From Grace to Grace Bible Studies

By Kermit Hall

Lesson F, Part l*

Why Perish When You Can Be Preserved

*There are three parts to this study; it will take 3 sessions to teach.

Baptism Whence was It? From Heaven or from Man?

Matt 21:25The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? Many people will say baptism is of men but this is not the case at all. Baptism was instituted by God, so it is from heaven. Some would call those that baptize legalistic. How sad! A couple of good reasons for people to be baptized are: 1) To obey Christ, and 2) to honor name of God.

If a child is disobedient, he dishonors the parent. God is our Father who art in heaven and he commanded people to go, teach and baptize all nations (or all people) in the Name. Matt 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. He said in the 20th verse that this was a command and is to be observed.The KJV interpreted the Greek word “ tereo” as observe but, it also means to holdfast. We are to go, teach, and baptize, and teach those we baptize to holdfast to this doctrine. Acts 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.

Why was Jesus Baptized?

Jesus was baptized for a reason and you also have a reason. Matt 3:15-16 ...and Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water… Jesus said,“It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness”. The word “becometh” means to be converted to.The word “fulfill” means tocomplete. The word “us” is for all those that wish to complete all righteousness. When Jesus said “us”, he was talking to all those that would follow him. Baptism is to convert us to complete all righteousness.

Obedience is the Best Weapon against the Enemy of Our Souls.

In 1 John 3:24, John said. “ ...he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit, which he hath given us.Those that obey Christ have Christ dwelling in them and they dwell in Christ.

I obeyed Christ and was baptized; I dwell in him through obedience. I shall do my utmost to obey the word that was delivered to the Apostles by the Holy Spirit and I shall not defraud God by denying the truth, as some do concerning baptism. If Jesus said it, why not do it? Why make a fuss about doing something Christ commanded us to do?

What I do in obedience reflects my love and submission toward Christ. Not only do I obey God by being baptized, in doing so I also worship and please him as Lord of all my life. I recognize the ability and the power of his spotless blood to remit – or forgive – sins. The bible teachers of his day said only God could forgive sins, therefore I recognize Jesus as the flesh of the Almighty God. He is indeed the Son of God and we are his creation.

2 Cor 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. In this verse Paul tells us that wrath comes against the disobedient and our weapons against the enemy of our souls is cast down through obedience.

Years ago, I would take my four small children on fishing trips to a place in Northern Canada called “The Bush.” While there, we looked forward to picking wild blueberries and making pies. When picking blueberries, we would have what we called “bear drills” - if someone yelled “bear” everyone would run to the car to escape and move out of its way. One day I yelled bear and all the children, but one ran to the nearby car. She said, “Where?” If there had been a bear, she and I would have been its lunch. Why question something that Christ told us to do when it is the best possible defense against the enemy of our souls?

3000 People that Desired to be Saved said, “What shall we Do?” (Acts 2:37)

Acts 2:38 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.Peter followed the instructions Christ gave and went to Jerusalem to teach and baptize. Still today, the Apostolic Church teaches what Peter taught: Go, teach and baptize in the name, which was commanded by Christ in Matt. 28:20. To disobey such a command is rebellion against the authority of Christ; he is the Lord of your life through your obedience. Disobedience categorizes people with Satan, Adam, Korah, and all the others that lived such a miserable lives. Obedience gives us life.

Who should be Baptized?

According to Peter, you and your children, those that are afar off, and all that the Lord has and will call should repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit as promised (Acts 2:39).

Luke 24:27And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Jesus has no bias or prejudice against any one, nor does he have respect of persons. He said, “...all nations”. He made it clear that this doctrine – repentance and remission of sins in his name among all nations – was to be preached starting a Jerusalem. Christ left no one out; the only one that can prevent you from fulfilling all righteousness is yourself.

A person must first believe Jesus Christ shed his blood to remit sins. Heb 9:22 Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. Christ shed his blood, and through faith in his blood we are baptized in his name to fulfill all righteousness and have our sins forgiven (or remitted). That day, the day the church was birthed by God, all 3,000 repented, were baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and received the Holy Spirit. They did exactly what Peter instructed, and defeated the enemy of their souls.

A Look at the “Roman Road” and its Completion

Rom 10:13-14 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? This scripture had a precursor verse in Romans 6:1-5 and should not be taken out of context, as is so often done.

What does the Book of Acts say about this? Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. It tells us that we are to call upon his name in baptism to wash away our sins. The Romans had already been baptized before Paul wrote this letter. A man must search the scripture with diligence, taking nothing that man tells him for granted. I welcome every person to question all I teach using the bible to back up every statement.

