Complete Christianity
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Incomplete Christianity
Incomplete Christianity
Paul encountered some disciples of John the Baptist. Acts 19:1
It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
He must have noticed something about them that caused him to ask them a very important question. Acts 19:2
He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
The Bible does not tell us what he noticed, but whatever it was it revealed that they did not have the Holy Spirit.
The disciples responded that they didn’t know anything about the Holy Spirit. They were not saved, but were old Testament believers that were awaiting the Messiah to save them.
Paul asked them a secondary question in Acts 19:3
And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
Paul wanted to know who they identified with. They stated the they were baptized into John the Baptist. This meant that they did not identify with Jesus Christ, but instead with John the Baptist.
Paul explained the difference to the disciples of John in Acts 19:4
Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
He told them that they had a belief in repentance, but not a belief in the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Incomplete Christianity Today
Incomplete Christianity Today
There are three fundamental attributes of salvation: Repentance, Belief, and Follow Christ.
Jesus said in Matt. 16:24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Repentance
Repentance
To deny yourself is to repent. We all have sinful desires that we would like to engage in. By denying our self those sinful desires we are demonstrating repentance. You are recognizing an action that is contrary to the will of God and desiring a change.
Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It means to have an inward change. When you recognize sin for what it is and confess it for what it is and desire a change of action this is repentance.
Illustration
If there is no repentance, there can be no pardon. Some years ago a murderer was sentenced to death. The murderer’s brother, to whom the State was deeply indebted for former services, besought the governor of the State for his brother’s pardon. The pardon was granted, and the man visited his brother with the pardon in his pocket. “What would you do,” he said to him, “if you received a pardon?” “The first thing I would do,” he answered, “is to track down the judge who sentenced me, and murder him; and the next thing I would do is to track down the chief witness, and murder him.” The brother rose, and left the prison with the pardon in his pocket.
Because of what this man had done, death penalty was waiting on him. The opportunity was granted to him, but it called for repentance. Since there could be no repentance, there also could be no pardon.
This murderer did not have a change of heart. He was not repentant for his crime. As a matter of fact, he wanted to repeat his sin. As a result he was kept captive by his sin. His release was available but because he was not willing to change he stayed imprisoned.
That is the way sin works in our lives. Until we are willing to change we will remain captive to our sin.
We must be willing to change and deny our self of our sin.
Belief
Belief
We must believe that Jesus death burial and resurrection has atoned for our sin. This means that not only are we forgiven for our sin but have been given the power to overcome sin in our life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 1John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we confess our sin to the Lord, He forgives us of our sin and cleanses us from our unrighteousness.
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
We are partakers of the divine nature by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that enables us to escape the lusts of the world.
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
The indwelling holy Spirit that is given to us when we believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus enables us to be overcomers.
Follow Christ
Follow Christ
To follow Christ is to abide with Him, stay in his word, and live his Word.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
These three passages of scripture show us how to follow Christ.
3 Difficulties of Salvation
3 Difficulties of Salvation
Some people have conviction of sin and desire forgiveness. They don’t like the consequences of the sin and desire them to be removed through forgiveness. However they do not have a desire to change their behavior. They want the forgiveness without the change.
Some people truly have a desire to change but do not have the belief in Christ to sanctify them. As a result they try to sanctify themselves with behavior modification. This always ends in failure and frustration. It is only by the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that the fulfillment of change comes to fruition.
Some people have a desire for change and believe in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and believe that they are saved. However they stop there. They do not pursue a relationship with Jesus or follow him. Matt. 7:23
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Holy Spirit Power
Holy Spirit Power
Acts 19:5–6 (NASB95)
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
Paul baptized the 12 and they received the Holy Spirit. The word of God said they began to speak in tongues. This was necessary to demonstrate they they moved from Old Testament saints to Christians. This is not typical. William Baker puts it this way: It is tenuous to argue from this passage that all believers should look for a baptism in the Spirit after conversion. Paul’s question implies the normal experience: believers receive the Spirit when they believe. Also, along with the belief in postconversion baptism in the Spirit is the belief that it is granted by God to those who meet the requirements of deeper commitment. The hitherto unknown information that the Holy Spirit exists does not even parallel that kind of teaching
William H. Baker, “Acts,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 913.
A person receives the Holy Spirit upon conversion and should not expect a second “Baptism in the Spirit” Eph. 4:4-6
Ephesians 4:4–6 (NASB95)
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Conclusion
Are you saved completely?
Have you repented? Desired change
Have you Believed? Do you Have the Holy Spirit
Are You Following Christ? Growing intimacy with Christ
