Hebrews 6 Understanding of Falling Away

There seems to be much confusion over a few passages in the book of Hebrews of the Bible concerning being brought back to repentance and falling away from God. Let's take a look at the book of Hebrews.

But before we look at some passages in the book of Hebrews, it is wise to keep the following verse of scripture from the book of Romans at the forefront of our minds.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

The book of Hebrews was written to the Jewish Christian Church around 70 A.D. Some scholars have placed the writing after 70 A.D., between 85 A.D. to 95 A.D. However, given the fact that there is so much talk about the Jewish sacrificial system, the Jewish Levitical Priesthood, and the Jewish Temple, my inclination is it was written sometime before the destruction of the Jewish Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. However, it isn't necessary to be dogmatic on the actual date the book of Hebrews was written.

The human author that penned the book of Hebrews is equally not written in stone. I trust God wanted it that way. Some folks think it was written by Paul because of certain writing styles, and others theorize it could have been written by someone else around the same time. Others have made the case for someone close by to Paul, or even one of the other Apostles. Once again, I don't believe it is an absolute requirement that we establish who the human writer that penned the book of Hebrews down on parchment, but it is much more important to focus on the subject at hand. Besides, there have been numerous theologians down through the centuries that have written volumes in regards to "Who is the author of Hebrews?" that we don't need to rehash that subject here. Feel free to do some research yourself; do a Google Search on Who Wrote Hebrews if you wish. I'll place my vote on Paul, but I can ask God that in the future.

From a historical standpoint, the early church was made up of mainly Christian Jewish believers. Yes, I know that might be an oxymoron statement of "Christian Jewish believers" to some Jews today, because they would say, "that you can't be both a Christian and a Jew at the same time," but in the interest of clarity and brevity, the early church was mostly made up Jews that were believers in Jesus Christ. These Jewish believers, believed in Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Messiah, believers in the New Covenant, and had come out of centuries of their families being steeped in the traditions of going to the Jewish Temple to get their sins forgiven on the Holy Day of Atonement and offering other ongoing sacrifices.

The Jewish people down through the centuries, before and after Jesus' birth, death, burial, and resurrection, had been involved in a sacrificial system of various and diverse types of offerings being brought forth at the Temple Alter of God in order to gain forgiveness of sins by God. The Temple sacrificial system by the Jews had ceased for the most part after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, after fire was set to the temple, and subsequently tearing the temple down by the Roman soldiers, stone by stone, to get to all the melted gold that had run down in the cracks of stone. There probably were still pockets of animal sacrifices being performed by Jews after this time, but without the prescribed method for sacrifices no longer present with the Temple having been destroyed, the days of animal sacrifices by the Jews had all but ceased. See references in regards to: Qorbanot: Sacrifices and Offerings.

So, when reading the bible, Christian Old Testament [Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)] or Christian New Testament, it is important to always understand the context of the various books in the bible when reading the words of God. That is extremely important when it comes to understanding the historical settings and understanding within regards to the book of Hebrews from the target audience's perspective.

The book of Hebrews is one of comparisons. It is comparing the new to that of the old. It compares Jesus Christ being superior to the prophets, superior to the angels, superior to Moses, superior to Joshua, and superior to the Levitical Priesthood in which the priests offered sacrifices day in and day out in the Temple. The book goes into great depths of explaining the new promise in detail for Israel and the New Covenant, which was promised long ago by the Prophet Jeremiah. It really is a foundational book for Christianity and understanding early Judaism, that Jews today would do well to read it from gaining a better insight into their own Jewish world beliefs, and the world of their forefathers before them.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

"The time is coming," declares the LORD,
       "when I will make a new covenant
       with the house of Israel
       and with the house of Judah.

     It will not be like the covenant
       I made with their forefathers
       when I took them by the hand
       to lead them out of Egypt,
       because they broke my covenant,
       though I was a husband to them,"
       declares the LORD.

     "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
       after that time," declares the LORD.
       "I will put my law in their minds
       and write it on their hearts.
       I will be their God,
       and they will be my people.

     No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
       or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
       because they will all know me,
       from the least of them to the greatest,"
       declares the LORD.
       "For I will forgive their wickedness
       and will remember their sins no more."

The following hypothetical question was brought forth about a passage in chapter 6 of the book of Hebrews.

I am still confused about Hebrews 6:4-8. I become a Christian when I was younger, but then recently I have fallen away the Lord. Can I come back? I think so.

