Salvation

 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Gh

ost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

Ruth's Gleanings: In the Bible, How were people added to the Church?

Ruth's Gleanings: In the Bible, How were people added to the Church?:   How in the Bible were people added to the church? On the Day of Pentecost when the church began, Peter preached the gospel - the death, bu...

In the Bible, How were people added to the Church?

 

How in the Bible were people added to the church?

On the Day of Pentecost when the church began, Peter preached the gospel - the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." - Acts 2:22-24 

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." - Acts 2:36 

They responded with repentant hearts.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37 

Peter told them how to obey the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:39 

Peter urged them to obey the gospel.

"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." - Acts 2:40 

They then received the gospel and obeyed it. (Mark 16:15-16).

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41 

This is how they were added to the church.

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ... praising God, and having favour with all the people.

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:42, 47

Baptism in the name of Jesus

 A lot of people think if they “keep the Ten Commandments” they are going to heaven. 

"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." - John 3:5 

Cornelius was a just man, a man of prayer, helping the poor. His righteousness, however, was not enough to save him. He needed to be born of the water and Spirit, as Jesus said.

The Lord loved Cornelius so much, that He sent an angel telling him to send for a man named Peter.  While men from Cornelius were on their way, the Lord gave Peter a heavenly vision to make sure Peter would accept the mission. (Read Acts 10)     

If you haven’t been born again, Jesus loves YOU and is calling you to be born of water and the Spirit.  

How is a person born of water and Spirit?

When Peter arrived, Cornelius had gathered family and friends to hear Peter’s message from God. Peter preached to them the Gospel, that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose the third day. 

Finally, Peter preached:

"To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." - Acts 10:43 

While Peter spoke these words, the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius, his family, and friends he had gathered in his house and they all began to speak in other tongues (languages they did not know) as the Spirit of God spoke through them. 

Peter and the men that came with him were astonished, for Jesus poured out the Holy Ghost on the Gentiles just like He had on them on the day of Pentecost! (Acts 2:4)

Cornelius and those at his house were all now born of the Spirit. Next, they were born of the water. 

Peter then COMMANDED that they be water baptized in Jesus name.

"…Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord..." - Acts 10:46-48 (See also Acts 2:38)

I AM the First and the Last

 Jesus cried and said, He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in Him who sent me. And he who sees me sees Him who sent me.

The Gospel

 

TheGift

 The Gift

The Jews made a covenant with God at Mount Sinai. God gave them His Law. The Jews count that there are 613 commandments in the Law. They covenanted to keep all of them. 

Exodus 24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. 

The Jews look at this covenant as a marriage covenant with God. Just as the bride says, “I do,” the Jewish people said, “We do.” 

God recognizes this covenant as His marriage covenant with the Jewish people. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God refers to the covenant He made when He brought them out of Egypt and refers to Himself as their husband. 

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 

Jeremiah 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 

Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

Jeremiah 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.  

Here God speaks of making a new covenant with Israel. We know the new covenant to be the Gospel. 

While the covenant of the Law is God’s justice, His covenant of the Gospel is a covenant of mercy. “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34). 

Just as the covenant of the Law was a marriage covenant, the covenant of the Gospel is also a marriage covenant. Those that have obeyed the Gospel become part of the bride of Christ.

The Jews say that God has a gift for those that enter into the marriage covenant of the Law. This gift is the Sabbath. 

The Sabbath is a day of physical rest for the Jewish people. It is a day that they spend devoted to prayer and study of God’s word. It is to be a day of peace. The greeting often said on the Sabbath is, “Shabbat Shalom,” which is Hebrew for “Sabbath Peace.”

God has a gift for those that enter into the marriage covenant of the Gospel. This gift is the Holy Ghost.

While the rest of the Sabbath is one day a week, the rest of the Holy Ghost is twenty-four hours, seven days a week. It is a rest that you do not have to say goodbye to at the end of the day.  

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  

When a person enters into the covenant of the Law, it is said that person takes on the “yoke” of the commandments. 

