I think there are times in every Christian’s life when we ask ourselves that question, and if we haven’t, we most likely will at some time. We contract a serious illness. Our marriage falls apart. We lose a loved one. We strive to make an honest living only to find ourselves struggling to pay the bills. All of these are consequences of living in a sinful and fallen world. We may pray and pray for something we believe we desperately need, and God seems silent to our request. If you have felt this way, you should find comfort in knowing that you are in good company. Great men and women of the Bible struggled with the very same question.
Abraham was commanded to leave his homeland to go to an unknown land that God would give him. He makes it to Haran where he discovers he hasn’t gone far enough yet and he then loses his father. Abraham struggled with sin and frustration just like we all do. No doubt he was frustrated to find out that Ishmael wasn’t the promised child he had thought he was, and he probably wondered at times when God would keep His promises. Job lost his family, property, and health only to be lectured by his friends about how they thought it was his fault. All through the book bearing his name we see him struggle with the very question we are considering today. Elijah the prophet threw a pity party because he felt he was the only faithful man left in Israel. I could go on and on with examples from the Scriptures of faithful people who felt at times as if God had abandoned them to the wiles of the wicked world they lived in.
There are times when our human weaknesses will shine through even though we have the promises of a faithful God in His word. Should we have feelings like this? No, we shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean that in times of weakness we won’t. We are a weak and sinful people who will exhibit those traits in times of doubt and despair. The apostles went through times of discouragement even though they had been in the very presence of Jesus Himself. Now don’t get me wrong. Difficult times may come, but we cannot afford to sulk away our earthly existence questioning the love of God. We should constantly strive to faithfully overcome doubt and self-pity as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. So, here are a few things to consider when you find yourself asking, “Has God forgotten about me?”
1. Don’t ever give up on God. Remember His ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8), and what may seem like the worst of times may be exactly what God knows we need to prepare for what’s coming down the road. Don’t forget Romans 8:18&28!
2. Accept your spiritual limitations. Don’t become lazy or sluggish in your spiritual growth, but remember that you are not Jesus or the apostle Paul either. There will be tough times, but God and your fellow Christians are always there to see you through.
3. Stop thinking of God as your own personal sweet self-help guru. God shows no partiality. He loves us, and instead of simply making our life easy, He will allow us to go through tough times to develop into a deeper and richer relationship where we learn to lean on Him.
4. Try not to think only of yourself, but instead look at the big picture. Consider all those faithful souls who have had to suffer for the sake of God. Christ suffered for us on the cross. Moses suffered while dealing with the children of Israel. The apostles suffered. Their suffering helped fulfill God’s purposes. Sometimes we will suffer as well. Maybe our suffering is part of the bigger picture that we just do not understand. Have faith that it will all work out for the glory of God (Again, see Romans 8:18&28)!
5. Take time to make sure you are not creating your own pain. This is a big one for me. Many times I realize that my problems were brought on by my own sin or bad decisions. We often don’t realize the long term affects of the things we do or the decisions we make.
6. Never forget how much God loves you! When things get bad, remember He loves you! We know He does, because the Bible tells us so! Take some time to read Romans 8:31-39. Ed

What do you think of when you think of a king? Do you see the image of a valiant man wearing a shining crown sitting on a powerful steed riding through the gates of the city being cheered on by the crowd? Do you see a gallant seasoned warrior with shining armor and a sword that gleams in the sun? Do you think of a man who demands respect by his powerful demeanor and confident glare? Would you look at a man like that and say, “Now that is a leader, a man who demands respect by his very presence”?
What about a king who is humble in appearance and exhibits the traits of a servant instead of a master? Could you imagine a king who wears the clothing of the common man and rides through the gates of the city to his people on the back of a donkey? In a world that promotes power and respect based on one’s appearance and demanding presence, could you see the power of a king who is willing to wash the feet of the very ones that serve Him and live amongst them as they do? Could you respect a king who would often “hang out” or associate with some of the lowly outcasts and sinners of His kingdom in an effort to help them become better? Could you see the power in a king like that? Or would you have to say to yourself, “that man is no king, he is just like you and me, and he serves those who he rules over.”?
Jesus Christ is the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16). Paul declared the glory of Jesus when he wrote: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:15-17). Does that sound like the description of a king?
