Holding the Line on Baptism

December 20, 2022

There are certain topics and passages in the Bible that are difficult for us as the people of God to fully understand.  There are subjects that even sincere lovers of truth and followers of Christ might disagree on, and sometimes we have to agree to disagree while we continue to study and ask God for His insight.  But there are other topics and passages that the people of God must believe and agree upon.  These are topics that are so foundational to our faith that to hold a different opinion than the one clearly taught in scripture will put a person outside of the faith.  Yes, we should show the grace and kindness of Christ to those who hold other opinions, but on these foundational topics, we must be ready to hold the line.

I believe that baptism is one of these foundational topics.  It is crucial that we understand what the Lord has said about baptism and then hold firmly to the truth.  Why does baptism qualify as a foundational topic?  Because the scriptures teach that baptism is the point in time at which, by faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38, 22:16).  Baptism is the point in time at which, by faith, we die with Christ, are buried with Him, and are raised up to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:11-12).  Baptism is the point in time at which, by faith, we are freed from the power of sin (Romans 6:6-7).  It is the point in time at which, by faith, we die to the law so that we can live to Christ (Romans 6:2-3, 7:6).  Baptism is the time at which, in reaching out to Christ in faith, we are clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).  We could go on, but in short, it is the moment in time at which, by faith in Jesus, we are saved! (Mark 16:15-16).

Looking at the above list, it is clear that baptism is a moment of utmost importance.  It is the moment that one begins their walk with Christ.  Therefore, how important is it that we hold the line on this topic?  How important is it that we stand on this truth and share it with others who are seeking the Lord?  We would do our Lord and the lost world around us a grave disservice by failing to show them this great truth.  If we fail to hold to this truth, we could lead people to believe they are in a right relationship with God when in truth, they have never been united with Christ and have never received the free gift of salvation in the way that Christ has commanded.

May God help us hold to His truth in all humility and gentleness.   

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

He Who Comes to God Must…

November 22, 2022

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NAS95)

We need to clearly understand the message that it is impossible to please God without faith.  No one will be accepted by God without it.  We can multiply good works, but without faith, God will not be pleased.  We can have a great knowledge of His word, but without faith, God will not be pleased.  We can be very “religious” people, but if we don’t truly have faith, God will not be pleased with us. But what is faith? This verse gives us two essential elements of faith that must be understood if we want to come to God.

First, the one who comes to God must believe that He is.  We must believe that the God of the Bible exists.  Many will say that they believe God exists, but they go about their lives as if He does not.  It is not merely saying the words “I believe in God” but ordering your life in such a way that reflects your belief that He is real, He is present, and that He is all-powerful. 

Many people stop with this first condition of faith.  Believing that God exists is a necessary part of faith, but this alone is not sufficient.  The second thing that we must believe is that God rewards those who seek Him.  To be pleasing to God, we cannot think of Him as a distant, uninvolved God.  We must believe that He is actively involved in our lives, that He actively rewards those who will listen to His word and respond to it, and that He blesses those who will come hard after Him.  How are you doing with this?  Sometimes we carry on like God doesn’t see what’s going on in our lives, or that He doesn’t care, or that He is not able to help us.  Brothers and sisters, we need to trust in the promises of God and not waver in our belief that He will reward us!  This is the second essential element of faith, and without it, we cannot be pleasing to Him.

As you read through the rest of Hebrews chapter 11, you will see these conditions of faith played out again and again.  Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, all of these found favor from God because they believed that God is and that He rewards those who seek Him.  We too will find acceptance, favor, and reward from God if we will do the same.       

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

You of Little Faith

December 16, 2021

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus teaches us how to deal with anxiety.  He reminds us not to worry about our lives and says this: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matthew 6:30, NASB)

In Matthew chapter 8, we see Jesus and His disciples in a boat as a great storm arose on the sea.  The disciples were terrified and cried out to Jesus, “Save us, Lord!”  Jesus responded, “…Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and it became perfectly calm.” (Matthew 8:26, NASB)

Some time later, the disciples were again on a boat, and once again, the wind and waves were battering them.  The disciples looked and saw Jesus walking toward them on the water.  At Jesus’ invitation, Peter got out of the boat and began to walk toward Him.  “But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31, NASB)

