What is Water Baptism?

The Meaning of Water Baptism

The Mode of Water Baptism

Additional Reading:

What is Water Baptism?

Water Baptism is an ordinance of the church and a command of Christ.

“ordinance”- something ordained by God.

Water baptism is a work men do; therefore, it is not required for eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9), but is nevertheless commanded by Jesus, and is important for each believer to do. Salvation doesn’t come by being baptized in water. (Mk 16:16)

• Matthew 28: 19-20 The Great Commission.
• Matthew 3: 13-15 Jesus Himself was baptized, showing it’s importance.
• John 4: 1-2 Jesus released His disciples to baptize.
• Acts 2: 38-39 The apostles and early disciples taught water baptism.
• Acts 19: 3-5 Paul re-baptized believers who had undergone the baptism of John the Baptist.

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The Meaning of Water Baptism

• It signifies the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
  • Romans 6:3-7 ; Colossians 2:12
• It is a public declaration to the world that we are identifying with Jesus Christ.
  • It is an outward sign of an inward grace.
• It is symbolic of being dead with Christ, buried with Christ, and raised with Christ.
  • Romans 6:2-10

Note: The baptism of John was that of repentance, where this is a baptism of identification with Christ and “newness of life."

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The Mode of Water Baptism

• “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19-20) or “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38)
  • This is not some magic formula but that of identification.
• By Immersion (to plunge into something that surrounds or covers)
  • Acts 8: 38 “went down into the water”
  • Matthew 3: 16 Jesus was down under the water.
• For Believers Only
  • Acts 8: 36-38 (vs 37: “If you believe with all your heart…”)

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Additional Reading: Acts 8:12, 16; Acts 9:18; Acts 10:47-48; Acts 16:15, 33; Acts 18:8; Acts 19:5; Galatians 3:27

  Common Terms

Common Phrases

Common Terms

Amen – Literally “So Be It."  This Hebrew word means firm, and hence also faithful

Apostle – A person sent by another, a messenger.  It was characteristic of the apostles and necessary:

1. that they should have seen the Lord, and been able to testify of him and of his resurrection from personal experience.

2. They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ

3. It was essential that they should be infallibly inspired, and thus secured against all error and mistake in their public teaching, whether by word or by writing.

4. Another qualification was the power of working miracles. The apostles therefore could have had no successors. They are the only authoritative teachers of the Christian doctrines. The office of an apostle ceased with its first holders.

Atonement - the state of being at one or being reconciled.  Our guilt is expiated by the punishment which Christ bore, and thus God is rendered propitious, i.e., it is now consistent with his justice to manifest his love to transgressors.

Baptism - The immersion or dipping of a believer in water symbolizing the complete renewal and change in the believer's life and testifying to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the way of salvation.  It is one of the ordinances of the church. It does not save, but is an outward expression of what has already taken place on the inside.

Blessing – To make holy; to confer well-being or prosperity on; to endow, as with talent; or consecrate

Canon - This word is derived from a Hebrew and Greek word denoting a reed or cane. Hence it means something straight or something to keep straight; and hence also a rule or something ruled or measured. It came to be applied to the Scriptures, to denote that they contained the authoritative rule of faith and practice, the standard of doctrine and duty. A book is said to be of canonical authority when it has a right to take a place with the other books which contain a revelation of the Divine will. Such a right does not arise from any ecclesiastical authority, but from the evidence of the inspired authorship of the book. The canonical (i.e., the inspired) books of the Old and New Testaments, are a complete rule, and the only rule, of faith and practice. They contain the whole supernatural revelation of God to men.

Church - meaning simply an assembly, it can mean the whole body of the redeemed, all those whom the Father has given to Christ, at all times.  It can also mean the whole body of professing Christians throughout the world.  It can also mean a few Christians associated together in observing the ordinances of the gospel.  It can also mean all of the Christians in a particular city, whether they assembled together in one place or in several places for religious worship

Communion (The Lord’s Supper) - The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matt 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19,20, and 1 Cor 11:24-26.  It was designed, (1.) To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me." (2.) To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. (3.) To be a badge of the Christian profession. (4.) To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ. (5.) To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.

Disciples – These are followers of Christ.  They are also students that are constantly being taught by the Holy Spirit in their spiritual growth and development.

Doctrine - The basic body of Christian teaching or understanding; a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative

Expiation - The act of making satisfaction or atonement for any crime or fault; the extinguishing of guilt by suffering or penalty

Faith - Trusting commitment of one person to another, particularly of a person to God. Faith is the central concept of Christianity. One may be called a Christian only if one has faith.  Faith is not intellectual assent.  Faith does not merely know that there is a God but places trust in that God to pay for our sin.  It is a surrender of our will for His.

Fellowship -

1. With God, consisting in the knowledge of his will; agreement with his designs; mutual affection; enjoyment of his presence; conformity to his image; and participation of his happiness.

2. Of saints with one another, in duties; in ordinances; in grace, love, joy, etc.; mutual interest, spiritual and temporal; in sufferings; and in glory.

Foreknowledge – God is the only one with Foreknowledge.  This is one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite.

Free Will - The ability or discretion to choose; free choice

Gospel – literally “good news." It is the rendering of the Greek evangelion, i.e., "good message." It denotes:

1. "the welcome intelligence of salvation to man as preached by our Lord and his followers.

2. It was afterwards transitively applied to each of the four histories of our Lord's life, published by those who are therefore called 'Evangelists', writers of the history of the gospel (the evangelion).

3. The term is often used to express collectively the gospel doctrines; and 'preaching the gospel' is often used to include not only the proclaiming of the good tidings, but the teaching men how to avail themselves of the offer of salvation, the declaring of all the truths, precepts, and promises of Christianity."

Grace – Favor, kindness, friendship.  God’s forgiving mercy.  It is the act of bestowing that which a person has not earned.

Hell (Gehenna) - the place of final judgment.  It is the abode of the dead especially as a place of eternal punishment for unbelievers.  It was created by God for the devil and his angels.