The person asking this question is confused on falling away from the Lord; as though there is something they can do to cause God to separate one's self from the Lord. There have been numerous pastors, teachers, and professors at Christian Bible colleges, universities, and even seminaries that are teaching people and seminary students that they can fall away from salvation. Once again, this shows that they have a strong misunderstanding of what salvation and forgiveness are in the first place. These folks equate getting your sins forgiven as salvation. Salvation is new life from the death. Salvation is receiving Jesus' life inside you the moment you believe in him. This is the true meaning of being "Born Again". A person goes from spiritual death to receiving the Holy Spirit of God for life. I will add, it is for eternal and permanent "life." It is not temporary life. You can not repent of your unbelief one day, because repentance in the New Testament is always a one way street, and receive Jesus to begin with that day, and then somewhere down the line, in your life, do something bad where he is going to leave you. This teaching that you can do something to get rid of Jesus is bunk. For ... he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

Let's take a look at the passages together in detail from the beginning of the 6th chapter of Hebrews. Let's grow up. Let us all become mature in Christ is the theme.

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The writer of Hebrews was trying to take these early Christian believers, and bring them up in maturity. But, the writer had to keep going back to the basics for many of them. They were so caught up in their traditions, that they were finding it impossible to move forward. The writer was talking to two groups of people. Those that were babes, and those that were mature in Christ. However, the babes were constantly going back to their traditions of thinking that they had to offer sacrifices at the alter, even though they were saying that they believed in Christ Jesus and the total sin offering he provided for all. In my opinion, the writer of Hebrews had the patience of Job, but wrote this as a warning and exhortation for the baby group.

It is important to note that only God and the individual person of God are themselves the only ones that can truly know whether they are a Christian or not. However, the writer of Hebrews writes in such a way that it causes a person to think.

Not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death.

What is the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death? First off, it bears repeating here, that repentance is always a one way street in the New Testament. That means that you can not repent one day of your unbelief in Jesus Christ, and then then turn around the next day and say, "I don't believe in Jesus Christ," because that would mean that you never repented in the first place. I will also say that no one has ever repented of all of their sins. I know, you have heard it said many times, "that a person has to repent of all of their sins in order to be saved." That saying is a bunch of baloney. Think about it, let's say you say, I am going to repent of saying lies, and then tomorrow, you lie again. You never repented with the true meaning of repentance in the first place. Repentance has been so watered down, both in Christianity and in Judaism, that most people don't even look at the true meaning of the word repentance. You are speaking double talk and are double minded in your thinking. You are confused in your understanding of forgiveness by God.

You must repent of your unbelief, or you will remain spiritually dead.

The King James Version might be a bit clearer in the true meaning of verses one and two in chapter 6 of Hebrews.

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

This is baby stuff. This is immature thinking. This is the early church trying to go back to the Mosaic sacrificial system of bringing the sacrifices to the alter, and also at the same time saying Jesus did it all. These were dead works that never brought life. They never repented of them. The organized church of today is no different in their teaching when it comes to error in thinking about repentance, faith toward God, baptisms, laying on of hands, and eternal judgment.

Catholic churches teach that you must go to the confession booth to get your sins forgiven, while at the same time saying that Christ forgave you of your sins. Which is it? Did he forgive you or do you need more forgiveness in the confession booth?

Protestant denominations teach that you need to 1 John 1:9 yourself before Christ will forgive you, while at the same time teaching that all of your sins; past, present, and future have been forgiven. Which is it? Do you need more forgiveness of sins if all your sins are forgiven? The bible teaches that forgiveness of sins and atonement is in the blood, both in the Old Testament and New Testament, there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. So, either Jesus did it all or you need more forgiveness.

Judaism teaches today, since the destruction of the Temple, that forgiveness is obtained through repentance, prayer and good deeds. The fundamental question of Judaism comes into play is how many prayers and how many good deeds will earn enough forgiveness from God? Think about it, how much is required by God? Furthermore, Yom Kippur is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish religion. 'The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year.' In the Old Testament Days gone by, the "Day of Atonement" was the day that the High Priest "Kohen Gadol" was required to make a blood sin offering in the Temple "Holy of Holies and call upon the Name of YHVH to offer blood sacrifice for the sins of the people." References: Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement and also with a second reference below.

