Let's discuss Baptism

When most people talk about being baptized, they strictly refer to water baptism. For many, this equates to salvation, but that is not true; water baptism never saved anyone. There is a baptism that saves, and that is the one I want to discuss.

Baptize by definition means to immerse, submerge. It also means to dip.

Baptism into death

In Romans 6:3-11 we read, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into his death? We were buried with him by baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Our lives in Christ must be a life of imitation. Paul clearly reveals this in the preceding verses. Paul using the temporary sign gift of revelatory knowledge[1] explains to us what the purpose was for Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus’ death served two purposes. First, Jesus died for God. “In what way” you may ask. Jesus had to die to satisfy the Father’s wrath and hatred against sin. Sin always will result in death. And since Christ became our substitute he willingly gave up his life for ours. So in this sense, Jesus had to die as an act of obedience to his Father. The cross was the alter by which he offered a perfect sacrifice to God. By the way, Jesus regarded his death as a baptism; no water involved (Luke 12:50).

Secondly, Jesus died to take away the sins of all those who would believe in him and grant them eternal life.

Now, what does Paul mean that we have been baptized into Jesus’ death? Paul is speaking metaphorically of course. This baptism into death is one of identification with our Lord, but make no mistake, it is a real death; the death of the old man of sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, we were too – as a new man in Christ. The old man of sin was buried.

That is why the scripture admonishes, reminds and warns us to live holy now that we have been converted.

Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Ephesians 4:22, “That you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Jesus’ death (or baptism) was for the conversion of sinners to live like him in this world so that others who are affected by our righteous living can also be brought into the body of Christ.

Now that we have been raised to new life through baptism, we must reckon ourselves dead to sin in as much it no longer has dominion over us, and alive to God who we joyfully serve as a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).

Putting it another way the old man with his sinful ways cannot serve God because he is of the flesh which represents death, and the new man who is redeemed and alive to God cannot serve the flesh. It's illogical, why would a living person serve a dead one? The dead cannot respond.

Do you see the radical change Christ has conferred upon us? He literally has taken away eternal death from us and buried it in ground, and in exchange given us eternal life now! We will experience the fullness of our salvation when we are glorified in his holy presence. I for one can hardly wait!

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Simply it is when a sinner is converted and brought into the body of Christ. It is another way of saying someone is saved. One cannot be Spirit baptized without being saved; they are synonymous. Contrary to popular belief by those in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, babbling in unintelligible speech (or what many regard as speaking in tongues), is not evidence someone has been baptized by the Spirit. How do I know this? Because in the first century when that temporary sign gift of was operative, not all spoke in tongues (1 Cor 12:30).

In 1 Corinthians 12:13 we read, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and have been made to drink into one Spirit.”

When one is Spirit baptized, they have acknowledged they are a sinner in need of Savior to wash away their sins. There are many references to this baptism. Let’s look at a few.

Ezekiel 36:24-25: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out from all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.”

Titus 3:4-6: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom he poured on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Ephesians 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Ephesians 5:25-26; “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word.”

Revelation 1:5b: “To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

And one thousand years before Christ King David said, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity” (Psalm 32:1-2).

Water Baptism

The purpose of water baptism is to declare publicly what has happened to one inwardly. It can never take away sins. When we are water baptized, we are identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The old man of sin is dead and buried in the grave, and the new redeemed man is the one brought back from the dead. This coming out of the water is symbolic of the new birth. When John the Baptist was on the scene, he was baptizing people so they could acknowledge their sin – a baptism of repentance, (Matt 3:6), and to wait for the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

So for those reading this article who may have been baptized perhaps as a child or even as an adult, and you never repented of sin, and believed on Christ for salvation, your baptismal did not mean anything.

Once one is saved, then baptism makes sense.

In conclusion, there at least four baptisms in scripture. 1. There is John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance. This baptism no longer exists. 2. There is Jesus’ baptism of suffering and death mentioned in Luke 12:50. 3. There is the sinner’s baptism into the body of Christ (I Cor 12:13). 4. There is the sacrament of water baptism of the Christian identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of their Lord (Acts 2:41;8:38;10:47-48).

---

[1] This gift was endowed by the Holy Spirit to the gospel writers to dispense revelation that had never been given before. Once the N.T. scriptures were complete, this gift ceased to operate (1 Cor 13:8).

The Negative Promises of God

There are things that God promised us as Christians that we will never care to claim, such as tribulation (John 16:33).  Under that title umbrella, we discover suffering as a promise and believe it or not a gift of God. Two reasons I will give why we suffer as believers are 1) we are children of God and 2) because we identify with Christ.