Holy – Separated or set apart

Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) - The third Person of the Trinity through whom God acts, reveals His will, empowers individuals, and discloses His personal presence in the Old and New Testament.

Inerrant – It means literally without error.  Completely without miscalculation, contradiction, or falsehood.

Intercession – The act of mediation, or to act as an advocate.  We pray through intercession for others.  Christ is our intercessor before God.  Christ’s advocacy with the Father for His people rests on the basis of His own all-perfect sacrifice.  Thus He pleads for and obtains the fulfillment of all the promises of the everlasting covenant.  He can be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” and is both a merciful and faithful high priest.

Justification – The judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner righteous (Just as if I had never sinned…Just as if I am Christ)  It is a forensic term, opposed to condemnation.  In addition to the pardon of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge.  The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law

Legalism – adding works to faith as a means of obtaining grace

Mercy - compassion for the miserable. Its object is misery. By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness.

Messiah - Transliteration of Hebrew word meaning, “anointed one” that was translated into Greek as Christos. Since apostolic times the name Christ has become the proper name of Jesus, the Person whom Christians recognize as the God-given Redeemer of Israel and the church's Lord. “Christ” or Messiah is therefore a name admirably suited to express both the church's link with Israel through the Old Testament and the faith that sees in Jesus Christ the worldwide scope of the salvation in Him.

New Testament – The second major division of the Christian Bible with twenty-seven separate works (called “books”) attributed to at least eight different writers.  It is literally the "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible.

Obedience - compliance with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraint or control; dutiful or submissive behavior

Old Testament - The first part of the Christian Bible, taken over from Israel. It tells the history of the nation Israel and God's dealings with them to the return from Exile in Babylon. For Jews it is the complete Bible, sometimes called Tanak for its three parts (Torah or Law, Nebiim or Prophets, Kethubim or Writings). Christians see its complement in the New Testament, which reveals Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The Old Testament has three major divisions: Law, Prophets (Former and Latter), and Writings.

Omnipotent – One having unlimited power or authority.

Omnipresent - Present everywhere simultaneously.

Omniscient - Having total knowledge; knowing everything.

Ordinance – A ritual or ceremony that has been ordered or commanded by the Lord.  It is sometimes linked with the word sacrament.  It is primarily a rite or ceremony that is an outward expression of an inward work that has already been done.

Paradise –  This term is given as “Abraham’s Bosom."  It refers to the abode of the righteous dead.

Prayer – It is communication between God and man.  Dialogue is what is essential to prayer. Prayer makes a difference in what happens. Our understanding of prayer will correspond to our understanding of God. When God is seen as desiring to bless and sovereignly free to respond to persons, then prayer will be seen as dialogue with God. God will respond when we faithfully pursue this dialogue. Prayer will lead to a greater communion with God and a greater understanding of His will.  It is not given to impress others; it is not long-winded attempts that try to manipulate God.

Propitiation - The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious.

Reconciliation – The payment of our sin on the cross.  It means to bring back into a right relationship with. This is effected by his justice being satisfied, so that he can, in consistency with his own nature, be favorable toward sinners. Justice demands the punishment of sinners. The death of Christ satisfies justice, and so reconciles God to us. This reconciliation makes God our friend, and enables him to pardon and save us.

Redemption - the purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom. The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid. Christ's blood or life, which he surrendered for them, is the "ransom" by which the deliverance of his people from the servitude of sin and from its penal consequences is secured.

Repent – Not just a feeling of regret but as it applies to man, a turning from sin to God. It is a reorientation of the sinner to God.

Righteousness - The actions and positive results of a sound relationship within a local community or between God and a person or His people. It is comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law.

Sacrament – It is a formal religious act conferring a specific grace on those who receive it.  An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, though many evangelical Christians shy away from the word sacrament in favor of “ordinances.” It usually refers to a religious ritual which is believed to carry a special healing or saving power. There is strong biblical support for the theological idea of an outward sign carrying an inward spiritual power.  It is not, however, an automatic or mechanical transmission of divine grace. It depends upon the inward faith and spiritual response of the believer.

Salvation - The acutely dynamic act of snatching others by force from serious peril. In its most basic sense, salvation is the saving of a life from death or harm. Scripture, particularly the New Testament, extends salvation to include deliverance from the penalty and power of sin.

Sanctification - involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man.

Sin - Actions by which humans rebel against God, miss His purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of evil rather than to God. It is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God", in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by omission or commission.  It is our nature to transgress the law of God and thus separate us from the love of God.  It is because of this separation that Christ died for us and paid that price, so that we can enjoy a right relationship with God again.

Soul - The vital existence of a human being.  It is the spiritual nature of humans, regarded as immortal, separable from the body at death, and susceptible to happiness or misery in a future state.

Sovereign - of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure

Stewardship - Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation.  Often, stewardship is thought of only in terms of finances, but the Bible teaches that stewardship is a far greater concept, involving how we respond with all of our life to Him who is the giver and sustainer of life?

The Trinity - a word not found in Scripture, but used to express the doctrine of the unity of God as subsisting in three distinct Persons.  The propositions involved in the doctrine are these: 1. that God is one and that there is but one God.  2. That the Father is a distinct divine Person, distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit. 3. That Jesus Christ was truly God, and yet was a Person distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit. 4. That the Holy Spirit is also a distinct divine Person.  In each of the persons of the trinity rest the completeness of the Godhead fully.  It is a theological term used to define God as an undivided unity expressed in the threefold nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As a distinctive Christian doctrine, the Trinity is considered as a divine mystery beyond human comprehension to be reflected upon only through scriptural revelation.

Common Phrases

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“Got Saved” – To accept that you are sinner and that because of that sin you are separated from God.  To also believe that because of that separation Christ died for you and paid the penalty by dying on the cross so that you may stand blameless before God.

