LESSON 7
How Important Is Confessing Christ?
Jesus Built His Church Upon This Confession
Even those who have never constructed a house know that the foundation
of a house is very important. Jesus taught, for example, that a house built on
the foundation of sand will fall, but one built on a rock will stand (Matthew
7:24-27). Thus, we can conclude that the right foundation is important to
Jesus.
When
it came time to teach His disciples about the right foundation for His coming
church, Jesus chose a place called Caesarea Philippi. This was a place known as
a “Rock City.” With this setting of Caesarea Philippi around them, Jesus asked,
“ ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John
the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said
to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’
Simon
Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and
said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you
that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ “(Matthew
16:13-19)
.
We
are now looking at the most important event in history—the coming of God’s
Eternal Kingdom and the King of kings! Therefore, the foundation must withstand
any possible force or opposition that will ever come against it. What is the
rock that is so powerful and strong?
Some
have mistakenly said that it is Peter. But even though the word Peter (from the
Greek word Petros) means a single stone, John1:42, he (a weak human being)
could never be this foundation. What kind of stone then is it? Jesus says, “and
upon this rock (Greek Petra, an immovable bed-rock) I will build My
church.”
This
rock is what Peter had learned from the Father—that Jesus is the
Christ the Son of the living God! Even the powerful gates
of Hades, the unseen abode of the dead, holding the dead within its gates,
cannot prevail against it. This immovable rock foundation will make it possible
for His church or kingdom to stand forever (Daniel 2:44)
.
When
Paul gave assurance to the Ephesians, he reminded them: ”Now, therefore, you
are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and
members of the household of God, having been built
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-20).
Will
other foundations stand the test of time and eternity? Not for a moment! Why?
Because there is only ONE true foundation that is approved of God with such
power and strength. Paul tells us: “For no other foundation can anyone lay
than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians
3:11). Therefore, this confession that Jesus is the Christ is vitally
important!
It
should also be easy to see why that one who comes to Jesus, who is the Savior,
must be willing to confess Him to be the Christ. In the first century, this was
the dividing line! Each person had to decide whether they would deny Him or
confess Him. Some did not believe that He was God’s Son, while others were
afraid of the Pharisees who opposed Jesus.
“Nevertheless
even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they
did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42,43)
.
However,
Jesus made it clear that those who refused to believe that He was the Messiah
and Savior would be lost. To one group, He said, “I am going away, and you
will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come. Therefore I
said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not
believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:21-24).
Many
thought that it was a choice between Jesus and the Father, but Jesus told them
that this was not true. John later summed up the truth on this subject in these
words, “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who
acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). Again, “Whoever
confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1
John 4:15).
If We Refuse To Confess Jesus, He will Not
Confess Us To The Father
There
is no place to deny Jesus and still be right with God. For when we refuse to
confess Him to others, we cut ourselves off from the Father. Jesus taught this
truth when He said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will
also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before
men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew
10:32-33). Paul was guided to write this same truth to Timothy: “If we
endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us” (2
Timothy 2:12).
There
is absolutely no way possible to be right with God without being right with
Jesus. God’s Son is our mediator, and if we refuse to confess Him to be the
Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus will not confess us before His Father.
This Confession Of Jesus Being The Christ
What must a sinner confess to become a Christian? Some have suggested that one must confess all his or her sins. Certainly it is important for sinners to recognize that they have sinned and need a Savior. Still others have devised various creeds to be confessed. However, our concern should be only what the Bible authorizes that we should confess. The Holy Spirit guided the apostle Paul when he bound on sinners the will of God.
“That
if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
You
will observe that this confession of the Lord Jesus being the One whom God
raised from the dead is UNTO salvation. Why not immediate salvation rather UNTO
salvation? Because the believing and penitent sinner has not reached the blood
of Jesus. And the believing and penitent sinner has not yet been baptized into
Christ. Remember, those who are baptized into Christ, put Him on (Galatians
3:27). The spiritual blessings are found ONLY in Christ Jesus (Ephesians
1:34).
There
is a very moving and exciting story found in Acts 8. It tells of a man from
Ethiopia who had traveled to Jerusalem to worship. However, he did not know of
Jesus and His power to save. He knew from reading the prophet of Isaiah that
the Messiah was coming, but he did not know who He was. Therefore, an
evangelist named Philip joined him in his chariot and taught him about Jesus (Acts
8:35).
