A Treatise on Salvation
Troy Roberts
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Copyright 2012
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How to Receive the Holy Spirit
What Did Jesus (and Peter) Say?
How Can We Know If We Receive the Holy Spirit?
I have witnessed to people and then wondered, “Why isn't anything happening? Didn't you say in Your Scriptures that Your Word would never return void?” Now most would probably call me pretty boring, but shouldn't have something I said resonated, even just a little bit?
Well, the Bible does give an answer, in the fact that some plant seed, someone else may come along and water the seed, then someone else entirely is there when the seed comes to fruition. Yet at the time, I couldn't help but wonder.
As I pondered, I believe the answer came to me. I don't know that God expressly spoke to me, but I was impressed with this thought. God's Word does not return void. Upon hearing, it always accomplishes one thing – it forces a person to make a decision in one of three ways. First, agreement. Second, disagreement. Third - 'I just don't know about this, I need to do some further study to find out if what is being put forth is Truth.'
I would advise anyone to study. There have been many, many Bible commentaries, books, study helps, articles, etc. written, which help explain the Scriptures. How does one weed out Truth in all he or she reads? Should I, or you be concerned when we use study helps or commentaries to help explain the Word of God? I mean, surely some of these have to include things that are just not true. They do. Every thing read has to be sifted against 'what thus saith the Lord.'
Get a good Bible concordance to search other Scriptures for the same word. Get a good Bible dictionary - you will find that sometimes the same word translated from the Greek or Hebrew may have a different meaning, but not always. Find out the context the particular speaker is speaking to – is he speaking to a sinner, or to the Church? Use the references found in most Bibles that will take you to a similar Scripture that pertains to the same one you are reading. Above all -
II Timothy 2:15 - “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.” John Knox, 16th Century Theologian
All Scriptural References are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
What is salvation? What does it mean to 'be saved'? Is salvation necessary?
To the Christian, salvation is the state of being saved or being accepted by Jesus Christ as one of His. We are saved, after death, from the everlasting specter of Hell and all the torments that entails; we are saved to the Kingdom of God and an everlasting life with Him, and all the joy that entails. So, to answer the question abut the necessity of salvation, it is necessary to those who choose the Kingdom of God as their final destination.
If we are to 'be saved', what are we to be saved from? How are we to be saved? How do we know if we are saved? Is the act of being saved a one-time thing? Does it continue?
Consider the following Scriptures.
Psalms 51:5 - “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”
Romans 3:23 - “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
I Corinthians 6:9 - “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God...”
The word 'Christian' denotes those who are followers of Christ or are 'Christ-like'. With this in mind, the Zondervan Compact Bible Dictionary defines 'sin' as – “anything in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the holy character of the Creator.” So it is determined that if we are Christ-like, we should be free of sin. But there is more than just the absence of sin that is necessary, we also must be filled with the Spirit of Christ. Consider the following Scriptures.
Ezekiel 36:27 - “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to to walk in My statutes...”
John 3:5 - “ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Romans 8:9 - “...Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
Note that in the above Scriptures, the 'S' in the word 'Spirit' is capitalized, denoting God's Spirit. Ezekiel prophesied of a day that God would put His Spirit within us. And it is evident that without His Spirit, we cannot be saved.
All this seems to do is invite more and more questions. What exactly is God's Spirit? How do we get it?
To define what God's Spirit is requires looking at the Godhead. There are two prevailing thoughts. The first is the Trinitarian point of view, that presents the Holy Spirit (also known as the Holy Ghost) as a third person in a co-equal relationship with two other persons, God the Father and God the Son. The other is the Oneness point of view, that states that there is only one God, and Jesus personifies that God. I subscribe to the latter view.
I admit that I was raised on the latter view, so I decided to see what Trinitarian proponents had to say about the doctrine of Trinitarianism. I went to the local library and did some research. What I found was interesting.
I looked up the Trinity in The New Catholic Encyclolpedia (1967).
“The Trinitarian dogma is in the last analysis a late 4th -century invention...The formulation 'one God in three Persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century.”
The Encyclopedia quotes a Catholic seminary theologian who said he gets asked all the time by students - “How does one preach the Trinity?” He goes on to say that perhaps one shouldn't preach it at all, as it is not Word of God, but a post-Biblical theological elaboration.
There are others who also agree that Trinitarian doctrine was a fourth century doctrine, established around 325AD at the Council of Nicea.
