WHY SHOULD WE OBEY THE GOSPEL?
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation meaning that the Gospel is God's power to save Romans 1:16. With out the Gospel man has no clue what God has intended for us to do to be saved or how He has intended for people to live their lives.
We must come to Christ on His terms!! He said "All authority has been given unto me both in heaven and in earth." Knowing what authority is we must ask ourselves this question "Am I doing what God has said to do or am I doing what I feel is right?" What is more true our hearts or the Word of God? Think about this for a minute, I work for a man who has promised to make me rich if I obey him to the "T" and he tells me to plow a garden 100 feet long by 200 feet wide with 150 rows in this garden. Now lets say it is real hot the day I start and I decide that 100x100 feet with 145 rows is sufficeint and Idecide to do it my way, when he comes to check it out will it have been done to please him? Will I be rewarded or punished? You answer this question truthfully and then ask "If I obey God MY WAY will I have pleased Him or not?" "Will I be rewarded or punished?"
Christ said "He that believeth AND is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned." Did He mean "AND" is baptized yes HE did! So how do we believe? Romans 10:17 tells us we must hear the word to believe it. Then we must be willing to repent or "turn away, no longer" sin or commit willful sin Luke 13:3,5. Then we must confess Christ as the Son of the Living God Matthew 10:32. Then we must be baptized for the remossion or forgiveness of sin Acts 2:38. Then we must live a faithful life to Christ and His church Revelation 2:10 to recieve a crown of life!
Did the man tell me to plow a garden with 150 rows, did he say 100 feet by 200 feet. Yes well what if I leave out 1 row did I obey him? No i did not!! Well what if I made it 100 feet by 199 feet did I obey him? No I did not!! This is how important it is to obey the gospel fully, it says do it so we must do it even if it only says it once. Once is enough. My dad always told me I only have to tell you once to do something for me to mean it. Well God only has to say something once to mean for us to do it. He says it more than once though. In Acts chapter 2:1-38 the Apostle Peter was under divine guidence by the Holy Spirit while preaching to the people now did the Holy Spirit leave Peter When he answered them in verse 38? I don't think so the Holy Spirit told those men to repent and be baptized! God told them through Peter, he was speaking in tongues! The Holy Spirit spoke through Peter to those men! It is a command by God that we be baptized for remission of sin. 1 Peter 3:21 says "The like figure where unto baptism doth now also save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but an answer of good conscience toward God, by the resurection of Jesus Christ. It is not the water that clenses us but our act of obedience that puts us into contact with the blood of Christ through baptism. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that life is in the blood and blood is for atonement of the soul. Blood must be shed to pay for our sins. This is why they sacrificed animals in the Old Testament. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Matthew 26:28 Jesus said "This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS." Now When did He shed His blood, John 19:33, 34 tells He shed His blood in His death. He was dead when his blood was shed. Romans 6:3 tells us that we are baptized INTO Jesus' death and verse 4 tells us that we are burried with Him in baptism. Now how many people do we burry by placing them on top of the ground and sprinkling some dirt on them, none. It is by being baptized that we enter his death and there we contact his blood. Therefore baptism is the only thing that saves us. If prayer does then 1 Peter 3:21 is a lie because baptism isn't needed if prayer is sufficient. Don't just take my word read God's word Jesus said any one who tries to come in any other way but by me is the same as a thief and a robber. John 10:1. Read it!!!
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