The role of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) in the Yom Kippur Avodah (Temple Service) is quite intriguing. Halachah mandates that the Kohen Gadol sacrifice a bull as a Korban Chatas (Sin Offering) and confess (1) the sins of himself and his household, and (2) the sins of the Kohanim, prior to slaughter. This bull must also be the personal properly of the Kohen Gadol; it is not purchased with public funds. The Kohen Gadol then offers a goat as a Chatas on behalf of the entire nation. After sacrifice, both animals are intertwined and burned together.

Yom Kippur 5764 - Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer - OU.OR

Shemot - Exodus 30:10

And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

So, we see that the main religious systems are all about what you are doing, instead of what Jesus Christ The Messiah has already done. The focus with religion today, is always on self.

True Christianity is always focused on God, and what he has done for us, by providing the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins, through Jesus Christ The Messiah.

The hypothetical question above shows the deep inward misunderstanding of the Gospel message, and the thought process of the person asking the question in the first place. It shows the focus of self, instead of the focus on God and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When a person "falls away," they are falling away from the true Gospel. They are going back to their own sacrificial systems of playing religion, thinking double minded thoughts, and never having repented in the first place. In verses 4 through 6 of Hebrews chapter six we read, "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."

These people were sampling with a taste at the table of God. They never wholly swallowed what what they were tasting. They were spitting it right back in the face of God. They were around people enlightened, sharing the Holy Spirit, as though they accepted what Jesus had done for them, but they continued to fall away from the true teachings of Jesus. They kept wanting to go back to the "Day of Atonement." They kept sacrificing to God. They wanted to earn their own forgiveness in things that they were doing. This was a public disgrace, because to their loss, they were crucifying the Son of God over and over again. Here they were saying that Jesus did it all for them, and then the next day rolled around, and they wanted to sacrifice for their sins again. How could anyone be brought back to repentance, if they never repented in the first place? This shows that they never repented in the first place. You can not go back from where you have never been. It is impossible.

This is exactly the same as the Catholic saying to their people that God forgave them, and then the next day going to the confessional booth and the Mass, and thinking that somehow God is being sacrificed all over again. This is exactly the same as the Protestant saying that all his sins are forgiven, and then the next day asking for more forgiveness through a misunderstanding of 1 John 1:9. These folks are spitting in the face of God, publicly disgracing Jesus Christ in front of everyone.

Then the writer of Hebrews issues a very stern warning for those folks with a comparison with land that has good soil, and land that has poor soil.

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Now, the writer of Hebrews turns the coin, and starts talking to the other group of people. He has confidence in the following group.

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The writer is talking to another group and encouraging them not to become lazy in their understanding. Not to give in to error in teaching. Be diligent to the very end. If that means going against the tide of religion, then so be it. If that means focusing on God, and not yourself, which is the things that accompany salvation, then so be it. If that means standing up for what is right, and good, and honorable, even when it goes against the tide, then so be it. If that means loosing a friend because of your true belief in the truth of Jesus Christ, then so be it. If that means being thrown out of your church or synagogue when you share the truth, then so be it. Allow God to lead you in all ways. Remember, the work of God is this, to believe in the one God has sent. Imitate those that through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

John 6:28,29

Believe in Jesus, and receive eternal life today. I beseech you, God has reconciled you to himself through Christ Jesus, now be reconciled.

Please read the Welcome message.

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

"Hello, I have never done this before, contacting someone about God, but I really am confused, I am 16 and I am concerned about heaven and hell, I was told that if you ask for forgiveness from god then he will forgive your sins and you will go to heaven, I am so scared of going to hell, I don't believe that I should go to hell, but like most teenagers, I have lied, used gods name in vain, but I don't drink, smoke, have sex etc, I am totally confused, I don't know how to act, or what to do, or am I just supposed to be me, I don't know if I should be christened, because I don't know if it is wrong to do so, I have so many questions, I have tired to read the bible but it really scares me sometimes, please can you reply and help, thank you so much."

I thought it would be good for folks to read what are some of the fundamental concerns for people in the world. A teenage reader writes in about the questions in life, that we all ask at one point or another. God tells us to become like a child. In fact, he wants everyone to become a child of God. Listen to God's calling you to himself.

Don't Worry

Don't worry. God loves you so much that he took care of all of the bad things you have ever done or will do, and placed it on himself, in Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of all of your sins, so he could give you eternal life when you believe in him.

