Bible Study What a Christian is...

[JohnD]

John 3:16-18 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 8:23 (KJV)
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

1 John 3:1 (KJV)
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Romans 9:4-6 (KJV)
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, [plural] and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

1 Peter 2:3-9 (KJV)
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Revelation 1:6 (KJV)
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10 (KJV)
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

We are all priests of God in Christ Jesus and the clergy / laity division is false for the new covenant thought it was necessary in the old covenant because of the major sins in Exodus 32 when God was ready to strike everyone dead except Moses and start over with him. Originally even in the old covenant was the intention that the whole nation would be priests:

Exodus 19:6 (KJV)
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

The Hebrew term is reflected in the Greek that gets translated kings and priests in the English, but the original intent was that we are a kingdom of priests.

 

[JohnD]

Galatians 3:24-28 (KJV)
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:19-21 (NASB95)
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

Two Laws, by the way. The Law of Moses, and the Law of God and of Christ.

 

[JohnD]

For the purpose of getting others saved (Matthew 28:19-20) and:

1 John 1 (NASB95)

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—
2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 2:1-5 (NASB95)
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

 

[th1b.taylor]

JohnD,
All of these scriptures are essential but where is the Life Application?

 

[JohnD]

First things first, my friend.

Wax on... wax off...

 

[farouk]

For the purpose of getting others saved (Matthew 28:19-20) and:

1 John 1 (NASB95)

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—
2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 2:1-5 (NASB95)
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

John's First Epistle is a very searching and wholesome book of the Bible.

I find it very challenging.

Blessings.

 

[Kathi]

 

[th1b.taylor]

JohnD,
That's a cute answer, what do you suppose God thinks about it. Aren't we to honor the Great Commission?

 

[Chopper]

JohnD,
That's a cute answer, what do you suppose God thinks about it. Aren't we to honor the Great Commission?

In a cute way Bill, I think what John was saying is, What a Christian is, not what a Christian does.

 

[farouk]

Digested deeply, right? and not just memorized...

Blessings.

 

[Eugene]

JohnD,
That's a cute answer, what do you suppose God thinks about it. Aren't we to honor the Great Commission?

Hi Brother Bill, but what do you know of nations that have been witnessed to, baptized, and that in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost when we have marching orders in Col 3:17, And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Now that might be disputed, but we see it practiced by Peter in Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Could it be possible there is much to come during Jesus’ thousand rule when nations will be dealt with? We read in Isa 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved . .

Many things prophesied are yet to come in my thinking, and with the fullness and times of the Gentiles accomplished, and Israel back as head of the nations unto God there’ll be witnessing outstripping the efforts ever seen from time immemorial.

Blessings in Christ Jesus.

 

[JohnD]

By tradition "the great commission" is Matthew 28:19-20. In actuality it is the believer's commission. The great commission is the Father declaring the Son in whom he is well pleased at his baptism and on the mount of transfiguration.

Yes, we are to fulfill the believer's commission.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB95)
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

[farouk]

By tradition "the great commission" is Matthew 28:19-20. In actuality it is the believer's commission. The great commission is the Father declaring the Son in whom he is well pleased at his baptism and on the mount of transfiguration.

Yes, we are to fulfill the believer's commission.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB95)
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

There's the baptismal formula, also...

 

[JohnD]

In a cute way Bill, I think what John was saying is, What a Christian is, not what a Christian does.

Precisely.

Romans 7:19 (NASB95)
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

1 John 2:1 (NASB95)
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

1 John 2:3-5 (NASB95)
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

1 John 1:8-10 (NASB95)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins**, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 1:5-7 (NASB95)
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

** James 5:16 (NASB95)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

May I suggest that this is a general confession rather than a detailed one...

The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee used to say "If you knew everything about me that God knows about me, you wouldn't want to listen to me. But now hold on. If I knew about you all that God knows about you, I wouldn't want to talk to you in the first place."

We can't handle the confessions of others (if you think about it). We are all too ready to write them off and send them off to hell (for doing pretty much the same things we do and either forgot about, didn't face, or didn't get caught). But God sees all things...

Proverbs 15:3 (NASB95)
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

He knows what you did (and did know long before you were born what you would do).

May I say that there is something greater going on here and we need to get focused back on the big picture! The evangelization of the lost.