What
happened after he learned about Jesus? When they came to some water the eunuch
said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (vs. 36). At this point, Philip said,
“If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and
said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Thus, the eunuch makes
that all-important confession!
Now,
what is next? Did Philip say, “Now you are saved?” No, because this confession
is UNTO salvation! Therefore we read, “So he commanded the chariot to stand
still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized
him” (Acts 8:38). Now that he has made this confession and has been baptized, is
he happy? Yes, because he has done what was required of him to reach the saving
blood of Jesus. Thus, “he went on his way rejoicing” (vs. 39).
Therefore,
we can conclude that confessing Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God is very
important, and all penitent believers who confess Him and are baptized are
saved (Mark 16:16).
1.
Strong
material for a solid foundation (Mt. 16:18)
(a) Iron (b) Rock (c)
Mountain
2.
A
special kind of stone describing Jesus (Eph. 2:20)
(a) Granite (b) Lime (c)
Chief Corner
3.
A Greek
word that means an immovable bedrock (Mt. 16:18)
(a) Petra (b) Agape (c) Petros
4.
A
special feeling experienced by the Ethiopian Eunuch after baptism (Acts
8:39)
(a) Satisfied (b) Rejoicing
(c) Confused
5.
Material
for a weak foundation (Mt. 7:26,27)
(a) Dirt (b) Stubble (c)
Sand
6.
One of
two prophets compared to Jesus by public opinion (Mt. 16:14)
(a) Jeremiah (b) Isaiah (c)
Amos
7.
That
which is used to make the confession unto salvation (Rom. 10:9,10)
(a) Tongue (b) Pen (c)
Mouth
8.
A
description of how long God’s kingdom will stand (Dan. 2:44)
(a) The End of Time (b) Forever (c)
Until The Return of Jesus
9.
According
to this reference, one must------- that Jesus is God’s Son (1 John 4:15)
(a) Believe (b) Confess (c)
Tell Others
10. Something belonging to Hades (Mt.
16:18)
(a) Eternity (b) Darkness
(c) Gates
11. A vehicle where a man confessed Jesus (Acts
8:37,38)
(a) Chariot (b) House (c)
Temple
12. Peter’s answer: “You are the
..........” (Mt. 16:16)
(a) Savior (b) Ruler (c)
Christ
13. “For if you do not believe that I am
........., you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).
(a) A Deliverer (b) A King (c)
He
Once You Have
Completed This Lesson, Go To Last Page For Grading Key. For Your Score, Take
From 100, 8 Points For Each One Missed.
Score for Lesson
7 =
SHARING GOD’S TRUTH
LESSON 8
Is Baptism Essential To Be Saved From Sin?
Salvation, Forgiveness, and Cleansing
From Sin Follow Baptism
Those who teach that Baptism has no effect on one’s salvation are
ignoring the plain teaching of God’s inspired word. To support their “faith
only” teaching, they must place salvation, forgiveness, and being cleansed from
sin BEFORE baptism. However, as we shall presently see, God’s word places
salvation, forgiveness, and being cleansed from sin AFTER baptism.
It
all begins with the teaching of Jesus who is the “author of eternal
salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). Just before dying on
the cross, He gave His apostles their assignment of preaching the gospel to the
world. Why? For the purpose of saving (those who obey) from sin. Please observe
His command to them: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he
who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15-16). Where did Jesus place
being saved, before or after baptism? Just a casual look shows that He placed
being saved AFTER baptism.
But
some object by saying, “There is no power in water to save one from sin!” This is true, but there is power in
doing what Jesus commanded. There is power in reaching His blood to be saved,
and baptism is the way He chose to be saved.
The
apostle Peter used the ark and those who were saved from the flood to
illustrate how sinners are saved from sin. After showing that eight souls were
saved through water, (vs. 20), he wrote, “There is
also an antitype which now saves us—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 Peter 3:21). The water raised up the
ark and divided Noah and family from the sinful world. In the same way, baptism
places the sinner into Christ where all sins are forgiven through His blood.
