What must I do to be saved?

London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash in the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

“Forget about the repairs,” the buyer said. “When I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.”

After sharing this incident, Ian L. Wilson made this application: “Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God’s, the old life is over. He makes all things new. All He wants is the site and the permission to build.” *

Sin wreaks havoc in our lives; it is self-destructive.

But Jesus can make our lives new.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we might have forgiveness and receive the gift of eternal life (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 6:23).  His blood cleanses us from our sins when we accept His offer on His terms (Revelation 1:5).

God will save and make new those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin and “build a new life” for those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

“Bring Christ your broken life, So marred by sin, He will create anew, Make whole again; Your empty, wasted years He will restore, And your iniquities Remember no more.”

— Thomas O. Chisholm

Won’t YOU give the Master Architect and Builder permission to completely renovate your life and build something beautiful and eternal in you?

— David A. Sargent

* From “A New Creation” by Ian L. Wilson as shared in www.sermonillustrations.com.

“Disqualified.” I still remember how upset I was. The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby was an historic occasion for several reasons. The one that stands out in my mind is the disqualification of the first-place finishing horse, Maximum Security, because of an out-of-lane infraction. It was the first time in Derby history that a first-place finishing horse was disqualified for something it did on the track. Looking back, I’m still not sure if the right call was made, but I’m certainly no professional when it comes to horse racing.

The fact is, qualification and disqualification all come down to rules and the interpretation of those rules. The rules are certainly given to ensure that the right individual is accepted and even honored for properly completing the task at hand.

When we consider the biblical structure of the local congregation, two positions in the New Testament appear on the basis of meeting specific qualifications. The two places that make this pattern for local leadership most clear are Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3. Philippians 1:1 says, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.”

This is one of only three times in the English New Testament that we find the word “deacon.” The word that is translated as “deacon” actually appears about 30x, but it is usually translated as “servant(s)” (18x) or “minister(s)” (7x). Furthermore, the words “service” and “ministry” in our New Testament reflect the same word family; this includes Acts 6 (“serve tables;” “ministry of the word”).

In short, what sets the “deacons” of Philippians 1 and 1 Timothy 3 apart from the “servants” that are mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament are the qualifications that we find in 1 Timothy 3:8–13. In the next article, we’re going to look at these verses one by one, using one word to summarize each as we recognize deacons as “qualified servants.”

Clay Leonard

As we end another year and anticipate a new, fresh year, my question to you is: Do you need to renew yourself? Do you need to find your way back home? Or back to the warmth of the fire?

After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband murdered, he needed a renewal. And he prayed to God: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,  and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12).

Even strengths can turn into weaknesses if we don’t submit our strengths to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul warned Christians: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). If we don’t submit even our strengths to the teachings of Christ, we wander and find it difficult to find our way back.

Sin usually doesn’t start with one big, major decision. It usually starts with a small, seemingly insignificant decision. James writes in James 1:13 that our spiritual death begins with lusting after things that God has not given us permission to have.

There are a lot of voices out there that are clamoring for our attention and if we’re not careful, we’ll allow other people to overwhelm the voice of Jesus speaking to us (see John 10:4). When agents for the Treasury Department study how to identify counterfeit bills, they do that by studying the characteristics of true, genuine bills. When you do that, you don’t have to know all the different forms of counterfeits; you simply have to recognize that they are not the genuine. When it comes to our spiritual health, there is lots of people out there on TV, the radio, internet, podcasts, who are not teaching the truth according to the Gospel of Christ. Satan is using them to deceive and mislead and if we don’t know the voice of Jesus, we can drift and be led astray.

You have to know the voice of Jesus, by listening to His word constantly, or you won’t recognize the voice of the thief.

I have read that in Bedouin culture, if the shepherd has a sheep that continues to stray and wander off from the flock, the shepherd will take that recalcitrant sheep, hold it firmly, and intentionally break one of its front legs. The shepherd will then splint the leg, wrap it, and return it to the flock, carrying the lamb on his shoulders. The shepherd will be tender and gentle with the lamb until the healing is complete. When the sheep is now able to support its own weight, a transformation has taken place. The sheep will then stay much closer to the shepherd who healed and nurtured the sheep.

God corrects us in our behavior and our thinking because He wants to protect us from the onslaughts of Satan (Heb. 12:11). If we have the idea that God’s sole job is to save us from the negative consequences of our choices, we are worshipping an idol. We might have been doing that all along, creating a God in our own image. But we need God’s correction if we want to enjoy God’s rewards!

Now, do you have plans and goals – a vision – in place to accomplish what is most important in life?

The apostle Peter had drifted far away from where he had intended to be. He had bragged that he would die with Jesus, but he would never deny Jesus. But then Satan lured Peter away from the other apostles – where there is strength in fellowship – and then Satan tempted Peter – and he gave in – to deny that he knew Jesus and asked God to curse him if he wasn’t telling the truth! Three times!