Dale Moody, a theologian, author of The Word of Truth (1981), postulates the same thing. In fact, he says that a New Testament theology of the Trinity cannot be found in the Old Testament, and is at odds because of the fact that the Hebrew faith is definitely based on one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”
There are many other sources that state that Trinitarian thought began at the Council of Nicea.
It is evident then, that Trinitarian thought is post-Biblical. Mr. Moody, although he states a problem with that, goes on to defend it. He asks later that shouldn't we look at history, reasoning, and other things to help define the Gospel? He asks if revelation is not ongoing, learning more and more through a period of time? While I think that we can learn more and more as we study the Gospel, I don't think we can bring simple human history and human reasoning into the equation. Paul addresses this in his letter to the Colossians.
Colosians 2:8-9 -”Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
I have personally thought that one of the reasons people follow Trinitarian theology is the fact that human reasoning has a hard time conceiving of what a truly incarnate being is – both fully God and fully man at the very same time. Paul made mention of this. The following is from The Message - The Bible in Contemporary Language written by Eugene H. Peterson.
I Timothy 3:16 - “ This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body...”
The person Jesus was fully God and man at the very same time. As a man He suffered, He thirsted, He was hungry. He was fully tempted in every way that any human being has been tempted. As fully God at the very same time, He was also without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
Many have asked me, “Well what about where Jesus prayed to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane? Doesn't this prove that they are separate persons, or why else would one pray to the other?” My answer is this – Jesus was fully man. A 33 year old human being of sound mind does not want to die. The human side of Him agonized over this, yet He yielded to the Spirit of God that also resided within Himself. To me, this is an excellent example of what an incarnate being is.
A second point is, that if both are co-equal persons, one would have to subjugate himself to the other if he was to pray to the other. That would negate the co-equal equation.
Isaiah 9:6 -”For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given...and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 1:18 - “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Colosians 1:15 -”He is the image of the invisible God...”
All through the Old Testament, from the beginning of time, no one had seen God. When Jesus was born, now you could see Him, because while He was human, He was also fully God at the same time. In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus continuously asserts that He and the Father are the same.
John 14:9 - “...He who hath seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, Show us the Father?”
What about Scriptures such as found in Romans 1:7?
“...Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
David Bernard has this to say in his book The Message of Romans (1987).
“The greeting here is typical of Paul's epistles. It is not a reference to trinitarianism; if it were, one question that needs an answer is, Why does it omit the Holy Spirit? Rather, the greeting emphasizes the necessity of not only acknowledging God as Creator and Father (which the Jews and many pagans did) but also acknowledging God's revelation in Christ...
“The definite article (“the”) does not appear in Greek before “Lord Jesus Christ...” The Greek conjunction used is kai which can mean “even” as well as “and,”...”
There are many passages in the Bible that one might think lead to a trinitarian theology. Yet, the definitive answer, I believe, is found in Acts 4:10-12.
“let it be known to you all...that by the name of Jesus Christ...Nor is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men by which me must be saved.”
And -
Colossians 3:17 - “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of Jesus...”
In Mark, chapter 3, after the lame man was brought before Jesus, He told the man , “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Verse 5) Some of the scribes sitting there were outraged, because they knew that only God could forgive sin, yet Jesus had told the lame man his sins were forgiven. Jesus answered, basically, well if I have the power only God has to heal a body, then shouldn't that same power be able to forgive sin?
Scripture everywhere points to the oneness of God, the culmination being the scripture found in Colossians 2:9:
“For in Him (Christ Jesus) dwells all fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
When you've seen Jesus Christ, you have seen all that one will ever physically see of God. And Scripture makes it plain that we must recognize this to be saved.
John 14:6 - “Jesus said unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
II Corintihians 5:18-19 - “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ...”
Well, one might ask, what does all this have to do with salvation? We move on.
We see that the Father and Son are the same thing, so what about the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit?
John 14:26 - “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all things...”
John16:7, 13- “...for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you...However when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth...”
We see that when Jesus leaves the earth He has promised to send a Helper (some translations use the word Comforter) back to lead and guide in all truth. The fact that the Helper is given the pronoun 'He' has caused some to believe the Holy Ghost is a third person in the Godhead. However, Jesus clears that up when he says in verse 13 that 'He' is the Spirit of truth. A spirit is not a person. Note that again Spirit is capitalized, denoting God's Spirit. So now we see that the Holy Spirit is simply Gods' Spirit that He is sending to the saints to lead and guide them in all truths.