In John 15:18-21 Jesus says this, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you, a servant is not greater than his Master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake, because they do not know him who sent me.”

So, because we are children of the Most High, we automatically have a target on our backs from the world – they hate us. Since we are connected to the Father through Jesus, anyone who hates us hates the Father and the Son. That is a serious charge! How can I prove what I am saying? Let’s go to Acts 9.

When Saul (later name changed to Paul) was on the Damascus road to persecute Christians the Bible says that suddenly a light shone around Saul from heaven. Then he (Saul) fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:3-5a).

Jesus feels the afflictions of his people even from heaven!! The point I am making is this, when someone persecutes a child of God, Jesus sees that as an attack on him personally. Those whom he died for and ransomed are part of his body. The church is a living spiritual organism of which Christ is the head. To persecute any part of his body (i.e. Christians) is to persecute Jesus himself. As a matter of fact, the Bible says we are of his flesh and bones (Eph 5:30). We must realize although we hate persecution, it is a promise and gift God bestows upon every true believer. We cannot get the good promises of God without the bad. Once we understand this as part our Christian experience, we  have to mature and realize we are at war against evil.

Secondly, we suffer as believers because of our identification with Jesus. In Acts 9:16 Jesus told his servant Ananias that Saul although persecuting Christians at that time was a chosen vessel of his, and that he (Jesus) would show Saul how many things he MUST suffer for his name’s sake.

We find this promise of God toward Paul regarding his suffering becoming true as Paul in several of his writings tells his readers.

II Corinthians 11:23b-28 – Paul recounting his suffering, “In stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils amongst false brethren. In weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness. Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily; my deep concern for all the churches.”

Philippians 3:7-11 – “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection of the dead.”

II Timothy 2:8-10 – “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

We do not look at our Christianity today this way. Please understand that Paul was not a fatalist, but a realist. He viewed his walk with Christ as the ultimate honor despite the pain and suffering he had to endure. As Jesus declared in Acts 9:16 that he would show Paul what great things he must suffer for his name’s sake.  Paul’s convictions for the truth of the gospel ran so deep into his soul that it was his whole life. Paul divested himself of every encumbrance so that he could fulfill his mission of reaching the Jews and Gentiles with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing mattered more to him than sharing the gospel so that souls would be won to Christ.

Now mind you, this motivation is based on the negative promises of God, tribulation, pain and suffering, loss.  If most knew beforehand what would be required to enter into the joy of the Lord, most would turn away. As a matter of fact, that is what happened to Jesus in John 6 (Read the entire chapter for a full understanding). When Jesus challenged those he knew were not committed to him, and told them they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood (obviously not literally), they followed him no more (John 6:66).

If all one is teaching that being saved means one is going to have all their problems solved, get healed in their body, obtain wealth, get whatever you want from God when you pray, then of course most people would buy into that system. It’s easy and attractive, and requires no commitment from the sinner. But, on the other hand if one is teaching hard core Biblical truth, that a true walk with Christ requires genuine sorrow and repentance from your sins, and turning to God for salvation, and that this life can be a painful lonely road sometimes, and could cost you friendships, family, jobs, betrayal, misunderstanding and much persecution. Who in their right mind would sign up for that that deal?

The Apostles did along with countless other saints throughout history. Why? Because the love of God drew them to himself, and revealed and convinced them through scripture that the promise of eternal life is real in this life and in the life to come.

When one has this blessed hope as their anchor, then we can endure life’s hardships. We press on because when this life is over, we will be in the presence of the one who came to this earth to die for us twenty centuries ago.

We must embrace all the promises of God, the positive and the negative. For those of us who name the name of Christ be prepared to endure persecution (2 Tim 3:12). Of course, we do not want it. No one enjoys affliction, but what better way to identify with Jesus if we suffer like he suffered. It proves our love and obedience to him. He suffered ultimate humiliation and shame for us – even death that he did not deserve, to die for our sakes. The least we can do is suffer persecution and shame for his sake.

Listen to the words of Peter, “But none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter (I Peter 4:15-16).

In Acts 5 we read of the Apostles preaching Christ in the temple. When they were beaten by the religious leaders for doing this, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy (italics mine) to suffer shame for his name (vs. 41).

The Apostles saw their suffering for Christ as a badge of honor, not reproach. Lest I be misunderstood, the Apostles were not sadistic nor craved persecution. However, they knew from Christ’s own words that they would suffer for his sake. This is what Christ taught on the sermon on the mount. He said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-12).

