Cas Walker Advice

I remember years ago, watching the Cas Walker show each weekday morning.  He had several clichés and sales ad slogans that came to be memorized.  A pair of scissors with the words: ‘Cost cutter savings’; ‘Stop and shop at the sign of the shears and the name Cas Walker was another.  Another cliché that he had was in reference to his prices versus competitors: ‘Compare and save’.

What relevance does this have in religion?  It is especially important in answer to the most important question that could be asked: What must I do to be saved?  “COMPARE AND SAVE”

We find a uniform answer CONSISTENTLY given in the New Testament, following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  Every recorded case of conversion contained a pattern, which if followed, will result in man being forgiven of his sins.

This ‘form of doctrine’ is mentioned by the apostle Paul in Romans 6:17-18.  It says, But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
If the same “form of doctrine” is preached today that was preached then, the same action will be taken by the sinner.  In other words, the same doctrine will be “obeyed from the heart”.  THEN AND ONLY THEN will the sinner be “made free from sin”. 

The problem today is that the same “form of doctrine” is no longer preached.  Thus, we need to “compare and save” in terms of what is preached in answer to the most important question in life: What must I do to be saved?

Let us first note the three locations in the book of Acts where this question was asked:
It was asked by those who heard of salvation thru Jesus for the first time in Acts 2:37.  Peter had convinced them of the murder of the Christ (v. 36).  They then asked: “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

The ‘form of doctrine’ delivered (vv 38-41):Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
--------------------------------------------------------
Next, Saul of Tarsus asked this question and there are three parallel accounts of the answer: Acts 9; Acts 22; Acts 26

In Acts 9:6, he asked: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

The ‘form of doctrine’ delivered (vv 7-18): And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus…And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus…And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

In the account of Acts 22 we read: “And I said, What shall I do, LORD?” (v. 10)

The ‘form of doctrine’ delivered (vv 10-16): And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.  And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.  And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.  For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 

In the Acts 26 parallel account it says: “And I said, Who art thou, Lord?” (v. 15)

The ‘form of doctrine’ delivered (vv 15-19): "And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision…”.--------------------------------------------------------
The third person who asked this question was a jailer in Acts 16.  He asked in verse 30: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The ‘form of doctrine’ he was told (vv 31-33): “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway."

The ‘form of doctrine’ (Romans 6:17-18) is seen from these three examples in the book of Acts.

If only this form of doctrine were still preached today, the same results would occur: reconciliation by the death of Christ and salvation by His life.
Romans 5:10 – “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

What does His ‘life’ here have reference to? John 6:63, 68; 12:47-50; Luke 6:46

Salvation is so easy to understand if not ‘theologized’ and rationalized away by human wisdom and uninspired doctrines and commandments of men (Matt. 15:8-9)

Today, what various ‘forms of doctrine’ are preached in response to the simple question from sinners, “What must I do to be saved?” 
Check the web sites, creeds and publications of various denominational bodies for their answers.  Then, 'search the scriptures' (John 5:39), and as old Cas would say, “Compare and save”. 

RDB

God's Eternal Purpose

The death of Jesus was pre-planned and foreknown before man was created.  We have noticed several passages that state this. 1 Peter 1:18-20 says, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: WHO VERILY WAS FOREORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD…”

Then in verse 22 we also see another  foreknown fact for which Jesus came: it was to to reveal ‘truth’. 

This is equally important in our salvation, because truth is something that must be learned & obeyed by man in order for GOD to save him from his sins.

God foreordained for man to know His will and how to obey HIM.  We see this from 1 Tim. 2:4 which says of God, ”Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth”; and here in 1 Pet. 1:22 where Peter said that the soul is purified by obeying truth. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth...”

Salvation is not a result of blind trust; nor is it an unexplainable experience.  It can be understood for it involves being taught.  Man is ‘drawn’ to GOD by being taught of God.  This was one of the reasons that Jesus taught while HE was on earth.

Jesus stated in John 6:44-45, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW him…THEN JESUS EXPLAINS HOW THE FATHER DRAWS:

“…every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” 

Did you notice the order: hearing and learning precedes coming unto Him?

Jesus didn’t just come and die; he also taught; He taught us of the Father.  ‘Truth’ came by Jesus according to (John 1:17); and it came thru His teachings.  The reason for this is that it is in man’s attitude and reaction to the things Jesus taught that a good/bad heart is revealed in that individual.

A good heart believes and obeys; an evil heart does not.

Jesus said repeatedly that if any man loves Him, that man would ‘keep His commandments’ (John 14:15, 21, 23).

This is why doctrine is so important in religion.  Doctrine can be wrong and there IS such a thing as ‘false’ teaching; (Gal. 1:6-9, Paul spoke of ‘another gospel’).

Satan deceives thru twisting God’s teaching, as we saw from how He deceived Eve.

Those who hated Jesus; who rejected and denied Him as being sent from God; did so because they disagreed with what He taught. 

Even though he performed many miracles in their very presence, [He was not hated for the miracles; He was hated for what He taught]

It was by the acceptance of His teachings that His followers were determined. 

Likewise, those who rejected His teaching and refused to obey what He taught could not be His disciple. 

Any and all division that exists about Jesus and the division within the religious realm, is in regard to Jesus’ teachings and His claims to have received His teachings from God. 

He went on to state that even within a family there would be division over Him.  This division would be over His teachings (acceptance or rejection). 

In Matt. 10:34-37 He said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.   For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  

What we learn from this is that even within a family there are good and evil hearts; the nature of the heart is revealed in how the individual reacts when exposed to what Jesus taught, for He taught that ALL must submit to His teachings and acknowledge His right to command them how to live their life. 