Don't worry, your sins are already forgiven. Jesus is God in the flesh who took the punishment for your sins, my sins, and the world's sins.

Everyone of us has lied or done something bad, or have bad habits that are hard to break. That is why Jesus took away the sins of the whole world. Now, the really good news is God wants to give you eternal life. Believe in Jesus, and what he has already done for you, by forgiving you your sins, and receive his eternal life into you. He will never leave you.

When I was about your age, I thought the same way as you are thinking. I thought God was upset with me because of things I had done. But, he is there, with open arms, just waiting for you to receive him.

To receive him, just place simple faith in this. Jesus did it all for you, so all you need to do is believe in him and receive his life in you.

It's not difficult. Talk to him, and he will talk to you. Place your faith in him, thank him for the forgiveness and receive your new life. Once you receive him, you will be born again, and all things will become new.

There is nothing you can do to make yourself a Christian. And, no amount of bad things could keep you away from God. There is only one way to God, faith by believing in Jesus. Don't let others confuse you. Let God guide you and teach you.

God so loved (insert your name), that God sent Jesus Christ his only begotten Son to die for you, so that when you believe in him, you will have eternal life.

I suggest reading the New Testament, beginning with the first chapter of John.

This is the story of Jesus John 1

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John testifies concerning him.

He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."

Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "

Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Jesus' First Disciples

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Jesus is calling you today. Are you listening? If you haven't received him, now is the time to do it. Once you accept him, and what he has done for you, then rest in his life in you. God wants to set you free His Way with eternal life. He wants to welcome you with open arms into the fellowship of believers today. Please read the welcome message. More information can be found for our mission in life at Sundays website. Feel free to contact us with any questions or just to send us a message or thought or two.

Do Sins Separate Us From God?

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Do you believe God, when he says through the Word of God that he is not counting men's (your sins) against you? Or, are you believing men when they say, "that God has made it possible for us to be pardoned from our sins and transgressions of the law. God offers us the gift of forgiveness if we believe that Jesus Christ died in our place."?

Which is correct today? Did Jesus forgive you of all of your sins and not counting them against you, or do you need more forgiveness by God today? If God is not counting your sins against you, then your sins are not separating you from God. Your transgressions (sins) are already pardoned (forgiven). God is not offering forgiveness today; God is offering salvation of eternal life. God freely gave us all forgiveness. We can choose to agree with God and receive it (accept it, believe it, grab hold of it, rest in it, place faith, confidence, and trust in it, settle it, reconcile it in your heart) or not. It's your choice, and be sure not to go down the wrong path with men placing heavy weights upon your shoulders, taking a verse or two from the bible out of context, as many do. Read about understanding 1 John, and the Lord's Prayer before and after the cross.

Forgiveness Is Not a Vending Machine

Forgiveness is not a vending machine from God. You don't place your requests for pardons for lying, worrying, cheating, stealing, lusting, adultery, anger, and murdering transgressions in to God, and out plops forgiveness for sins. No one gets their sins forgiven today!

"What did you say, are you crazy!?"

Your sins have already been taken care of. God forgave everyone their sins on the cross 2000 years ago. Not believing, or trusting, or feeling like it, or placing faith that God forgave you, doesn't negate the fact that God did indeed forgive you.

The only consequence (wages) of sin before God today that needs corrected is death to life. The consequence of sin is death, not lack of forgiveness. Are there consequences for sins today in the world? Yes, but not by God. God keeps no records of your wrongs.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

We are all born into this world dead (spiritually dead) and need spiritual life. Sin's affect was spiritual death for all of mankind. God forgave everyone their sins at the cross, so that everyone that believes in him receives eternal life and is saved from death, unto life eternal. Jesus broke down the sins separation barrier with his sacrifice on the cross, once for all sins. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit," 1 Peter 3:18 Believe in him and you shall receive life.

