Pilate asked Jesus this all important question about 2,000 years ago in St. John 18:38. Many are still asking this question today. With so many different denominations and religious crusaders, many of whom clash, disagree, and even dispute with one another, it is no small wonder why many people may be asking this question today.
Scriptures that have been taken out of their original context are pretty easy to detect. However, this strategy is used by many who wish to just find a scripture to support their particular point of view. In Exodus 20:13 we find God's commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," but in Acts 10:13 we find Peter being told by a voice from Heaven to "kill and eat," and in Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus said that being angry with our brother without a cause is like killing. No one in their right mind would attempt to use these scriptures to say that God contradicted Himself. While all of the scriptures are true, they are used in totally different contexts. 1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion, but confusion runs rampant in our world today. And there are many divisions among people who all claim to be going to the same place, many of whom use the same Bible.
The terms "Christian" and "Born Again" are so loosely used and applied today by so many that they have become bywords which have little or no meaning to a lot of people.
The Plan of Salvation was presented by Peter, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, on the Day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2, following Jesus' death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Upon being specifically asked what sinners must do, here's what God inspired Peter to say, as recorded in 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."
Peter didn’t stop there. In the very next verse (verse 39) he said, "For the promise is to you, your children, to those that are afar off, even as many as the Lord OUR GOD shall call". So, my question is, "Has God stopped calling?" ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Step 1. Repentance of sins
Jesus said in Luke 13:3 "... except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." And He COMMANDED in Luke 24:47 that REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS should be preached in HIS NAME among ALL nations, BEGINNING at Jerusalem.
Step 2. Water Baptism in the precious name of Jesus
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:1-8 that unless a person is "born again" of water AND of the Spirit, they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. And, He said in Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The Greek word that was translated into English as "baptize" means to fully wet, immerse, submerge, plunge into, dip or bury. Baptism in by immersion (not sprinkling).
Romans 6:3-4 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.
When we are baptized, our sins are washed away...
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.
When we stand in the waters of baptism calling upon the name of the Lord -- then here comes the blood...
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Step 3. Receiving the Holy Spirit (the Bible way)
Jesus told Nicodemus this in John Chapter 3...
Verse 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Verse 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Verse 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
According to Jesus, Himself, although you cannot see the wind, or know where it came from or where it is going, there is a "sound" heard when it is present, likewise, there is a "sound" heard when everyone is born of the Spirit. So, my question is "What is the sound to which Jesus referred?"...
1) the 120 in the upper room in Acts 2:1-4, .... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
2) the household of Cornelius in Acts 10:44-48, ... While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
3) the 12 disciples of John in Acts 19:1-6, ... And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
"Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2)
Scriptures that have been taken out of their original context are pretty easy to detect. However, this strategy is used by many who wish to just find a scripture to support their particular point of view. In Exodus 20:13 we find God's commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," but in Acts 10:13 we find Peter being told by a voice from Heaven to "kill and eat," and in Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus said that being angry with our brother without a cause is like killing. No one in their right mind would attempt to use these scriptures to say that God contradicted Himself. While all of the scriptures are true, they are used in totally different contexts. 1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion, but confusion runs rampant in our world today. And there are many divisions among people who all claim to be going to the same place, many of whom use the same Bible.
The terms "Christian" and "Born Again" are so loosely used and applied today by so many that they have become bywords which have little or no meaning to a lot of people.
The Plan of Salvation was presented by Peter, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, on the Day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2, following Jesus' death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Upon being specifically asked what sinners must do, here's what God inspired Peter to say, as recorded in 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."
Peter didn’t stop there. In the very next verse (verse 39) he said, "For the promise is to you, your children, to those that are afar off, even as many as the Lord OUR GOD shall call". So, my question is, "Has God stopped calling?" ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Step 1. Repentance of sins
Jesus said in Luke 13:3 "... except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." And He COMMANDED in Luke 24:47 that REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS should be preached in HIS NAME among ALL nations, BEGINNING at Jerusalem.
Step 2. Water Baptism in the precious name of Jesus
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:1-8 that unless a person is "born again" of water AND of the Spirit, they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. And, He said in Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The Greek word that was translated into English as "baptize" means to fully wet, immerse, submerge, plunge into, dip or bury. Baptism in by immersion (not sprinkling).
Romans 6:3-4 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.
When we are baptized, our sins are washed away...
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.
When we stand in the waters of baptism calling upon the name of the Lord -- then here comes the blood...
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Step 3. Receiving the Holy Spirit (the Bible way)
Jesus told Nicodemus this in John Chapter 3...
Verse 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Verse 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Verse 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
According to Jesus, Himself, although you cannot see the wind, or know where it came from or where it is going, there is a "sound" heard when it is present, likewise, there is a "sound" heard when everyone is born of the Spirit. So, my question is "What is the sound to which Jesus referred?"...
1) the 120 in the upper room in Acts 2:1-4, .... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
2) the household of Cornelius in Acts 10:44-48, ... While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
3) the 12 disciples of John in Acts 19:1-6, ... And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
"Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2)
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