Steps to Life

Prophecy Seminar

Session 22: The Morning Star of Prophecy

In 2 Peter 1:19 Peter said, "We also have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

The world is dark tonight. Dark with sin, dark with fear, dark with uncertainty, dark with hatred and spiritually dark with superstition and cunningly devised fables. The world is dark and people’s hearts are dark tonight, but the light of prophecy illuminates the darkness. The light of prophecy cuts through the shadows of Satan’s deceptions, it exposes the hidden sins of the heart, and it portrays clearly the pathway we are to take to follow Jesus and to get to heaven.

Yet this light is not always appreciated.

John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

When the deceptions of Satan and the hidden sins of our lives are first revealed to us by prophecy, we are often so shaken we want to close our eyes and say, "Don’t show me anymore." But Peter says we do well not to do that for hiding our eyes and closing our ears will not change the facts. John says that this is the condemnation of the world they have stayed away from the true light so that their evil deeds their lawbreaking might not be revealed. Peter says we "do well to heed (the) light. . . until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

When new things are revealed, it often results in fear and uncertainty, trauma and pain; but if we will continue on by faith in the light of prophecy we will find a new day dawning and the morning star arising in our hearts.

Who Is The Morning Star of Prophecy?

Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." Jesus is "the Bright and Morning Star." If Jesus is really the Bright and Morning Star of Prophecy, let us look again at the verse in 2 Peter 1, replacing the phrase "Morning Star" with who it really represents.

"We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and Jesus rises in your hearts."

Isn’t that beautiful? Yes, the promise to those who follow the light of prophecy is that Jesus will come into their hearts, or in other words, into their minds, their characters, their lives.

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

This is the purpose of prophecy. There is power in the study of prophecy for Jesus has promised to come into our lives if we will follow the light (the counsels and admonitions) of prophecy. Yes, the real purpose of prophecy is to reveal Jesus to each true and sincere student of prophecy and to make Jesus the center of their life. The true study of prophecy brings salvation to the learner who follows as Jesus leads him. Prophecy is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:1).

In this lesson, I would like to study the Bright and Morning Star of prophecy. I would like us to study about the One who has promised to become a part of our lives if we will follow the light of prophecy. Prophecy is from Jesus and about Jesus. It reveals Jesus’ plans for our lives. If we will study prophecy with a pure heart, Jesus Himself has promised to come into our lives. Let us learn more about the true gospel of Jesus, which is the foundation of all true prophecy.

What Is the Gospel of Jesus?

Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

The world was lost after Adam and Eve’s transgression, but "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). God gave His Son not only as a ransom for a lost world, but for each individual, to pay the price for our individual sins and also to save us from the power of our sins, that is our sinful desires and habits.

Isaiah 53 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way." It was not only for Adam’s sin, but for our own sins that Jesus had to die. As the song says:

You can read the gospel story,

In the Bible it will show,

How Christ Jesus died to save us long ago.

But I’ve something more to tell you,

For I helped to raise that tree,

As He climbed Mount Calvary’s

Mountain just for me.

Those nails were mine,

Those nails were mine.

By my sins I swung the hammer,

Pierced those hands of love divine.

Those nails of shame

My sins acclaim,

But by His death I have forgiveness,

Praise His name.

Jesus died for me. He died for you. And by that death He set us free. Free from what? He has set us free from sin with its resultant misery, slavery, and death.

Hebrews 2:14 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil."

1 John 3:8 "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

Jesus came down to destroy sin in us. Sin is a terrible thing. It has separated us from God, enslaved us, brought us misery, heartache, disease, calamity and death. Jesus came down to destroy sin in us that we might be free from its defilement. He also died for the sins we’ve already committed that we might be set free from sin’s penalty of death.

How Did Jesus Free Us From Sin?

He took upon Him our nature, with our faculties and temptations, with our weaknesses, with the effects and curse of our sins upon Him; He met temptation and the tempter and conquered in our behalf.

A Union of Two Natures

Although in Jesus there was no guile or sinfulness and He was ever pure and undefiled He took upon Him our fallen, human, sinful nature and conquered evil, thereby proving that the divine and the human nature combined is more than a match for temptation and sin.

The Lord Jesus, through sacrificing His life upon the cross, purposed by the agency of the Holy Spirit to bring man to see his position as a sinner and surrender his will to God’s will. He will sanctify every soul that will receive the gracious gift, and give him power to become a son of God. He takes away the destructive tendencies of the sinful nature and brings the human agency into His service.

As Jesus took upon Him our fallen nature, so He offers us the power of His divine nature. As we receive the power of His divine nature we too can conquer sin just as He did. Jesus exercised no power in His own behalf that is not freely offered to us; otherwise He could not be our example, as the Bible says He is.

1 John 2:6 "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

Jesus conquered sin for us, in our behalf. The victory over sin is already won, the experiment is already accomplished. All we have to do is to follow the formula established by our Lord. In a chemistry laboratory, if an instructor takes some chemicals and mixes them together in a certain way and thereby produces a certain result, if the students will follow the same procedures, with the same chemicals, they will get the same results. Thus it is with Christ’s victory over sin all we have to do is follow in His footsteps and we can win the victory every time. Jesus lived a righteous life with our nature, with our weaknesses, with our temptations, AND CONQUERED. He offers us the same victory, the same perfect righteousness.

