What about John 3:16?

 To whom was Jesus speaking to in John 3:16?

Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews, the same person He was speaking to in John 3:5 just a few verses earlier.

"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 KJV

How are we born of water and of the Spirit? We are born of water when we are baptized in water in the name of Jesus. We are born of the Spirit when we receive the Spirit (the Holy Ghost), speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. (Acts 2:38, John 3:8, Acts 2:2, Acts 2:4).

"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 KJV

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

What did Jesus do after talking with Nicodemus in John 3:16?

"After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized." - John 3:22 KJV

He that believeth and is baptized

Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:16 KJV

What did Jesus mean, “He that believeth…”?

Jesus said in the verse before, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." - Mark 16:15 KJV

What is the gospel?

The gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, He was buried, and that He rose again the third day.  (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  

What does baptism have to do with the gospel? 

The Bible says we must obey the gospel to be saved. (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17). We obey the gospel by baptism.

Repentance is death to our sin, water baptism in Jesus name is burial of our old sinful nature, Holy Ghost baptism is resurrection to our new life in Christ. This is how we obey Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. (Romans 6:1-11). 

"…Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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 2:37-38 KJV

It takes BELIEVING the gospel as well as OBEYING the gospel by BAPTISM to be saved. Baptized by WATER and by the SPIRIT. (John 3:5).

This explains why Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:15-16 KJV

JESUS is the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Our Heavenly Father manifested Himself in flesh when His Spirit came upon Mary and she conceived. He was born without sin so that He could save His people and all the world from the sin we were born in.

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21 KJV

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them...." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV

"I am come in my Father's name..." - John 5:43 KJV

The first three letters of the Hebrew word for Jesus is the first three letters of the Hebrew word for LORD. The last part of the Hebrew word for Jesus is the Hebrew word for save. Our Heavenly Father came in His name of salvation - JESUS.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 KJV

God's Spirit and His flesh carry His name, just as our spirit and our flesh carry our name. (John 14:26). God's name is Jesus.

"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 KJV

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Acts 22:16 KJV

One God - Jesus is His Name

 

Walking in the Spirit

When we have turned from sin by repentance, have our sins washed away by baptism in the name of Jesus, and have received the gift of His Spirit, we have access to the ways of God that we did not have before. 

"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 KJV

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." - Romans 8:14 KJV

By His Spirit, we can feel love for the unlovable, strength in temptation, forgiveness for the unforgiveable, patience in turmoil, wisdom and direction in the midst of confusion, and joy and peace no matter what the situation. The key is to stay full of His Spirit. 

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." - Romans 8:9 KJV

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." - John 15:5

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." - James 3:16-17

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

"And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." - Acts 13:52

Why tarriest thou?

 

There is no repentance in the grave. Plan your life as if you have many years ahead, but live your life for God as if today is your last day.

"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 

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

"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 

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:42 

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." - James 4:14

God manifested Himself in flesh to die for our sins to reconcile us back to Himself because He loves us.

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them..." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 

Jesus was buried. On the third day He rose from the grave. Through His name Jesus our sins are washed away when we are water baptized in His name Jesus. 

If you haven't repented of your sins and had them washed away by baptism in the name of Jesus, now is the time.

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Acts 22:16 

When you make this covenant, God promises the best gift you will ever receive, the gift of His Holy Spirit.

"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

(church locator for US and Canada upci.org)

Why go to church?

Why should I go to church? 

I should go to church to HEAR the GOSPEL. 

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I PREACHED UNTO YOU, which also YE HAVE RECEIVED, and WHEREIN YE STAND; By which also YE ARE SAVED, IF ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, UNLESS YE HAVE BELIEVED IN VAIN. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the scriptures; And that HE WAS BURIED, and that HE ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV

We hear the gospel at church through PREACHING of the DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. We are SAVED BY THE GOSPEL, UNLESS we believed in VAIN. In other words, if we RECEIVE the GOSPEL, but we don’t OBEY THE GOSPEL,  we will have BELIEVED IN VAIN.

"For whosoever shall CALL upon the NAME of the LORD shall be SAVED. How then shall they CALL on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they BELIEVE in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they HEAR without a PREACHER? And how shall they PREACH, except they be SENT? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that PREACH the GOSPEL of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! BUT they have not all OBEYED THE GOSPEL. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" - Romans 10:13-16 KJV

I should go to church to OBEY the GOSPEL.

How do we OBEY the GOSPEL? How do we OBEY Jesus’ DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION?

REPENTANCE is DEATH to sin; WATER BAPTISM IN JESUS NAME is BURIAL of old nature; HOLY GHOST INFILLING is RESURRECTION to new life!

Peter PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF JESUS on the Day of Pentecost - His DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION.

When asked, “What shall we DO?” Peter replied 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.

“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. 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: and the same day there were ADDED UNTO THEM about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:38-41 KJV [caps my emphasis]

Those three thousand souls HEARD the PREACHING of the GOSPEL, they RECEIVED THE GOSPEL and they were SAVED BY THE GOSPEL, because they did not believe in vain! They OBEYED THE GOSPEL by REPENTING, being BAPTIZED IN JESUS NAME, and RECEIVING THE HOLY GHOST!

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:42 KJV