Rom 6:1-5 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

When we are baptized, we buried the old, sinful man, and the new, righteous man is raised up from the dead. This is what Jesus called being born again. Paul tells us if we are “planted” (or baptized) together in the likeness of Jesus' death, we shall be also in the likeness of his coming.

Paul tells us that the Romans were baptized in the name of Jesus as they were buried with him in baptism. So how can so many leave this important fact out of the plan of salvation? Paul said many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Those that were baptized into Christ will be raised as Christ was raised. He tells those that were buried in baptism will be raised from the dead as Christ was; “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” This plainly tells us that baptism in the name of Jesus will bring about the resurrection; there is a preservation policy written in the bible and baptism is the key.

If we are baptized (or planted) in the name of Jesus, we become a branch grafted into the vine. John 15:5-6 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. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

How can we be grafted or abide in the vine? Paul said in Gal 3:27,For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.If we are covered by Christ by putting him on, then we abide in Christ; but if a soul fails to put on Christ he is cast into the furnace.

Once again we see those baptized are preserved from perishing. By being baptized (or planted) in his name, we abide in the vine. A grape vine is a grape vine and a poison ivy vine is a poison ivy vine. Whatever is planted is what the root becomes. Jesus is the vine and through baptism we become a branch. Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Once again, we see that baptism changes us from a corruptible seed into an incorruptible heir of faith, as Abraham was “the father of faith.”Justified by faith, Abraham had faith that the word of God was truth.

1 Cor 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. By putting on Christ, he becomes our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Jude syas of him in Jude 1:25,To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Baptism is a doctrine from heaven and is very important to the believer’s preservation.

How shall You Believe if I tell You Heavenly Things.

Jesus said,If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things (John 3:12)? Nicodemus was a teacher of the bible but was blind to the spiritual things concerning being born of the water and the Spirit, as some pastors and teachers are today. Mark wasn’t blind when he said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:16). Once again we see baptism as a preservative for the believing soul.

After Phillip preached Jesus from the Old Testament, the eunuch asked Phillip, What doth hinder me to be baptized (Acts 8:35)? What did Phillip ask him? Acts 8:37-38 If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. Phillip would not baptize the eunuch until the eunuch believed that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of prophecy.

Water Preserved Noah Or As Peter Said He Was Saved By Water

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

1 Peter 3:20-21 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From these two sets of verses it is evident and without doubt that water was an important factor in the preservation of Noah and his family. Peter specifically mentioned that baptism is not simply putting away of the filth of the flesh to make it clear to all baptism is not just taking a soapy bath to wash away the dirt on the flesh. It is about obeying Christ and having a clear conscience toward God.

We can easily understand that believing will cause a person to obey God. What if Noah believed he was to build the ark, but didn’t do it? He and his family would have been damned along with the rest of the world. But because he believed, he built an ark and was saved by water, the very thing that judged the rest of the world. After the 100 years of preaching and seeing the coming of the wrath of God, I’m sure when the people realized Noah was right and the door was shut to the ark they cried with repentance and remorse for being disobedient. Unfortunately for the unbelievers, they waited too late and the very water that saved Noah destroyed them.

If the water played a significant role in preserving Noah, then Peter is telling us it also plays an important role in our not perishing as Jesus had told Nicodemus in John 3:5, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” This verse is the doctrine of Christ and a few verses later we read in John 3:16,For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This verse is the motive for the doctrine of Christ.While many use John 3:16 as doctrine, Jesus used it as motive for his doctrine.

Jesus is the only name given to preserve us. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Questions: Fill in the Blanks

  1. Jesus Commanded them to go, teach and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: What name did the Apostles baptize in according to Acts 2:38? ______
  1. Jesus was baptized for a reason. What was it? Matt :15-16 and Jesus answering said unto him, for thus it becometh us to ______

______.

  1. Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, ______, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the ______of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  1. Who is this promise for? Acts 2:38-39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as _ _ _ _ as the Lord our God shall _ _ _ _.
  1. Yes or No: Had the Romans been baptized before they got the letter from Paul?
  1. Yes or No: Paul wrote the letter to the Romans to save them.
  1. Rom 6:1-5 For if we have been ______together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his ______:
  1. John 3:5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” This verse is the ______of Christ.
  1. John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This verse is the ______for the doctrine of Christ.

From Grace to Grace Bible Studies