Death and Dying

    Listed below are a variety of verses that support the theology of why people die when they do. This blog was motivated after the death of one of our precious infants in our church.

    God is in charge of life and death and therefore, he is responsible for the giving and taking of life. No one else can be responsible for taking a life. If that were not the case God would not be God.

    The dilemma comes when someone, adult or child, dies in a manner that just seems cruel. For example, a new father dies of a heart attack, a baby dies of SIDS, or a small child drowns. Where is the sense in it all? If God is in charge of death, he therefore did something that seems extremely cruel. To merely respond to everything, "It's a mystery", is not appropriate, nor fair to God and what he has told us. On the other hand, our ways are not God's ways and we must submit to that in certain cases. Therefore, I will attempt to explain and give depth of knowledge to this issue:

    Each situation must be discerned on its own. There are no blanket answers!

    The issue of death, Satan and freewill: We have freewill to make decisions for our own life. Despite all the information we choose to do things based on our own needs. I ride a motorcycle and despite the warnings, I may one day lay it down, and if so, I placed myself by my own free will in a dangerous situation and Satan struck. The outcome renders me in a condition that God in his mercy chooses to take me home. So my freewill can damage myself, via Satan, but it is God who chooses to take my life in the end. That is why some people die at a crash while others live. God may have use of a person in a particular state. This can be applied to all areas of death. Satan strikes and God in his mercy chooses to take us home. Satan does not have power over death but can destroy to near death. We therefore cannot live in a bubble so we must take the responsibility of our actions that empower Satan.

    This understanding must go hand in hand with our sin nature. We are by nature sinful. Yes even children. We all come into the world needing, wanting and demanding our way. As precious and beautiful as a baby is they are very demanding and selfish. Certainly understood since they are dependant, but the sin nature still exists. Why is the response of hunger to cry and demand? That is the sin nature. If babies were not demanding and selfish there would be no babies shook to death in an effort to make them stop crying. A baby is the perfect example of the dual nature of people. They are precious, wonderful, loving and trusting and the next minute a terror. I watched just yesterday a baby in a shopping cart, sitting as peaceful as can be and for no apparent reason starting screaming. Mom picked her up and she stopped. Therefore, we must understand that in each of us is the sin nature and therefore, death is all around us and we are deserving. We actually desire to flirt with death and sin as we wrestle with Satan. In other words, from our birth we all deserve death and punishment due to our sin nature and God continually forgives and has mercy on us even though our entire life is self centered. This is very hard for some to understand!

    It is easy to explain why death happens. The hard part is to explain, "Why did God allow this to happen?" For this we shift from cause to prevention! We again must turn to freewill. If I said you could not choose your spouse, decide to play ball, or anything else, I think most people would scream. As Lutherans we believe that God gives us faith. People are vehemently opposed to that idea and fight with me, leave the church as they demand that they are not responsible for their own faith. Therefore, it is human nature to be "self" centered and not want to submit to God. For God to "not allow" means he has to control our freewill. We can't say God why didn't you prevent me from riding my motorcycle on the street and crashing. To do that God would say, why did you feel the need to ride a vehicle that is dangerous? If God give us freedom, then that means for everything, outside of faith. You see he still imputes into us that saving grace of faith. HE refuses to lose us completely and has chosen to intercede in that area so as not to lose us from salvation, yet gives us freedom to experience life. God must allow our freewill to act in all areas of life, otherwise he must control all areas. This answers those cases where there is a cause and affect to death. What about when there is no cause and affect i.e. in SIDS?

    In the midst of understanding and purpose of a death there is also the will of God to take home for his own reason. Yes, God does call someone home because he knows what's best or has need. He may take an infant because he knows the infant will suffer later in life. He may take an infant because it saves someone else. He may take an infant because it reminds us how fragile life is. Imagine no death of a certain age group. If babies never died think about how we would use that for bad behavior. My brother who is a Pastor lost a baby after 8 hours of life. WHY? Why did he take her home? To this we don't know but trust that God had need of her to come home. Maybe it shaped the people it affected. Maybe it brought someone to faith. This is the scenario where we just don't know. What we do know is that God prospers every negative thing and this is our hope. For God death is a home coming. For God it is peace and positive. He tells us in Isaiah 57:1 He takes the righteous home to spare them from evil. As hard as it may be to consider, I know that my niece was spared the pain of the sin in this world. Certainly we all wanted her here, but our peace and comfort is that she will never have to go through the pain of life and rest eternally in heaven through the security of her baptism. Then when I die I will see her and my father will explain to me why it was essential that she come home when she did.