Like Jesus’ disciples, we sometimes struggle mightily with the terrible trio of worry, fear, and doubt.  These emotions can rule over our lives.  What is the root cause of chronic worry, fear, and doubt?  In each of the above passages, Jesus pinpoints the cause—lack of faith!  This can be hard to hear, but they are the words of Jesus.  “You of little faith!”  But by understanding the root cause, by God’s grace we can find help to overcome.  We need to be growing our faith. When “doubts arise and fears dismay” in life, we might ask ourselves 3 questions to refocus our faith:  1) Is God aware of my problems in life?  2) Does God care about me and have my best interest at heart? 3) Does God have the power to help?  The answer to each of these questions is a resounding yes! Having this assurance in our heart, we can come in renewed faith to search His word for answers and to lay our anxieties at His feet in prayer.  As we look to Him in faith, He will grant His divine help and comfort!  He will grant us His peace!  Lord, teach us to increase our faith!

— Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

When Faith Suffers

December 11, 2021

What did Joseph pray from the pit, while his brothers planned to murder him? Was his prayer answered when the plot went from murder to selling him into slavery? How did he feel when he stood falsely accused of attempted rape? What prayers do you pray when days in prison stretch into weeks, and weeks into months, and months into years?

Did Joseph have a glimmer of hope when he interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker? Did the words “remember me” echo in the prison the day the chief cupbearer was released? Yet days passed into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Two years passed before Joseph interprets the dream of Pharaoh—an opportunity that changed his life and the lives of his family.

When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers after two decades of separation, he encourages them with these words: “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5, NIV). At their father’s death, Joseph must again reassure his brothers. He says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20, NIV).

I suspect that Joseph provides a commentary on Paul’s words. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV). Joseph suffered. He really suffered. The problems didn’t go away quickly. He may have wondered, “Why me?” Yet, Joseph maintains his faith, and he reaches a point in his life where he recognizes that although others have intended harm, God has worked for good.

Romans 8:28 is not a Band-Aid that when applied takes all the pain away. Coming from the lips of the non-sufferer at the wrong moment, it may even sting the person who is in pain. Yet Joseph’s story and Paul’s statement remind us that when faith suffers, it does not suffer alone. The God of history is there. The God who understands the cross and the tomb is there. The God who works for good is there. When faith suffers, God has the final word, and the word is “good.”

–Russ Holden

 

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Posted by Russell Holden

Faith Not Sight

July 20, 2020

I don’t like the fact that our bodies disappoint us with aging or disease or both. Somehow it just doesn’t seem fair that the best body we will ever have is at age 18 (at least in this life). We see the aging process in others, but eventually we have to admit to it in ourselves. What Paul called “the outer person wasting away” is observable in life (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Yet Paul placed beside this unwelcome fact another wondrous observation. In Christ, the inner person can continue to grow and become better. “Our inner person is being renewed day by day” (1 Corinthians 4:16). God is transforming us to become more and more like His Son. Our character, our kindness, and our love can grow and mature throughout our lifetime. The best our inner person can be in this life may be the day we breathe our last.

Paul compared this body that disappoints us to a tent (1 Corinthians 5:1). Tents are temporary. They are fragile and frail in comparison to a permanent structure. The disappointments of our bodies are reminders we are sojourners here. We are just passing through; this is not our enduring home. A tent may become frayed and worn until it wears out, or it may be suddenly pulled down, but it is never permanent.

The God who renews our inner person also builds us a permanent dwelling. As Paul wrote, “[W]e have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (1Corinthians 5:1b, ESV). In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul described our physical bodies with words like “perishable,” “dishonor,” “weakness,” and “natural”. While the resurrection body that we await at Christ’s return is described by words like “imperishable,” “glory,” “power,” and “spiritual.” The transient will be swallowed up by the eternal.

The processes of the outward wasting away and inward being renewed take place in the course of daily life. Daily life filled with its ups and downs, its trials and temptations, and its moments of doubt and faith. Paul used the word, “groaning,” to describe this present life. He spoke of “slight momentary affliction,” although slight affliction doesn’t seem to adequately describe Paul’s life (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-28). He could only call it that when weighed on the balance with eternal glory. The eternal outweighs the transient and makes the walk of faith worth it all.

Paul had confidence that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord. The God who is doing a great work of renewing and transforming in our inner person is also preparing for us a permanent dwelling place. Eternal glory is worth it all “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV).

— Russ Holden

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Posted by Russell Holden

They Had Believed

July 14, 2017

Jesus addressed a group described as “the Jews who had believed in him” (John 8:31). Yet the speech which follows may seem odd given this description of the audience. C.H. Dodd captures the tension with these words, “A group of Jews described as believers are accused of attempted murder and roundly denounced as children of the devil.”*

Yet, the description of the audience needs to be noted: “they had believed.” There was a point in their past in which they had come to believe in Jesus as the Christ. But observe this commitment in their past was not enough. Jesus’ instructions make a great deal of sense given this audience.