The message of the bible is clear, that God was in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world to himself, not counting any mans' sins against any person today. Does that mean that everyone is saved? No way! Salvation is eternal life. Most people want to get their sins forgiven by something they say or do, or feel sorry for, or some form of works mentality, or doing some form of penance, or using a single verse of scripture, taken out of context, (see understanding 1 John 1:9) as a sort of Christian bar of soap to make themselves righteous before God. But it is only by faith in the finished work of Jesus that a person can come to salvation and eternal life. Not everyone by faith receives forgiveness in Jesus's life; not everyone receives eternal life. In fact, refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit of God their entire lives, and not receiving Jesus by faith alone is the only sin not forgiven. All other sins, every sin, of all of mankind is forgiven by God. 1 John 2: 2

John the Baptist said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus said before his death on the cross that took away all sins, "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Mathew 12: 31-32

Jesus has committed the message of reconciliation to me. I am Christ's ambassador, as though God were making his appeal through me. I implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we, you, me, and everyone that believes might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Be thankful to God that he has broken down the sin barrier for you. He tore in two, the curtain of separation from the top, down to the bottom that separated us from himself. Praise Jesus and his name for ever and ever!

Please read the Welcome message.

Baptism By God

There is only one baptism that counts today. That is the baptism by the Holy Spirit. Any other type of baptism today is simply an outward expression of the true baptism that takes place in a believer that has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This regeneration occurs for a person when they come to saving faith in Jesus and what Jesus did for all sinners on the cross. Jesus took away the sins of the world, so that anyone that believes in Jesus and his finished work of taking their personal sins away at the cross, is born again of the Spirit of God.

Prior to believing in Jesus, a person is dead in their sins, because they did not believe. But, when a person repents of their unbelief, and trusts in Jesus, Jesus comes to live within that person and gives them eternal life. This is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; giving life to the dead, becoming born again in the spirit.

Baptism In The Holy Spirit

by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13).

This is a definitive verse on one of the great themes of the Bible. The preposition “by” is the Greek, en, which can take many meanings (by, with, through, etc.) depending on context, but is most frequently and most naturally rendered simply as “in.” The baptism in one Spirit is the theme of this passage, teaching us that every one of the “brethren” (v.1), those who, “speaking by the Spirit of God” have acknowledged Jesus to be their Lord (v.3), have been “baptized into one body”—the body of Christ Himself. Read more about baptism of and by the Holy Spirit.

If anyone is saying that you need to be baptized with water in order to be saved, they are deceived and the truth is not with them. Many denominations today make many man made rules and regulations for their religion. Catholic theologians wrap up their arguments with single verses of scripture, taken out of context, and approached from the belief that believing in Jesus is only the first step in salvation. They are badly deceived into thinking they have to do something in order to be saved for the long term, so-to-speak. Baptism to Catholics is a Holy Sacrament (not the effective work of God and God alone), that must be done, performed and administered by men, in order to take away sins, completely ignoring the fact that Jesus took away the sins of the whole world. They view water baptism as a step in the process of becoming a Catholic Christian. To Catholics, Jesus was only the starting point of salvation. Catholics are not the only ones that are deceived. Many Protestant denominations place much emphasis on water baptism also. Both Catholics and some Protestant denominations say that infants must or should be water baptized; citing scripture that told about households (Acts 16:15) and families (Acts 16:33) were baptized in the early church. While these scriptures do show baptism, they however do not show that baptism was necessary for salvation. These scriptures showed what was happening in the early church. People were not saved by baptism of water but through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul even placed the emphasis on Jesus Christ as the one who saves and placed very little emphasis on water baptism. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:13-17, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."

Be Baptized By God

Baptism from God is the greatest miracle of all. Baptism of water, by men, pales in comparison to the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is a greater miracle than a former unbeliever (spiritually dead person) becoming a true believer (born again) and having the Holy Spirit baptize that person into the body of Christ Jesus. Only true believers are baptized into the Body of Christ, and only by God are they baptized into Jesus's body. Repent and believe; place your trust (faith) in Jesus completely as the one who saves completely. Don't add man-made works to salvation. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water though. Baptism by water, if done in the proper context and understanding for the believer, is a wonderful picture of the baptism that is done by the Holy Spirit of God. But, don't ever confuse the two and say that water Baptism is required for salvation.

Simply put, Baptism by God the Father, by the Holy Spirit, Baptized into Jesus's Body, is the most important Baptism that one could ever experience for salvation of their eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Please read the Welcome message.

Are There Prophets in Contemporary Christianity Today?

History Comes Alive
John Prepares The Way

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Matthew 3:1-4

A reader asked some questions about Prophet;

Do we have in existence prophets in contemporary Christianity?

If yes, then what are their roles in todays Christianity?

How do we know that one is a prophet?

Before we take a look at those questions, let's look at the last Old Testament prophet, John the Baptist. It's important to note, John was a prophet, but not "The Prophet," who is Christ Jesus.