When God took on the form of man to bring the new covenant of the Gospel, He brought a new yoke. Instead of the written Law of justice, of 613 commandments, God writes His Law of love and forgiveness in our hearts. By the Holy Ghost, God’s Spirit within, Jesus teaches us and brings His word to our mind.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

While the Sabbath has its peace, the gift of the Holy Ghost brings the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [guarding[ your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The peace that the covenant of the Gospel gives, is the peace of reconciliation back to God through His perfect sacrifice of His flesh, “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

[NLT: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.]

The gift of the Holy Ghost is the presence of Jesus within us, who is with us always. The gift of the Holy Ghost is like a well of water springing up into everlasting life. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. (John 4:14, 1 Peter 1:8).

Because of God’s perfect sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world, those that have repented of their sins and have been baptized in the name of Jesus can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost – Jesus within. 

Under the covenant of the law, the offerings of bulls and goats could not take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4). Because sin wasn’t taken away, God could not dwell within His people. His Spirit could be upon them and with them, but not in them, until God came and brought the new covenant. By the new covenant of forgiveness, all may know God by the infilling of the gift of His Holy Ghost. “For they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34b)  

Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament [“covenant”], which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

We turn our life to Jesus, apply the blood He shed for us and receive remission of sins by water baptism in the name of Jesus. This is how we enter into the new covenant. We become part of the bride of Christ. Because we enter into this marriage covenant, Jesus has a gift for us: the gift of His Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Church!

 

Church! 

Every day we are one step closer to seeing Jesus face to face. To be ready, we must repent of our sins (being sorrowful for the wrongs we have done and turning our back to sin), be baptized by immersion in water in JESUS name for the remission of our sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (God’s Spirit in us, with the sign of speaking in another tongue/language as we allow God to take control of our words). (Acts 2:4, Acts 2:38) 

We should not simply be ready by obeying the gospel, but also ready by being all that the Lord wants us to be. We should be fruitful by doing good works and shining the love of Jesus to others. We should be fruitful by bringing others into the kingdom of God through the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 2:38)

In the day we are in, we must be faithful to assemble together by going to the house of God. We need the encouragement, and the exhorting (preaching) from the Word so that we can walk true and steadfast in Jesus. Through prayer and worship we can receive the communion and strength of His Spirit to make it through these end times. 

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." - Hebrews 10:23-25

Church locator:

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 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Psalm 16:11 KJV

Jesus shows us the path of life.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6 KJV

It is by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – the gospel – that we find the path  to life. There is no other gospel, no other religion that can bring us to God. By His name Jesus in baptism we apply the blood He shed to remit [forgive] our sins so that we can make peace with Him, receive His Spirit, and live. 

When we obey the gospel of Jesus, we receive the promise of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

In His presence there is fullness of joy. 

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" - 1 Peter 1:8 KJV

We do not now see the physical body of Jesus (which ascended to heaven and which we will see in the clouds at the rapture), but now we feel the joy of His Spirit when we are filled with His Holy Ghost.

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." - Romans 14:17 KJV

The pleasures that come from living for Jesus far outweigh what the world has to offer. 

The good choice is to turn away from sin and its path of death and to choose the path of life. 

Jesus gives us a life of pleasure that is no comparison to the sin the world has to offer.

A few of the pleasures the Spirit of God brings into our life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus shows us His gospel is the path of life which leads to heaven. In Jesus there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore!

Jesus Has All Power

Jesus has all power.

"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." - Luke 4:14-15

Jesus has power over satan.

“And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

“And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not." - Luke 4:33-35

Jesus gave power to His disciples.

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come... 

"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." 

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

" - Luke 10:1, 17-20 

Because Jesus paid the price of death for our sins on the tree, we are able to have our names written in heaven  by our repentance, our baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins, and by receiving His gift of His Holy Ghost.

"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 Timothy 1:10

And now He gives US power 

 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." - Mark 16:17-18

Thy Word

 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." - Psalm 119:11 

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12 

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" - Ephesians 6:17 

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word." - Psalm 119:114