SACRAMENTALISM

Sacramentalism is not found in the Bible.

Sacramentalism is defined as:

A belief or emphasis on the importance and efficacy of the sacraments for achieving salvation and conferring grace. (dictionary.com)

Sacramentalism is the belief that a physical act can bestow a spiritual benefit.

Scripture tells us that the just shall live by faith.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jesus used metaphors when he taught.

The word metaphor is defined as:

1. a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”

2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.  (dictionary.com)

Jesus said …

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said …

John 6:53-56 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Jesus was talking about the blood atonement.

When we eat the bread and drink the cup we remember the atonement.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew (SHOW) the Lord’s death till he come.

(SHOW): proclaim, declare, preach, speak of, teach and promulgate

(promulgate means to announce, circulate, declare, proclaim, promote, publicize).

BAPTISM

The bible teaches believer’s baptism. 

Believe and be baptized.

Believers publicly declare their faith by being baptized.

After I was born again I was water baptized, by full immersion, to acknowledge my co-union with Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, and the newness of life I received in him.

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

The Anabaptists rightly believed that infant baptism was not biblical because an infant is not able to make a declaration of faith.  The word “Anabaptist” means to re-baptize or to baptize twice. They were baptized a second time after they were born again, as was I. Many of them were severely persecuted and even lost their lives for being faithful to God’s Word.

Why is it so important to understand this?  Because people are being taught the false doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Baptismal regeneration means that a person is saved by the actual act of being baptized.  Not true.  Sacraments, as they are called, do not save anyone.  Think of the consequences of someone thinking they’re right with God when they are not. Think of the consequences of deception.

Related topic… SACRAMENTALISM

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

What must I do to be saved?

Acts 16:30-32 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.  And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The fact that everyone dies proves that everyone is a sinner.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Everyone falls short when judged by God’s standard.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Salvation is a free gift.

Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation cannot be earned.  Salvation is not living a good moral life. Salvation is Jesus shedding His blood, dying in our place as a substitute, so that we could be saved.

Repent:

Acts 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.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Acts 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.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Receive the gift of Holy Ghost:

Romans 8:9 . . . Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The Holy Spirit is received by faith when a person repents and believes.

The Bible:

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

The Bible is God’s Word.

Read it and believe it.

You won’t be afraid of death if your life is in the hands of Jesus.

MAN UNDER AUTHORITY – III

What follows is what I spoke in church, at my mother’s funeral service …

“When all is said and done … nothing matters but Jesus.

Here we are in the year 2007, gathered together on the occasion of my mother’s death and the Lord is still working . . . not always with fanfare, but quietly . . . by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and by the Word of the Lord, in the heart of one soul.

In 1992 my mother was on her death bed.  We prayed and asked the Lord to extend her life because she did not know Him. She did not understand His Word.  But in the years that followed my mother did come to saving faith.  In November of 2005 she told my father to pray and ask the Lord to send him the Holy Spirit so we could all be together in heaven. Another time she asked me what it meant to be born again. When I told her it meant the indwelling of the Holy Spirit she got a relieved look on her face and said something like “then I’m ok” if that’s what it means.  She also understood the true meaning of repentance, telling me what it meant as she lay sick in the hospital. In the last few days that she was conscious we sang songs together.  Barely able to speak she sang I Have Decided To Follow Jesus and Jesus Draw Me Close, which we sang together in Italian.

The beauty of the Gospel, the beauty of the Lord is that in this “sophisticated” world of “increased knowledge”, the King of Kings and the Lord of the whole earth did not forget an ordinary person like Jennie (everyone called her Jennie).  Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost, and I can joyfully say that Jennie came to understand and accept the true Gospel in her latter years. Ephesians 2:8, 9 says “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The Lord promises us that believers will see each other again. So this is not a forever goodby but only a temporary parting. Death has been swallowed up in victory and the painful sting of death removed at the Cross.  Therefore I rejoice to know that I will see my mother again some day because I do believe Jesus, just as she did. John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Yes we are gathered here to remember my mother Jennie, but more importantly let us remember Jesus, His Words, the Cross, and the blood He shed for us.  We can know heaven will be our eternal home if we repent, and fully trust in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.  The Bible says absent from the body, present with the Lord. Jesus told even the thief on the cross … Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Jennie is with Jesus right now.  Here we are in the year 2007, gathered together on the occasion of my mother’s death and the Lord is still working … not always with fanfare, but quietly . . . by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and by the Word of the Lord, in the heart of one soul … one soul at a time.

When all is said and done … nothing matters but Jesus.”

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. James 5:20

See also …

Man Under Authority – I – My mother was dying, and she was not born again.  I asked the Lord to give her more time on this earth.

Man Under Authority – II – My mother’s road to the Lord.

MAN UNDER AUTHORITY – II

Jesus, the one with the authority to do so, had allowed my mother to live.

After my mother recovered from her illness I often spoke to her about the Lord. I would read the Bible to her and tell her the things that Jesus said. She wasn’t very receptive but she never told me to stop. She let me talk. So I kept talking. I was often discouraged, and wanted to give up, but I continued to share God’s word with her. And I prayed. I prayed that the Lord would open her eyes. For years I prayed, and the Lord gave me an intense love for her.

In 2001 she had a stroke that left her right side completely paralyzed. She went into a nursing home the day before September 11^th, 2001, and during the almost six years that she was there I saw her heart soften. She would listen with rapt attention as I read passages of scripture to her. She let the family know that she didn’t want a Mass when she died. She said she believed what we (my husband and I) believed, which was the Bible. She prayed that the Lord would send her the Holy Spirit. She believed that Jesus was the Savior of the whole world, the only Savior. And one day she even witnessed to my father. Now this may sound dramatic, but it happened slowly, very slowly, but it did happen.

Then on February 13, 2007 she had another stroke. She was conscious for two weeks and then had a third stroke which left her paralyzed from the neck down. She never knew it though because she had gone into a coma like state. During those last two weeks she was surrounded by Christian nurses, aids, and friends. One nurse told me about an aid that cared for my mother as if she were her own. I didn’t need to be told, I could see it for myself. The night before she died I think I prayed harder than I have ever prayed in my life. She left this world and went to be with the Lord on Monday, March 12^th, 2007. I believe it was the mercy of the Lord that allowed her to die in her sleep.

See also …

Man Under Authority – I – My mother was dying, and she was not born again.  I asked the Lord to give her more time on this earth.

Man Under Authority – III – What I spoke at my mother’s funeral service.