John the Baptist was telling the people of a redeemer that was to come, that would save the world from their sins. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, John said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be reveled to Israel."

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." John 1:29-34

Now, you might think that John was this cool evangelist and preacher who thought of himself as this great prophet of God. In fact, John's disciples were getting upset that Jesus was taking people away from John. In essence there was a bit of jealousy going on here.

An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." John 3:25-26 (although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. John 4:2)

Now, John had a bottom line. John told his disciples about Jesus being from above. But, he had this one key item to say about Jesus and himself, "He must become greater; I must become less."

Wow, can you imagine it, A preacher telling the followers of himself to go to Jesus instead of himself. Just think of all the mega churches today that have leaders that are constantly striving for more accolades and more attention. With their cute smiles on their faces, their health and wealth gospel, and telling their followers that they can all have smiles on their faces too, and financial prosperity for every Christian with a pocket full of dollars, if they just follow the simple guidelines to Christian wealth, health, and happiness. Give me a break. All of these leaders must become less, and he, Jesus must become greater.

So, John goes on to tell more about Jesus.

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. he man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:31-36

So, we can see that this prophet of God was pointing to Jesus as the one who gives eternal life. This is the key to both the New and the Old Testaments. The Old Testament writers wrote about the One to come. The New Testament writers wrote about the One who had come. In fact, the New Testament didn't begin until after Jesus was crucified on the cross. That is why, John the Baptist is viewed as the last of the Old Testament prophets.

So, with that in mind, let's look at the word Prophet and Prophecy.

Prophesy prof'i·sê v. [Gr.propheteuo]
A divinely inspired utterance or writing which is attributed to God. To speak as an ambassador or representative of God. A foretelling of some event or thing which is to come. To explain or interpret religious writings or subjects. To speak as a messenger of the gospel. The act of discharging the prophetic office.

Who are the prophets of today?

The bottom line, for a prophet in contemporary Christianity today is that they must match up to what the Word of God has to say. If a person or group is adding to the Word of God, in what they say and do (as in what more you must do to be saved), then they are not a true prophet of God. Can a Christian be wrong in their interpretation of the Bible today? Yes, they can. That is why, like the Bereans of the Apostle Paul's day, we should all check the scriptures on everything to make sure that what is said, matches up to the Word of God.

As John stated 2000 years ago and goes for us today, "He must become greater; I must become less."

Please read the Welcome message.

What Do I Do After I Sin?

Thank You Jesus; You Paid The Price For Me!

Great article, but I have a question: so what do I do after I sin? How would I pray? How would I settle it?

Good question. First off, we need to understand what sin really is.

Anything not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) We sometimes get it in our heads that there are little sins, and big sins, and in between sins.

For example: Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

* In essence getting angry with someone and saying a bad word to someone is the same as committing murder in God's eyes.

Another example of sin is Matthew 5:27-30 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

* So, we don't see too many people cutting off their right hands or plucking out their right eyes today (nor their left eye or hand either).

* Additionally, Jesus commands us not to worry in Matthew 6:25-34.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

* So, if Jesus tells us NOT to worry, and we worry, it's important to understand that worry is sin...

Once a person understands what sin really is, this brings a person to the end of themselves, of being able to make themselves righteous in the sight of God.

So, if you understand that you need Jesus and his righteousness, and his free offer of grace, a person comes to understand that God did it for us and forgave us of all our sins. Forgave is a past tense of forgive. This is the key. If a person understands that his or her sins have been forgiven, then there really is only one thing we can do, and it is to accept the forgiveness found in Jesus and say, "thank you." How much sense does it make, to keep asking for something that I already have?

Colossians 2:13-14 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

The debt has been settled.

This is only one side of the good news story of the gospel message. The other side of the coin is, once a person believes that Jesus did it all for them and receives (accepts it), then Jesus wants to give a person eternal life. When a person receives Jesus, and the forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ, Jesus comes to live within that person. Nothing can separate a person from Jesus once they come to him by faith. Not even a person's own sins that he or she commits in the future prevent separation from God.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here is an excellent link overview of Christ's FINISHED Work on the Cross

Be sure to download and listen to the Real Audio audio at People to People Ministries - Real Answers.
http://www.realanswers.net/realaudio/1john.ram

Also, take a look at this article about understanding the "Lord's Prayer" after the cross.

In Jesus's name,

Jim W.

Please read the Welcome message.