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  (John 8:31–32, ESV)

What does it mean to abide? The standard Greek lexicon states it is used “of someone who does not leave a certain realm or sphere: remain, continue, abide” (BDAG, p. 631). This is the person who continues to believe in and practice the teachings of Jesus. Only such persons can be described as “truly my disciples.”

What is the benefit of this continued relationship with Jesus? “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” But what kind of freedom is envisioned? Jesus makes this clear in 8:34-36. It is freedom from sin. It is to no longer be enslaved to sin. Earlier in this section of speeches Jesus had said, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24, ESV).

But what was true of this audience as Jesus addressed them:

  • They were seeking to kill Jesus, 8:37, 40.
  • They were not able to hear Jesus’ words, 8:43.
  • They are acting like the Devil’s offspring, 8:44.
  • They do not believe Jesus, 8:45.

Believing is not something I check off my list. It is not enough for it to be true of my past. Believing in Jesus must be something that continues, abides, and remains. These “Jews who had believed” are a warning example of starting off right and finishing wrong.

If continuing and present evidence for belief is missing, it would be a sad epitaph to have said, “they had believed.”

*As cited by George R. Beasley-Murray, John, p. 132.

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How Much Do I Love?

April 28, 2017

The setting was well-to-do. Simon, the Pharisee, had invited Jesus to dine with him (Luke 7:36-50). This is a banquet setting with the meal served on a low table with mats or couches surrounding it. The guests reclined at table with their legs extended behind them.

Into such a formal occasion comes a woman who cries at the end of Jesus’ couch. Would you notice a woman crying in a banquet hall? Surely all eyes were upon her. This is no silent weeping. As Frederick Danker notes about the word used, “‘express grief or sorrow aloud’ (not a silent dropping of tears or weeping…).* She “rains down” tears upon Jesus’ feet. Not just moist eyes, but the kind of crying we usually describe as uncontrolled. And she dries Jesus’ feet with her hair, and she anoints Jesus’ feet with a fragrant ointment. Not only can you not notice the crying, but the aroma of ointment sweeps through the room.

Simon thinks to himself, “If he really were a prophet, he would know what sort of woman is touching him.” With condescension Simon manages to hit two people with one mental stone.

Jesus tells Simon a story that lays bare Simon’s own heart. A money lender has two debtors. One owes 500 day’s wages and another 50, but the money lender forgives both debts because neither had the ability to repay what was owed. So Jesus has a question for Simon, “Which of them will love him more.” We can hear the reluctance in Simon’s “I suppose,” but his answer was correct: “the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”

If people felt uncomfortable by such unusual proceedings, the discomfort level is raised by Jesus’ pointed comparison. Simon didn’t give Jesus water with which to wash his feet, a customary kiss of greeting, or oil for his head. This would have been typical hospitality in the ancient world. The woman had washed Jesus’ feet with tears, kissed them, and anointed them with fragrant oil.

As I mentally enter this scene, two thoughts strike me. First, Jesus came to save sinners not just the Simon type of sinners, people who have it together morally and have a good reputation. But he came to save those like the sinful woman whose reputation for being quite undone preceded her. I need to remember that encountering Jesus can transform lives.

Second, Simon doesn’t understand the depth of his own need for grace. How can any of us love little when we grasp the ugliness of sin. All sins, even the ones done by “respectable people,” nailed Jesus to the cross! If I begin to grasp the depth of God’s love, my response in return should be gratitude and love, and that love should motivate me to follow Jesus wherever he leads me. The challenge of the story is: how much do I love?

*S.v. κλαίω, The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testatment, p. 201.

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Difference Is Faith

July 23, 2016

Complaining can become a lifestyle — always finding something wrong, always craving for the next desire, and never finding contentment. Daily needs met and blessings received aren’t considered. Such were some of the Israelites. They complained, “Who will give us meat to eat?”

They had been slaves and now were free. They had faced an army with chariots but were miraculous delivered through the sea. They had been thirsty and water was given to quench their thirst. They had been hungry, and God gave manna. They complained instead of asking God who gives good gifts. They treated God’s present blessings with contempt, “we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:6, NIV)

Burdened by a complaining people, Moses prayed. He too complained, but to God who answers prayers. “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? …Where can I get meat for all these people?” (Numbers 11:11, 13 NIV) And the God who answers prayers gave the seventy elders to aid Moses in his burden.