Peter
had taught this earlier when he used the keys to open the kingdom (Acts 2). After preaching to an
audience of thousands about Jesus and how they had been wrong in crucifying
Him, these sinners wanted to know what they should do (vs.
37). Are they now believers
in Jesus? Yes, but they must have felt the need to do something else.
Therefore, Peter commanded these believers to: “Repent, and let every one of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts
2:38). What did Peter say would follow their baptism? The remission or
forgiveness of sins! Where did Peter place remission or forgiveness of sins,
BEFORE or AFTER baptism? Obviously, it was AFTER baptism. What does Peter say
is the purpose of baptism? Remission of Sins!
Saul
of Tarsus (later called Paul) was the worse enemy of Christ and His church. He
led others to persecute Christians to the point that he made “havoc of the
church,” (Acts 8:3). However, Jesus finally appeared to him on the road to Damascus,
and convinced him that he was wrong. When Saul asked Jesus what to do, He told
Saul to “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). Saul is now a believer,
but he has not been saved from his sins! How do we know this? Because three
days later, God sent to him Ananias and told Saul: “And now why are you
waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name
of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Until he was baptized, he still had his sins.
If Saul was saved at the light the moment he believed, his salvation had made
him a sad and unhappy person. Yes, Saul was saved at the light from continuing
his unbelief in Jesus and His destructive persecution, but he was not saved
from his sins until he reached the saving blood of Jesus through baptism.
One Cannot Enter the Kingdom of God
Jesus
further teaches the essentiality of baptism in His conversation with Nicodemus.
This ruler of the Jews came to Jesus one night and acknowledged Jesus as being
a Rabbi or teacher from God. He referred to the miracles that Jesus performed
and said this was proof that God was with Him (John 3:1,2). Jesus said to him, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God” (John 3:3). This statement was very confusing to Nicodemus, but Jesus
explained: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The water here refers
to baptism. Once again, Jesus teaches the importance of baptism. The kingdom
mentioned here is His church (Matthew 16:18,19). Keep in mind that the
saved are added to the church (Acts 2:41,47).
One Cannot Get Into Christ For His Cleansing
Blood Without Baptism
One
of the most important questions that one can consider is “how does one get into
Christ?” It is important because all spiritual blessings are found IN Him (Ephesians
1:3), and all who are outside of Jesus are lost. Therefore, how does a
sinner get into Christ? Some will tell you that “faith only” will get he or she
into Him. There is only one thing wrong with this statement; it does not
represent the teaching of God’s word.
Paul
reminded the Roman Christians how they (as well as Paul) had gotten into
Christ. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3). They got into Christ
Jesus by being baptized into Him. This same apostle also reminded the
Christians at Corinth how that they (and Paul) had gotten into His spiritual
body, His church.
“For
by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or
Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit”
(1 Corinthians 12:13). Thus we can see, that all who were in Jesus and all who were in
His body, got there through baptism. Keep in mind that our only hope of
salvation is found in Christ.
Someone
might say, “But we are saved through faith!” That is true, but what kind of
faith? We have already studied that there is a difference between “faith only”
and “faith.” To the Galatian churches, Paul explains how these Christians had
become children of God and were in Christ. “For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into
Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26). How had they become sons
of God? By faith that led them to be born of “water and the Spirit.” How did this happen?
Paul says they were “baptized into Christ” and had put on Christ.
If you put on your coat, you are in your coat. When you “put on Christ” you are
in Christ.
One
of the goals in becoming a Christian is to be forgiven of sins so that one can
live a new life. How is this accomplished? Paul first speaks of dying to sin,
and then he follows this with receiving a NEW LIFE. He reminds the Christians
at Rome how they (as well as Paul) had received this new life. “Therefore we
were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life” (Romans 6:4). When did they walk in newness of life, BEFORE or AFTER baptism? Paul says that
it was after they were raised from baptism!
This
new life (as we found earlier) comes by being baptized into Christ. Quoting
Paul again, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old
things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians
5:17). According to Paul, there is NO new life without
baptism that puts one into Christ!