Again, in the Old Testament no one had seen God, the Father, the Creator, as He was Spirit. When Jesus was born, God could now be physically seen, a new manifestation. After Jesus went back to heaven, He sent His selfsame Spirit back to lead and guide us into all truth. Before His ascension, no one had been filled with God's Spirit. Now, His Spirit could dwell within a mortal being, a new and different manifestation of His Spirit.
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...”
So we see that we are to receive the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost. And again:
Romans 8:9 - “...Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
John 3:5 - “ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
How to Receive the Holy Spirit
It is pretty clear that we must have God's Spirit within us to be saved. How do we go about getting this Spirit within us?
First, we sometimes hear some say that all you have to do is accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and that's all there is to it. I want to highlight a Scripture that might put a little kink in that theology.
John 15:16 - “You did not choose Me, but I chose you...”
So if God is doing the choosing, we might as well subscribe to the Calvinist theory of predestination, that we are predestined from our birth to heaven or hell. Right? Uh, no. Just because God is doing the choosing doesn't mean that all of us don't have a chance. We all have a chance. But there are some things God is looking for that determines whether He chooses us or not. I believe it hinges on our obedience to the Gospel, but we will discuss that later.
Let's look at another verse of Scripture.
John 3:16 - “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.”
Simple and to the point. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you're saved. But wait a minute. What about these Scriptures.
Mark 16:16 - “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
James 2:19 - “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the devils believe -and tremble!”
Now we see in Mark that something else has been added to the believing part to be saved. And in James, he says even the devils believe. I don't know of any saved devils, do you? So evidently there is more than just believing involved. Does that negate John 3:16? No, because believing is part of the deal. Obviously if you don't believe Jesus is God, then are you going to go any further? In witnessing to someone about Mark 16:16, the person said to me, “Well it doesn't say if he doesn't believe and is not baptized, he is condemned.” My reply, “Well why in the world would anyone be baptized if they don't believe?”
Then, others turn to the Roman Road Scripture.
Romans 10:9 - “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that Jesus has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
All of a sudden, we see something different from John 3:16. Now you don't have to just believe, you have to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (NIV translation) and then believe that He has been raised from the dead to be saved. I think if you will study further you will find that this is only part of the whole truth also. If Jesus is your Lord, doesn't that mean He is also your master? For one to truly be your master, wouldn't you have to obey him?
Incidentally, Roman's 10:9 is sometimes called the Roman Road Scripture because it is found in the book of Romans. I have had numerous people tell me that we're all on our way to heaven, we're just going by different roads. I don't think the Bible agrees with that.
Luke 13:24 – “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”
This Scripture does not suggest a lot of different roads or gates to me. Another translation says that there are few that find the straight gate, so a thought that occurs to me is, if one is on a road with the majority of the world, one might want to look a little bit harder. I wish the whole world could be saved, but the Bible definitely says that is not going to happen. Whether you are on one road, and I am on a different road, the fact remains that only one of them is the right road. It us up to us to search the Scriptures for the right way.
Let's get back on track and go back to the topic of receiving the Holy Spirit. Is there a Scripture anywhere in the Bible that tells us if we do thus and such, we will receive the Holy Spirit inside? Let's first look at some Scriptures found in the book of Luke.
Luke 24:45-49 - “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said unto them 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the 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 to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are the witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.'”
Jesus often spoke in parables, but here He tells the disciples with Him exactly what the Scriptures are leading up to. First He tells them He had to die and arise on the third day to fulfill Scripture. Then He goes on to tell them what is coming next. They are to go and wait at Jerusalem, and He is going to send the Promise (the Holy Spirit) to them, and they will be endued with power from on high. Starting at Jerusalem, and then going into all nations, they are to preach repentance and remission of sins in His name (Jesus).
Let's fast forward to the book of Acts and see what's going on in Jerusalem.
Acts 2:1-4 - “When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
The Holy Ghost has finally arrived as promised! And what a spectacle. The sound of rushing wind, tongues of fire on each, and everyone speaking in a tongue that was unknown to them.
This phenomenon caused great confusion to others who were near the disciples. “What's going on? I know they're Galileans, and yet we hear them speaking of the wonderful works of God in languages from Rome to Libya, and all places in between.” One wag made the comment, “Oh, they're just drunk.”