God also promised meat for the people for an entire month. Moses states the situation, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?” (Numbers 11:21-22, NIV)

Moses’ implied question to God is, “ How?” God’s reply is not about how but who. “Is the LORD’s arm too short?” (Numbers 11:23) “So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said.” (Number 11:24, NIV)

Moses who didn’t know how God was going to do it trusted God enough to tell a complaining people that they would have meat for a month in the middle of a wilderness. What’s the difference between the complaining people and the praying Moses? The difference is faith.

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Posted by Russell Holden

Submission to God’s Written Word

June 3, 2016

Dr. Harvey Floyd was my Greek teacher at Lipscomb as well as having him for many important Bible classes like Romans. I recently came across an interview of Floyd from the Gospel Advocate (October 1993). His words are still instructive though said over twenty years ago.

My greatest emphasis in life is to convince everyone of the complete authority of Scripture. If churches of Christ ever abandon submission to God’s written Word, we’ve lost everything.

Restoration only makes sense with an authoritative source. Without the guidance of Scripture, life becomes a sea without a shore.

Today’s religious leaders are far too interested in trendiness. They float from one fad to another without any clear emphasis or substance. Instead of the Bible, they fill their teaching with insight into “many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings” very entertaining, perhaps, but not distinctively Christian.

In the past, you could accept that our brethren were inerrantists — that cannot be assumed today. We are moving into a vague religiosity instead of a passion for restoring New Testament Christianity. This is more dangerous than anything else.1

Rodney Stark gives a memorable illustration of the loss of confidence in the authority of Scripture in his book, The Triumph of Faith. After World War I, the majority of missionaries to Africa came from the United States. At that time, ninety percent of these American missionaries came from Congregationalists (today known as the United Church of Christ), the Presbyterians, the Methodists, and the Episcopalians. By 1935, they were only sending half of all American missionaries. By 1948, it dropped down to 25 percent, and today, the number is only 4 percent. Stark explains:

Why the decline? The liberal denominations stopped sending missionaries because they lost their faith in the validity of Christianity.2

If there is one thing Floyd taught me, it is that there are good, satisfying reasons for believing in God, the Bible, and the resurrection of Jesus. When questions are raised about our faith, you only need to search for answers, and they will be found. Making fun of faith is nothing new (“a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles”), but the wisdom of God is always stronger. It is a vital thing to learn submission to God’s written Word.

1Gregory Alan Tidwell, “An Interview with Dr. Harvey Floyd” Gospel Advocate (Oct. 1993):14. The quotation in Floyd’s interview is from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.

2Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Faith, Kindle location 2260.

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Posted by Russell Holden

Grumbling vs. Groaning

November 14, 2014

We live in a time of groaning according to Paul in Romans 8. Paul’s view of the world includes the fact that Christians may undergo hardships and distress. We are not alone, for God is with us, but hardships will still come. The issue then becomes one of how will we face difficulties. Will we conquer them, or will they break us? Romans 8 gives us the confidence that there are resources available in God to help us through the difficulty and bring us into a time of glory. But difficulty presents us with a change and a danger: will our groaning turn into grumbling?

It may seem at first that there is a thin line between groaning and grumbling, both after all both are responses to the problem of suffering in our world. But there is a world of difference between the two. Our groaning is an expression of pain, grief, and stress. Grumbling is also a reaction to pain, but it packs into its response an arrogance, a harshness, and an attitude of rebellion that spoils one’s view of life. In Romans Paul tells us that we groan, but in Philippians 2, he warns us not to grumble.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14–16 ESV)

If we want to know what grumbling can do to people and how displeasing it is to God, we only need to take a look at Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. They forgot God’s past deliverances and failed to trust in their current crisis. They tested the Lord: “Is the Lord among us nor not?” Surely the God who brought the plagues and delivered through the Red Sea could quench their thirst in the wilderness (see Exodus 15-17)! Psalm 106 sums up the grumblers’s experience with these words:

Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.

They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.

(Psalms 106:24–25 ESV)

Israel in the wilderness wandering is our prime example of grumbling and a clear warning of God’s displeasure about it. Their grumbling lacked faith and obedience. We may groan in the midst of life’s problems while casting our anxieties on God. We may groan and still trust and obey. Faith and obedience are the primary differences between grumbling vs. groaning.

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Posted by Russell Holden

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