Commandments = the opposite constant in preaching!

The one “constant” thing I continue to find in preaching is the common characteristic in false teaching and the common characteristic in truth.  These are in direct opposition to one another!

That ‘constant’ is commands! 

Simply stated: false teaching does not stress obedience to commands; truth does!

Attitudes toward sin are shaped from what is heard preached.   If God’s commands are set forth in preaching as irrelevant, then obedience will not be seen as important, much less necessary.

Most people do not see obedience to commands as related to salvation.  This is in line with what they hear preached.

“The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.”

This speaks of the similarities between the apple and the tree that produced it as the fruit naturally has characteristics of the seed from which it sprang.

This principle is also true in the religious realm.  Moral conduct bears resemblance to religious teaching.

Lydia's conversion

We find the conversion of Lydia in Acts 16:13-15. 

“And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, if ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”

As we examine her conversion, we find the same pattern as in all previous cases. Her conversion involved her “calling upon the name of the Lord.” She had to do this in order for her to be saved as the prophecy made by Joel, and quoted by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:21 is in effect. All who come the Lord must call upon His name.

"Calling upon the name of the Lord” has never been by praying the sinners’ prayer or by praying to God, asking Him to pardon sins. Previously, in the book of Acts we have found people who were religious, devout, and praying individuals prior to hearing of salvation through Jesus, but upon hearing this good news, they responded in the following manner:
They believed what was proclaimed about Jesus, i.e., that He had been made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
They were told to repent of their past sins, because Jesus commanded repentance to be proclaimed "in His name" (Luke 24: 47).
They confessed their faith in Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10).
They were also immersed in water, for Jesus had commanded everyone to be buried in the likeness of His death (Rom. 6:4-5).

This is the “form of doctrine” that was preached and obeyed (Rom. 6:17-18). This was the pattern of "calling upon His name” as recorded in Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; and Luke 24:44-49.

Notice the facts provided in the story of Lydia’s conversion: First, what description of her is given prior to her hearing of Jesus. It is said that she “worshiped God”. This tells us that she was a religious person. Yet even though she was religious, she lived AFTER Christ’s resurrection from the dead and needed to “call upon the name of the Lord” in order to be forgiven of her sins.

[Remember the Hebrew writer in Heb. 9:15-17 explained that the old covenant (i.e., the Law of Moses) was no longer in effect, being replaced by a new covenant. What the Law could not do, Jesus did by the shedding of His blood. We must now look to Jesus for salvation, as “...there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”-Acts 4:12]

Notice also that the news of salvation through Jesus is preached to Lydia. This is seen from these statements, “...they spake unto the women...”; and “...whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” It is said that her heart was “opened” by the Lord. The result of this ‘opening’ was that Lydia “...attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” We are then told that she and her household were baptized. All of these statements help us to understand how she “called upon the name of the Lord”.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS:
In "opening her heart", did the Lord overpower Lydia’s will and force her to submit to what was spoken by Paul? Is this what God does in conversion? Some teach this very thing today, but observe what the facts reveal.
Again, notice the effects of her heart being opened. She “...attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” What did Paul speak to her of? How can we know? We can know from what is recorded of Lydia after hearing Paul speak.

What is recorded of Lydia? Notice it says, “And when she was baptized, and her household...”. We can accurately conclude that Paul commanded her to be baptized when he ‘spake’ to her. We can also accurately conclude that this in part, was how she “attended to” the things spoken of Paul. Why else would she be baptized? Why did she desire to be baptized? If we reject the possibility that the apostle Paul spoke to her of her need to be baptized, how then do we answer why she desired to be baptized?

How did she learn of it? Who else would have told her of baptism? The text demands that we conclude but one thing. The apostle preached baptism to her. They “spake” to her; she “heard”, for faith cometh by hearing (Rom. 10:17), and hearing by the word of God. She repented, and was immersed for we read that she “...attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

We might ask also in regard to her baptism. For what PURPOSE was she (and her household) baptized? The New Testament is consistent and clear as to the PURPOSE of baptism. However, modern day preaching varies from the New Testament as to WHY one is baptized. Notice some passages that state the PURPOSE of baptism:

Romans 6:3-5 – baptism is for the PURPOSE of an unsaved person undergoing a burial in the likeness of Christ’s death; one cannot be raised up to walk in newness of life without this planting in the likeness of Christ’s death. It is a thus a part of the new birth (John 3:3-5).

Gal. 3:27 – in baptism, one “puts on” Christ. Christ is not “put on” before and without baptism. (No other act of obedience is said to put a sinner “into” Christ.)

