From Gary... Truth and will

According to Webster's 1828 online dictionary.

http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/Truth

Truth

TRUTH, noun

1. Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. The truth of history constitutes its whole value. We rely on the truth of the scriptural prophecies. [emp. added GDR]

My mouth shall speak truth Proverbs 8:7.

Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth John 17:17.

2. True state of facts or things. The duty of a court of justice is to discover the truth Witnesses are sworn to declare the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth

3. Conformity of words to thoughts, which is called moral truth

Shall truth fail to keep her word?

4. Veracity; purity from falsehood; practice of speaking truth; habitual disposition to speak truth; as when we say, a man is a man of truth

5. Correct opinion.

6. Fidelity; constancy.

The thoughts of past pleasure and truth

7. Honesty; virtue.

It must appear

That malice bears down truth

8. Exactness; conformity to rule.

Plows, to go true, depend much on the truth of the iron work. [Not in use.]

9. Real fact of just principle; real state of things. There are innumerable truths with which we are not acquainted.

10. Sincerity.

God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth John 4:23.

11. The truth of God, is his veracity and faithfulness. Psalms 71:22.

Or his revealed will.

I have walked in thy truth Psalms 26:3.

12. Jesus Christ is called the truth John 14.

13. It is sometimes used by way of concession.

She said, truth Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crums -- Matthew 15:27.

That is, it is a truth; what you have said, I admit to be true.

In truth in reality; in fact.

Of a truth in reality; certainly.

To do truth is to practice what God commands. John 3.

From Artha - the open thesaurus

truth ~ noun    common

 1. a fact that has been verified

at last he knew the truth; the truth is that he didn't want to do it [emp. added GDR]

 2. conformity to reality or actuality

they debated the truth of the proposition; the situation brought home to us the blunt truth of the military threat; he was famous for the truth of his portraits; he turned to religion in his search for eternal verities

 3. a true statement

he told the truth; he thought of answering with the truth but he knew they wouldn't believe it

The definition of Truth has its absolute meaning tied to facts.The truth which we understand is relative only with respect to our ability to comprehend it. Accepting truth is another matter- it is a matter of the heart and will.

The prophet Jeremiah says in chapter 5 (WEB)

20  “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,  21 ‘Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don’t see; who have ears, and don’t hear:  22 Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? and though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail; though they roar, yet they can’t pass over it.’  

AND

Jesus says in John, chapter 10 (WEB)

22  It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem.  23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.  24 The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 

  25  Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me.   26  But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you.   27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.   28  I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.   29  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.   30  I and the Father are one.” 

  31  Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him.  32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” 

  33  The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 

Why is the truth sometimes hard to swallow? Because we WANT it to be something that conforms to our will, not reality!!!  Looking for truth...Listen to Jesus and understand...

Matthew, Chapter 7 (WEB)

 7  “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.   8  For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.   9  Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?   10  Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?   11  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!   12  Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. 

  13  “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.   14  How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it. 

  15  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.   16  By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?   17  Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.   18  A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.   19  Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.   20  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.   21  Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.   22  Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’   23  Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’ 

  24  “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.   25  The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.   26  Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.   27  The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” 

In reality, TRUTH is NOT a bitter pill to swallow, it is the guide to eternal life...

From Gary... Bible Reading December 7

Bible Reading   

December 7

The World English Bible

Dec. 7

Ezekiel 41-44

Eze 41:1 He brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tent.

Eze 41:2 The breadth of the entrance was ten cubits; and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured its length, forty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits.

Eze 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured each post of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the breadth of the entrance, seven cubits.

Eze 41:4 He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said to me, This is the most holy place.

Eze 41:5 Then he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, all around the house on every side.

Eze 41:6 The side chambers were in three stories, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which belonged to the house for the side chambers all around, that they might have hold therein, and not have hold in the wall of the house.

Eze 41:7 The side chambers were broader as they encompassed the house higher and higher; for the encompassing of the house went higher and higher around the house: therefore the breadth of the house continued upward; and so one went up from the lowestchamber to the highest by the middle chamber.

Eze 41:8 I saw also that the house had a raised base all around: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.

Eze 41:9 The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chambers, on the outside, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that belonged to the house.

Eze 41:10 Between the chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits around the house on every side.