All Examples of Those Converted In the New
Testament Were Baptized
The book of Acts records
some individuals who were converted and saved. We have already looked briefly
at Saul of Tarsus who was told to arise and be baptized and wash away your sins
(Acts 22:16). Now let us consider some others. In Acts 8, we are introduced to “a
man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the
Ethiopians” (vs. 27). He had traveled many miles to worship in Jerusalem, but he had
not learned about Jesus. An evangelist named Philip was sent by the Spirit to
join him in his chariot. The eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, a prophecy about Jesus,
but he was confused. Therefore, Philip began from that same Scripture and
preached to him Jesus (vs. 35).
What
followed this teaching? “Now as they went down the road, they came to some
water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being
baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And
he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he
commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down
into the water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38). What followed his
baptism? “And he went on his way
rejoicing” (vs. 39). Why so happy? As a believer, he had confessed Jesus and was
baptized. He now has reached the blood of Christ and is happy as one who has
been forgiven of sins!
By
the time we reach Acts 10, it is time to deliver the saving gospel of
Jesus to the Gentile world. Therefore, Peter was sent to the household of
Cornelius. Peter was reluctant to go, but God told him to go. After Peter
completed his sermon, he asked: ” ’Can anyone forbid water, that these
should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And
he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days” (Acts 10:47-48).
Keep this thought in
mind. The world was made up of Jews and Gentiles. In Acts 2, the Jews were commanded
to be baptized, and now in Acts 10, the Gentiles are
commanded to be baptized.
In
Acts 16, there is recorded two other examples of conversion, Lydia and the
Jailer. Both of these (with their households) were commanded to be baptized. Lydia: “And when she and her
household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us” (Acts
16:15). The Jailer: “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night
and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his
family were baptized” (Acts 16:32-33).
As you study these examples of conversions (and others) in the book of Acts, can you imagine baptism not being essential when they were all commanded to be baptized?
Added To Christ’s Church
As we found earlier, the
Lord adds only the saved to the church. “And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Today, Jesus adds those
who believe and are baptized (Mark 16:16), to His church.
I.
TRUE OR FALSE: (Circle “T” for true; “F” for false)
T F 1. The doctrine of “faith
only” places baptism after salvation.
T F 2. Jesus is the author of
eternal salvation to all who have “faith only.”
T F 3. Jesus placed salvation
after baptism.
T F 4. Baptism has nothing to
do in reaching the saving blood of Jesus.
T F 5. Peter teaches that
baptism is an antitype, which saves us.
T F 6. In Acts 2:38, Peter
taught that believing was enough for salvation.
T F 7. Saul of Tarsus was told
to be baptized to wash away his sins.
T F 8. Jesus did not mention
water in the new birth.
T F 9. Baptism is God’s way of
getting a sinner into Christ.
T F 10. There is no salvation
out of Christ.
II.
MULTIPLE CHOICE: (Circle letter for Correct answer)
1. Those who are in Christ
are: (a) happy with no persecutions (b) a new creation
(c) there because of “faith
only.”
2.
The preacher who taught
the eunuch was named (a) Paul (b) Ananias (c) Philip.
3. The eunuch was reading
from (a) Isaiah (b) Psalms (c) Jeremiah.
4. The eunuch was (a) sprinkled from a
chariot (b) baptized after going down into the water (c) baptized after
returning home rejoicing.
5. The Gentile converted
by Peter was (a) Cornelius (b) Luke (c) Timothy.
6. A woman who was
converted by Paul and his workers at Philippi: (a) Lydia
(b) Phoebe (c) Dorcas.
7. One cannot enter the
kingdom without (a) prayer (b) water and the Spirit (c) “faith
only.”
Once You Have
Completed This Lesson, Go To Last Page For Grading Key. For Your Score, Take
From 100, 6 Points For Each One Missed.
Score for Lesson
8 =
GRADING KEY
Lesson 7
Review – (1 B) – (2 C) – (3 A) – (4 B) – (5 C) –
(6 A) – (7 C) – (8 B) – (9 A) – (10 C) – (11 A) – (12 C) – (13 C) *
Lesson 8
True or False – (1 T) – (2 F) – (3 T) – (4 F) – (5 T) –
(6 F) – (7 T) – (8 F) – (9 T) – (10 T) *
Multiple Choice – (1 B) – (2 C) – (3 A) – (4 B) – (5 A) –
(6 A) – (7 B) *