in Peter’s heart. Jesus didn’t ask what made you think you could walk on water. He simply asked Peter why he doubted. O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
The Word of God does not specify how many steps Peter took on the water, it doesn’t specify how far he got from the boat, but at some point his faith wavered, at some point he saw himself standing upon the waves, he felt the wind upon his face, and his human mind began to reason that what he was doing was indeed impossible. ‘Man can’t walk on water’, his mind screamed at him, and his faith was shut out.
If Jesus says ‘come’ do not let doubt steal away His promise toward you. If Jesus says ‘come’ even if it may seem impossible from a human perspective, even if all those around you would doubt the success of your endeavor, step out in faith, step upon the waves, and walk toward Him. Keep your eyes firmly planted upon Jesus, and let faith guide you toward His open arms.
So often we are afraid to step out in faith because well, Peter began to sink didn’t he, and if Peter sank, we are sure to sink, all the while forgetting that Jesus was there, Jesus stretched out his hand, and Jesus caught him. Jesus will not let you sink, if your faith wavers, He will be there to stretch out His hand toward you, and catch you.
Before I go there is one more thing about the nature of faith toward God that I want to make crystal clear, and that is that faith is not, and has nothing to do with positive thinking or positive affirmation.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that if you think positively, your faith will increase, or that if you affirm certain thing over and over again, that thing will be birthed into reality. Faith is a gift from God, and it is activated by the word of God. We can pray for greater faith, we can ask God for greater faith, but we cannot manufacture greater faith. Again, it is a gift from God.
When the gift of faith toward God is present in the heart, it exudes outwardly, and compels us to serve God, to worship God, to love God, and to obey God. Although Paul might have seen it as an elementary principle of Christ, it is this elementary principle, along with all the others we will be covering in this series that we must reacquaint ourselves with as a people and as a generation, because we have strayed from the basic teachings, and basic tenets of the faith, wandering in the wilderness unaware of the fact that we are powerless, and absent of direction until it is too late.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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