Peter, to whom Jesus had given the Keys to the Kingdom, stood up and began to preach. “It's only nine o'clock in the morning. These people aren't drunk like you suppose they are.” He goes on to explain that what is happening had been prophesied many times by prophets of old. Scripture was being fulfilled. He leads them up to the point where he tells them that the man Jesus, whom they had crucified, was truly Lord and Christ. They realize what they have done and are convicted over it.
Acts 2:37 - Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethern, what shall we do?”
Peter gives them the answer in the next verses.
Acts 2:38-39, 41 - “Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.'”
I have heard this Scripture explained away several different ways. One told me this was Peter's theology. Some have said this was just for the original church in Acts, regardless of what verse 39 says.
But the single most explanation against this Scripture (even though it is in the Bible), is that this is salvation by 'works', and everyone knows we are saved by grace through faith and not by our works, lest any man boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9). So that means we just have to throw Acts 2:38 out the window; Peter must have been having a bad day when he spoke those words. I think not!!!
We know what grace is, the unmerited favor of God. We are saved by God even though we are not worthy to be saved. We access that grace by faith. Let's find a definition of 'faith'. The following is found in the Zondervan Compact Bible Dictionary.
“...Faith is not to be confused with a mere intellectual assent to the doctrinal teachings of Christianity, though that is obviously necessary. It includes a radical and total commitment to Him as the Lord of one's life.”
If Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, aren't we going to be obedient to His commandments? With this definition in mind, can't we now see that repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus as Peter preached is the culmination of faith, as it pertains to being obedient to the commands of Jesus (He did say the same thing Peter did back in the book of Luke, didn't He?) To preach repentance? To preach remission of sins? Didn't Jesus say all this was to start at Jerusalem, and then be carried to the entire world?
I think we need to understand what the term 'works' means. I believe it has two meanings. One is 'good works' that someone does such as feeding the hungry, taking care of the needy, attending to the sick, etc. These are good things, but all the 'good works' in the world have never saved anyone. I do believe that good works may be the result of salvation, as one's heart and mind is changed after salvation. But they are never the cause of salvation.
The other definition of 'works' pertains to the obedience to the Gospel or to God's commandments. James spoke of these works.
James 2:17-19 - “That also faith by itself, if it doth not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James goes on to give two examples of faith by works. He speaks of Abraham, who had faith in God. He proved his faith in God by obeying God when He told him to take his son Issac and offer him on an altar as a sacrifice. James goes on to tell of Rahab. In Joshua's day, he sent spies to Jericho. When the spies arrived, Rahab, a dweller in Jericho, believed their story. But if that was all she had done, the story might end there. She took action and sent the spies out another way so they would not get caught. Mathew 1:5 lists her as being in the lineage of the Messiah.
I believe another example is of the patriarch, Noah. Noah had faith that what God was telling him was truth, but if he hadn't taken action and built the Ark he would have been drowned along with everyone else. This wasn't 'good works' Noah accomplished, but simply action taken as a result of his faith in God.
So finally, some have even said that act of obedience itself is 'works', so has no consequence in the salvation process. I offer this Scripture found in Acts.
Acts 5:32 - “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
That pretty much sums it up for me. If we have to have God's Spirit residing within us to be saved, we have to be obedient to Him and His commandments to receive that Spirit.
Incidentally, I was once talking to a person about these very things. He told me that when he would do something he knew was wrong, he would try to do more. He would try to attend church more. He would maybe try to give more. He would get more involved with extracurricular Church activities. In other words, he was trying to do something extra to get back in God's good graces. God addressed this very thing in the Old Testament.
In I Samuel, chapter 15, King Saul was told by God to go to Ai and slay everything there, man and beast. He didn't do it. He saved the king of Ai and some of the others, and only destroyed the animals he thought was worthless. After Samuel confronts him, Saul tries to justify what he did in verse 21 by saying the people kept the plunder and choice animals to use as a sacrifice to God. I mean, God had set up the Old Covenant, which absolutely did say that animal sacrifices were to be used. Right? Samuel answers in verse 22.
I Samuel 15:22 - “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice.”
While the New Covenant does away with animal sacrifice, there are still sacrifice we have to make today. We all have to give of our time, money, etc.; but no sacrifice will ever transcend simple obedience to God's Word.
What Did Jesus (and Peter) Say?