    As we consider scenarios of why a death occurs, listed below are several purposes of death. We must wait and see how each issue unfolds and then wait on God to reveal his purpose if it is his will for us to know. Because God uses something to make good does not mean that was his purpose. It takes knowledge of God to discern God. Once we have waited and all reasons expired then we may have to submit to the idea that the death and action was a mystery. And even in that we have hope that God desires only to do good for us, loves us and will make good come out of the negative situation.

    In conclusion I would first like to say I am open for discussion at any time. It is hard to write about difficult situations and I would NEVER want to hurt anyone by what I write.

    Second, it is essential that we continue to learn about God so that we might understand his will more clearly. Certainly we will not know a definitive answer about God's will until we see him and thanks be to God we will one day see Him and the ones we have lost. It is always "see you later" not gone for good. BUT, it is also important to know that we can see into God's will and find peace in knowing him. And there are those times that his work is revealed and becomes evident. May God grant all who read this comfort and peace.

The rest are verses that support what I am saying.  

Scenarios Of Why Bad Things Happen?

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.
⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.                                                             
     --God has need of them                

John 9:1-7
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³ "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

    --God's work is displayed…Also see Rom 9..Power displayed

2 Corinthians 12:7-9
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  
     --So God can work with us.

Luke 13:1-5
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

   --As a result of God's wrath.

Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Job 1:21
and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

    --The Lord can choose to take something away

Job 2:9-10
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
¹⁰ He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

     --We are tested.

Job 1:6-12
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
⁷ The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." ⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
⁹ "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. ¹⁰ "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." ¹² The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:13
his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.

    --Man's work will be tested

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.                                              
     --Enables the ability to endure long suffering

Revelation 3:19
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

    --God's discipline.

Hebrews 12:7-8
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.


1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

    --Temptation

James 1:13
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

Hebrews 6:12
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

--Teach Patience which is "Long Suffering"

 
Mans Condition:

Genesis 8:21 "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

Psalms 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Romans 3:22-24
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:10
The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

Romans 9:16
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

Romans 11:22
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Genesis 2:7
the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Ephesians 1:4
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

Psalms 139:13-16
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Revelation 3:5
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

2 Corinthians 5:1
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Acts 17:25-28
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
²⁶ From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
²⁷ God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
²⁸ 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

God's Sovereignty:

Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

John 5:19
Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

2 Corinthians 5:19
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.

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 2:8 and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

Psalms 31:15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

Romans 14:8
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

John 1:3 (Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Luke 12:2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.

Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God."

Amos 3:7 Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.


 

 
How to decide the meaning of bad things:


 
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Jeremiah 9:24
but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Romans 8:27
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

1 Corinthians 2:10
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

2 Corinthians 8:7 But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Ephesians 3:19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

2 Timothy 2:25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,                          Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

DEATH


 
Romans 14:7-9
For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
⁸ If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.


Philippians 1:20-24
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Romans 8:26-28 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
²⁸ 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.

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Revelation 9:6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

1 John 5:17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

1 Peter 3:18 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,

James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Corinthians 15:54-56 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
⁵⁵ "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

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, ³⁹ 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 8:36
As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

Romans 6:3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?


 
Foreknowledge/Predestination:

Psalms 139:1-4
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

Romans 8:29-30 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Ephesians 1:4-6 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Romans 11:32
For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Romans 9:18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.


 

 

 

 

Baptism Systematic's

Baptize () bap-tee-zo: To wash, pour, to make wet, immerse.

Mark 7:4…washed the pots
Acts 22:16…Arise and be baptized. They were in a city, not a river.
Matthew 3:11…Baptized with the Holy Spirit

    Why Baptize?  God commanded it.

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Man's condition: We are by nature sinful and unable to please God


 
Genesis 8:21 "Every inclination is evil"

Psalm 51:5 "sinful from the time my mother conceived me"

Psalm 58:3 "From birth speak lies"

Psalm 22:9 "you made me trust you"

Jeremiah 31:31-34 "I will write it on there hearts…"

John 5:41 "I do not accept Glory from men"

Romans 5:8 " Whole we were still sinners"

1 John 1:10 "If we claim to be without sin we make God a liar"


 
Q-      How can a sinful person with "every" inclination "accept Jesus without Gods help?