Hebrews 2:10 "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one."

Hebrews 5:8 "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."

Jesus Had Our Fallen Nature

One of the key teachings of the New Testament is that Jesus took upon His sinless nature our fallen or sinful nature. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with just such an heredity, to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.

Hebrews 2:17 "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."

Have you ever been tempted so much it hurt? Literally? Have you ever suffered withdrawal pains from breaking the cigarette habit? In the wilderness, Jesus, in our nature, went forty days and forty nights without food, suffering the temptations of the Devil, when at any time He could have created food for Himself. If he would have worked a miracle in His own behalf, He would not have been our example, nor would He have felt the full effect of withdrawal symptoms. In the wilderness of temptation He was weak, emaciated, with our sins and temptations upon Him, and with the Devil’s influence and power working full force against Him BUT HE CONQUERED. Never will we be tempted so strongly and in such a weakened condition as He was. "In all things He had to be made like His brethren."

In Our Flesh

Various symbols are used to describe certain things throughout the Bible. While, except for the parables and prophecies, the Bible is intended to be read and understood literally, there are certain standard symbols used throughout. For example, we find such symbolic terms as "the Lamb of God" and "the Water of Life." Another standard symbolic term is "flesh." In the New Testament, when used in a spiritual sense, the term flesh always represents our sinful, fallen nature.

Galatians 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Romans 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. . . . 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

If we continue to live according to the flesh, following the cravings and desires of our fallen nature, we will die. We must be born again. We must receive the divine nature, the fallen human nature must be crucified.

Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

Ephesians 4:22 "That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."

Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

Jesus was our perfect example for overcoming sin.

Yes, Jesus had no advantages that we cannot have. He walked the path of earth as you and I must walk it.

Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Friend, Jesus does understand your trials and temptations. He has been over the way before. He offers us the same victory that He gained. We too can live a perfect life in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 5:9 "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, . . . 6:1 Therefore, . . . let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God."

1 John 3:5 "And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him."

The New Birth Experience

This victorious living in Christ is the new-birth experience. It is a miracle of grace. No man or woman can overcome sin by himself but Jesus offers us His divine nature (His divine power), that we might experience the same victory that He experienced. Jesus is our example and we may follow in His footsteps. This is the way of salvation.

II Peter 1:3, 4 "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’"

This is the way of salvation. As such, this is the truth that Satan hates. Though Jesus has already conquered in our behalf, thereby making it possible for every individual on earth to likewise conquer, Satan has obscured the facts. (Remember, he is a deceiver.) Satan is thus securing souls to himself by distorting the true gospel.

The Truth Satan Hates

This truth, that Jesus came and took upon His sinless nature our fallen nature, suffered temptations like us, and conquered in our behalf, thereby making it possible for us to do the same, is the truth that Satan hates.

1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

A lot of people have been confused by this passage. Many false prophets have admitted that Jesus came with a human body—that doesn’t seem to be a very explicit test, and yet the text says that "every" spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. How does that identify the antichrist power?

Remember, in the New Testament flesh generally means our fallen, sinful nature. This is what John himself understood this word to mean right within this very book. He says "For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, . . .is not of the Father" (1 John 2:16). Thus, in the New Testament the flesh is understood to be the seat of our fallen passions; it is synonymous with "carnal," or "fallen" nature. (All the New Testament writers understood flesh in this manner. See what Peter says, for example, in 1 Peter 4:2. See also Romans 7:18; 8:3–13.) Satan himself admits that Jesus came to earth. But to admit that he was defeated by Jesus in our behalf while possessing our fallen nature, thereby making a way of escape from this prison house of sin for every person, is anathema to him.

Very early in the development of his apostate and counterfeit Christian religion depicted by the little horn of Daniel 7, Satan developed the non-biblical doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which means that Jesus was born of a woman who was in Adam and Eve’s pre-fallen condition, Jesus did not take a fallen nature and was not therefore our example. Satan, therefore, claims that Jesus could not have been tempted as we are. Jesus was removed far from the people and He had to be approached through saints, His mother, and clerical intermediaries. The common people had only hard work to perform in order to develop perfection of character there was no assimilating of the divine nature; and true victory over sin was unattainable— it was impossible for the common person. The lack of divine power was then replaced by penances and indulgences.

This philosophy, that Jesus did not come in our fallen nature, is another biblical identifying mark of the antichrist power. Incidentally, in Greek "anti" means "in place of" or "vicar" and "antichristos" (from which the word "antichrist" is translated) literally means someone claiming to be the vicar of Christ. Notice again that John says, as Paul had said earlier in 2 Thessalonians 2, that this counterfeit religious system was already beginning in his day.

Jesus Had Our Nature

Yes, friend, Jesus took our nature; yet never did He sin. How did He then develop a perfect character? If He is to be our example, these are paramount questions. There are two basic steps to Jesus’ victorious life. They are as follows:

1. Although He took upon Himself a fallen human nature, through the grace imparted to Him every day from His Father, He crucified the flesh.