We are in holy company when we suffer wrong for doing what is right in a world that is wrong. If their suffering was a guarantee and it was for those who uncompromisingly followed the Lord, so was their reward of future glory, and ours as well as long as we endure to the end. The word of God tells us that if we are not willing to suffer for Christ’s sake, then we are not worthy to reign with him.

Paul had the right perspective of the Christian walk when he penned these words:

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together” (Rom 8:16-17).

“For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 9:18).

In Acts 14:22 it says, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. This was the Christianity the first century believers lived. Unfortunately, in the twenty first century, in our plush western culture, this type of Christianity is foreign to us and that is a shame. Church for a lot of people today is nothing more than a social club, where one goes to feel good about themselves after they have lived like hell all week. The minister is weak on Biblical exposition because he is unqualified to teach. So, he substitutes his weak theology for a performance where he animates and screams but says nothing. It does not matter though. The congregation is screaming with him because it is an emotional feel good experience. For many, that is what they call “church”. That is nothing more than a gross aberration of a worship service. If God’s word is not exposited, then you have done nothing other more than go to a self-help-feel-good-about-yourself seminar. The emotion is displaced. Real joy and emotion derives from Biblical truth. It should not come from someone who has clever catch phrases and can “hoop” with upbeat organ music and stir up the crowds while he sweats out his suit with his “hype-men” and women who parrot everything he says.

To be honest, some of what I have seen, heard and read throughout the years that is supposed to be in the name of Christ is downright embarrassing and should be removed from television, radio and the internet.

We need to travel back in time, learn from our brothers and sisters in Christ who stood for righteousness no matter the persecution, even to the point of death. The writer is currently learning more about the early church fathers, the ecumenical counsels, the medieval, reformed, and post reformed eras of church history; to get better a connection to the past so I understand how we got to where we are.

Starting with Christ, the apostles, and up until the present lets learn our Christian history so that we appreciate those heroes and heroines who lived and gave their lives for Christ and the gospel’s.

I want to be able to echo the words of Paul at the end of my life and say, “For I am ready to be poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge will give to me on that day, and not me only but also to all who have loved his appearing” (II Tim 4:6-8).

What persecution are we willing to endure to obtain that crown of righteousness? God commands us to be all in or nothing at all. Let’s be committed like Paul, Peter, and the apostles. And so many others like Augustine, Anselm, Wycliffe, Jerome, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Spurgeon, et al.

Let their legacies give us the resolve to focus on what is really important in these last days.

Hating all to follow Jesus?

This is very extreme language wouldn’t you agree? This is antithetical to what Jesus and the Bible commands, that we are to love one another – even our enemies. So, why in the world would Jesus demand that we must be willing to hate those most precious to us to be his disciple?

On the surface this demand seems awfully discouraging, but I have learned and continue to learn that Jesus is perfect in all his ways. So even if he says something that admittedly offends my sense of ethics, there is perfect wisdom attached to his statement(s).

In Luke 14:26-27 we read, “If any comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

The word hate is the Greek word miseo. Most common meaning of the word is to be malicious with unjustified feelings of evil toward someone. In relation to our text it means to prefer one thing or someone over another – it does not mean to have ill malicious feelings toward someone. Jesus is not commanding us to literally hate our loved ones, or ourselves. But he is warning us of the cost of true discipleship.

Our love and desire to follow him must be so supreme, that all other relationships must be hated by comparison, or once again held to a far lesser degree than the relationship to follow Jesus our savior.

Let’s view some other passages that echo this same important reality.

In Luke 9:57-62 we read, As they were going along the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

In Matthew 10:34-39 we read, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son and daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

In Matthew 16:24-26 we read, Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever desires to lose his life will find it. For what profit to the man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

These four passages above clearly reveal to us that we must be willing to forsake all for Jesus – even to the expense of our families, and even our own lives. Why do we have to pay such a tremendous cost to follow Christ? Well, it is simple. Because he paid the ultimate cost to purchase us, his life on the cross for the remission of our sins (Heb 9:22). It’s only fair and loving that we MUST be willing give our lives for him and the gospel. Jesus made it very clear that if we are unwilling to do this, then we cannot be his disciple; that we are unfit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

No one has a problem calling Jesus their savior, but a lot of people have a problem with Jesus as their Lord. What that means is he is our master. That means we have no rights of our own. We must do what he commands which of course we will never do perfectly, but we must do faithfully.