    If acceptance was so important then why did Jesus die for us while we were sinners?

Shouldn't he have died for all of those who accept him?

    At what age exactly does a person become cognitive enough to "truly" accept Jesus?

        --That would mean God places our children into jeopardy of damnation for varying periods of time from 9ish to whenever. Not a very loving God!


THOUGHTS:

No where in scripture did they ever baptize twice with Jesus' Baptism

Acts 8:16-17 a perfect place for a second baptism, but they didn't

Age of resonating is random and uncertain

The church for 1500 year baptized babies…

Did God just look the other way for all that time?

Did he damn all those babies?

Did God damn all the young pre-adolescents and adolescents who knew of Jesus but made no acceptance because that theology didn't exist?

To hold the grace of God prisoner for man to do something is exactly what the Old Testament did. How is that a NEW covenant from the old one?


 
What does God say about Baptism?

Mark 1:8 "Jesus has a baptism of his own. Nothing to do with our faith or acceptance"

Matt 28:18 Command to Baptize.

John 3:5 Must be born of water and Spirit

John 4:11 Jesus has living water

Acts 2:38-39…Command to baptize for forgiveness

Acts 19:2-7 Baptism gave the spirit

Romans 6: Baptism is union with Christ and handled separately from anything else…

WHY if it is symbolic

Romans 9:16… It does not depend on mans effort or desire

Romans 12:3…measure of faith God has given us.

I Corinthians 123 No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit

II Corinthians 12:9 God is strong in our weakness

Ephesians 2:8 Saved by Grace through faith..not from yourself…no "I" accept"

Ephesians 4:4-6 Why is baptism separate and in company of a powerful list…Something symbolic does not fit. 
Colossians 2:9-12 Baptism is the same as circumcision in which they received the kingdom from a physical act on a parent part.
Hebrews 6:1-2 Baptism is an elementary teaching…and it is separate from faith

1 Peter 3:17-22 Baptism now saves you. The "flood" is symbolic of Baptism not the other way around!

1 John 5:6… Jesus came by water and blood…Baptism and communion. What else could it possibly be since scripture was for simple people.


 
Baptism is God's grace poured out for us to assure our salvation. We can deny that gift, but it is a gift. Salvation is what God's desires for us. To hold out his hand with conditions of acceptance is Pharisee-ism and false theology. The non-denominational mentality is a burden on the soul and destructive to the faith.

Calvary, Glory and Lutherans

In today’s Christian music industry every other song is “Glory.” The reason for this is the theology of glory and in contrast is our theology of the cross. It is a stark difference that very few people see or understand.


Recently I was at a Calvary chapel church and like most of them it was a large theater style with nothing on the walls. It had a large screen, soft chairs and a large stage. There were no pictures, banners or anything that would designate it as a church much less a “sanctuary.” Then I came to my church and we are filled with pictures, banners, crosses, altars etc.


Later that month we were talking about different theologies in our men’s group and one gentleman talked about how in the reformed church they see God in each other and not in the trappings of the church. It dawned on me how the building reflects not only the ministry but the theology as well.


The idea of the theology of glory is in line with the non-denominational/Baptist view. Jesus is in heaven and we glorify him in our actions. It is the people of God who glorify God as if we actually have something he needs. We see this many times in scripture that we glorify God, but what is missing is the premise behind these words.


Before I explain this aspect let me first outline one critical difference. If you go to any Nondenominational type web page you will find a description of belief. In that they will say that man is born with natural sin. That man is sinful and unclean. Then they say man must accept Jesus as his personal savior. The question we don’t ask, is if I am sinful by nature, where do I get the knowledge and the will to accept anything? The reality is that we don’t and what our world is being taught is wrong and against scripture. We should be glad God accepts us Gal 4:9. In scripture, where the Non-Denominationals say we receive Christ or accept him as our personal savior Jn. 1:11(read to 13), it clearly is referring to welcoming him and his word. It is coming to us, like a ball thrown. The people were not letting the message in. The message was given, they were rejecting it. Nowhere in scripture does it support “inviting” Jesus in. We merely need to catch it not invite it to be thrown. This premise puts us on uneven playing field to begin with. I Cor. 12:3, Romans 12:3, Eph. 2:8 and many more.


