The Baptism of Jesus.
One of the “gotcha” questions unbelievers like to throw at
Christians goes like this:
“If God is so loving and so powerful why didn’t He create a world
of perfect creatures who would freely choose never to sin and so avoid the mess
that we are in?”
At the end of this, I will give you what I think is the Biblical
answer and we will have seen something of the power and the love of God for us.
John 1:29
Matthew 3:11 – 17
Three great reversals.
1. All this happens for us.
Believe – Lamb of God etc. Reckoned as righteousness
Repent – Of not believing, for us. On our behalf by Jesus.
Be Baptized
Receive the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:37 – 39
This my beloved Son etc.
Like a New-born,
Well pleased
Does this apply to us?
Then come the good works which God has prepared for us. Eph. 2:10
Religion says
Do good works
To please God
He might love you
And then He might save you.
Gospel says
God saves you when you believe
He loves You
He is pleased with you by your faith in Jesus
Gen.15:6, Romans 4:3
Romans 4:20 - 25
Then come the good works. …That
we should walk in them. Eph. 2:10
Good works are a way of living. The proof
of an active faith is an act of faith. An act of faith is a life lived
in faith. It may or may not include miracles at any given time, but it will
include the supernatural at all times.
2. Baptism
Burial. Bath. Birth
Burial into death of Jesus Rom.6:3 ff
– washed in the Blood 1 John 1:7, 1
Peter 1:19
Bath – washed in water Eph.5:26, Heb.10:22
Birth and Holy Spirit.
The three witnesses of 1 John 5:7ff.
3. Old Creation. God creates
Heavens and earth and eventually man who messes up.
New Creation Man (Second Adam) fulfils all righteousness. Gets a
Bride who is made righteous.
Then God creates the new Heavens and earth.
Rev.21:1 -7
We maintain our belief through devotion to the Apostles’ teaching
Our repentance through devotion to the fellowship (Good
relationships with God and Man)
Our Baptism in Communion/breaking of Bread
And our relationship with the HS through prayer.
Acts 2:42
Then we begin to see the miracles, the radical giving, the restored
families, the praise and favour and the growth.
Acts 2:43 – 47
And the answer to the unbeliever’s question?
We now have a perfect people who will freely choose not to sin in a
new creation.
© G. Ian Goodson 16.02.2019/28.02 2019
