Category: What do you think?

Understanding 1 Peter 3:21: Baptism and Salvation

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JEFF TURNER

1 Peter 3:21 says, “Baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Some people might read the part that says, “Baptism now saves you,” and think that water baptism is necessary for salvation. However, the very next phrase clarifies this by saying, “not the removal of dirt from the flesh.” Clearly, Peter is saying that water itself cannot save anyone.

Peter goes on to explain in the same verse that salvation comes through faith in the work of Christ, which was made possible by his resurrection. Salvation is not achieved by any action or ritual, including baptism. Instead, it is about an “appeal to God for a good conscience,” which means asking God to cleanse and purify your heart and conscience. This cleansing happens not through a ritual like baptism, but through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the only way to safety and salvation through his death and resurrection. The only way to appeal to God for a good conscience is to ask for the salvation provided in Jesus Christ.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

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JEFF TURNER

In Matthew 12, Jesus gave a strong warning against the Pharisees, saying that any blasphemy can be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus even stated that the person who commits this sin cannot be forgiven in this life or in the life to come. This is a very serious statement, so what exactly does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

This is related to a specific time in history, during the ministry of Jesus Christ. When Jesus came to earth, he submitted to the will of God the Father and worked through the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything he did was by this power. When the leaders of Israel said about Jesus that he did his miracles by the power of Satan, or Beelzebub, Jesus said, “You have blasphemed the Holy Spirit by attributing my works to Satan. That’s unforgivable”. It was unforgivable because they had seen all that Jesus did and heard all that he said, and yet they chose to believe the exact opposite of the truth, concluding that he was from Satan rather than God. This complete rejection of Christ, knowing the truth and still denying it, cannot be forgiven. Any rejection of Christ in this manner is also unforgivable.

The Meaning of ‘Firstborn’ in Relation to Jesus Christ

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JEFF TURNER

Throughout church history, some significant errors have come from those who deny that Jesus is God. They do not believe he is the second part of the Trinity, the eternal God who always existed. Since the Bible clearly teaches that Christ is eternal, What does Romans 8:29, mean when it calls Jesus the “firstborn among many brethren.” If Jesus has always been, why would Paul call him the firstborn?

This is a very important question. The Greek word translated as “firstborn” is πρωτότοκος (prōtotokos). In reality, this word does not describe the order of birth, and it doesn’t even necessarily mean a birth happened in the typical sense. Instead, it is a word that means preeminent, meaning the most important or highest-ranking. So, what Romans 8:29 is saying is that among all people, Jesus is the preeminent one. Using language that usually refers to the most important son in a family is similar to other ways the Bible uses human-like words to describe God. For example, God is described as a fire or as a protective bird in the Old Testament. These are metaphors.

Doesn’t the idea of the “firstborn,” borrow from human language, emphasizing the exalted position of Christ? He is the most important one.

Gifts

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JEFF TURNER

In 1 Corinthians 12:8-9, the Apostle Paul talks about spiritual gifts. When describing how these gifts are given, the passage says, “to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the one Spirit.”

This might lead some to ask if this means all Christians have only one spiritual gift.

In one way, it is fair to say yes, all Christians have a spiritual gift. Peter also wrote that “as each has received a gift,” and then he mentions speaking and serving gifts. It is believed that every believer has a gift. However, the specific gift that each individual believer has is likely a combination of different categories of giftedness.

In 1 Corinthians 12 and also in Romans 12, there are lists of various categories of gifts. For each believer, it seems the Lord blends elements from these categories to create their unique gift. It’s like painting: there are many colors, and the Spirit uses them to create your own special color. Each believer has a gift that combines different types of gifts, and through this gift, they can serve the Lord in the church.

Did Jesus teach hate?

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JEFF TURNER

This is video is on the same subject and worth listening to. This video is a link outside of TexasGospel.ca. and is not produced by us.

Imagine being among the large crowds that followed Jesus every day, listening to his teachings and watching him heal people. Perhaps you were even thinking about becoming his disciple. Then, one day, Jesus says to you and the others, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”. These are strong words, and it makes you wonder what Jesus meant when he told people they needed to hate their families.

The word “hate” here should be understood in terms of contrast. A similar statement in Matthew 10:37 gives us the key to understanding this difficult idea. The “hatred” Jesus is talking about is actually a lesser love. Jesus was calling his followers to have such a complete devotion and commitment to him that their attachment to everything else, including their families and even their own lives, would seem like hatred in comparison. In other words, Jesus was saying that your family might try to stop you from following him because it could lead to alienation from them. Your possessions might also prevent you, as following Jesus could mean losing them, along with your status and even your life through persecution.

Jesus was emphasizing how important it is to receive the salvation he offers, making it clear that it should be more important than anything else you have or any relationship you possess. He still calls for this same total commitment at any cost.