Acts 22:16 – sins are said to be “washed away” by baptism in water.

1 Peter 3:21 – water baptism is said to be a “like figure” of salvation as was the water that saved eight souls in the days of Noah. Water, in some way ‘saved’ Noah’s family. In whatever way it ‘saved’ them, it ‘saves’ all today in a ‘like-figure’.

Having shown these passages, let us now notice what the Bible does NOT say about the PURPOSE of baptism.

The Bible does NOT say that baptism is to be performed on an “already saved” person. Baptism is never said to be a church “ordinance” to be performed upon some who was saved at the point of their faith, for no one is saved by faith alone (James 2:17-26).

Justification involves man being obedient to Jesus’ commands. Man does not “call upon the name of the Lord” before and without obedience, for Jesus commanded all to submit to His authority.

Matthew 28:18 records Jesus telling His apostles, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

In Mark 16:15-16, Jesus commanded the apostles, “...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

In Luke 24:47, Jesus commanded that “...repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations...”

These passages are clear that remission of sins follows baptism, rather than precedes it. Add to that, Peter’s answer in Acts 2:38, when asked about how to be forgiven. He said, “Repent and be baptized...”. In Acts 3:19, Peter again answered, “Repent and be converted...”.

Lydia was immersed in water, BECAUSE PAUL COMMANDED HER TO BE IMMERSED IN WATER. That is the only conclusion any honest inquirer can come to. She was not baptized to “outwardly show” what had already taken place “inwardly”. She was not baptized to be added to a denominational body, for none existed. She was not “in Christ” before her immersion, even though she was a worshiper of God. Paul preached the same message to her that Peter preached to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost. She obeyed from her heart that ‘form of doctrine’ delivered to her, as did the Romans (Rom. 6:17-18).

Let us not be divided or misled by uninspired denominational creed wording that teach contrary to the scriptures on ‘how’ one calls upon Jesus’ name. The Lord ‘opened her heart’ in the same way that everyone’s heart is ‘opened’.

copyright 2011
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Harold Camping's ancestors

Harold Camping has been in the news of late, and the pro's and con's of his calculations as to the Bible's DEFINITE mention of when time will end. Predictions such as this get the 'headlines' so to speak, however, their seeds have been sown for years.

The false teaching that the Bible SPECIFICALLY mentions an amount of $1,000.00 to be sown in order to receive blessings in 'health, family, & finances' is more prevalent than end of time predictions, and has been 'sown' for years. It is interesting that a false teacher has to promote & sell HIS writing of how you can find out where this knowledge can be found it God's writing, the Bible. Yet His book is sold, and people read His writing and conclude that God's writing says so.

These "seed-sowing" false teachers are the ancestors of the Harold Camping's of the world.

Physical blessings from God are NOT dependent upon how man lives, for both the evil and good receive them.
Matt. 5:45 - "for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
This is in accordance with God's words after the flood: "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." - Gen. 8:22



Spiritual blessings, however, are conditional. But NOT upon sowing a physical seed of $1,000.00, (or any other amount). No such amount is found in the Bible; nor is the time and day of Judgment.

Spiritual blessings were purposed and promised to the righteous. But how does a person become righteous? This is where the bulk of false teaching seeds are sown.

Righteousness is inseparable from obedience. Obedience is contingent upon faith in God's word. Thus, righteousness is imputed to those who believe and obey God's word (see Abraham in Romans 4:4, 8-10; James 2:21-24).   Abraham was not sinless, but because he believed and obeyed God's commands, God regarded him as righteous ~ God's righteousness was 'imputed'.

We see this exemplifed elsewhere. Notice what we read of John the Baptist's parents in Luke 1:6 - "And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord."
Christians were told in Phil. 2:12-15 - "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always OBEYED, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: THAT YE MAY BE BLAMELESS AND HARMLESS, THE SONS OF GOD without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world..."

Many centuries earlier, Moses had stated, "And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us."- Deut. 6:24-25

Man is not righteous, but God's commands are. When unrighteous man, because of his faith in God's word [which said, that keeping these commands will result in restored fellowship], obeys those righteous commands, righteousness is imputed to that man. This is the blessing that will result from this...forgiveness and fellowship; it is a spiritual blessing!

If a specific dollar amount is to be 'sown' in order to receive this blessing, then a passage containing a command of God to do so, would exist as is true of passages containing commands from God to believe and obey.

False teachers exist because of what the apostle Paul warned of in Acts 20:29-30 - "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

Jude wrote in Jude 1:16 - "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

John warned in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Righteousness is inseparable from faith and obedience. True teaching will point this out.