Therefore, with this premise in mind how can we glorify anything? How arrogant. God does not accept glory from men, John 5:41. The word “praise” in Jn. 5:41 as used in most bibles is “doxy” which is the Greek word for glory, i.e. doxology. We can easily connect this to another premise by John in 3:27 in that a “man can receive “NOTHING” unless it is given him by heaven.” This is clearly outlined in John 1:32 and explained further in Romans 2:29; the Holy Spirit works in us to glorify God. It is God who glorifies himself through his spirit as HE works in man.


Why is this so important? Consider how the Non-D. church people speak. The day “I” accepted Jesus. What are “you” doing. Their sanctuaries are empty of icons because the new icon is them. They worship each other! It is the heart of idolatry, self actualization and humanism. In the Lutheran world, we rally at the cross. On the cross our sins are laid bare and Christ lifts us up and uses us in spite of ourselves. It gives us hope that we are not the answers to our salvation. We all fall short Rom 3:22-23, but God in his love comes to us as sinners, not as glorified saints, Romans 5:8, for it does not depend on a man’s effort or desire Romans 9:16, but on God’s mercy. It is all about Jesus, not about the day we accepted God. This is the greatest insult we can give to God and is from the heart and mouth of Satan as Satan wanted to be God, it makes us like God. We have nothing to offer God. Even if we take a self aware attitude about this, what would God want from us he doesn’t all ready have? If glorification was his goal then why take Jesus into heaven. The world could marvel at his greatness as he roamed the earth. We have icons in our church so that every where we turn we see something that reminds us of Jesus. Our communion is not about our faith, but Gods’ action. Our baptism is not about our faith, but God’s action. Our life is not about our “Crowns of Glory that we get in heaven,” but God’s action. Sadly most Lutherans don’t know what we believe nor understand. Casting Crowns sings against this in the song, “Stain Glass Masquerade.” How ignorant they are not to understand! And why should they, they may be wrong, but we are dead in our faith! Our music writers have long faded and all we have to sing with a beat is what the Non-d. church produces and we hope we all understand that when we glorify God, it is He that is glorifying Himself through us in Himself. Anything outside of this is idolatry, arrogance and humanism. Give me the cross and save my soul, because I will always fall short of the glory of God!


As always there is SOOOO much more and so many more verses to support our long and rich theological history. For more information respond to my blog or just join our church and learn the truth.

Church Bodies

Where did our belief come from?

Within this article is a VERY simple line chart of where the basic faiths came from. There are 1500 different bodies that call themselves Christian and many more splinters, but the basics are contained in this article. If you do not find yours, let me know and I will expand my chart to add it. I pray you seek a theology that is right before you find a Pastor and church you like. Friendly people are in all religions. Just because a million people believe in a bad idea, doesn’t make it a good idea! Click on images to enlarge.

Baptism

Baptize () bap-tee-zo: To wash, pour, to make wet, immerse.

Mark 7:4…washed the pots

Acts 22:16…Arise and be baptized. They were in a city, not a river.

Matthew 3:11…Baptized with the Holy Spirit

Why Baptize? God commanded it.

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Who is to be baptized? ...Everyone

Matthew 28:18-20…All nations

Mark 10:15

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Received (dexhtai, dek-a-tai, root dek-o-mai,) middle= I receive myself

Child (paidia, pedia = specifically “infant”) An infant, according to Jesus, is able to receive unto himself the kingdom of God.

Acts 2:41

Those who received his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Why didn’t Jesus baptize the child? It was because Baptism is uniting a person with Christ’s death and resurrection, and Jesus had not done either yet.

Romans 6:1-5

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Refutation of the reformed theology of Baptism:

Hebrews 6:1-2 (NIV)
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.

Instruction: A Greek Genitive/singular meaning” instruction of” or “doctrine of.” It is not “teaching” but closely related.

Baptims: It is a Greek plural/Genitive meaning to wash, pour, to make wet, immerse. The plural means many or more than one. There was John’s baptism and the Baptism into the trinity. There were some incomplete baptisms (Acts 8:16) and therefore reasonable to think that the author had to deal with more than one baptism. This in no way validates more than one creditable baptism, it just leaves the door open, which Paul closes (Eph 4:5).

Elementary teachings: The Greek reveals the phrase as “Beginning of Christ Word or discourse (Logus not raima), on to full growth let us be borne not again a foundation…” Baptism is a foundational concept, has a doctrine and is separate from faith. If baptism is an “outward sign of an inward faith” as the reforms say, then why was it listed in such company? It can’t be a symbol of faith if it is listed as a doctrine, nor can it be a symbol of one of the other attributes listed.

Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV)
³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

One: This is the number one ie. Only one baptism. Now some has said that it is one type of baptism and other try to make one to mean best (#1), but only one works because of the way it is used with the other aspects of the sentence. Note once again the company of the word. Paul puts baptism in an order with the Lord, faith, God and the Father. Why would he stick a “symbol” in the middle of this highest of characters that could be mentioned? In my opinion, if baptism is symbolic then Paul has a very strange pattern of speech. Paul has obviously shown us here the importance of baptism, which if it is a “salvation” issue, makes much more sense of being clumped together with faith and various titles of God!

Examples of what the reforms called “Spirit Baptism:”

The idea that there is a “spirit” baptism is in complete agreement with Lutheran Theology. At Baptisms we are united with Christ death and resurrection and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To imply because different attributes are discussed at different times that there is more than one baptism goes against the totality of scripture as I have already proven. Eph. Cannot be ignored and must work with the rest of scripture. Based on Eph. We must adhere to one baptism, although there was John’s Baptism which is really no baptism at all. This principle has been clearly shown in scripture. There is only one Baptism and tat is the Baptism into the Trinity. If you have 1/3 a baptism, you receive 1/3 the gift.

Acts 8:15-18 (NIV)
¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

This is not an example of “Spirit Baptism.” It clearly says that it is the reception of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands (Note 18). So what is the issue here? Note the comparison of Acts 2 to Acts 8, remembering the order of scripture.

Acts 2:38-39 (NIV)
³⁸ Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

So why in Acts 8 did they not receive the Holy Spirit? One of the attributes of Lutheran Theology is to place equal emphasis on the historical grammatical as well as various other forms. This is a case in point! In Acts 2 it says they were suppose to be baptized into “Jesus Christ.” You will note that in Acts 8 that they Baptized into Lord Jesus. In Nazareth there were over twenty “Jesus’” in his day. The word “Lord” today means Jesus, but in that d ay, Lord was a connotation that could be attributed to leaders and those superior. Jesus Christ was a unique name and names mean something! That is why we put so much attention on doing those things which God commands, just as he tells us to!

Acts 10:44-48 (NIV)
⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Once again this is a grammatical issue. This is the reverse of Acts 2 & 8. They were not baptized in the name of “Jesus Christ” as the NIV suggests but rather baptized into the Lord. There was no need to baptized into Jesus Christ because the Spirit had already come on them. Water Baptism is not the only way Christ can bring His Spirit on us. Baptism is our assurance as all these passage in Acts prove.

Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
¹ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ² and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." ³ So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. ⁴ Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

This is an excellent verse to prove Lutheran Theology. They asked, did you receive the Holy spirit when you believed and they said no. Then the next question is the assumption of how they came to faith and received the Hoy Spirit. This also clarifies that there was more than one Baptism as discussed earlier (John’s and Jesus). The assumption that faith comes through baptism from Holy Spirit is clearly reflected here.

Symbolic: The premise that scripture is symbolic is the easy way to say we don’t have to adhere to scripture and therefore can make it say anything we want. There are things that are symbolic and things that are literal. Scripture is literal, grammatical, historical, metaphorical, prophetic and revelation. To say that it is one or the other must be taught. That is not a natural reasoning. Further more parables and metaphors have a truth not just a symbol.

1 Peter 3:18-21 (NIV)
¹⁸ 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, ¹⁹ through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison ²⁰ who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Scripture is clearly stating that it is through baptism that we are saved. If Christ meant something else, he should have told us. Further more to assume that Baptism means the spirit would be to take the phrase out of context and it’s natural flow. He already spoke about the spirit and was in no need of changing things for confusion. God is not a God of confusion but of truth. If he meant Spirit it would have been natural to say Spirit. He had no reason to say anything else. This wasn’t a word play or challenge against the Pharisees, it was a simple straight forward statement.

1 Peter says exactly what it says and needs no application of metaphoric jostling!!!

Colossians 2:9-12 (NIV)
⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

How can anyone ignore or trivialize this passage. It aligns perfectly with Romans 6. Who unites us? The power of the Holy Spirit which we receive at our baptism. Is it the only method upon which God can bring faith? NO, but it is his preferred and commanded method.

