What The Bible Says – Sprinkling, Pouring or Immersion

What the Bible Says …..

Sprinkling, Pouring or Immersion?

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” Mark 16:15.

Paul through the Holy Spirit wrote that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). The religious world today promotes several types of baptism. Which baptism is THE baptism Paul described?

The Bible clearly states that baptism involved water. John baptized in Aenon because there was much water (John 3:2). When Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:16), He came straight up out of the water. When Philip taught the official from Egypt, the official said, “Here is water. What is to keep me from being baptized?” (Acts 8: 37). After the baptism, they both came up out of the water (Acts 8:39).

The Bible clearly states that baptism is a burial. Paul declares, “We are buried with him by baptism” (Romans 6:4). He repeats this fact in Colossians 2:12 when he writes that we are to be buried with Christ.  Our sinful selves must be buried with Him, encountering His blood (Revelation 1:5) and having our sins removed (Acts 22:16). The Greek word for ‘baptism’ is ‘baptizo’ which means immersion.

Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey (Hebrews 5:9). Who do you trust for your eternal salvation–Jesus or religious leaders who have changed the meaning of baptism hundreds of years after Jesus’ life?

At Brown Trail church of Christ, we strive to do Bible things in Bible ways. If God said baptism was a burial, then that settles it! Please feel free to contact any of our elders and deacons if you have a question about baptism, or your salvation.

What The Bible Says – About Baptism

What the Bible Says…..

About Baptism

“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”2 Tim. 1:10.

Since Jesus took away the keys of sin and death from Satan (Revelation 1:18), a person can be reconciled and saved to God through the death and life of Jesus (Romans 5:10).  Reconciliation and salvation are there for those who obey.

In Romans 6:3-6, 17-18 we can read of the gospel message, which teaches us how to obtain salvation.  The Bible teaches here that baptism is a burial with Christ, which crucifies our old man of sin with him and then once baptized one arises a new creature in Christ!  What a blessed message!  We in our sins, sins that have separated us from God, can have our sins washed away (Acts 2:38) when we come in contact with the precious blood our of Savior in baptism (Revelation 1:5).

Though there are many teachings on baptism today, only one teaching is authorized and from God.  That is: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned,” Mark 16:15.  In John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  In Acts 2:38, on the day of Pentecost Peter through the Spirit said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”

It is written “whereunto even baptism doth also now save us,” 1 Peter 3:21.  Please feel free to contact one of the members of the congregation here is you have any questions about the Biblical truths of baptism.

What The Bible Says – About Accepting Jesus

“What the Bible Says…”

About Accepting Jesus

“He that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me,” Luke 10:16.

Last week we discussed how the Father approved of Jesus’ message to mankind. The Father said, In Matthew 17:5, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Thus laying out His will for all humanity, being to hear, accept and obey His Son.

Jesus in John 7:28-29; John 8:42; 10:36; 17:8, 21 declared His divinity and declared He was an anointed messenger from the Father. Then He summed up His conversation on spiritual blindness by declaring in John 8:47 “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”

Salvation has been brought down and delivered unto man. However, not every man will be saved. The blood of Christ is powerful enough to save everyone. However, grace without acceptance and obedience on our part will not save! In 2 Thessalonians 1:8, God declared He would take vengeance upon them who know not and who obey not! To be saved, we must accept Jesus as our Savior for there is salvation in no other name, Acts 4:12. Not only are we to accept Him as our Savior, but we must also obey. According to Paul in Romans 1:5, Grace was given for obedience. Hebrews 5:9 teaches “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”

We must sincerely look into our lives today to see if we have accepted Jesus as commanded. Our soul and our destiny depend on this decision. Here at Brown Trail we know and understand we will stand before the great and eternal throne of God. We know we must be prepared to meet our Maker. Please, feel free to ask us, if you have any questions about your salvation.

The Amazing Grace of God – Part 2

The Amazing Grace of God – Part 2

For many years, we have heard false teachers proclaim there is nothing anyone can do to obtain salvation. However, when one studies the Bible, you can see a different proclamation. When Saul of Tarsus wanted to be made right with God. He asked Jesus, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Acts 9:6. “And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Jesus declared there was something for Saul to do. There was something for Saul to do to have his sins washed away, and the Lord had plans for him after his sins were remitted. What we should note here, is Jesus didn’t tell Saul there was nothing to do. Do we read where Jesus said something like, “Since you now acknowledge me as Lord there is nothing to do to have your sins remitted.” No! In obedience to the instruction given to him, Saul, was immersed in order for his sins to cleansed by the blood of Christ, (That is, by the grace of God.) Acts 22:16; 9:18. And that is exactly what he reported in Acts 22:16.

When are men saved by the grace of God? We are saved by the grace of God, only when our faith leads us as penitent believers to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins, Acts 2:37-38. Obeying the commands of Christ unto salvation, is not a salvation by meritorious works. Such is not “Water salvation,” or “Salvation by human merit” as some would claim. It is salvation by the grace of God. “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized,” Acts 2:40-41. There is no denying that salvation is impossible to obtain through meritorious works of the sinner. However, there is no denying that if we love Jesus we will obey Him, John 14:15, and “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” Philippians 2:12. So, there is clearly some sense in which we are required to act in regard in order to obtain salvation. The Bible is indeed clear; salvation is not by grace alone.

The Amazing Grace of God – Part One

If we taste salvation, it is by the grace of the Almighty God (Titus 2:11; Ephesians 2:8-9). But this statement does not mean that we are saved only by the grace of God without any works on the part of mankind. If by grace alone, then all men would be saved, yet, Jesus made it clear that “few” would be saved, Matthew 7:13-14.

While God offers salvation to mankind, this offer is not unconditional. He conditions that offer with the contingency that men by faith obey the requirements found in God’s holy writ. Though we are saved by the grace of God, without any meritorious works of our own, it is still the case that those who do the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven, Matt. 7:21-23. The Holy Spirit made this clear in Hebrews 5:8-9 when He taught Christ is the author of eternal salvation “unto all them that obey him.” He did not say, nor is it to be found, “I am saved by the grace of God, so there is nothing for one to do.”

The Bible is as clear as day to anyone who studies with any profit to their soul that no man can be saved without trusting the grace of God (Romans 5:8-9), but it is as obvious that one appropriates that grace through obedience to God’s words (Galatians 5:6; James 2:24-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

While there are those who may not like it, what they like or not doesn’t change what God has said on this topic. Since the Bible was written it has always taught that men are not saved by meritorious works, we are saved by the works that God demands, James 2:24. Though saying all this, one still must remember that salvation is a gift, and not a wage, Romans 6:23.