You will note in Psalm 51 (the greatest confession of sin) that David does not go into the lewd details even with God. He does what 1 John 1 teaches that we agree with God we sinned, and the perfect tense of his forgiveness / cleansing us of our sins continues regardless. The fellowship / being in the light as he is in the light is what gets fowled up and we must keep short accounts with God about confessing our sins to him.

The focus in the new covenant is about not sinning of course... but it is not the only focus the even greater point is getting the lost saved. That's why we remain after we come to faith in Christ. Think of all the grief it would spare God and us and others if we were raptured out upon conversion... but we remain... not to perfect ourselves... not to perfect this world... to evangelize the lost. The things of this world are going to perish and our sleazy lazy sinful bodies will be changed!

Romans 8:23 (NASB95)
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (NASB95)
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB95)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

So find your spiritual gifts / calling and have at it (evangelism) from your individual participation (not all are called to teach and to preach not all are the head or the hands in the body).

 

[JohnD]

A great passage at the testimony of water baptism:

Isaiah 54:4-10 (NASB95)
4 “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the Lord of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.
6 “For the Lord has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,” Says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you.
8 “In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,” Says the Lord your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you.
10 “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the Lord who has compassion on you.

God is not in the same covenant mode he was in the Old Testament / Old Covenant. He will discipline / chasten us when we are disobedient (even to the point of removing us from this life if need be see 1 Corinthians 5:5). But his wrath towards us was appeased by the cross of Christ.

 

[Eugene]

Yes, we are to fulfill the believer's commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB95)
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

There's the baptismal formula, also...

How is the following scripture reconciled? Act_2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Mat 28:18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
When will Jesus take that all power?
How long is Jesus’ reign?

Heb 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
When is this to occur?

Mat_24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

What appears to have been the commission is Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 

[JohnD]

All humanity is the children of God... the Word (Jesus preincarnate). He alone created all things in the beginning by himself.

Isaiah 44:24 (NASB95)
24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,

Jesus is our Redeemer. The Father is the one to whom the redemption price is paid, and the Holy Spirit did not become a man and sacrifice himself for humanity (1 Timothy 4:10 / 1 John 2:2)

The preincarnate Jesus was in company with the Father (John 1:1 / 1 John 1:2) and the Holy Spirit (John 1:1 / Genesis 1:2). But he acted alone.

Luke 3:38
38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God... (the Word).

God the Father created the body of Jesus (Hebrews 10:5 / Hebrews 1:5). And is the only creation of the Father (John 1:14, John 1:18, John 3:16, John 3:18, 1 John 4:9).

Only believers in Jesus Christ are sons and daughters of God the Father by adoption through faith.

Ephesians 1:5 (NASB95)
5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Jesus (in his body) is the direct Son of the Father. We are the Father's adopted children.

 

[JohnD]

How is the following scripture reconciled? Act_2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Mat 28:18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. When will Jesus take that all power? How long is Jesus’ reign?

Heb 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. When is this to occur?

Mat_24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

What appears to have been the commission is Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Okay.

We are given a commission to do these things but the great commission is the commission of the Lord Jesus Christ (without which there would be no salvation / commission / or redemption from an eternity in hell)...

The name of Jesus is Yehoshua in Hebrew (YHVH Saves). Say you were to take the believer's commission literally and baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.... most just mouth that phrase, but some take it literally and say the name of all three which is YHVH (Yahweh). Think of it like a surname and it is not so hard to grasp. This is still in the name of Jesus (YHVH SHUA = Yahweh Saves).

The Jews in the Armageddon scenario will cry out for Jesus using the root word for his name Hoshea (Joshua son of Nun was named Hoshea at birth which Moses changed by adding YHVH to the beginning in the abbreviated Yah or Yeh and his name was Yehoshua Joshua (Greek to Latin to Germanic to English "Jesus."). They will cry as the world's armies are bearing down on them "Hosanna!" Or in the Hebrew "Hosha Nah!" Save now. The very meaning of the name of Jesus (Yahweh Saves).

 

[JohnD]

Also remember water baptism is but an outward indication of an inward transformation.

John the WATER Baptist contrasted water baptism with the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Spirit (salvation) or with fire (judgment).

The one baptism of Ephesians 4:5 must refer to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 

[JohnD]

It's late and I have two 17 hour days ahead of me.

Two jobs trying to make ends meet.

I will be back Sunday (Lord willing).

God bless!