Living in the United States of America, freedom is a concept that we are all familiar with. Freedom is the foundation on which our nation was established. It is what many of our finest citizens have bled and died for. It is what allows us to gather on the Lord’s Day without the government harassing or prosecuting us for it. Freedom is so prevalent to us that we often take it for granted. Sadly, this is not so for a large number of Christians around the world. Many people in foreign countries who profess to follow Christ are jailed, beaten, or killed for doing so. This year, we will be celebrating our 250th anniversary as a country, and we should be proud of that.

In the modern-day denominational world, many teach about the elect in accordance with Calvinism. This is to simply say, God chooses on an individual basis those who will be saved and are predestined to be part of the elect. According to this teaching, there is no free will involved in the salvation process. If you are one of the elect, God will “regenerate” your heart, at which point you will then, by no choice of your own, read the Gospel and believe in Jesus. There are several verses in the NT that speak about predestination, one of which being the following:

Repentance is much more than an emotion, or “feeling sorry.” Repentance is a decision to change your mind about sin, which results in a change of lifestyle. In fact, the Greek word for repentance used throughout the New Testament is “metanoia” which literally means “a change of mind.” Paul compares godly sorrow to worldly sorrow by saying that “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 2:7.) Godly sorrow is a true and pure conviction that causes you to change your mind about sin, not just an emotion or a sense of “sad I got caught.”

To be in Christ means to be united with him. We know that this occurs by faith through baptism (Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:27) but sometimes when we talk about being in Christ, we forget some of the specific things that it entails. Consider a few of the blessings that scripture tells us we have when we are in Christ.

Often, it’s difficult to understand our relationship with God. Perhaps this is out of ignorance or just a lack of confidence in His word. Many skeptics question the existence of God by asking “how could a loving God send anyone to hell?” This is a legitimate question that deserves to be answered. In fact, it’s a question that I had for a long time and a question that many Christians had or may even still have!

One thing you will notice the more you “test the spirits” is that Satan has managed to deceive many into thinking that baptism is not an essential activity that must take place to be born again. There is an excuse or different explanation for each verse that plainly states the importance of baptism. One such way that has been argued for a long time, and is perhaps the foundation of every errant teaching on baptism, is a misunderstanding of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” The argument is simply this; “we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. Baptism is a work and therefore cannot save us.” This teaching comes from a gross misunderstanding of what faith and works are!

In Acts 2:38, after preaching the first gospel sermon, and getting to the heart of those who heard, Peter told the people that they needed to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. To some, this is simple and straight forward. Baptism is when you receive the remission, or the forgiveness of sins. It is when the blood of Christ cleanses us spiritually. To others, these are fighting words. To believe that baptism is when your sins are forgiven takes away from the amazing work of Jesus on the cross. A major example given by opponents of baptism being for the remission of sin is to say that the thief on the cross was not baptized, therefore we do not have to be. This is a legitimate argument for that belief, and it deserves to be evaluated with scripture.

From time to time, it is good to reevaluate our motivation. Why are we doing what we are doing? What is it that makes us want to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Sadly, for myself and many others, an honest evaluation sometimes boils down to a strong fear of being lost for eternity. Perhaps it is the result of too much focus on “hell, fire, and brimstone” and not enough focus “grace and love.” While there is a healthy balance between the two, leaning too far in one direction could be a bad thing.

Adversity is a constant presence in life. While its form may change and its impact may vary, it always remains, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike and bring misery at a moment's notice. It tests marriages as couples are forced to confront differences and overcome selfishness. It challenges congregations, whether through doctrinal conflicts or moral failures. It also tests individuals, bringing health issues, grief, financial troubles, and personal conflicts, all aimed at stirring internal struggles, doubt, anger, and depression.

In his second letter, Peter warns Christians about false teachers who have “forsaken the right way and gone astray”, who “speak with great swelling words of emptiness, and allure…the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error”, and described them as untaught and unstable people  that when “…some things are hard to understand, twist to their own destruction…”. Consider Peter’s advice to us regarding these false teachers.

I understand that we experience various levels of maturity throughout our lives. Some mature through certain stages quickly, while some take a little longer to figure things out. When I think about the friends I have had in the past and the relationships I had with people, I am grateful. The choices we make in life lead us to where we are, and by God’s grace here I am.

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