“In Jesus’ Name” – This is usually spoken at the end of a prayer.  It is used to signify that God’s will be done in this prayer and that the prayer was spoken under the authority of Jesus.

“Inspired by God” – This is written in 2 Timothy 3:16.  The word Inspiration in Greek means God-Breathed.  The idea is that God has actually breathed Himself into the writers who wrote the Bible in the same way that a musician breathes into an instrument in order to produce a note.  It is not used to describe the ability of an athlete’s ability to play above their ability, a person’s unique insight.  These are all men’s doings.  The inspiration of the Bible is unique and cannot be duplicated by man.

“Keeping the Sabbath” – This refers to keeping one day a week separated to reflect on God.  The Sabbath was created for man not man for the Sabbath.  In Jewish thought the Sabbath refers to our Saturday.  Sunday is the first day of the week.  We celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday because that is the day on which Christ rose from the dead.

“Lost People” – These are people who have not put their faith in God to pay the penalty for their sin, so that they may go to Heaven.  They are “lost” in the sense that they have not “found” Jesus.

“The Great Commission” – The scripture in Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus commands us to go into all the world and make disciples.

“To be Born Again” - To accept that you are sinner and that because of that sin you are separated from God.  To also believe that because of that separation Christ died for you and paid the penalty by dying on the cross so that you may stand blameless before God. This phrase comes from John chapter 3, in which Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus and tells him that in order to enter into Heaven he must be “born again."  This refers to a spiritual birth not a physical birth, because through Adam and original sin we are all spiritually dead.

(Several definitions taken from Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.) Also from (Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc),  (The American Heritage® Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.), and (Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.)

Abel – He is the second son of Adam, He was the first martyr.  He was killed by Cain. God showed respect for Abel's offering, but not for that of Cain, because Abel "by faith offered a more excellent sacrifice that Cain."

Abraham – God changed his name from “Abram."  God established a covenant with Abraham and his descendants.  Through Abraham’s line comes the entire nation of Israel, and Jesus, the Messiah.  He had a son, Isaac when he was one hundred years old.  He trusted God to the point of offering up his son, Isaac as a sacrifice.  God stopped Abraham and gave him a lamb to sacrifice.  This foreshadowed the coming “Lamb of God” (Jesus) who would be sacrificed for the world.

Adam – He is the first man.  He was created by God in the Garden of Eden.  He sinned together with Eve and brought the curse upon mankind.  The ground was cursed for their sake. In the hardship of toil and labor, in the care and suffering of childbirth and parentage, they began to feel at once the awful consequences their transgression involved. All the burdens of life - sickness, disaster, trouble and death - come from the action of that fateful day. They are the terrible reminders of our fallen state. Our first parents involved all their posterity when they sinned.  With the curse God gave a way out by proclaiming the coming Messiah - the woman's seed (the son of Mary), would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15). This promise, which is called the "first gospel", was fulfilled in the Crucifixion. Jesus is the second Adam, as Paul shows in Romans 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 15:45. He undid the work of the first. He abolished the power of sin and death for believers and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The redemption by Jesus is the glorious solution of the fall of Adam.  Adam gives up his position as spiritual head of the house when he is questioned by God.  God asks him what he has done and immediately he lays the blame on Eve.  This is not God’s design.

Barabbas - Barabbas was a robber who had committed murder in an insurrection in Jerusalem, and was lying in prison at the time of the trial of Jesus before Pilate.  It was the custom at the Jewish Passover to release a man from prison.  The people asked the Barabbas be released rather than Jesus.

Cain – He is the first son of Adam and Eve.  He was involved in agriculture.  He killed his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy, roused by the rejection of his own sacrifice and the acceptance of Abel's, for which he was expelled from Eden, and led the life of an exile.

Daniel – He is a prophet to Israel.  He wrote the book of Daniel. He was captured by the Babylonians.  He was a slave in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.  His friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace for continuing to worship God, but they miraculously were unharmed.  He lived a life of devotion to God, and interpreted many dreams and had many visions.  He was later made the third in power in the kingdom under Darius of Cyrus in 534 BC.  Daniel was a prophet who had visions including the coming of Christ and the end times.

David – He is the second king over Israel.  He succeeds King Saul.  He is noted in scripture as “a man after God’s own heart”, but yet like all men he was prone to sin as well.  It is through David’s lineage that Jesus is born.  He killed Goliath, the giant, when he was a youth.  After killing Goliath, his popularity grew by leaps and bounds.  He entertained King Saul by playing his harp.  His popularity became so great that Saul was threatened by him and attempted to kill him.  David ran from Saul and had opportunity to kill King Saul many times but would not because he had been anointed king by God.  He wrote many of the Psalms.  After becoming king he committed adultery with Bathsheba, with whom he later had Solomon.  His son, Solomon, became the next king.

Elijah – He lived during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.  He confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and challenged them to see whose God would answer.  Baal was the god of nature, fertility and rain.  It is easy to imagine him with a slight grin on his face as he chided the prophets of Baal to call down fire from heaven, and then proceeded to pour water on his sacrifice before praying to God who consumed it with fire. God performed many miracles through Elijah.  God caused it to stop raining for a period of several years because Elijah prayed so. His close walk with God eventually allowed him to be one of the very few who did not face death here on Earth as he was "taken up."  He also reappeared with Jesus as He ascended into Heaven after being resurrected.

Elisha - Like Elijah, Elisha was a prophet of northern Israel.  He was anointed prophet by Elijah and prophesied during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz and Joash, a period of sixty years.  When Elijah was taken up into Heaven, Elisha became his successor. Elisha performed many miracles.  This included bringing a child back from the dead and healing a leper.

Esther - Esther was the Persian name of Hadassah.  Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden, whose ancestor Kish had been among the captives led away from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar when Jehoiachin was taken captive.  The means taken by Esther to avert great calamity from her people and her kindred are fully related in the book of Esther.