Eze 41:11 The doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits all around.

Eze 41:12 The building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.

Eze 41:13 So he measured the house, one hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with its walls, one hundred cubits long;

Eze 41:14 also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, one hundred cubits.

Eze 41:15 He measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at its back, and its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits; and the inner temple, and the porches of the court;

Eze 41:16 the thresholds, and the closed windows, and the galleries around on their three stories, over against the threshold, with wood ceilings all around, and from the ground up to the windows, (now the windows were covered),

Eze 41:17 to the space above the door, even to the inner house, and outside, and by all the wall all around inside and outside, by measure.

Eze 41:18 It was made with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces;

Eze 41:19 so that there was the face of a man toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. thus was it made through all the house all around:

Eze 41:20 from the ground to above the door were cherubim and palm trees made: thus was the wall of the temple.

Eze 41:21 As for the temple, the door posts were squared; and as for the face of the sanctuary, the appearance of it was as the appearance of the temple.

Eze 41:22 The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits; and its corners, and its length, and its walls, were of wood: and he said to me, This is the table that is before Yahweh.

Eze 41:23 The temple and the sanctuary had two doors.

Eze 41:24 The doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves: two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other.

Eze 41:25 There were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubim and palm trees, like as were made on the walls; and there was a threshold of wood on the face of the porch outside.

Eze 41:26 There were closed windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch: thus were the side chambers of the house, and the thresholds.

Eze 42:1 Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north.

Eze 42:2 Before the length of one hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.

Eze 42:3 Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third story.

Eze 42:4 Before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits' breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north.

Eze 42:5 Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middle, in the building.

Eze 42:6 For they were in three stories, and they didn't have pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the lowest and the middle from the ground.

Eze 42:7 The wall that was outside by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, its length was fifty cubits.

Eze 42:8 For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and behold, before the temple were one hundred cubits.

Eze 42:9 From under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.

Eze 42:10 In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers.

Eze 42:11 The way before them was like the appearance of the way of the chambers which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: and all their exits were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.

Eze 42:12 According to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one enters into them.

Eze 42:13 Then said he to me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests who are near to Yahweh shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.

Eze 42:14 When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments in which they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertains to the people.

Eze 42:15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it all around.

Eze 42:16 He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed all around.

Eze 42:17 He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around.

Eze 42:18 He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

Eze 42:19 He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

Eze 42:20 He measured it on the four sides: it had a wall around it, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.

Eze 43:1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east.

Eze 43:2 Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory.

Eze 43:3 It was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.

Eze 43:4 The glory of Yahweh came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

Eze 43:5 The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house.

Eze 43:6 I heard one speaking to me out of the house; and a man stood by me.

Eze 43:7 He said to me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their prostitution, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places;

Eze 43:8 in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their doorpost beside my doorpost, and there was but the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: therefore I have consumed them in my anger.

Eze 43:9 Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.

Eze 43:10 You, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.

Eze 43:11 If they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, and its fashion, and its exits, and its entrances, and all its forms, and all its ordinances, and all its forms, and all its laws; and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form of it, and all its ordinances, and do them.

Eze 43:12 This is the law of the house: on the top of the mountain the whole limit around it shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

Eze 43:13 These are the measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and its border around its edge a span; and this shall be the base of the altar.

Eze 43:14 From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit.

Eze 43:15 The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.

Eze 43:16 The altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides of it.

Eze 43:17 The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad in the four sides of it; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and its bottom shall be a cubit around; and its steps shall look toward the east.

Eze 43:18 He said to me, Son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh: These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

Eze 43:19 You shall give to the priests the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me, says the Lord Yahweh, a young bull for a sin offering.

Eze 43:20 You shall take of its blood, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around: thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.

Eze 43:21 You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary.

Eze 43:22 On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bull.

Eze 43:23 When you have made an end of cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

Eze 43:24 You shall bring them near before Yahweh, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to Yahweh.

Eze 43:25 Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bull, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

Eze 43:26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it.

Eze 43:27 When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord Yahweh.

Eze 44:1 Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut.

Eze 44:2 Yahweh said to me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut.