Christ is the most powerful king this world will ever see; yet He came in the form of a humble servant. Why? Why didn’t He come to earth on a fiery steed conquering all of His enemies by the power of His divine force? Why didn’t He come as the mighty heroic Messiah king that many of the Jews had expected? Why didn’t He come and crush the Roman Empire and make Jerusalem the center of the universe? Because Jesus did not come to destroy evil men or conquer their earthly kingdoms, instead He came to defeat the devil and the sin that caused the evil in men’s hearts. His power was displayed in His humility. His greatness was displayed in His compassionate love for people lost in a world of sin. His power came through the words that He spoke as He taught that God sought love, mercy, justice, and righteousness. He preached “repentance and remission of sins” (Luke 24:47). The Christ King defeated an enemy that no man or king of this earth could ever defeat!
The valiant warrior knight on his trusted steed might make for a good king in a Hollywood movie or in the minds of those who only see power in appearance, but Christ displayed His power in His ability to humbly submit to His Father in service to Him and to His fellow man. Paul stated that Jesus “being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8). Jesus washed His disciple’s feet as an example for all to follow. Christ wanted his disciples to be humble, meek, and obedient. He did not just demand it of His followers; He came to earth and lived as an example for them! The writer of Hebrews said, “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8,9). According to God, true power is found in those who can humbly and obediently serve God and their fellow man as their King Jesus did. Remember, meekness is having great power and behaving as if you do not! -Ed

The Word of God gives us everything we need to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17), but we need to always remember that it is all of God’s Word that does this and not just parts of it. The Psalmist stated an important principle when he said, “the sum of thy Word is truth” (Ps. 119:160 ASV). There is great danger involved in simply taking select passages from the Bible and forming a doctrine based on them alone. This is obviously why the Holy Spirit inspired passages like Psalm 119:160. We must understand the importance of studying everything the Bible has to say about any topic before we form conclusions on what God’s intentions are. Let’s explore the importance of understanding this Biblical principle and examine some of the dangers of ignoring it .
God has always been consistent in the way He has dealt with mankind. God sets forth guidelines, blueprints, or patterns for how He wants His will obeyed and accomplished. God gave Noah a specific pattern for building the ark. He gave Moses a specific pattern for how to build and furnish the tabernacle. It was Noah’s and Moses’ responsibility to insure they followed all of the pattern or guidelines to be pleasing to God. God has given us a pattern to follow today as well. We can see God’s will for the church all throughout the New Testament. We have direct commands in the New Testament, as well as the examples of the early church’s work and worship, to study. This is the pattern and blueprint God has given us for today. It is vital that we study all of what the New Testament says on any given subject because we learn from the specific commands as well as the examples of people living and obeying the commands. For example, in the book of Acts we see different commands given for becoming saved, but we also can study actual examples of people becoming saved to learn more about God’s will as well. It becomes dangerous when we only pick or choose a few select text to support our belief instead of studying them all.
Many in the religious world have developed false plans of salvations by ignoring what all the New Testament has to say about the matter. For example, millions of people teach one can simply say a sinner’s prayer or make a simple confession of faith to be saved. The proponents of this belief refer to Roman 10:9,10 to support the idea that belief and confession is all one must do to be saved. When we apply the principle of Psalm 119:160, and check the rest of the New Testament regarding God’s plan of salvation, we see that there is much more involved. The New Testament also teaches the need for hearing God’s Word (Rom. 1:16, Rom. 10:17), repenting of sins (Acts 2:36, Acts 17:30), and baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38). To leave important passages like these out and put all the emphasis on one passage like Romans 10:9,10 would do a great injustice to what the rest of God’s Word had to say on the matter. One would have to willingly ignore all of the examples of people being saved in books such as Acts where they did more than just what was stated in Romans 10:9,10.
I used the plan of salvation as an example in this article, but the principle applies to any topic from God’s Word. A sincere Bible student will study to see what all of God’s Word has to say about any and every topic they consider, because the sum of God’s Word is truth. -Ed

The holiday of New Years always inspires people to think of new beginnings. It inspires dreams of better times ahead, while trying to forget the bad things that have happened over the course of the last year. It’s a time when people consider change in their lives. It’s a mark on a man-made calendar that provides an excellent starting point for self-examination and correction. It comes around every year at the same time, and to many it represents a chance to start again and get things right. Unfortunately, it does not take long until reality sets in and we realize its back to business as usual. We encounter the same temptations, desires, problems, and monotonous life a few weeks after New Years that we did a few weeks before. It is still a day of hope for many, and that in its self is a good thing that has its benefits.
