Here is a good question for a serious seeker.
One Desiring A Relationship With God
In Acts 8:36, the Ethiopian man said: "What doth hinder me to be baptized?" One who professes to believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only hope for man for eternity, ought to confess Him and be baptized to identify himself with Christ, and take his place as a disciple. A disciple is a follower, and that is the least one can do for mercy and blessing.
Joshua said to Israel: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Josh. 24:15), and Elijah said: "How long halt ye between two opinions"? (I Kings 18:21). The Lord Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father, which is in heaven" (Matt. 10:32). We read in Romans 10:8-10 that the word of faith is in our mouth and in our heart, and we need to believe and also confess Christ. Ordinances and rituals cannot save; neither can religious works. One should read all of Romans 10.
Now notice, we are talking about individual responsibility, and not necessarily the work of redemption by the Holy Spirit. We are talking first about honoring God and obeying Him. See also Acts 8:12-16, which shows that confession and baptism, like circumcision for Israel, brings one into the sphere of mercy, blessing, and privilege here in this world; though not redemption and eternal life. The Israelite still had to offer sacrifices and worship for acceptance by God. The follower (disciple) of Christ today still must possess the sacrifice (Christ Himself) for the new birth and eternal life. It is the difference between the Kingdom of Heaven (profession and privilege under the government of God), and the Kingdom of God (possession of the Christ of God and eternal life). One ought to understand this.
One might be stirred up about the things of God (as Acts 26:28) and might desire to be blessed of God. That one must be obedient to the Word and confess the Son, and one must not stop short of receiving Jesus Christ into their heart by faith for eternal life. Is one a possessor of Christ or only a professor of Christ? We cannot save ourselves, but we can come unto God and receive His Son (see Titus 3:5; I John 5:9-13). God will then bring one into the Kingdom of God and make that one a "child of God".
Individual responsibility for salvation is to see from the Word of God that we are all sinners before a holy God and need to be saved, and see that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died on the cross for our sins; and then receive Him into the heart with thanksgiving. One also desires to make the point here of blessing for all honorable souls, who will seek to honor God through His Son.
We are not talking here about the so-called "second blessing" that certain Christians speak of. They believe one might be saved now if they stop sinning---called "sinless perfection"; then one needs "baptism of the Holy Spirit" for spiritual blessing in their lives, they say. There is no sinless perfection for man in the tabernacle of flesh (our bodies), and the Holy Spirit only baptized (overwhelmed) on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 at the founding of the church. Thereafter, believers are added to the church individually by the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit. For a "born again" believer there is no second blessing. We are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). We only need to receive Him and live in the good of it.
At the judgment of this world, the so-called Christian nations will receive mercies for honoring the Lord (Matt.25, especially verse 32). God will honor them (nations and individuals) that honor Him (I Sam.2: 30), for He is the God of all creation (Ezek. 18:4). The world hopes for peace and goodwill among men, yet they do not seriously acknowledge God and receive His Word. That is the least they could do to enjoy peace in this scene ---yet the new birth in Christ is essential for eternity.
- RLD '01
One Desiring A Relationship With God
WHAT DOTH HINDER ME?
In Acts 8:36, the Ethiopian man said: "What doth hinder me to be baptized?" One who professes to believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only hope for man for eternity, ought to confess Him and be baptized to identify himself with Christ, and take his place as a disciple. A disciple is a follower, and that is the least one can do for mercy and blessing.
Joshua said to Israel: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Josh. 24:15), and Elijah said: "How long halt ye between two opinions"? (I Kings 18:21). The Lord Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father, which is in heaven" (Matt. 10:32). We read in Romans 10:8-10 that the word of faith is in our mouth and in our heart, and we need to believe and also confess Christ. Ordinances and rituals cannot save; neither can religious works. One should read all of Romans 10.
Now notice, we are talking about individual responsibility, and not necessarily the work of redemption by the Holy Spirit. We are talking first about honoring God and obeying Him. See also Acts 8:12-16, which shows that confession and baptism, like circumcision for Israel, brings one into the sphere of mercy, blessing, and privilege here in this world; though not redemption and eternal life. The Israelite still had to offer sacrifices and worship for acceptance by God. The follower (disciple) of Christ today still must possess the sacrifice (Christ Himself) for the new birth and eternal life. It is the difference between the Kingdom of Heaven (profession and privilege under the government of God), and the Kingdom of God (possession of the Christ of God and eternal life). One ought to understand this.
One might be stirred up about the things of God (as Acts 26:28) and might desire to be blessed of God. That one must be obedient to the Word and confess the Son, and one must not stop short of receiving Jesus Christ into their heart by faith for eternal life. Is one a possessor of Christ or only a professor of Christ? We cannot save ourselves, but we can come unto God and receive His Son (see Titus 3:5; I John 5:9-13). God will then bring one into the Kingdom of God and make that one a "child of God".
Individual responsibility for salvation is to see from the Word of God that we are all sinners before a holy God and need to be saved, and see that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died on the cross for our sins; and then receive Him into the heart with thanksgiving. One also desires to make the point here of blessing for all honorable souls, who will seek to honor God through His Son.
We are not talking here about the so-called "second blessing" that certain Christians speak of. They believe one might be saved now if they stop sinning---called "sinless perfection"; then one needs "baptism of the Holy Spirit" for spiritual blessing in their lives, they say. There is no sinless perfection for man in the tabernacle of flesh (our bodies), and the Holy Spirit only baptized (overwhelmed) on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 at the founding of the church. Thereafter, believers are added to the church individually by the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit. For a "born again" believer there is no second blessing. We are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). We only need to receive Him and live in the good of it.
At the judgment of this world, the so-called Christian nations will receive mercies for honoring the Lord (Matt.25, especially verse 32). God will honor them (nations and individuals) that honor Him (I Sam.2: 30), for He is the God of all creation (Ezek. 18:4). The world hopes for peace and goodwill among men, yet they do not seriously acknowledge God and receive His Word. That is the least they could do to enjoy peace in this scene ---yet the new birth in Christ is essential for eternity.
- RLD '01