Jesus in the verses above gives us all a reality check. We must ask ourselves, “Are we really willing to give all we have for the excellency that is in Jesus Christ?” Or are we playing church with no intent of ever living a crucified life because its dreary, boring, cramps our style and robs us of some superficial joy in this life?

Once we realize that the Christian life is not about us and what we want, but it is about what God demands of us as believers and ambassadors for him, we will be on the path to true practical holiness and sanctification. The Christian life has never been about self-representation, but rather God-representation. Make this the year that you are willing to lose the world and gain your soul, not gain the world and lose your soul (Matt 16:24).

Listen the wisdom of the apostle Paul, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Philippians 1:29 Paul says, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.”

Let’s be honest, we all have too much garbage in our lives that makes us ineffective for the kingdom of God. We are nowhere near our potential in Christ. It’s time for true repentance and renewal so that we can begin afresh in our relationship with Christ. Let’s sow to the Spirit instead of to our corrupt flesh (Gal 6:8).

The writer is determined to be more bold and fearless for the kingdom of God for we all are running out of time before Jesus returns for his church. I lovingly present this challenge to all who profess to be believers. Trust me, God knows who truly belong to him (II Tim 2:19).

Let’s get busy. The world is dying all around us. A soul is a terrible thing to waste.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things we be added to you” (Matt 6:33).

Are We to fear God?

                                                             

Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov 1:9).

What does it mean to fear God? The word fear in our culture is a negative. For instance, the word of God tells us God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7) So why is fearing God a good thing, a virtue? A healthy fear[1] of God is acknowledging that 1) He exists, that he is real.  2) We need to fear God for his majesty, there is none like him in all the universe. 3) We need to fear God for his power. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. 4) We need to fear God for his provision, that he meets our needs. 5) We need to be afraid of God when we sin for we displease him. We need to run to him and beg forgiveness for he is merciful (1 John 1:9).

Continuing this theme, fearing God is also to be in awe of him to the degree that we submit our lives to him in obedience to his commands. Those who do not fear God, act like he does not exist so therefore they live their entire lives in rebellion, hating God and hating the people of God. This is most of the world. These are the same people that will be literally of afraid of God when his wrath is unleashed on the entire world for its sins. Also, those who do not have a healthy fear of God blame him for the things that are going wrong in the world, and in their personal lives. It is the nature of sinful man to refuse to acknowledge that he is the problem for the way things are, and to shift the blame on someone else. Usually, it is God that is the number one scapegoat and fall guy.

This is what the Bible has to say about those who do not fear God, “There is none righteous, no not one. There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God (emphasis added). They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known. Verse 18 of the same chapter says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (italics mine, Rom 10:10-18).

This is the woefully one hundred percent perfect description of the fallen adamic condition of mankind. Without God we are a hopeless mess ready to bust hell wide open!!

This aforementioned describes those who do not fear God.

It is not unhealthy to fear God if that fear translates into loving willful obedience. This holy fear speaks of a genuine relationship with God. Jesus said it this way, “If you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15, 21).  So the relationship is quite elementary, if we love and fear God, we will do what he says. If one hates God, they will ordinarily do two things; 1) Prove they are a fool by declaring God does not exist (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). Or 2) create a God in their own image which is idolatry. It is hypocritical of anyone to claim to love God and refuse to obey him.  

  

So in the final analysis, we have only two people in the world, those who fear God and those who do not. Those who genuinely fear the Lord love him and not only obey him faithfully but teach others to obey him as well (2 Tim 2:2). These represent the wise.

Those who do not fear the Lord are fools although they think they are wise. The word fool in Hebrew Is Nabal. Means one who is evil, wicked. One who is morally repugnant. It is fair to call someone a fool in this context,  not in a malicious way, but rather in loving truth so that they can clearly see their foolishness juxtaposed the word of God in the hope they will repent, believe and receive soul salvation.

---

[1] One of the words for fear in the Greek is eulabeia. It means caution. It also means a holy reverential

Fear.

Is man good because he does some humanly good things?

If you can get to know someone well you learn things about them, perhaps you learn what their favorite color is, their favorite food, what type of music they enjoy, etc. From there the relationship usually goes into the area of religion and politics. Two things people say we are not to ever discuss. Ironically, it is the two things we probably discuss the most. For this article, I want to discuss religion and worldviews.