The first thing they said in in Luke and in Acts was to repent. What is repentance? Is it being sorry we got caught doing something wrong? Zondervan Compact Bible Dictionary gives the following definition.
“Repentance, that divinely wrought conviction of sin in the heart that the soul is guilty before God, and a resolute turning away from sin in which the sinner identifies himself with the gracious act of God in redeeming him. Repentance involves both a change of mind about sin, and a change of heart-attitude toward sin...Repentance is necessary to salvation.”
Let's look at some Scriptures on repentance.
II Corinthians 7:10 - “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation...”
Mark 13:3 - “...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Acts 3:19 - “Repent ye therefore...”
Acts 17:30 - “...now commandeth all men every where to repent.”
Luke 5:32 - “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
II Peter 3:9 – The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
It seems to me that God has put a priority on repentance. Not just saying, “I'm sorry,” but turning to a new way of life.
The second part of Acts 2:38 speaks of the commandment to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. A lot of religions teach that baptism is not necessary, but is good in that when one gets baptized, he or she is confirming their alliance with salvation. The question always asked is when witnessing of the necessity of baptism is, “Well what if someone has repented and is on their way to get baptized and they get killed in a car wreck on the way? Are you telling me they won't be saved?” I personally believe that if one has truly repented, he will have opportunity for baptism. But – he or she must be baptized at some point for salvation to take place.
What does the Bible say?
John 3:5 - “...Except a man be born again of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Many who deny the absolute necessity of being baptized have tried to equate being born of the water with natural physical childbirth. Why, then, would Jesus use the word 'except' and 'again' if one of the things He said was necessary had already taken place? Let's look at some other Scriptures.
Mark 16:16 - “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved...”
Romans 6:4-5 - “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death...For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
This last Scripture says to me that if we want to be resurrected with Christ, we have to be symbolically buried with him through baptism. I want to be resurrected.
A final Scripture that I want to use is found in I Peter 3:20-21. I am using The Message translation.
“Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then...saved from the water by the water. The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus' resurrection before God with a clear conscience.”
Whatever else, baptism is commanded in Acts 2:38. Numerous passages of Scripture show that new converts were baptized.
So in my mind, baptism is necessary. If so, does it matter what is said over us in baptism? I believe it does.
Matthew 28:18-19 - “And 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, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
It seems pretty straightforward until you study the Bible and find that never, not one time, were the titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost spoken over someone being baptized. Every time someone in the Bible was baptized, and the words spoken were given, it was in the name of Jesus. Does it matter? God has set up a way to be saved. He chose to give Himself a name, Jesus, when He was born of woman. To make sure that we understand that Jesus was fully God, we find the statement in Colossians 3:17:
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
And elsewhere we have already read that Jesus said no one would come to the Father except they go through Him (Jesus).
If you agree with Colossians 2:9 that all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ Jesus, the commandment in Matthew 28:19 is not at odds with the rest of the Bible. Jesus is the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Earlier in this study, I referenced The New Catholic Encyclopedia. They mentioned that in Apostolic days, baptism was in the name of Jesus.
Dale Moody, in The Word of Truth, surmises that the baptismal formula – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – may have began to be used after the establishment of the Church when some started doing tri-fold immersions. He too agrees that Apostolic baptism was in the name of Jesus.
Does it matter? Or are we, as the old saying goes, straining at gnats?
In II Kings, chapter 5 we find the story of a Syrian captain, Naaman, who had leprosy. A Hebrew servant girl led him to seek out Elisha to be healed of leprosy. Elisha told him to go dip seven times in the Jordan River and he would be healed. Naaman was wroth, “Aren't there better rivers in Damascus?” Those with him made him see the light, “If Elisha had asked you to do some great thing, wouldn't you do it?”
Naaman dipped seven times in the Jordan River and was healed. I believe if he had only dipped six times, the leprosy would have remained. Naaman wasn't asked to do some great thing, he was only asked to obey.
That's all Acts 2:38 is asking, to obey. Baptism becomes optional to those who don't believe that obedience to God's commandments is necessary to be saved. God is not asking you to make some great sacrifice, to give untold riches; He simplys says, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and you shall be saved.” That's a promise, in case you didn't realize that.
And then, unerringly, comes the other question to anyone who has ever tried to teach the necessity of water baptism. “What about the thief on the cross? Jesus said he was saved, and he was on the cross when Jesus told him that. He was never baptized, why do I have to be baptized?”