There was a day in history, however, that truly did mark a new beginning. This new beginning and new hope was not based on any resolution of man. This day was according to the divine plan of God (Eph. 1:4-9, take some time to read it). This was the day that God allowed His Son to die on the cross so that everyone would have true hope. Not a hope based on our self-will or ability, but instead on the hope we have from the one Man who did everything perfectly right. The cross of Christ was the new beginning the whole world needed, and it will continue to be until He returns in His glory.
Resolutions are a good thing. We should all strive to overcome bad habits, treat one another better, be better parents, better employees, and live healthier lives. But, many of us make these resolutions while looking to the wrong source for our strength to carry them out. We have to remember where the source of all the bad habits, strained relationships, and problems of life come from. Sin! Sin is at the root of every problem that every human being on this planet suffers from. We may be able to overcome the bad habits and problems at times, but the root of the problem is still always lurking in the background waiting to show its ugly face. New Years may serve as a source of inspiration to some, but to truly find the peace we need to deal with life’s problems we need to immerse ourselves in what the cross of Christ represents. Paul struggled with problems and issues just like we do, but he knew the power that could carry him through. He said, “I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13,14). “In Christ” is where the root of the problem is dealt with.
Christ defeated the sin problem. Christ went straight to the root of all the planet’s problems and struck a deathblow to sin and the wicked Devil who introduced it to the world. Jesus gave us all a chance at a real new beginning. Does this mean all our problems will cease? Does this mean we should not try to improve our lives and use opportunities like New Years to examine ourselves and do better? Obviously not, but it does mean that the source of our hope does not have to be ourselves or any other fallen man. When we die with Christ on that cross (Rom 6:3-11), we begin our new life with Him. With all our weaknesses and all our problems, we can now walk through this life knowing that we have been forgiven and say like Paul, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Because of what He did on the cross, we can enter into a relationship with Him where our imperfect lives will be represented by His perfect and obedient life. Christ did what Adam did not do. Christ did what none of us could ever do. When we enter “into Christ” we “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27) and gain access to everything that He did. Resolutions are good, but they will never make us what we truly need to be. If we are to be resolved to do anything great this New Year, let’s be resolved to stay “in Christ” where we can be what God has always wanted us to be from the beginning. -Ed

The Bible is God’s divine revelation to mankind, and every word of it is absolute truth. It amazes me how so many will try with all their might to compromise when it comes to direct statements in the Bible. The religious world has tried for two thousand years to find shades of gray in verses that can only be understood as black and white. Why does this happen? Unfortunately, most of mankind has never been satisfied with the simple truth. When this occurs man falls into the same trap that Eve did when tempted by the devil in Eden (Gen. 3:1-6). Man will twist the scripture (2 Pet. 3:16) to make it more comfortable, to make it more to their liking, or in order to conform to a manmade version of the truth. Only when men are willing to return to accepting the truth of God’s word without compromise, will they be able to be pleasing to the Lord. Let’s look at just a few examples of simple and straightforward verses from the Bible that state truths which men have tried for years to “add to” or “take from” (Deut. 4:2).
1. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). This verse seems simple enough to understand; yet man has striven to add to the meaning of the text in many different ways. The New Testament clearly teaches that our faith is developed from hearing and reading God’s word. Every example of conversion in the book of Acts began by God’s word being taught, preached, or read. Many today would have us believe that faith is infused into us by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit or is given to us by visions, dreams, or miraculous intervention. This did occur in the first century before the written word was completed, but these miraculous gifts of revelation were to cease at the New Testament’s completion (1 Cor. 13). Jude was able to speak of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Any doctrine that tells us our faith comes by any other means than hearing God’s word is a contradiction of this verse and an addition to the sacred Text.
2. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Again, we have another verse that seems clear and to the point, but many would even dare to take issue with this simple statement. Many in the Lord’s church today are labeled as intolerant, hateful, and legalistic for simply wanting to show their love for Christ in faithful obedience. Christians should strive to be as obedient to God’s word as much as humanly possible because of their love and reverence for the Lord, but many would claim obeying all of God’s commands can be unloving and violate the “spirit” of what Jesus taught. Obeying commands related to marriage and divorce, church discipline, or adhering strictly to His pattern for worship are seen as being too narrow-minded. Jesus did say, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Can we have it both ways and still be pleasing to God? Can we truly say we love Jesus while intentionally disregarding some of His commandments?
3. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). I actually asked a denominational preacher once if he was willing to change the words of Jesus and say, “He who believes and is not baptized will be saved?” He answered, “Well, you do not have to be baptized to be saved.” It truly is amazing the lengths some will go to in order to support a man-altered version of the gospel. Brethren, let’s always approach God’s word with a humble and submissive heart, and understand that trifling with the Truth will only compromise our souls. -Ed

We all have certain passages in the Bible that we hold dear to our hearts as a source of encouragement. I received a card of encouragement in the mail last week, as I often do, from Mrs. Wanda Kerr. As I opened the card, I found two of my favorite verses printed on the inside. It said, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5,6). I have always been fond of these verses, and after reading them in the card I spent some time thinking about all that is revealed in them. Let’s spend some time considering the great truths presented in this wonderful and encouraging text as we break it down into sections.
1. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” This short phrase embodies the very foundation of what our relationship with God should be. We cannot be saved without a trusting faith in God. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16), and Paul states that we are “justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1). A true Christian faith means absolute trust in the fact that God will keep the glorious promises He made in the Bible. God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2). Trusting in oneself, or the false beliefs and philosophies of the world, can be dangerous. But, If we trust in God, we can be assured of blessings in this life and the realized promise of eternity in heaven.
2. “And lean not on your own understanding.” Isn’t it a great relief to know that we do not have to lean on our own understanding to guide us through life and make it to heaven? I think anyone with a humble heart would admit that he doesn’t have all the answers to life’s questions. We can look back in history and see the depressing results of those who attempted to lean on their own understanding. One of the main reasons we tend to rely on ourselves is because of pride. We see this occur first in the beginning of history itself. Eve was deceived into believing she could be “like God” (Gen. 3:4). Another Proverb states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 16:25). Adam and Eve’s desire to lean on their “own understanding” was how death was introduced to the world. When we trust in God, we can lean on Him instead of the weaknesses we find in ourselves.
3. “In all your ways acknowledge Him.” This is how we show our trust in God. We acknowledge Him by believing in His powerful attributes. We obey and submit to Him in all our ways because we believe He is all powerful, all knowing, holy, and just. We acknowledge Him as the sovereign creator and sustainer of the entire universe (Gen. 1:1). We can trust in God because He is in total control of everything. We acknowledge God by being thankful for His saving grace and mercy, which is exhibited to us through His love.
4. “And He shall direct your paths.” When we trust and acknowledge God, we admit our weakness and submit to His guidance and direction. Jeremiah explained it perfectly when he said, “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). God will direct our paths through the guidance of His word. David said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Let us all trust and acknowledge God so He will direct our paths through life. Remember, God’s ways are greater than man’s ways. -Ed

When we study a topic as vital as baptism, we must consider how important it is for someone to truly understand the reason and purpose for the act of baptism itself. There is no saving power alone in the act of being immersed in water. There are conditions that must proceed and coincide with the act of immersion for the act to be considered a true and legitimate baptism in the eyes of God. I read a story once of a gospel preacher who baptized a man who’s wife was already a member of the Lord’s church. After the preacher brought the man up out of the water, the man looked over at his wife and said, “Are you happy now?” Obviously, a man with an attitude like that was not baptized at all, and accomplished nothing more than getting wet. For a person to be saved at the point of baptism, he must understand what exactly he is doing and what is being accomplished in the act. He also must fulfill the other conditions of salvation that correspond to the act of being immersed in water. Let’s consider the other conditions that must be present at baptism so we can see how the reason of baptism will be known, and the purpose of it will be fulfilled.
1. Before one can be baptized, he must have faith. Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Without faith it is impossible to be saved at the point of baptism. The writer of Hebrews stated that it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6). The first condition in God’s plan of salvation is to hear the Word (the gospel). Every example of someone being saved in the New Testament was preceeded by them hearing the word preached or taught. We know that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). One must have faith and understand that God will save him by the power of His Son’s death on the cross. It must be understood through faith that they are being added to His church, and their sins are being forgiven. Without faith, the act of immersion is useless. The sinner making the confession that he believes Jesus is the Son of God prior to being baptized exhibits this faith.