If you ask a person if they believe they deserve to go to heaven, most would say, “Yeah!” When you ask them why the general response would be, “Because I am a good person.” Many give to the poor, feed the hungry at the mission centers. Counseled those who have abused alcohol and drugs. Demonstrated through marches and protests for equal rights for all people through the doctrine of civil disobedience and the benevolent deeds go on and on.

These things humanly make our souls feel clean and free wouldn’t you agree?

But, is man actually good? Who determines if someone is good, man or God?

Let’s journey through God’s holy word and explore the truth.

The word good has a few words in the Greek language one of which is agathos. This word is an adjective. It describes that which is good in character or constitution; it is beneficial in its effect.

The Bible tells us that God is good and his mercy endures to all generations (Psalm 100:5). Simple verse but extraordinarily powerful. This describes God’s wondrous character. It’s a life verse for me. 

We should meditate on it everyday and praise God for his goodness and mercy toward us.

When the rich young ruler approached Jesus in Luke 18:18-19 asking him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (emphasis added).

So there is our answer. Jesus tells us that only God is good. God is not only good and perfect in his essence, everything he does is good. Good does not exist apart from God.

So, what about man? Since we know that we are not essentially good, how can anything we do be called good?

Man only does good things when it comes from a right heart and motive. Jesus said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. By their fruit you shall know them” (Matt 7:17-20).

Fruit in this context is representative of deeds one performs. The tree is a representation of people. Bad or evil people will perform evil deeds. A righteous person will perform good deeds.

People who belong to God have been predetermined by God before the foundation of the world to perform good or righteous works (Eph 2:10). The good we do for the glory of God is enabled by Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of us.

Listen to Paul’s words in Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God working in you both to will and do of his good pleasure.

So, the good that we do is a moral and righteous good since we can never be essentially good in this life. Man’s essential goodness was lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Man at the point inherited a sinful nature.

As a matter of fact, Jesus called man evil. In Luke 11:13 Jesus says, “If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

The word evil in verse thirteen Of Luke 11 is the Greek word poneros. This word means several things: bad, worthless, pernicious. Wickedness in character and indeed.

Jesus acknowledged that unrighteous people can do kind things, but that does not make them good.

Remember, all men whether saved or unsaved still are in the image of God, and although our attributes are corrupted by our sinfulness, we can on occasion do good things. It would deny natural parental instincts not to take care of our own children. No matter how depraved man is, we should do good to our own and others.

Finally, those that are declared righteous in the sight of God are capable of doing good because God has enabled them to do good that pleases him. Any act that does not glorify God may be a naturally kind human act, but it is not an act that pleases God and therefore is evil.

What does it mean that we are made in God's image?

Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

    Genesis 1:26

There are misconceptions about what it means to be made in God’s image. Some believe it to mean we as humans are “gods”, or can become “gods”. That is a gross error. Humans can and will never be gods. Not in this life, nor in the life to come. Even in mythology gods are immortal which human beings are not; we do eventually die.

So, what does it mean to be made in God’s image and likeness? How is man like God?

The word image in Hebrew is tseh’-lem which means a phantom, resemblance, representative figure.     

The word likeness in the Hebrew is de-mooth which means model, shape, fashion, similitude.

Scripture tells us that God the Father is a Spirit (John 4:24). That is one way we are in God’s image because we are spirits as well within a physical body.

Other ways we are image bearers is that we have will, emotions, we can make choices. God like himself has granted us dominion over the entire earth. We have rule. Man has extreme intelligence. Man has a moral compass; we have ability to make decisions like God does.

God designed man perfect in every way – physically, morally and without sin. Because man has the ability to choose, it means he could be tempted with evil. We know this because Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden by the serpent and sinned alone with Adam who willfully chose to sin, plunging the entire human race into sin (Rom 5:12;1 Tim 2:13).

Has man lost the image of God because of sin?

All of the above is true despite the fact that man is now a sinner. However, because of sin the image we bear of God is horribly marred, broken due to our rebellion and wickedness. Remember an image of something is a mirror, not an exact replica of it. It is as if we looked at ourselves in a broken mirror. We are looking at ourselves, but the reflection looking back at us is distorted, cracked and shattered. That is the broken image we display to the world when we are out of the will of God. Man will always bear God’s image, but because of the fall, man unashamedly misrepresents their Creator which continually breaks God’s heart.

Enter in the Lord Jesus Christ

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the image of the Father (Col 1:15). The word image in Greek is ēikōn. It means exact likeness. Jesus is the express image of the invisible Father and the perfect representation of him in word and deed. Jesus captures the image of God perfectly. What the first 

Adam destroyed due to sin, Jesus restored through his righteousness.