Eve – She is the wife of Adam.  She sinned together with Adam by disobeying the command of God not to eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  She was tempted by Satan, and she ate.  She gave to her husband and he ate as well.

Isaac - Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's only son.  Born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 he was a miracle come true.  The Lord promised that the nation of Israel would come through Isaac. When Isaac was young God told Abraham to sacrifice his son on Mount Moriah.  Abraham obeyed yet was deeply troubled.  At the last minute the Lord provided a sacrificial lamb for Abraham to sacrifice in place of Isaac.  Isaac married Rebekah, a relative from Mesopotamia when he was forty years old.  They had twin sons: Jacob and Esau.  Isaac died at age 180. Isaac is known as the father of the nation of Israel along with Abraham and Isaac's son Jacob.

Jacob - Jacob was the younger of two brothers (Jacob and Esau), twins, born to Isaac and Rebekah.  His name was later changed to Israel from which the name Israelites came from.  After tricking his brother and father Isaac into giving him the blessing as the first-born son, Jacob runs away and marries Rachel and works for Rachel's father for twenty years after being tricked by him to marry Rachel’s sister, Leah. Jacob leaves Laban, Rachel’s father and journey’s back to see Esau.  He meets and wrestles with “an Angel of the Lord” who blesses him.

James and John (Sons of Zebedee) - James and John were brothers who were partners in a fishing business with two other brothers, Peter and Andrew.  When Jesus called them into ministry with Him, they left not only their business but their father Zebedee as well.  They had a boat as well as hired servants, so they were apparently from a wealthy family.

Jesus – Jesus is fully God.  He was with God in the beginning.  He is also fully man, born of a virgin in the 1st century.  Hated by the Jewish religious leaders of His day He was beaten and crucified by the Romans.  He is the Messiah, the Christ, prophesied of in the Old Testament.  The Jesus of history was born in Palestine.  He grew up in the Galilean village of Nazareth, and eventually attracted a group of followers or Disciples.  His popularity grew in part because of the many miracles He performed.  This combined with his announcements about a coming Kingdom, for claiming to be the Son of God and claiming equality with God made Him very unpopular with both Roman and Jewish leaders.  Eventually He was arrested and crucified in Jerusalem.  Three days later He rose from the dead and appeared to many people.  His disciples who had deserted Him at His arrest now boldly proclaimed the good news, and Christianity rapidly spread throughout the world.

Jonah – He was a prophet of God.  God instructed him to go to Nineveh (a pagan city) and to tell them to repent so that they may be saved.  Jonah did not want to go and instead sailed for Tarshish (the other direction).  He was cast overboard and swallowed by a fish, spit-up after three days and nights and finally yielded to God.

Joseph – Joseph was the 11^th of twelve children of Israel (Jacob).  He was sold into slavery by his brothers.  He was taken to Egypt where he was thrown into prison after being falsely accused for a crime.  He interpreted a dream for Pharaoh and was elevated to second-in-command of the entire kingdom.  There was a famine in the land and his brothers came looking for food.  He gave them food and they brought back their youngest brother Benjamin.  Joseph and his brothers were reconciled and their family came to live in Egypt.  They stayed there and multiplied and came under slavery, until finally delivered.

Joshua – He was born in Egypt during the Israelite captivity there.  He was one of only

two (the other was Caleb) adult Israelites to go through both the Exodus and to survive the forty years in the wilderness and enter the Promised Land.  Before his death, Moses commissioned Joshua to take over for him when he was no longer able.  After the death of Moses, the Lord confirmed that Joshua was the one selected to lead the Israelites.  It was part of God's plan that Joshua carry on where Moses left off.  The Lord told Joshua, ``No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you." This was a conditional promise, meaning that the Israelites had to follow God and put him first in their lives.

Lazarus – He is a friend of Jesus.  He becomes sick and dies.  Jesus waits two days before coming to see Lazarus.  By the time He gets there, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.  He tells His disciples that He is glad He was not there when Lazarus died so that they might believe.  Martha meets Him and states that if Jesus had been there then Lazarus wouldn’t have died.  Jesus does not deny this.  Jesus weeps for Lazarus.  He commands that the stone covering the tomb be opened and He calls Lazarus from the dead.

Luke - Luke was a physician and a well educated man. He was familiar with the Eastern Mediterranean area and appears to have traveled with Paul from Troas to Philippi before 52 A.D. and then later after 58 A.D. Tradition has it that he came from the city of Antioch.  The book he wrote is in chronological order.

Mark – He wrote the Gospel of Mark and was a companion of Paul the apostle, and Barnabas in their missionary journeys, and later of Peter in Rome. Mark's family had a significant role in the life of the early church between his mother, Mary, and his cousin Barnabas. Mary owned a house in Jerusalem where the early church regularly met and it is the house Peter went to after being released form prison. Barnabas was the well-known companion of Paul on his first missionary journey that led to Mark accompanying Paul.

Mary and Joseph – They are the parents of Jesus.  They were engaged whenever Mary was visited by an angel and told that she would give birth to a child even though she was a virgin.  Joseph was visited by an angel and told that the child was of God.  They both believed God and raised Jesus.  There is not much about Joseph written in the Bible but we do know that Mary was with Jesus at the foot of the cross and had other children.

Mary Magdalene - Jesus cured Mary Magdalene of demon possession and she became one of a group of women who followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to him.  Mary witnessed the crucifixion and was among the first to visit the empty tomb on Easter and to see the risen Christ.

Matthew - Matthew, also called Levi, was a Jewish tax collector.  Tax collectors were

despised by the Jews and counted among sinners because they worked for the Roman oppressors and extorted money from their own people.  Matthew was sitting in the tax collector's booth when Jesus called him to follow Him.  Matthew immediately left his booth to follow Jesus, and he arranged a feast for Him.  Many collectors and sinners were present, and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with such bad company.  Jesus replied with His purpose: "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners"

Methuselah – His name may mean "When he dies, judgment." Others say: "When he is dead it shall be sent" ("it" refers to the Deluge) (Cornwall and Smith, Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names). He was the son of Enoch, father of Lamech, and grandfather of Noah.  He was the oldest man of whom we have any record. This very ancient man lived before the Flood, and died at the age of 969 years, in the year of the flood. This fact, plus the former possible meaning of his name, suggests that Methuselah's very godly father, Enoch, received a prophecy from God when his son was born, thus the name. Methuselah's great age may be further evidence of God's "long-suffering...in the days of Noah."