How is it that the Harold Campings of the world are believeable? 

His ancestors have been fertilizing the ground for centuries with $1,000.00 seeds.

To "Sell" Oneself

This may seem like a strange title for a religious article but I want to explore this concept of one selling himself or herself. The Hebrew word “makar” means literally “to sell” as one that would be sold into slavery. We find God instructing the Israelites that if they become disobedient to His statutes and commands that they would be physically sold into slavery. Deuteronomy 28:68 gives this warning “And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.” We find Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and then by the Ishmaelites to Potiphar. Genesis 37:27,2 8, 36 “Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh.  And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.”  We can see from this that when one is sold into slavery he renounces all his rights and freedoms and becomes the property of his master to wholly give himself to work the will of his new master.

We surrender all our liberties and become bondmen and bondwomen. What our master wills then we are obligated and demanded to accomplish regardless of whatever our thoughts or emotional conflicts might be that may arise. To be in slavery demands complete obedience. But the word also has a sense as to where it is not only used literally but also figuratively. Figuratively it means to surrender your will or to sell oneself like a slave as in the physical practice of one giving themselves over wholly to the submission of another. The question then comes before us is if we can sell ourselves? And the answer is a resounding Yes.

In a figurative sense we can and do sell ourselves. Ahab was one of the kings over Israel and certainly he was not in physical slavery to anyone but the prophet Elijah charged Ahab that he had sold himself into slavery. We read the charge in 1 Kings 21:20, 25 “And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?  And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” Ahab had committed himself to doing evil. The question then is who did Ahab sell himself to? The answer is that Ahab sold himself to Satan to do the wickedness of Satan. Ahab became the slave of Satan.

Paul put it this way in Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Peter put it this way in 2 Peter 2:19 “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” Jesus stated in John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” And again Jesus made this statement in Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” We can most certainly sell ourselves and place ourselves into spiritual slavery.

We find the charge by the Lord against Israel selling themselves as recorded in 2 Kings 17:17 “And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. “ They sold themselves to do evil. They gave themselves up wholly to work the will of their master. In the verses before we can find the process they went through which resulted in them selling themselves into slavery. One of the steps is that they walked in a different path. In 2 Kings 17:7 we read “For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods.” They feared or gave reverence to other gods. Other gods took priority in their lives and they placed their dependence upon them. How did they show this reverence? 2 Kings 17:8 states “And walked in the statutes of the heathen.” The statutes were man-made commands and laws dictated by people who did not subject themselves to the one and only God. They followed laws and commands set up by men who did not acknowledge God as the Supreme Ruler. They took man’s word and gave it precedence over God’s word. How often do we see people today selling themselves by following man’s statutes as authoritative in opposition to God’s divine authority. They rejected the authority of God and felt that the other ways were better as stated in 2 Kings 17:14 “Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.”

How often do we see in religious activities today people selling themselves by following creeds and manuals originated by man-made wisdom and usurping the authority of God. When you ask for Bible authority they respond by saying “ But I think…” showing their rejection of God. One becomes dull of hearing and no longer accepts the instructions of God. They become self-willed and determined by rejecting God’s instructions. 2 Kings 17:15 records “And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.”

To follow vanity is to go after and practice that which is worthless and thereby making one vain or worthless also. They wanted to be like all the other nations around them. We see congregations today selling themselves in wanting to be like all the other assemblies around them. They start incorporating the practices of those around them in order to draw in crowds or to make their assemblies more appealing to the world. My friends the gospel of Jesus Christ is the drawing power to the world not the practices of those around us. And soon that which follows is that one leaves all the commandments of God as recorded in 2 Kings 17:16 “And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.”

We must be careful and examine our lives and not make excuses or try to cover up our selling of ourselves to do that which is contrary to God’s statutes and laws. 2 Kings 17:9 records that this is exactly what they tried to do “And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.”

Have you sold yourself by refusing to submit to the Lord’s instructions? Have you sold yourself by following those around you who follow God with corrupted practices and not in compliance with every command of His? Let us not become slaves but unto God and His statutes and commandments and serve Him faithfully in complete obedience to His will.

Larry Bumgardner

The "LOVE" Connection

Jeremiah wrote: “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” - 17:10

Years earlier, Moses explained how God "tried" man's heart:

"All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers.

And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.

Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee.

And thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him." - Deut. 6:1-6

It is no wonder that the Lord stated, "If you love Me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.” - John 14:15.

²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. – Matt. 7

God loved us so much that he gave us instructions (commands) as to how to live our lives; if we love him for this, what will we do in regard to these commands?

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