Part 2
The world’s bondage to sin.
Honesty is always important but especially so when it comes to admitting sin in our life. The Apostle Paul tells us that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The bondage to slavery in Egypt was, to the Israelites, a never ending bondage. Generations were born in slavery and died in it. It was oppressive, never ending and left them in a hopeless despair. The bondage of sin leaves us feeling the same way – living in a world without hope, captured by and enslaved to sin. Then God intervened by sending His Son and, like Moses, He became our deliverer from bondage. God’s power at work through Moses brought about Israel’s deliverance. God’s power at work through the Gospel of Christ makes deliverance from the bondage of sin available to all mankind.
What is the Gospel of Christ?
I think it would be safe to say that the majority of people would reply that it is the good news that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the earth to be the Savior of the world, to deliver all mankind out of the bondage of sin.
Biblically speaking, the Apostle Paul answers the question this way: It is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was what he preached to the Corinthians, it is what they received and it is in what they took a stand and it is the means by which they were saved if they remained faithful (I Corinthians 15:1-11). Later, when trying to encourage afflicted members of the church at Thessalonica , he told them that God would deal out retribution to all those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus (II Thessalonians 1:1-12).
How does one obey the Gospel of Christ?
First of all, it is important to remember that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). It is not a power of God for salvation but rather, the power of God for salvation. Thus it is so important that one understand what it is so that one can obey it, right? It is more than a verbal acknowledgement that Jesus is the Christ but it is the means whereby God’s power is at work saving people from the bondage of their sin. Just a few chapters later in the book of Romans Paul goes on to explain that in baptism one obeys the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (the gospel) through a re-enactment of it. In baptism, like Christ, one dies, is buried and rises victorious over death by being baptized into His death, by being buried with Him through baptism and by being raised from the waters of baptism to walk in newness of life like the Israelites did on the other side of the Red Sea (Romans 6:1-11). Their song of deliverance was sung after they crossed the Red Sea and not before their crossing. Their crossing was not a work of merit in which they tried to earn their salvation but rather their crossing was, in response to God’s mercy, one of complete faith, trust and obedience. They did what they were told to do and they were saved forever from the bondage of Egypt.
Back to the topic of this article.
According to Paul’s words in Titus 3:5 God saved Christians not by their numerous self-righteous deeds but rather by His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
In John 3:1f Jesus speaks of this washing and renewing of the Spirit as He states that unless one is born of water and the Spirit they cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. This rebirth occurs when one, in faith (John 3:16), obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 3:36). God is merciful to mankind’s bondage to sin; mankind responds in obedience, trusting in faith that God will forgive all of their sins as they are baptized into Christ.
In Acts 2:37, upon hearing Peter’s message that they had crucified the Messiah, the people were pricked to the heart and said to Peter, “Brethren, What shall we do?” Now if there ever was a time to tell them how to be saved, it was in response to this question. Was Peter’s reply, “Just call upon the Lord and you’ll be saved?” “Was it that all they needed to do was to believe in the Lord Jesus and they would be saved?” “Did they just have to confess Jesus as Lord and they would be saved?” Or was there something more?
Acts 2:38 is the Holy Spirit’s response to their question. They needed to repent of their sins and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins … and then Peter went on with many other words solemnly testifying and exhorting them to be saved from this perverse generation (Acts 2:39-40). Do you think those other words would include the necessity of calling upon the Lord, of believing in the Lord, of confessing that Jesus Christ was God’s Son? It was quite a day and 3000 souls were baptized after they had received Peter’s words regarding their need to be saved.
Have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ?
In Colossians 2:8-15 the Apostle Paul makes it quite clear that when someone is baptized it is not a work but rather an expression of their faith in God’s work to forgive them of their sins. The Apostle Peter states that baptism is an appeal of the individual being baptized to God for a clear conscience. It is what puts them into a saving state as long as they remain faithful to God (I Peter 3:18-22; I John 1:5-10). The only way the scriptures teach that one can be “in Christ” or get “into Christ” is through baptism (Galatians 3:26-29). And it’s when one is in Christ that they receive numerous blessings that they would not otherwise receive prior to their baptism.
Once baptized God gives the individual His Holy Spirit as a pledge and earnest down payment that He will come through (guarantee) their salvation if they walk in His light and practice what is right (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:3-14; I John 1:7; 3:7). The Israelites who were baptized into Moses were so glad to know they would never be in bondage to Egypt again. So, today, every individual who has been baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins should also be very glad for their deliverance from the bondage of sin.
Thanks for taking the time to read both parts of this article. Please feel free to share it with anyone who has a faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ but has not yet been baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.
Owen Sound