Moses - Moses' story begins with his preservation as a child in the reeds by the river Nile.  Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's court in Egypt.  As an adult Moses was angered by the oppression of the Hebrew people.  Seeing an Egyptian task master beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and fled to Midian.  While Moses was a shepherd in Midian, God spoke from a burning bush and called him.  His task was to go back to Egypt to bring about the deliverance of God's people, Israel. God also disclosed that the divine name was "I Am." When Moses hesitated, God told him that his brother Aaron could be his spokesman. The plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, the gifts of manna, quails, and water in the desert were signs that God was leading his people. Moses brought the law from Mt. Sinai. Moses was unique in that he spoke with God "face to face."  While in the wilderness, Moses failed to honor God for providing water from a rock. Because of this God did not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land, but only to look at it from Mount Nebo in the land of Moab.

Noah – Noah and his family were the only righteous people left on the face of the earth.  God had sorrow over creating the earth.  He destroyed the earth by flood but saved Noah and his family in an ark made of wood.  Noah took with him 2 of every kind of animal in the ark.  Noah, his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth, and their wives were saved.  Through this family the world was populated.  Japheth and his descendants were in Europe.  Shem stayed in the Middle East.  Ham and his descendents were in Africa.

Paul - Paul was a missionary apostle mainly to Gentiles. His Hebrew name was Saul, but

he is better known to us as Paul or the Apostle Paul. He was a Pharisee, strictly trained in the law and Jewish traditions, and a Roman citizen. Paul's trade was tent-making.  Paul approved of the stoning of Stephen and Paul himself persecuted the church. His conversion occurred on the road to Damascus when a light from heaven flashed about him and he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" This was Jesus speaking to Paul.  Paul was temporarily blinded, but was healed by a Christian named Ananias. Thereafter Paul was zealous to proclaim publicly Jesus as the Christ. People were astonished because Paul had formerly persecuted the church. On his missionary journeys Paul helped establish Christian congregations in many cities around the eastern and northern Mediterranean.

Peter - Simon (renamed Peter by Jesus), lived in Galilee where he and his brother Andrew were fishing partners with James and John.  Jesus called these four to join Him in His ministry of making disciples, and they immediately left their lives as fishermen to follow Him.  Peter quickly stood out as the leader of the twelve apostles, and he is the most vividly described and the most often mentioned among them.  He also seems the most human, as his story is one of repeated successes and failures.  Peter was impulsive, impertinent and boastful, yet also enthusiastic, loving, and penitent.

Pontius Pilate - Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36. Like other provincial governors, Pilate was appointed by the Roman emperor. The trial and execution of Jesus took place during the middle years of Pilate's governorship. The Jewish authorities apparently brought Jesus to Pilate because the Romans reserved the right to sentence someone to death by crucifixion. Although Jesus was charged with threatening Roman domination of Palestine, Pilate recognized that Jesus was innocent. Nevertheless, Pilate had Jesus beaten and later handed him over to be crucified.

Ruth – She was a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab.  On the death of Elimelech and Mahlon, Naomi came with Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who refused to leave her, to Bethlehem, the old home from which Elimelech had migrated. There she had a rich relative, Boaz, to whom Ruth was eventually married. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal ancestors of our Lord.

Samson - He was a Nazirite set apart for God's service and therefore did not cut his hair or drink alcohol. His exploits included tearing a lion apart with his bare hands, killing a company of the men of Ashdod, setting fire to their fields and orchards, and slaughtering a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. After a Philistine woman named Delilah enticed Samson to reveal the secret of his great strength, she cut off his hair, and the Philistines gouged out his eyes, bound him, and set him to grind at the mill in the prison. But Samson's hair, the secret of his strength, began to grow again. The day came when the Philistine lords sent for the blind Samson to laugh at him. Samson felt for the pillars on which the house rested, asked for the God’s help, pulled them down, and died along with many Philistines.

Sarah - Sarah and Abraham left their home in Haran to travel in Canaan, because God promised to give them a land. Sarah lived ninety years of her life without bearing children and asked Abraham to father a son (Ishmael) through her servant Hagar.  God promised that Sarah too would bear a son and she laughed at the idea.  Later she laughed for joy when her baby was born, and she named the child Isaac which means "he laughed."

King Saul - Saul was anointed by Samuel to be the first king of Israel. David entered his service as a musician. Later, David gained fame as a warrior and Saul became jealous and tried to kill him. David fled and lived as an outlaw. Eventually Saul and his sons and the men of Israel fought a battle with the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. Before battle Saul had a medium call Samuel's ghost back from the dead. In the battle they were disastrously defeated, the sons of Saul were slain, and Saul fell upon his own sword.

Solomon - Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. He came to the throne aided by his mother, Nathan the prophet, and Zadok the priest. Solomon prayed for wisdom and became famous for his wise sayings. He built the first Temple in Jerusalem using forced labor and materials obtained from Hiram of Tyre. Solomon solidified his power by marriage alliances with other kingdoms. These marriages eventually led to the establishment of pagan shrines in Jerusalem.

"What is the plan of salvation / way of salvation?"

(Source: Article from GotQuestions.org)

Are you hungry? Not physically hungry, but do you have a hunger for something more in life? Is there something deep inside you that never seems to be satisfied? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35).

Are you confused? Can you never seem to find a path or purpose in life? Does it seem like someone has turned out the lights and you cannot find the switch? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus proclaimed, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Do you ever feel like you are locked out of life? Have you tried so many doors, only to find that what is behind them is empty and meaningless? Are you looking for an entrance into a fulfilling life? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus declared, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture" (John 10:9).