Jesus met Peter and looked into his eyes and Peter wept uncontrollably. Here in John 21, Jesus calls Peter back to renewal. The Shepherd has once again found a lost sheep and called him home. But Jesus also gave Peter work to do: Feed My sheep.

Jesus promised us that if we’ll embrace Him and trust His teachings and obey Him from the heart, the whole inheritance that is heaven will be ours. Jesus: Pure and Simple.

Paul Holland

As we get older, it is no secret that our memories start to fade. We suddenly realize that we cannot recall vitally important information – like the GDP of Liberia, the Greek alphabet, or where we left our house shoes.

But, be that as it may, the elderly have a lot to teach the young – In Psalm 71:18, the inspired poet prays, “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” (Psalm 71:18).

Let us look at the meeting of two elderly disciples of God and a newborn baby…

SIMEON (2:25-35):

Let us observe his character (2:25):

Righteous

Devout

Let us observe his expectation (2:25):

Looking for the consolation of Israel

Cf. Isaiah 40:1; 49:13; 51:3; 52:9; 57:18; 66:10-11.

Let us observe his blessing (2:25-26):

The Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed that he would see the Messiah

Let us observe his interaction with the Baby Jesus (2:27-35):

The Spirit led him (2:27):

This is the temple precincts. Mary could only go as far as the Court of Women.

He blesses the baby (2:28-32):

He takes the baby up into his arms and we imagine a light of gratitude in his eyes and an emotion of deepest happiness in his voice.

He can now “depart” in peace (2:29). There is nothing further for him to wait for. There is nothing further for him to see or experience.

This is “according to God’s Word” (2:29).

He has seen God’s “salvation” (2:30; Isaiah 52:10).

This salvation is for “all peoples” (2:31): This was prophesied, Simeon understands, in the OT (2:32; Isaiah 60:1-2).

He marvels the young parents (2:33):

He blesses the parents (2:34-35):

The Child will have a negative impact on some. Perhaps Simeon has in mind the “stone” texts from Isaiah 8:14; 28:16 and Psalm 118:22. It was a necessary consequence of his coming that the character of the men who came in contact with him would be severely tested.

The Child will have a negative impact on Mary. Jesus and His teachings have proven to be a stumbling-block and rock of offense since the earliest days of His ministry and nothing has changed since then.

The Child will have a positive impact on some. He will reveal the hearts of many

ANNA (2:36-38):

Let us observe her character (2:36):

She is a prophetess; elderly. She had been widowed at a young age (2:36-37) – Normally, Jewish girls became engaged at 13 and were given to their husbands in the official marriage ceremony at the age of 14.

Let us observe her devotion (2:37):

She stayed in the temple. She served night and day. She fasted. She prayed.

Let us observe her blessing of the Child (2:38):

At the moment of Simeon’s blessing. She gave thanks to God. She became an “evangelist.” People were looking for “redemption” of Jerusalem (Cf. Isaiah 52:9). Jesus judges us according to our ability. Here we have an aged saint, perhaps frail and bent-over but speaking to all that looked for redemption and telling them that it had come! They had been looking but they have now found!

WHAT DO WE LEARN:

1. Old age is a crown of glory, if it is gained by a righteous life – Proverbs 16:31.
2. Elderly saints are now looking for the eternal consolation and eternal redemption – 2 Corinthians 5:1-5.
3. The Holy Spirit will, even today through His Word, guide elderly non-Christians to Jesus.
4. Salvation is still available to all.
5. Jesus is still a stumbling-block to some elderly.
6. If all have left us – physically or spiritually – there is still service to do for the Lord and for fellow-saints.
7. Evangelizing can and still needs to be done by everyone.

– “There is no age limit on forgiveness.”

These two aged saints blessed the baby Jesus and recognized in Him the “light of revelation.” We should also bless Jesus by embracing Him and sharing His gospel with others.

Paul Holland

The Han Dynasty fell in A. D. 222. From that point, China saw a series of coups that left the country in confusion and fear. Finally, in 959 A. D., General Chao K’unag-yin became emperor and took the name Sung. He wanted to avoid the assassination that plagued previous emperors and he had an idea how to do it. He threw a banquet to celebrate his new dynasty and invited the powerful leaders of the army. Toward the end of the banquet, Emperor Sung dismissed the guards, which left the military leaders afraid that he would murder them all.

Instead, he offered to give them estates and beautiful homes if they would resign their commissions in the army. On the following day, everyone of them resigned. These men were powerful and ambitious, but with one move, he turned them into lambs.

About a decade later, another Chinese king, King Liu, surrendered to Sung after rebelling against his authority for years. Rather than executing him, Emperor Sung gave him a rank in the court of the emperor and invited him to the place to seal their friendship. Liu became a trusted friend of Emperor Sung.