He taught that discipleship involved obedience in v. 38 of this same chapter: “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

The apostle John recorded Jesus’ words on the necessity of obedience to Jesus’ teachings in John 12:48 – “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

God’s eternal purpose for all humanity is their salvation; and their salvation is dependent upon their acceptance of the things Jesus taught. 

Christian or Christ-like?

The word “christian” has come to be used in the religious realm as an attachment to any and every thing that is desired of a person as their justification for that particular religious activity.  Today, we read of ‘christian’ ministries, ‘christian’ fellowship, ‘christian’ schools, ‘christian’ weight-loss centers, etc.  Even the media’s use of the word ‘christian’ evidences this.  Any activity or endeavor that is religious in nature is identified as such by calling it a ‘christian’ _______.

Is every ministry pleasing to God simply by calling it a ‘christian’ ministry?  Is every association made acceptable just by calling it a ‘christian’ fellowship’?  Is a school ‘christian’ simply by having some bible courses included in the curriculum or because it is sponsored by one or more churches?  Is a weight-loss center that is operated by church-going people or that uses only employees who are church members, make it Christ-like?

Is this what the word ‘christian’ means?  Is this how the word is to be used?  I submit that the use of the word in the manner illustrated above is not only INCORRECT, it is a reproach to Jesus to do so!  The reason for my objection rests upon the very definition of the term.  Secondly, its usage in the Bible shows that these modern-day concepts are in error and reflect the attitude that prevails in religion – great zeal for God, but void of Bible knowledge (Romans 10:1-3). 

What does the name CHRISTIAN mean?  How is it used in the Bible?

It is found 3 times in our Bible and all in the New Testament:

Acts 11:26 – “And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”

Acts 26:28 – “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian’?"

1 Peter 4:16 – “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

What do these passages reveal about a Christian?

Simply put, it means “Christ-like”.  The root word is ‘Christ’ and the suffix, ‘ian’ means ‘like’ or ‘pertaining to’.  Thus the “ian” attached to the root word Christ simply means “like” or “pertaining to” Christ.

It is a name that is not to be used in a trivial way.  It was a name that was prophesied as the ‘new’ name by which God’s people would one day be called.  The prophet Isaiah wrote of this in his book, (Isa. 62:2).  It helps to see why that those who were converted to Jesus in Acts 2 were NOT called Christians, for this name was connected with the Gentiles by Isaiah.  Thus, until Gentiles saw the righteousness, no disciple was called a Christian.  In Acts 11, AFTER Cornelius and his household had been converted, THEN disciples were called Christians first.  The term reflects that they have obeyed things peculiar to Jesus.  Jesus’ commands were unique in that He gave commands NEVER before bound upon any man.  Faith, repentance, confession and baptism are such unique commands. 

While faith in God and in His word was commanded of man prior to Jesus; the faith that is associated with the new birth (John 3:3-5), pertains to something that is to be believed uniquely about Jesus.  Specifically, we are to have faith in the power of His blood.  His blood was shed for the purpose of atonement.  Atonement for all humanity’s sins!  The blood of animal sacrifices was never understood to be for the remission of sins (Heb. 10:1-10).

Repentance – Acts 17:30-31 – Repentance was demanded of God’s covenant people Israel in the Old Testament era, but now the purpose for repentance is linked to Jesus.  God now commands ALL men (Jew & Gentile) to repent in order to enter a covenant relationship with Him.  We read that God, “…hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness BY THAT MAN WHOM HE HATH ORDAINED (JESUS); whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raise HIM from the dead.”

Confession – Acts 2:36; Phil. 2:9-11 – While acknowledgment of God has always been man’s duty; NOW, acknowledgment that God hath made Jesus “…both Lord and Christ” is to be confessed; not only by the “house of Israel”, but by “every tongue”.  The reason—God has “…highly exalted HIM (JESUS), and given HIM (JESUS) a name which is above every name…”.  Today, Jesus is to be confessed by “every tongue” (Jew & Gentile) as “Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”    

Baptism – Rom. 6:3-5; 17-18 – We are baptized into Jesus by being immersed into His DEATH.  “…all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.”  We were buried…with him through baptism unto death…if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection…whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.

It is AFTER this obedience to this FORM OF DOCTRINE that freedom from sin occurs.  This is in harmony with Jesus’ commands to His chosen apostles, recorded at the end of the four gospels.

Matt. 28:18-20 – Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations (Jew & Gentile), baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:

Mk. 16:15-16 – Go ye into all the world (Jew & Gentile), and preach the gospel to every creature (all nations). He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Lk. 24:46-47 – And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations (Jew & Gentile), beginning at Jerusalem (as was done in Acts 2, but to “the Jew first”).

Jo. 17:18, 20-21 – As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world… Neither pray I for these alone (the apostles), but for them also which shall believe on me (Jew & Gentile) through their word; That they all (Jew & Gentile) may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Thus we read in passages such as 1 Cor. 12:12-13, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

The term is NOT to be used to justify what we desire to offer to God, but properly it defines for us ONLY the things that Christ exemplified in His life.  By this, we then can know what activities are acceptable for us to follow.

A Christian truly is Christ-like; in all aspects of his life.  Individually and collectively, being Christ-like is uniform in that we are obedient to Him as He was obedient to His heavenly Father.  His Father gave Him commands to keep, which He did.  He gave those commands to the apostles to be proclaimed to ALL, and to be submitted to by ALL.  It is in the keeping of those commands that it can truthfully be known whether or not one is a ‘Christian’, born anew, from above.  Thus, the matter is determined by God; not man.