Do other people always let you down? Have your relationships been shallow and empty? Does it seem like everyone is trying to take advantage of you? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me" (John 10:11; John10:14).

Do you wonder what happens after this life? Are you tired of living your life for things that only rot or rust? Do you sometimes doubt whether life has any meaning? Do you want to live after you die? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25-26).

What is the way? What is the truth? What is the life? Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

The hunger that you feel is a spiritual hunger, and can only be filled by Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can lift the darkness. Jesus is the gate to a satisfying life. Jesus is the friend and shepherd that you have been looking for. Jesus is the life - in this world and the next. Jesus is the way of salvation!

The reason you feel hungry, the reason you seem to be lost in darkness, the reason you can't find meaning in life, is that you are separated from God. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned, and are therefore separated from God (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23). The void you feel in your heart is God missing from your life. We were created to have a relationship with God. Because of our sin, we are separated from that relationship. Even worse, our sin will cause us to be separated from God for all of eternity, this life and the next (Romans 6:23; John 3:36).

How can this problem be solved? Jesus is the way! Jesus took our sin upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus died in our place (Romans 5:8), taking the punishment that we deserve. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, proving His victory over sin and death (Romans 6:4-5). Why did He do it? Jesus answered that question Himself, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus died so that we could live. If we place our faith in Jesus, trusting His death as the payment for our sins - all of our sins are forgiven and washed away. We will then have our spiritual hunger satisfied. The lights will be turned on. We will have access to a fulfilling life. We will know our true best friend and good shepherd. We will know that we will have life after we die - a resurrected life in heaven for eternity with Jesus!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, let us know!

Read More On Beginning Your New Life In Christ Here!

Pastor Les Potts

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For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

New Life In Christ

Leslie Potts 2002

All Rights Reserved

Unless otherwise indicated,

Scripture verses quoted are taken from the

NEW KING JAMES VERSION.

INTRODUCTION

This web page is designed to get you started in your new life in Christ.  It contains some necessary first steps to help you navigate through the most exciting journey in life.  You will probably want to read this through two or three times the first week after you have made a decision to let Jesus Christ remove your sins.

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BEGINNING YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Pastor Les Potts

First of all, let me welcome you to the body of Christ.  God calls the church a family in Ephesians 2:15. Because of that I need you to know that you have become a part of a very big family.  The actual numbers of this family are known only to God, yet all around us we find numerous friends who are a part of the visible church of Jesus Christ.  Lets review how you have been received into this family.

Here at Open Bible Christian Center we teach how simple it is to enter into God's family by using the ABC's.

¨ A we first of all admit that we are sinners.  The scriptural teaching for this is multiple.  Romans 3:23 teaches:all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” You and I are individually responsible for our acts of sin.  We cannot stand before God and blame anyone else for what we have done wrong.

¨ B is to believe in our heart that Jesus is God's one and only Son.  John 3:16 teaches this so clearly:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Jesus, God's Son, was born of a virgin.  He lived a life without sin for approximately 30 years.  He was crucified on a cross for the sins of all mankind both preceding Him and following after Him.  They buried Him and three days later He broke death's power and resurrected from the dead.  He then ascended to the Father where, now as our High Priest, He lives to make intercession on our behalf.

¨ C is to confess before God and man what we believe in our heart. The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10:  " if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. "A" admit, "B" believe, "C" confess, and you enter God's family.  God takes our sin away by the sacrifice of His own Son's blood and gives us eternal life as it says in Romans 6:23:the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."" This is exactly what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus in John 3:3 when Jesus said:  "unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Having followed the ABC's we have entered into the new life that God has for us and we are now a part of God's family.

There are any number of ways one can pray a prayer to God confessing his or her sin.  Here is one simple prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to you today in Jesus' name.  I admit that I have sinned.  I have done wrong. I believe that Jesus is your one and only Son. I believe His death on the cross was sufficient to cover my sin.  I ask you now to forgive me of all my sinning through the blood of Jesus Christ. I confess to you my sin (we should name any known sins to God at this point) and come to you to receive the gift of eternal life.

Here is what God describes in His Word happens to us when we do this.  First, in John 1:12:  "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Then in Romans 8:16:  "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Ephesians 1:13-14 takes us into the realm of this family by sharing this truth:  "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." We have become God's children.

The Spirit of God marks us as such by coming to dwell in our lives and in effect give us the earnest money as a down payment on our eternal salvation.

The most important question to be answered is, How do I know I am saved?

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ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

If you have followed these simple steps then you can know for sure that you are Godâ's child.  You may doubt it intellectually and you may emotionally not feel a tremendous amount of difference but there is a certain key we have to knowing that we are saved.  Our assurance comes from the Word of God.  God's Word is certain, truthful and abiding.  Here is what the Bible teaches.  John 6:47:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life." In I John 5:13  "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." II Corinthians 5:17:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

When doubts arise and we don't feel saved we need to turn to scriptures to remind ourselves of what God says about us.  If the doubts arise because we recognize that we have sinned again then we can go immediately to I John 1:9:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Remember the most important thing to know to assure you that you are saved is what the Bible says about those who confess their sins to God.  They are delivered from their sin.

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INITIAL STEPS TO TAKE NOW

There are certain things which will build your relationship with Christ.  If you practice these disciplines daily they will assist you in your growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I personally love to work in my yard.  One thing I have discovered, living in a semi-arid area, is to give the grass, not only water, but the right nutrients. This is what keeps grass green.  Nitrogen is a must in our area.  I found that one of the local chemical companies has the best lawn food because it is designed specifically for our location and not just a generic mix.  The following three things I am going to suggest to you now will keep you in a place of growth and will fuel your desire to keep growing.  These essential nutrients will be specifically applied to your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. The result will be that you grow into maturity and love the process.

Let's begin by discussing prayer.