My answer, when I was younger, was that God is sovereign, and as such, can do whatever He wants. But I don't believe that is necessarily the answer to this.
Growing up, I had always thought the word 'testament' in the Old or New Testament meant testimony. The Old Testament was all about God's dealings with Israel, and the New Testament was all about God's dealings with the Jews and Gentiles after His birth. I was sadly mistaken. The word 'testament' means covenant. The Old Testament was God's Covenant with the Jews, and the New Testament is His Covenant with His Church. Let's look at the word 'covenant' found in Webster's Online Dictionary.
“A signed written agreement between two or more parties...”
“(Bible) an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return.”
“The promises of God as revealed in the Scriptures, conditioned on certain terms on the part of man, as obedience, repentance, faith, etc.”
I believe the Old Testament (Covenant) and the New Testament (Covenant) can both be summed up as this - we obey Him, He saves us.
I was somewhat astonished to see Webster's Online Dictionary give the last two definitions. Even the writers of the dictionary are able to see that the Covenants hinged upon response and obedience to the commandments of God.
We know that there were differences in the the two covenants, the Old was obedience to God's commandments concerning animal sacrifices. The New is sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Old pointed to the New. Hebrews 10:4 says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin, but the Hebrews were being obedient by doing what God told them to do. The blood of Jesus Christ can take away sin, and by being obedient in doing what they were told to do, the Hebrews were made partakers of salvation when Jesus died on the cross.
When did the Old Covenant end and New Covenant begin? Hebrews 10:16 gives the answer.
“For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”
Verses 18-28 detail that both Covenants were dedicated with blood. The Old with animal blood, the New with Christ's blood.
Most everyone has heard the phrase 'last will and testament;' a written statement read after the death of a person detailing what he or she wants done. The 'last will and testament' has no meaning or authority as long as the person is still alive, it is only valid after their death. The Old Testament ended and the New Testament started the moment Jesus died on the cross. The veil in the Hebrew temple was rent in twain, signifying that never again did anyone need a human as a go-between between man and God. Each person now has actual access personally.
So if the thief on the cross was granted salvation by Jesus while He was still alive, the Old Covenant was still in effect. The Old Covenant did not stipulate baptism as necessary; the New Covenant does.
How Can We Know If We Receive The Holy Spirit?
Is there any way we can positively know if we have received the Holy Spirit? Let's look at some Bible examples where some received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:2-4 - “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind...Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Here we hear a rushing mighty wind, see tongues of fire, and hear speaking in other (unknown) tongues.
Acts 8:18 -”And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,”
The Bible does not say how Simon knew that those assembled had received the Holy Spirit, but it is evident something happened to make him believe it. They had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but had not received the Holy Spirit yet.
Acts 10:44-48 - “While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished...because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
How did the Jewish believers who had gone down to Cornelius' house know that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles? They heard them speak with tongues. I think it is also significant to note that they were baptized immediately after in the name of the Lord.
Acts 19:1-6 - “Paul...finding some disciples...said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were ye baptized?” So they said, “Into John's baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And...the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
Paul happened upon some of John's disciples. It was evident that they believed what John had told them. So if simple believing was enough, they were good to go. But notice, after they heard what Paul had to say, they were re-baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And, as we have noticed from other above Scriptures, they also spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit fell upon them.
If speaking in tongues happened in Apostolic days, why in the world are so many willing to abandon them now, and why is there such a hue and cry against them? I've even read that some say tongues are of the devil. And I do believe that the devil will use tongues at times to cause confusion. But that does not discount what was going on with the Apostles. Several instances show that when the Holy Spirit fell, those receiving the Holy Spirit spoke with tongues.
Again, many say that was for the Apostolic church age, and they give a couple of Scriptures to give credence to what they say.
I Corinthians 14:12-15 - “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.”
First of all, note whom Paul is speaking to – the Church at Corinth, saved persons. Evidently some have been wanting spiritual gifts, which Paul says are a good thing to want to obtain. Such is the gift of tongues. If there is not an interpreter, it does the Church no good for one to just continually speak in tongues, one must also speak in a language that the local congregation can understand for good to come. Paul says for one or two to speak in tongues in a meeting, but if there is no interpreter, to keep silent (verse 28). But he also says 'do not forbid to speak with tongues' in verse 39.
Paul is not addressing the tongues the come with the infilling of the Holy Spirit, but by the gift of tongues, one of the spiritual gifts given to the Church in I Corinthians 12:10. They, in one sense are not different, in that both come from God (as the Spirit gives utterance).