Eze 44:3 As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before Yahweh; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

Eze 44:4 Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh: and I fell on my face.

Eze 44:5 Yahweh said to me, Son of man, mark well, and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I tell you concerning all the ordinances of the house of Yahweh, and all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every exit of the sanctuary.

Eze 44:6 You shall tell the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: you house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

Eze 44:7 in that you have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant, to add to all your abominations.

Eze 44:8 You have not performed the duty of my holy things; but you have set performers of my duty in my sanctuary for yourselves.

Eze 44:9 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel.

Eze 44:10 But the Levites who went far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.

Eze 44:11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house: they shall kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.

Eze 44:12 Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel; therefore have I lifted up my hand against them, says the Lord Yahweh, and they shall bear their iniquity.

Eze 44:13 They shall not come near to me, to execute the office of priest to me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.

Eze 44:14 Yet will I make them performers of the duty of the house, for all its service, and for all that shall be done therein.

Eze 44:15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister to me; and they shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood, says the Lord Yahweh:

Eze 44:16 they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my instruction.

Eze 44:17 It shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come on them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

Eze 44:18 They shall have linen tires on their heads, and shall have linen breeches on their waists; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat.

Eze 44:19 When they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.

Eze 44:20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.

Eze 44:21 Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

Eze 44:22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

Eze 44:23 They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Eze 44:24 In a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to my ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts; and they shall make my Sabbaths holy.

Eze 44:25 They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband, they may defile themselves.

Eze 44:26 After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.

Eze 44:27 In the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord Yahweh.

Eze 44:28 They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.

Eze 44:29 They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.

Eze 44:30 The first of all the first fruits of every thing, and every offering of everything, of all your offerings, shall be for the priest: you shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.

Eze 44:31 The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or animal.

Dec. 7

1 Peter 5

1Pe 5:1 I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.

1Pe 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

1Pe 5:3 neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.

1Pe 5:4 When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn't fade away.

1Pe 5:5 Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;

1Pe 5:7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1Pe 5:9 Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

1Pe 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

1Pe 5:11 To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

1Pe 5:12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

1Pe 5:13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you; and so does Mark, my son.

1Pe 5:14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

From Roy Davison... “Be baptized, and wash away your sins”

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/arise.html

“Be baptized, and wash away your sins”

These words were spoken to Paul after he had seen the Lord on the road to Damascus and after he had fasted for three days.
Paul, who was originally called Saul, was a prominent leader in the Jewish nation. He did not believe in Jesus. He thought Christians were violating the law of Moses.
“As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3).
But something amazing happened.
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:1-9).
Many years later, Paul recounted what happened next: “Then one, Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord’” (Acts 22:12-16).
Let us examine this last verse: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
Ananias first asked Paul:
“Why are you waiting?”
Paul had seen the Lord. He had fasted. He believed in Jesus and realized that he had been wrong. It was time for action.
Years later, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Many people who believe in Christ and are sorry for their sins, put off being baptized, even though they know it is a command of the Lord. In the book of Acts, which contains many examples of conversion, people were baptized immediately, as soon as they believed in Jesus. They did this because they knew that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) and to become a member of the body of Christ: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and if you want to dedicate your life to God and be saved, “Why are you waiting?”
“Arise and be baptized!”
The word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word “BAPTIDZO” which means to immerse or dip. Bible baptism is an immersion in water. Churches that sprinkle or pour a little water on people are not following the Bible. What they do is not baptism, it is not immersion. In reality they do not baptize people at all. Someone who has only received “sprinkling” or “pouring” has not obeyed the command to be “baptized”.
Notice also that it says: “Arise.” A valid baptism must result from a personal decision to repent of sin and follow Jesus. Peter told the crowd in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
To repent means to turn away from sin and dedicate your life to God. A young child has not sinned, so cannot repent. He is innocent. He is not yet lost. How can he be baptized for the remission of sins?
When well-meaning parents have their babies “christened,” and think they are having them baptized, they are being deceived by false traditions that are contrary to the Word of God.
To turn away from sin and dedicate your life to God is something you must do yourself. No one can do this for you.
The Ethiopian eunuch, after hearing the gospel, asked Philip: “‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38).
One may be baptized only if he believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and if he is willing to confess his faith. “For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10). “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized.”
“And wash away your sins!”
Even though Paul saw the Lord on the road to Damascus and believed in Him, even though he had fasted for three days, his sins had not yet been washed away. That happens only when we are baptized into the death of Christ.
Paul explains this in Romans 6:3, 4. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
The blood of Christ is the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25). Baptism provides access to His blood. By the efficacy of His sacrifice, our sins are washed away at baptism. Baptism, immersion, represents the burial and resurrection of Christ. We are baptized, we are immersed, into His death. Then we rise from the water to walk in newness of life, having been born again by the power of God’s Spirit.
“Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.”
“Calling on the name of the Lord.”
The substance, water, has no magic power to wash away sins.
The power is from God. We call on the Lord for salvation by being baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). “In the name of” means “by the authority of.” To be sanctioned and empowered by God, a baptism must comply with His word.
We appeal to God for salvation when we are baptized. Our parents cannot do this for us.
Baptism is not a cleansing of the body, but a request for a good conscience through the resurrection of Christ. In connection with Noah’s salvation through water, Peter says: “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).
Baptism is not a meritorious work, but a gift of God that we receive, a “washing of regeneration” that cleanses us and saves us by the blood of Christ: “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord!” Amen.
Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