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PRAYER

Prayer is communication with God.  It is two way.  1) You talk and God listens.  2) God talks and you listen.  The Word of God gives us clear instruction about prayer.  It says in Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." In I Thessalonians the Bible says:  "Pray without ceasing." Prayer is conversation with God.  It is simply talking, listening and responding.  God calls us to pray. Most of us discover that being a disciple of Christ includes great opportunity for us to offer God thanks and praise.  You can start right now by thanking Him for sending His Son Jesus to the Cross because of your sins.  Now because of Christ's resurrection and your faith in that resurrection you have the gift of eternal life.  Take a moment and thank God for eternal life.

So prayer should begin with praise, thanks, gratitude, and worship.  Concentrate on who God is.  Then move to what God has done. Just use short sentence prayers and talk to God with adoration and appreciation in your attitude. If you think you are going to struggle with this start by using Psalms 95:1-7 as a beginning praise.  Other scriptures are Psalms 147 and Philippians 1:1-11.  The Bible says:  "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him and bless His name for the Lord is good." (Psalms 100:4-5a)

Once we have spent some time in praise and thanks we should move into petition.  There is nothing wrong with asking God for help about anything that concerns you.  What do you have need of?  The list of physical, emotional, financial and other needs are usually extensive. We must learn to ask God and believe that He hears us.  I John 5:14-15 says:  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." When we pray we should do three things:  1) Believe that God will answer you;  2) Ask for them in Jesus name;  3) Ask for things He wants you to have.  It would be good to keep a list of the people and things you are praying for, then circle the petition when God answers it!

One final thing about prayer.  We must learn to listen for God to speak to us.  God is our Father and wants to spend time communicating with you. He wants to be your closest friend.  When you talk with someone else on the phone you don't talk all the time, do you?  Don't you give the other person a chance to say something?  God probably won't speak in an audible voice to you, but will impress certain things on your heart and mind. God may impress you with something to do, to change, or someone to encourage or pray for.  Most of the time God will speak to us through His Word the Bible.  If you feel impressed to do something and aren't sure about it always check it in light of the written Word of God.  If it doesn't agree with the written Word then don't do it.

You can pray all the time.  You can pray anywhere.  God is always present and available to us when we pray in faith. I think the morning is the best time to pray because it sets in order the rest of the day ahead of us.  Besides, if God is becoming our best friend why shouldn't we start the fellowship at the beginning of the day?

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BIBLE READING

Bible reading is one of the most important things you will do every day.  It is the power of God to minister life to you and I every day that we live.  Why is this true? It is true because the Word of God is a person, Jesus Christ.  John 1:1,14:  "In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The Bible, although ink on paper for most of us, is truly Jesus Christ.  Every time we read the Bible we are encountering Jesus.  The experience of encountering Jesus daily in the Bible should affect the way we live our lives. We will consistently become more like what the book says Jesus was like.  We will begin to think like God thinks and act like God acts.  We will begin to hate what God hates.  That why in Psalms 119:11 we are told:  "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you." In Psalms 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." The more time you spend in God's Word the stronger and more mature you will become.

Establish a specific time to read and pray now.  When you read do so prayerfully, meditatively, trustfully and systematically. The system you personally choose may be to follow one book from start to finish.  Let me suggest the first book to read is the gospel of John, the fourth book of the New Testament.  After that my suggestion will be to read the four gospels:  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John again.  You will want to maintain a system in order to understand how God is dealing with you in your life.  What will probably surprise you is that you will begin to hunger to do more than just read. You will want to discover more of God's truth.  That will involve study, meditation and memorization. Study means to inquire. Study involves us becoming more Christ-like in our lives.  Some simple things to remember about study is to ask the who, what, where, why, when and how questions. One more thing to learn about study is to use the acrostic SPECK.

One final thought about the Word.  I have found that memorizing God's Word has given me a great deal of confidence when dealing with life.  I would challenge you to begin to memorize God's Word.

At the end of this study we have provided you with all the scriptures in this booklet so you can have them as a ready reference.

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FELLOWSHIP

I believe that all people were created for fellowship with others.  There may be such a thing as a loner in our world, and all of us from time to time need some space, but we are created in the image of God and that means we will long for fellowship.  Fellowship is about relationship with other people and with God.

In I John 1:3,7 we read:  "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the father and with His son Jesus Christ.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin."

Fellowship may be advanced by certain spiritual disciplines but God specifically wants you and I to enjoy the "relationship" we have with Him. He desires our fellowship and wants to enjoy our relationship as much as He wants us to enjoy it.  Notice that the key to having fellowship with God and one another is to "walk in the light" Light is so powerful that wherever it is, darkness disappears.  Sin is always described in the Bible as darkness.  Sin disappears where there is light. In the New Testament we are encouraged to know each other closely and intimately enough to bear one another's burdens, confess faults one to another, rebuke, exhort and admonish one another, minister to one another with the Word and through song and prayer, and then come to comprehend with all the saints, as Paul puts it, what is the breadth, and length, and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.  (Ephesians 3:18-19)

One of the important things about fellowship is to attend church.  Here at Open Bible Christian Center we have service times to accommodate most schedules. Changing work schedules are usually not a problem with the multiple options we offer.  Our goal is to make it possible for you to be in the house of God, with God's people each week. The Bible is clear in Hebrews 10:24-25

"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

This verse describes that it is a command of God to participate in a local church.  I know of no place in the world that affords the fellowship, caring, nurture and help that one can find in a local church.

We have now discussed the three initial steps necessary to ongoing growth in a new believer's life, (prayer, Bible reading and fellowship.) We will move forward to discuss three more issues that are important for a new believer to understand.  The first is "water baptism," the second is "pitfalls along the way," and the final one is "witnessing."

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WATER BAPTISM

There is available to everyone, an opportunity to be baptized, Let me cover some basics here so that you will become motivated to become baptized in water. (For a more thorough discussion of water baptism pick up a water baptism booklet at the information desk at the church)

Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, was himself baptized in water in Matthew 3:13-17.  Jesus now commands us to go and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 28:19.