It is true that all do not have the gift of tongues. I don't have the gift of tongues, but I did speak with tongues when I received the Holy Spirit. They are not learned tongues, only tongues given as the Spirit gives the utterance. But I do not have the gift of tongues, where one is used over and over to speak with tongues.
The other verse usually given against tongues today is also found in I Corinthians.
I Corinthians 13:8, 10- “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away...But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with.”
First of all, there are those who take the phrase 'when that which is perfect is come' out of context. They make the assumption here that when Jesus first came to the earth, all the other (prophecy, knowledge, tongues) became null and void. But look who Paul is speaking to, a post-Cross church at Corinth. What he is talking about is in the future, when Jesus comes back to the earth. There will be no need for knowledge, tongues, or prophecy. All will be complete in the presence of Jesus.
And to those who quote this Scripture to point out that tongues have ceased, I ask the questions. “Has knowledge ceased? Have prophecies ceased?” We are continually learning new things. Biblical prophecies are still being fulfilled today. Some are yet to come. So I don't think tongues have ceased either.
Before we get to the above question, let's look at the following.
Romans 6:1, 2 - “...shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!...”
Romans 6:15 - “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
It's pretty clear that we are not to continue in sin. Look at this verse.
I John 3:6, 8 - “...Whoever abides in Him does not sin...He who sins is of the devil...”
I remember reading this last verse and getting very scared...My thoughts and actions are not always what they are supposed to be. Are our attitudes always right? Do we say things we regret or do things we regret later?
One day I came across the following Scripture. Note that John is speaking to the Church.
I John 2:1 - “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin... And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Something just didn't seem right. I John 3:6 says that if we are in Christ Jesus we do not sin. Yet, in chapter 2, John says if we do sin, we have a Lawyer on our behalf. These two Scriptures seem to contradict one another. Then one day I happened to read Loretta and David Bernard's book, In Search of Holiness. It explained that in the original language of the Bible, there were actually two different words that English scholars interpreted 'sin', The one in I John 3 means to 'practice sin.' The one in I John 2 just simple means 'to sin.” So while we are not to practice sin, if we do sin and confess our sin, we can be forgiven.
Persons who believe that salvation cannot be lost usually quote the Scripture found in Romans.
Romans 8:38 - “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Nothing will separate us from God loving us. Didn't the Bible also say they God loved us while we were yet sinners? He will never quit loving us. He loves everyone...that doesn't mean everyone will be saved.
And, another thought is, that while nothing can stop God from loving us, we can turn away from Him. Remember the Covenant? Our salvation is dependent upon our obedience to Him.
Romans 11:21 - “For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”
Paul is speaking to Christians at Rome. He tells them that if they don't continue in the Gospel, they also can be cut off just like those of the Old Covenant were at times. One other Scripture I found in Hebrews tends to fall along these same lines.
Hebrews 10:29, 30 - “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace...The Lord will judge His people.”
This speaks to me of someone who has been saved (sanctified), and has gone astray from the Gospel.
So in conclusion, I do believe salvation can be lost. This doesn't have to happen though! All can be saved who simply obey what God tells us to do. After you are saved, repent and confess any sin you comit to God for forgiveness of that sin.
We've often heard the Scripture in Psalms 37:23 that “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” But what we don't usually hear is verse 24 - “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.” If you fall, ask forgiveness, get back up, get going on the right track again. God desires our relationship with us just as much, or more, than we desire a relationship with Him.
The Bible gives a reason for God infilling us with His Spirit.
II Corinthians 4:7-9 - “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed...”
I really hadn't noticed this Scripture until I happened to be reading a Bible that interpreted 'earthen vessels' as 'jars of clay.' Then I understood the imagery. If you knock a clay jar off a shelf, it is usually broken. Paul is saying we have this Spirit within us so that the world can see a difference in those in whom it resides. The Christian may be knocked down, persecuted, or perplexed, but he or she is not destroyed. God just reaches down, picks the 'clay jar' back up and puts it back on the shelf!
And finally, if one is in a covenant relationship with Jesus, the Bible tells us that the covenant was dedicated by His blood shed at Calvary. He or she may look the same to everyone else, but when God looks at that person, I believe (figuratively) that He looks through a veil of blood covering that person and declares, “That's one of Mine.”