Romans 6:1-14 (NIV)
¹ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. ⁵ If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- ⁷ because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

How can anyone igonore, trivialize or even want to add metaphoric impactions to this text. It stands on it’s own and tells us exactly what Baptism is.

FAITH

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is God who gives us this grace through faith. He plants it in our heart as prophesied through Jeremiah 31:31-34, not in us! Christ also supports this in 1 Cor. 12 below. Scripture says what it says no matter how much “our itching ears” wants to hear we do something.

1 Corinthians 12:3 (NIV)
³ Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

James 1:21 (NIV)
²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Note that we accept the word “planted” in us. God places his word in us and we let it be. We accept it, stop fighting in disbelief. Let God’s faith to blossom. Now I’ve put a lot of weight on this passage that is not there to embellish this great gift and how beautiful it is to be Lutheran. We can speak about our faith and God’s work in us, without boasting or pride. The reforms can’t and never do. It is all about when “they” accepted jesus Christ. I thin m more importantly to live for the day Jesus accepted me!

John 15:16 (NIV)
¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

AGE OF REASONING

Now turning the tables to the ridiculous and the cruelty of the reformed theology. The age of reasoning suggests that a child is in God’s grace until the age of reasoning. This silly notion leaves the believer in limbo for years and ignores scripture.

Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)
²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Genesis 8:21 (NIV)
²¹ The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

Psalms 51:5 (NIV)
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

John 3:6 (NIV)
⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)
¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.

1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)
⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

John 5:41 (NIV)
⁴¹ "I do not accept praise from men,

From a human perspective, what child by age 6 months is not already manipulating their parents, crying to get what they want. By five almost every child knows right from wrong. But the real sham is what about 9-12+? By age 9 a child can reason, but they don’t go to a rock concert, stadium event or church to make an altar call and they die at age 10. What hope do they have? Or even worse, statistics tell us that adults way into their 30’s are still concrete operational. Are they “really” able to “choose” Jesus? To accept something, or have faith is to believe which in Greek means to trust…have faith. Who can have faith in something they don’t know or understand? Our feeble attempts at believing is not true faith, and if it is not true faith, then we are not “born again.” If we are not born again then we are not saved. Therefore, according to the non-denominational theology/Baptist theology, most of them are not saved because of their own definition of salvation! This is a lie and abomination of scripture in which our society now resonates because everyone tries not to be Catholic. Our society does not want to be in the staunch old church body, so when someone perks their hearing with rebellion, the nation flocks. They create a religion around the pharisaic law. If you do, you will get. As one person put it, “It’s dog crap in Christmas wrapping paper.” It leaves us without certainty or hope and obligates us to the law and our owns works. Not works that bear fruit for others, but fruits for ourselves. Consider the reformed movement and how many times you hear or works for others and how often do you hear, “I ACCEPTED JESUS ON…” Who cares?

I find it ironic that a church can believe that I can lay my hands on you, call on the name of Christ and you will be healed, which is a display of power, but I can’t place water that is not of me and use words that are not of me and be united with Christ’s death and resurrection. Which is easier to say, “get up you are healed or today Christ has united you to himself?”

HISTORY & CATHOLICISM

It is never our intent to hang doctrine on history. Even in the Apostolic age the church had problems and heresies, so when we look at theology further out, it should be questioned even more. The point of referencing the past, is if history has no reference point of a certain doctrine it should call us into question. It’s not a fact or dogma, but a “Red Flag” or an “affirmation.” Infant Baptism’s have been going on since Christ. We have a bulletin with an infant baptism. Nowhere in the history of the world are there multiple baptisms in the Trinity until Ulrich Zwingli. Why fan into flames such nonsense? History does speak of it. Did God allow billions of people to be damned from 33A.D. until 1580 and beyond seeing how that doctrine did not do well until the enlightenment?

The Catholic church has had it’s time of corruption and its time of reliability. Every church body has it’s sinners that the media exploits, but to ignore history is to ignore how those closest to the day believed. Again, NOT as fact but as indicators to the truth. To have absolutely no record of the Baptist theology is not a hidden truth, it is a false doctrine much like the Da Vinci Code. We learn from history and respect history. We see it for what it is and by the power of the Spirit we try to discern the truth. Remember, the spirit is to be tested, the Bible is trusted.

The word, history and common sense all scream Gods wants us to basptize children. The problem is that no one is asking the right questions of those who say otherwise and they ar getting away with herecy.

Only Jesus! Only Scripture! Only Faith!