Water baptism symbolizes three things:

1) that we have been cleansed from our sin by our confession of faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood;

2) that we are free from the consequences of sin according to Romans 6:4, "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life";

3) that we have already begun a new life in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus was baptized in water the Word of God says: "Jesus came up immediately from the water" which indicates that He was down under the water.  That is why we baptize by immersion.  We "bury" one under the water symbolic of death to sin, and raise them up symbolic of newness of life.

We encourage everyone who has gone the route of ABC (admit, believe, confess) to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in His example of water baptism.  Don Stamps says:  "water baptism involves a commitment to a lifelong practice of turning one's back on the world and all that is evil and pledging oneself to live a new life in the Spirit that reflects God's standards of righteousness."  We encourage you to be baptized in water at the earliest opportunity.

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PITFALLS ALONG THE WAY

One of the first things that will happen to you after you have admitted you are a sinner, believed on the power of Christ to save you from your sin, and confessed this with your mouth, is that you will be tempted to go back and sin.

James 1:13-15:  "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."

So we see that our flesh is at war with the spirit of God which now dwells in us.  We are taught this in I Corinthians 3:16  "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" In Romans 8:5-9a:  "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you."

Temptation is not sin.  It becomes sin only when we yield to the temptation and do what we have been tempted to do.  Jesus was tempted in Matthew 4. At every point of temptation He used the Word of God to defeat temptation. Our only hope in being victorious against temptation is to do likewise.  That is why we must memorize the Word of God, hide it in our heart and use it when temptation comes our way.

Another way to overcome temptation is to flee the situation we find ourselves in that is tempting us. In James 4:7 the Bible says:  "Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you." In I Corinthians 6:18:  "Flee sexual immorality." We must learn early that our flesh wants to sin.  We must avoid sin.

We also need to know that God intends for us not to sin again.  If we do sin, as soon as we recognize it we must practice I John 1:9 "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The Bible teaches us that we were made to be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  Christ is our attorney who will through His intercession argue our case before the Father.  Let's put to death, then, the deeds of our body, so we will live.

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WITNESSING

Now that the greatest event in the world has happened to us we are free to tell everyone we know.  To be a witness is to tell what one has seen or heard; you simply attest to it.  When any great event happens in your life you tell everyone you know.  When something bad happens we seek to hide it from others.  If you buy a new vehicle you show it to your friends and invite their congratulations.  When you get a speeding ticket with that vehicle you hope no one you know sees you stopped by the police along the road.  To have the burden of sin released from our life and to know Jesus Christ in a personal and intimate way is the most awesome thing to happen to anyone.  So the natural thing is to witness to others of what has occurred in our life.

We do this because the Bible commands us in 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." Since the greatest thing to ever happen has taken place we are to take the news worldwide.  When we go, we only need to tell what has happened to us.

Today is the day to start witnessing.  It is the right time to tell your closest friends what you have done.  Don't delay.  Go tell the good news.

Here's all you need to know.  ABC!  Remember the start of this little booklet.  Look back there now. You can point the way for anyone if you will just use that little treasure.  You can share what you did to receive Christ. Most important of all, point your friends to Jesus.

Back in 1964 I felt the burden of my own sin.  I was so convicted by the Holy Spirit of God about the wrong doing that I was involved in that I wanted out of the mess I was creating.  I understood what it meant to ask God to forgive my sin. I also understood that to repent meant to turn about face 180 degrees away from sin and move toward God.  On a quiet afternoon in Northglenn, Colorado I knelt down in the grass in the back yard of my folks' home and admitted my sin to God, believed on His Son Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord and confessed with my mouth. Life has been forever different for me.  Not only did I receive immediate forgiveness; I entered into a covenant with God that I belonged to Him and He to me.  I am extremely grateful for that moment in my life.  I have never been the same.  I really live now and enjoy it. Just recently I was in the home of a family I know.  Their six-year-old son was faced with fear and terror night after night.  I explained to him God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Right there in his bedroom with his parents and our children's pastor I led him in the sinner's prayer.  There is nothing more thrilling in all the earth.

Now you have taken this most important step.  The next best thing will be the privilege of getting to lead one of your friends or family members to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. May you find this adventure of life in Christ is the most exciting time you have ever had.  Let me pray over you right now.

Heavenly Father, right now in Jesus' name I hold up my friend who has read this important e-booklet.  I thank You for their life.  I thank You that Jesus' blood is still available to wipe out any and every sin.  I ask You to fill them with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You.  I pray You will open the eyes of their understanding so they will understand the hope of Your calling and the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints.  I pray that they will experience the greatness of Your power working in them.  I pray that they will be filled with the knowledge of Your will.  I pray that they might walk worthy of You Lord, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.  I pray You will strengthen them with all might according to your glorious power.  May they abound more and more in Your love.  May they learn to approve things that are excellent.  May they be filled with the fruits of righteousness.  May Your blessing rest upon them as they serve You and follow Your direction.  In Christ's name I pray. Let it be so.

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BOOKLET SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Romans 3:23 teaches: "that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

John 3:16 teaches this so clearly:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Romans 10:9-10:  "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation."

John 1:12:  "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

Romans 8:16:  "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

Ephesians 1:13-14:  "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

John 6:47:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."

I John 5:13  "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

II Corinthians 5:17:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

I John 1:9:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

I John 5:14-15:  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

John 1:1,14: "In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

Psalms 119:11 we are told:  “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Psalms 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

I John 1:3,7  "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the father and with His son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin."

Hebrews 10:24-25 "Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Romans 6:4  "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life"

James 1:13-15:  "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."

I Corinthians 3:16  "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

Romans 8:5-9a:  "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So the, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you."

James 4:7 "Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

I Corinthians 6:18:  "Flee sexual immorality."

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."

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How to Find Needed Encouragement

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