2. Before one can be baptized, he must repent. Peter told those present on Pentecost to “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Repentance is the act of changing one’s heart toward sin. It is brought about by the godly sorrow one feels from realizing his sinful behavior before God (2 Cor. 7:9). A person’s newfound faith in God, and the godly sorrow he feels, should drive him to leave his past sinful behavior behind. His old sins will be forgiven at the point of baptism. A person cannot expect to continue to live in the same sinful behavior after baptism as he did before it. This does not mean that the new Christian will not sin occasionally through weakness, but his attitude toward sin should be that he would avoid it at all cost. This is something that must be understood at the point of baptism.
3. If someone was baptized without having faith or truly repenting, should they be re-baptized? The truth is they were never truly baptized to begin with! It is impossible for someone to be saved at the point of baptism without having faith or repenting. As one preacher said, “they started out a dry devil and came up from the water a wet devil.” When one enters the waters of baptism in faith with a penitent attitude toward God, he can arise from the waters confident he is a saved child of God. -Ed

Salvation is by the grace of God and man cannot do anything to earn it, but God expects man to show his trust in God’s grace through an obedient working faith. Many today do not understand the concept of being saved by grace through faith. They falsely claim that any action on man’s part is considered a “work”, thus it is an attempt to earn their salvation. It is true, no works of merit, can earn one’s salvation. Works of merit, or works of the law, expect one to obey every command of God perfectly so that God owes or is indebted to man to give them salvation. But, God does expect man to obey certain conditions or commands given to prove their faith and trust in God’s gracious offer of salvation. These are works of God, or works of obedience, that in no way make God accountable to give man anything. They are simply the way that man proves his trust in God through an obedient faith. Remember, “faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:20), and “a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (Jam. 2:24). The key to understanding is to realize the difference between works of merit and works of obedience. Let’s look at some examples from the Bible of people accepting God’s grace through faithful obedience.
1. Noah and his family were saved by grace through faith. God was going to destroy all of mankind because of their wickedness, but the Bible says “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen. 6:8). If Noah were to be saved, it would be through the grace of God. God commanded Noah to build an ark for the saving of his family. If Noah had only believed God would save him, but would not build the ark as commanded, he would have been lost with the rest of mankind. His faithful trust in God drove him to obey. The Bible says, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” (Gen. 6:22). Listen to how the writer of Hebrews describes Noah’s salvation. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb. 11:7). Noah did not do anything to earn his salvation, but he did faithfully obey the conditions of God’s gracious offer of salvation. What Noah did by preparing the ark, was a work of faithful obedience, not a work of merit.
2. The city of Jericho was destroyed by grace through faith. As the children of Israel entered the promise land, their first obstacle would be the walled city of Jericho. God told Joshua, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand” (Josh. 6:2). God said this before they had conquered the city. God was telling Joshua that He was going to give the city to the Israelites through His grace. Now, could Israel have sat back and simply believed what God had said? Would their faith alone have been enough for the city to fall? No, they would have to faithfully obey God’s conditions for them to receive the free gift from God. God commanded them to march around the city and shout in a certain order and He would destroy the walls. Would the people’s obedience mean they earned the cities destruction? No, it simply meant they were showing their trust in God by faithfully obeying Him. The writer of Hebrews said, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Heb. 11:30). A further study of Hebrews chapter eleven will show how people accepted God’s gracious offers by faithfully obeying His conditions to show their complete trust in Him.
3. We are saved by grace through faith when we obey the plan of salvation. Many today will claim baptism is not essential to salvation because it is a work. Again, they confuse works of merit with works of obedient faith to God’s conditions. Like Noah building an ark, or the Israelites marching around Jericho, baptism is the condition we faithfully obey in the plan of salvation to show God we trust in Him to graciously forgive us of our sins. Salvation is an unmerited gift from God. Our Obedient faith is how we accept the gift. -Ed

We all know how important baptism is, but sometimes we do not consider just how many things happen when someone is baptized into Christ. It is the most important moment in a person’s life. Baptism is the final step and condition in the plan of salvation. It is the actual moment that one’s faith, repentance, and confession lead up to. Many have compared it to the door that one walks through to their salvation. One becomes saved at the point of their baptism, but there are many things that happen at baptism that are involved in the act of being saved. I want us to consider some of those today, and it is my hope that it will help us all appreciate just how important baptism truly is.