Jesus displayed the glory of God on earth which is what we all should do. As a matter of fact, that is what we are all commanded to do.

In order for us to understand who we really are, and why we exist, we need to connect to the God who made us, and have a personal relationship with the Savior who redeemed us. We must know who God is so that we know what he demands of us. Knowing who God is gives us revelation of ourselves. This gives one’s life true purpose. When one fails to do that, we do not live for the glory of God, but for ourselves – an earthly glorified life, but a vain eternal life without God.  A life devoid of God is a life devoid of true light and real purpose. That life is based on chance and fate. Since we bear God’s image, and proceed from him, we MUST earnestly implore his plan for our lives. Sadly, the mass of humanity has ignored the God who loves and created them, and has chosen to become God’s enemies instead (Rom 5:10).

All life is precious because God is the author of it. Anyone who blatantly harms or murders born or unborn life not only show hatred of the life taken, but more importantly they show their hatred of God who created that life in his image!! The apostle John spoke these sobering words in his epistle, If someone says, “I love God”, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him: he that loves God must love his brother also (1 John 4:20-21).

Why do I point out these verses of scripture? Because we need to understand our relationship to God is in direction connection on how we treat one another. If we do not treat one another with love and respect, we can and will not treat God with respect. If we are going to love God, we MUST respect the image he placed in the earth – mankind, and ultimately look to Jesus who is perfect visible image of the invisible Father.

Can God Change?

There are numerous places in the Bible where it appears God changes his mind, but that is against what scripture teaches us. Malachi 3:6 tells us the Lord does not change. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. That should bring tremendous relief to us as believers. Why? Because all the promises of God will remain true forever.

Now, I want to look at some accounts where it “appears” God has changed his mind and try my best to explain the text we are examining.

In Genesis 6:5-7 we read that “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (emphasis added).

And the Lord regretted or was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the earth, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them” .

Why would God regret creating man when he knew what man would do before he laid the foundations of the earth? From the language it seems like God was caught off guard regarding man’s wicked behavior; it appears God was shocked by man’s evil. Was he? Not at all. Rather the writer of Genesis, Moses is writing from the perspective of God with human emotion and experience. He is writing in what is called the Anthropopathic mode. Human characteristics are being attributed to God.

So in the final analysis, God did not change his mind regarding creating man for everything God made was very good (Gen 1:31), rather he regretted and was sorry how man degenerated in his wickedness. Another proof that God did not change his mind is by virtue of the fact that he saved eight souls in the flood and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Gen 7:23;9:1).

Jonah and the Ninevites

God commanded the reluctant prophet Jonah to preach one message to Nineveh, “Arise, go to Nineveh that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me” (Jon 1:2).  Jonah initially disobeyed, boarded a ship in Joppa to flee 2200 miles west to Tarshish (believed to be in the region of Spain) from the presence of the Lord (he thought). We know the story,  he was thrown off the ship into the sea, swallowed by a great fish where he was three days, and three nights (vs.17).

Once Jonah prayed and thanked God in the fish, the creature belched and spit Jonah out on dry land (Jonah chapter 2).

God came to Jonah a second time and commanded him to go to Nineveh and preach this warning from the Lord, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he (the king) issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he said he would do to them, and he did not do it (Jon 3:1-10).

I want to examine three things here. First, the only recorded sermon we have of Jonah is only seven words! That’s right, seven words, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Jonah had to travel three days and 600 miles just to deliver these seven words to a nation and city that he hated.

What this tells me is that he was committed to declaring God’s truth in enemy territory.

The second thing that is very important to point out is the import of Jonah’s seven-word sermon was enough for Nineveh to believe God and repent in sackcloth and ashes. This type of behavior was an expression of extreme grief and anguish in ancient times. One would take off their clothes, but on garments of humiliation, usually with fasting and implore God for mercy and forgiveness. That is what the king of Nineveh and every citizen of the city did even as it was proclaimed and published.

They even made the animals fast and wear sackcloth (Jon 3:8).

It took only seven words for Nineveh to get the message that God was warning  them of their evil. Why else would they proclaim a city wide fast and call out mightily to God?

And third, did God change his mind regarding the evil he determined against Nineveh? No. God did not change at all. Rather, Nineveh repented which meant God was able to express his loving kindness and spare them instead of destroying them. God always forgives those who genuinely repent and judges those who refuse to repent when given numerous warnings to do so. God always remains constant in his perfect character.

Had Nineveh refused to repent, they would have been destroyed in 40 days as the prophet Jonah declared.