Moreover Brethren, I Declare Unto You The Gospel

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Moreover Brethren, I Declare Unto You The Gospel

What message in the Bible is taught as the power of God unto salvation?

2 Timothy 1:10 says "...Our Saviour Jesus Christ...hath abolished death, and hath brought immortality to light through the gospel".

Mark 1:14-15 says that "Jesus came...saying...repent ye, and believe the gospel".

Colossians 1:21-23 says "And you, that were...alienated and enemies... yet now hath He reconciled...if ye continue in the faith...and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel".

2 Thessalonians 2:14 says "...He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ".

Romans 1:16 says "The gospel of Christ...is the power of God unto salvation..."

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What is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how is it obeyed?

"...If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" -2 Corinthians 4:3.

In 1 Timothy 1:11 Paul wrote "...The glorious gospel of the blessed God...was committed to my trust".

In Galatians 1:11-12 Paul writes "...I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ".

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul states "...Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel...that which I also received, how that...

* CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS...

* that HE WAS BURIED...

* and that HE ROSE AGAIN...

...the third day according to the scriptures".

1 Cor 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

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What will happen to those who do not obey the gospel, will they be saved??

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" -Galatians 1:6-9.

"For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel...?" -1 Peter 4:17.

"...God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" -Romans 2:l6.

"Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, AND THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who SHALL BE PUNISHED WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" -2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.

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How does one obey the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

In Matthew 16:19 Jesus told His disciple Peter "...I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou bound on earth shall be bound in heaven...".

In Acts 2:14-39 to the people whose hearts were pricked with conviction from the first preaching after Christ's ascension, and were moved to ask the apostles "...what shall we do?" Peter answered-

"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.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off...".

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How does repentance relate to Christ's death?

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" -Romans 8:13.

"...Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" -Mark 8:34-35.

"It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with him..." -2 Timothy 2:11.

"...Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin" -Romans 6:6-7.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" Galatians 2:20.

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" -Romans 6:11

"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness..." -1 Peter 2:24.

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds..." Colossians 3:3-9.

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" -Galatians 5:24.

"For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh" -2 Corinthians 4:11.

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Is repentance necessary for salvation? Can a person be saved without repenting?

"...If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes... he shall surely live, he shall not die" -Ezekiel 18:21.

"...God...now commandeth all men... to repent" -Acts 17:30.

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..." -Acts 3:19.

"...Except ye repent, ye shall...perish" -Luke 13:3.

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Does water baptism relate us to Christ's burial?

"Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism..." -Romans 6:3-4.

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Are remission of sins an element of salvation?

"...Give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of sins" -Luke 1:77.

"...Peter said...be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS..." -Acts 2:38.

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But the Bible says "by grace are ye saved through faith...not of works..." (Eph. 2:8-9). If baptism is necessary for salvation how is salvation through faith and not of works?

Remember this story from 2 Kings-

"...Naaman...was a leper... And... when Elisha... heard... he sent to the king saying... let him come now unto me... So Naaman came... And Elisha sent a messenger unto him saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh... shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away... And his servants came... and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times... and his flesh came again..." -2 Kings 5:1-14.

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Which of us, by our own power and devices, by dipping into a body of water, could possibly wash our souls clean of all sin and iniquity? But if we are baptized in response to God's call, isn't our action then an act of faith in the operation of God?

What does the scripture say?

"...God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein... souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but of the answer of a good conscience toward God)..." -l Peter 3:20-21.

"...By faith Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house... -Hebrews 11:7.

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Does receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost relate us to Christ's resurrection?

"...The Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit...dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" -Romans 8:9-ll.

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Must a person receive the Holy Ghost in order to be saved?

"...Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His..." -Romans 8:9-ll.

"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" -John 3:5.

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Since the scripture says-

Are you willing to only obey part of the gospel?

Is repentance necessary for salvation? Yes? Then so is every part of obeying the gospel…

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed… But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1:6-12.

Does any scripture free you from obeying Jesus Christ through following Him in His steps?

Hear Jesus-

"...Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake AND the gospel's, the same shall save it" -Mark 8:34-35.

"Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." John 21:22

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" 1 Pet 2:21

If you are only required to obey part of the gospel for salvation- namely repentance, are you saying that Christ only had to die for our sins, and that He didn't have to be buried and rise again?

"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 1 Corinthians 15:12-14

Can we possibly be risen with Christ without receiving His Spirit?

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:9-11

If repentance so clearly identifies us with applying, or obeying Christ's death, and if our receiving His Holy Spirit, according to scripture, identifies us with obeying or applying His resurrection, who are we to discount the necessity of obeying and identifying with HIS BURIAL, without perverting His gospel?

"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 2:38

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Galatians 3:27

"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him..." -Colossians 2:11-12

Why did Jesus tell Saul (Paul) it would be told him what he MUST do?

"…Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he (Paul/Saul) trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou MUST do." Acts 19:4-6

Was Jesus a respecter of persons? Was Jesus exaggerating? Was Jesus mistaken? Was Jesus being legalistic? Was Jesus Himself denying that salvation is only in Jesus Christ's works alone?

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? … heareth my sayings, and doeth them…" Luke 6:46-47

"And now WHY TARRIEST THOU? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:16

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all RIGHTEOUSNESS." - Matthew 3:13-15

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" 1 Pet 2:21

"…the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" 1 Peter 3:20-21.

Was Peter a false, legalistic, fallen from grace, witness for commanding water baptism in Jesus' name?

"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." Acts 10:47-48

Remember what Jesus told His disciple, the Apostle Peter "...I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou bound on earth shall be bound in heaven...". Matthew 16:19

In the very first message after the resurrection of Jesus, and after the promised Comforter had come, when asked of Peter "What shall we do?" Peter used those keys, and answered-

"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 2:38.

These are the keys to the kingdom of heaven!

So the only question, really, is-

ARE YOU OR AREN'T YOU WILLING TO BELIEVE AND OBEY THE FULL GOSPEL?

"…them that know not God, AND THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL… SHALL BE PUNISHED WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION…" -2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:" 2 Corinthians 4:3

"…unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:" Titus 1:15-2:1

May God bless!