1. At the point of our baptism, we enter “into Christ.” Many casual readers of the Bible do not realize the significance of the statement “in Christ.” These two words emphasize the relationship we enter into with Jesus when we are baptized. Paul wrote of “the salvation which is in Christ” (2 Tim. 2:10), and how God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). At the point of Baptism we “become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21), and “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7). Paul used the expression “in Christ” some seventy times throughout his epistles to emphasize the importance of what happens when we are baptized into Jesus. And, we must remember that baptism is the only way mentioned in the Bible to get into Christ (Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:27).
2. At the point of our baptism, we can have a clear conscience before God. Peter stated there is a direct link between baptism and the point our conscience is cleared. He stated, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21). Baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God because in the act of water baptism the blood of Jesus washes our sins away. The writer of Hebrews spoke of this when he said, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22). Only with our sins forgiven can our conscience be clear before God.
3. At the point of our baptism, we are united together in the likeness of Jesus’ death. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome and said, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death” (Rom. 6:3,4). Baptism is the point where we die to sin as we die with Christ. It’s at this point we come into contact with the blood of Christ, which He shed at His death. Paul describes this as obeying “that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Rom. 6:17). Baptism is the point where we are obeying the gospel as defined by Paul in 1st Corinthians 15:3,4 as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Our baptism is reliving what happened on the cruel cross two thousand years ago on the most important day the world has ever seen. Each Christian re-enacts that moment when they are saved. It is not an “outward sign of an inward faith” as some would claim, but instead it is the actual point where we die to sin so we can rise from the waters to walk in the newness of life. -Ed

It is hard to comprehend the depth of God’s love, but studying the different characteristics of His love can help us all appreciate the need to become better Christians. Understanding God’s love can help us appreciate the grace of God and the wonderful blessings we are so privileged to enjoy now and in eternity. Last week we began this study by seeing how God’s love is a tough love, a tender love, and a triumphant love. I want us to continue our study by looking at a few more facts about God’s love that can help us appreciate just how blessed we are to be in Christ.
1. God’s love is longsuffering and patient. We all would be in a great deal of trouble if this were not true. Just consider the children of Israel in the wilderness. Over the course of forty years they murmured and complained constantly about the care God was providing them. They began their journey in the wilderness with rebellion against God. Moses destroyed the golden calf they had made and returned to God on Mount Sinai, where God stated, “The LORD, the LORD God, Merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:6). God had every right to destroy the people for their rebellion and idolatry, but He yielded because of His longsuffering and mercy. When you study the Old Testament thoroughly, you can see the amount of patience it took for God to endure the sinful rebellion of His people. But, God was still able to bring Christ into the world to make salvation available for us all. I wonder if any of us would have been as patient with those people in the wilderness as God was. Now consider our own lives. When we look back on our past and consider the sins we have committed against a holy and just God, it really makes us appreciate the fact that God is as patient with us as He is. Without God’s longsuffering our salvation would not have been possible.
2. God’s love is a sacrificial love. Anyone who has been in love before knows that sacrifice is essential in any relationship. We are all willing to sacrifice for those we truly love. Love and sacrifice go hand in hand. But, there was no greater sacrifice in the name of love than the sacrifice God made for us. The apostle Paul wrote, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8). Notice how Paul describes mankind in the text. He refers to man as “ungodly” and “sinners.” When we sacrifice for our loved ones, it’s usually because of the mutual love they show us in return. God sacrificed His Son for all mankind; including those who despised Him. It truly is amazing! Consider the words of Jesus while He was suspended on the cruel cross dying for our sins. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus spoke of His love for man through His willingness to forgive them just before the very people He loved killed Him.
3. God’s love is a comforting love. When we consider the world around us, it is hard to find any lasting hope. Sin and moral depravity are flourishing everywhere, but we can always find comfort and hope in the love that God has for those who follow Him. We can read of His love in the Bible; we can pray for His love in our prayers; and we can experience the blessings of His love in His providential protection. -Ed