From Jim McGuiggan... TRUST the STORY

TRUST the STORY

Credit me with this: I’m not talking about the nonsense we can see so much of in the movies or on the television! I’m talking about the well thought-out, well-written and well-acted dramas that there’s plenty of if we’re able and willing to tolerate some material in them that’s distasteful. [How much and what that is you’ll have to work out for yourself.]

We’re all gripped by such stories; our emotions are stirred; we make inner vows as we identify with the heroes we feel like applauding and we rage at the villains as they set our teeth on edge. We often speak to one another about such stories—I don’t doubt for a moment that’s part of the pleasure—we can’t keep quiet while the images continue to burn in us.

We feel satisfaction when the rogue finally gets “what’s coming to him.” [I’m not talking vindictiveness—a hunger for fairness is not the same as spite or vindictiveness though, of course, we’re capable of the worst, aren’t we?] There’s something about even a single case of fairness shining through that lifts our hearts and triggers a hunger for a world filled with such fairness.

But it’s often more than that, is it not! Sometimes it acts as a promise and assurance; it’s as if life won’t let us believe that lies are forever, that evil is all there is and all there will be. Every now and then when we see the oppressed vindicated and we’re thrilled to watch and listen to their joy fully restored, every now and then an actual event seems to whisper, a great story that has stayed in touch with reality and life seems to whisper: “Yes, do smile, do rejoice, don’t feel foolish, believe in happy endings—a day is coming when that is all you’ll see and hear; joy without end.

Great literature, great movies and dramas send out the same message. They may be fiction, it’s true but “fiction” that reaches down into the deep places in us and stays around for years is not based on “fiction”—it’s based on the very best that’s in us—and the very best that’s in us is there by the grace and work of God; there, via all the ways that He who loves us ceaselessly and relentlessly works it in us and leading us to believe even when we don’t really believe or maybe we presently don’t want to believe; and yet, we wish we did [just as Steven Weinberg, theoretical physicist and atheist, wistfully confessed that at times he wishes he could still believe that the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky shows his handiwork—Psalm 19].

I meant to say and got a bit sidetracked, when we see such an event, watch such a movie or read such a story we don’t need people to spell it all out for us in an overload of detail. A glorious event clearly seen, a great story well told has its own power without others micromanaging our thoughts and feelings about it. If Holywood [now and then], if creative writers and story-tellers are able to imagine wonderful things, speak of things that reach us in the depths of our beings and in doing so move us so—if they can do that with fiction why can’t ministers of “the gospel” do it with truth? 
     If our truth is duller than fiction...?

Perhaps we will come to trust the Story to work its lovely magic in human hearts [Acts 20:32] and we’ll dispense with the eternal micromanaging with the same banal moralizing. If that should happen maybe people will come to believe that we who preach really believe what we’re saying about the glorious gospel and they will begin to believe it and find themselves inspired and liberated. Who knows, maybe they will begin to tell it to others.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.