Yet another king in the empire, Ch’ien Shu had been rebelling but was defeated. Emperor Sung’s ministers advised that he execute Ch’ien. They had found documents which proved that Ch’ien Shu had planned to assassinate Sung. Ch’ien Shu went to the palace, but instead of throwing him into prison, Emperor Sung once again showed grace. He sent a package home with Ch’ien Shu, telling him to open it later. On the journey, when Shu opened the package, he saw the documents which showed his treachery. Sung had known about it, but let Ch’ien Shu go anyway.

While Emperor Sung was probably not a Christian, or even claim to be one, he did understand the power of acting gracefully. “Grace” is extending favor to someone when they do not deserve it. A number of times, the NT uses a word, often translated “to forgive” which has “grace” as its root word. The verb is used 24 times: Luke 7:21, 42-43; Acts 3:14; 25:11, 16; 27:24; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:12; 2 Cor. 2:7, 10; 12:13; Gal. 3:18; Eph. 4:32; Phil. 1:29; 2:9; Col. 2:13; 3:13; Philemon 22.

Let me direct your attention to two of these passages, both from Colossians. In Colossians 2:13, Paul writes: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” The verb here translated “forgiven” is our verb: “to be gracious.” Then in the next chapter, Paul tells us we need to act the same way toward each other: “bearing with one another, and forgiving [“be gracious with”] each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

Act with grace toward those around you. Give them favor they do not deserve.

Paul Holland

As we begin a New Year, it’s a great time to obtain a new beginning. Maybe we want to get rid of some bad habits. Maybe we are resolved to improve our life in some way. Whatever our desire to improve, we can’t start any sooner than today! At the same time, as long as we have life, it’s never too late to change. The Bible often speaks about new things. First, the covenant that Jesus gave is called the New Testament. The eternal destiny for those who are faithful to God is called the “new heavens and new earth,” (Revelation 21:1). The most important “new thing” in the Bible is when one becomes a new person. Paul said, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (person), the old things passed away behold new things have come,” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Bible explains how one becomes a new person.

The New Testament teaches that when one is forgiven of his or her sins, that person is then a new person. Through repentance they have changed their lifestyle and through baptism they bury the old sinful man and are raised from being immersed in water to walk a new life. Paul summarized these acts when he remined the Christians in Rome what they had done. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life,” (Romans 6:3-4).  Notice that one becomes a new creation when one is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Romans passage tell us how to get into Christ – by being immersed in water. The comparison Paul makes is that Christ died, was buried, and raised to walk a new life. In the same way today, one dies to sin (determined not to live in sin any longer), is buried in water, and raised to walk a new life. Note several examples in the New Testament where this was done.

    Jews in Acts 2 – Peter was speaking to Jews who had killed Christ (2:23). When they were convicted of their sin, they wanted to be forgiven of this sin. “So then, those who had received his word were baptized,” (2:38). They were no longer sinners, but now were new people with a new purpose (2:42).

    Nobleman in Acts 8 – He was the treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia who had been to Jerusalem to worship according to the Law of Moses (v. 27). He didn’t know that Christ had come and died to pay for his sins. Philip got into the chariot with him and taught him from Isaiah 53 that Jesus was the Messiah and He had come to earth and died to pay for the sins of the world. As they rode along, “they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (v. 36). “And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him,” (v. 38). Because he had become a new person, he “went on his way rejoicing,” (v. 39).

    Saul (Paul) in Acts 9, 22. 26 – Saul was a very devout Jew who thought that Jesus was a blasphemer and therefore persecuted Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1-4). When Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, this convinced Saul that Jesus truly was the Messiah, he asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” (22:10). He was told to go into the city, and someone would tell him what he needed to do (9:6). A Christian named Ananias came to Saul and said, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name,” (22:16). As we have seen in the other examples, Saul had to be baptized to wash away his sins and with this obedient faith, Saul had a new beginning, because he was now in Christ and became a new creation.

Conclusion

All the examples of people having a new beginning recorded in the Bible did it the same way. They were forgiven of their sins when they were immersed in water for the forgiveness of their sin. That is the way anyone today has a new beginning. These examples demonstrate what Jesus explained to Nicodemus when He said one had to be born again. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3). He went on to explain how one is born again. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” (John 3:5). The “water” is the water in which one is baptized. The Spirit’s part in one’s conversion is that the Spirit convicts each person of the sins he or she has committed. He does that as the word of God is preached or taught to an individual (John 16:8; Acts 2:22, 36; Ephesians 6:17).

Have you been baptized correctly? Sprinkling and pouring of water, is not Bible baptism. Do you want a New Beginning? Contact me if you need help becoming a new person.

Wayne Burger