Romans 8:3 "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, . . . 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you (like Christ) put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

This is not easy because we are naturally selfish and self-centered. There is suffering involved in giving up our sinful ways because we naturally love sin.

1 Peter 4:1 "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should lie the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."

This process of crucifying the flesh must be a daily matter. Every morning when we get up we need to start out the day by turning it over to God this involves giving up our own ideas and plans that are prompted by selfish motives. This means working to bring glory to God for that day instead of working to bring glory to self. This requires crucifixion of self with its selfish and sinful ambitions. This is the way Jesus lived, and it was a daily matter.

John 5:30 "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."

Luke 9:23 "Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

We, like Jesus, must daily crucify self and turn our life over to the Lord. This is often painful, but it brings peace, joy, and eternally lasting fulfillment. To crucify self means to deny our natural cravings that are contrary to the law of God. On the Sabbath, the flesh might say "today I am going to enjoy my own pleasure and get the extra work done that I need to do around the house," but the Spirit says, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shall you labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God, in it you shall not do any work." Exodus 20:8. Then we make a decision whether we are going to obey the flesh or obey the Spirit.

Thus we have seen the first step of the Christian life that leads to victory. Like Jesus, we must crucify our selfish nature every day. What is the second step?

2. After crucifying our selfish nature through the power of Christ, we must be LED BY THE SPIRIT. It is not enough to just crucify self. After destroying the sins and selfish ambitions of the heart by the grace of God, we must then be filled with His Spirit, directed by His wisdom, and changed into His likeness.

Jesus told about a man who had been cleansed from his evil ways, but who did not replace those evil ways with righteousness. It is one thing to quit stealing, but it is another thing to start sharing what one has with those who are needy. It is one thing to quit swearing, but it is another thing to start singing praises to God. It is not enough to just quit sinning, but rather, God wants us to replace our sinful habits with righteous habits. Listen to what Jesus said happened to this man who was delivered from sin, but who did not develop habits of righteousness.

Luke 11:24 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

Dear friend, it is impossible to reject truth and end up in the same place we once were. If we reject truth we always end up worse than at the first. It is impossible to allow the Lord to cleanse one’s life from sin and then refuse to obey Him, to keep His commandments, and to follow Him all the way, and not go back to the old way. Jesus said that the condition of this man, who was saved from sin but did not go all the way with Jesus (he left his house empty of good works), was far worse than it was before. Jesus cleanses us from sin so that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us.

Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

When the Spirit of God takes control of our life, the frailties of our human nature are then united to the omnipotence of the divine nature, and then what once was impossible now becomes possible. With Paul, we "can do all things through Christ who strengthens" us (Philippians 4:13). We can live a sanctified life with the Holy Spirit in control.

The New Birth

This transformation of character is called the new birth.

1 John 5:4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith." Jesus said that unless we are born again we cannot enter the kingdom of God. We may make all kinds of professions and perform all kinds of outward works, but unless we have been converted by crucifying the deeds of our sinful, selfish natures, and by being filled with the Spirit so that we can do the deeds of God, we are not yet saved and cannot go to heaven.

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’"

Baptism

Baptism is the symbol of the new-birth experience. It is the formal act of pledging our lives to the Lord from that day forward. As marriage marks the beginning of the union of two people, so baptism marks the beginning of this new-birth union between God and us.

Baptism is literally a Greek word "baptizo." In Greek it means simply to immerse, or dip in water. A correct translation of baptism would be "immersion." However, when the translators came to this word they realized that most of them had never been immersed, so they thought they had better not translate it but leave it in the Greek just putting English letters to it.

Baptism literally means to dip under the water and it represents the death and burial of our old sinful nature, and the resurrection of a new life with the Holy Spirit in control. Baptism represents the new birth.

Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly Not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."

It does no good to be baptized unless we have actually had the new-birth experience, it would be like a marriage ceremony without a partner, sort of meaningless. Anyone that has only been baptized as an infant has never really been baptized for it was a meaningless ceremony without the fact. Jesus was of age when He became baptized as an example for us.

Sprinkling

Not only is infant baptism totally meaningless and a sacrilege of the ceremony, but sprinkling is not baptism at all. The very meaning of baptism is immersion. People can call sprinkling immersion, just as they can call an orange an apple, but saying it doesn’t make it so. There is no death, burial, and resurrection in the sprinkling ceremony, and it does not fulfill the sacred conditions the Lord established to commemorate the beginning of the Christian life. Those who have only been sprinkled have never yet been baptized, whether they call themselves baptized or not. For those who have never had an opportunity to know, God accepts them for what they have had opportunity to know, but as they learn more about His Word they realize they have never been baptized at all.

In the Old Testament, no one was ever saved by the sacrifice of the lamb; it was merely a symbol of their faith in the coming sacrifice of Christ, and yet God was very particular that the ceremony be carried out properly because it showed faith in His appointed means of salvation.

So it is with baptism. Baptism is just a symbol without the real conversion experience having taken place, it is meaningless. Yet, if we are truly converted, we will follow what Jesus says and formally unite ourselves in union with Him in just the way He has directed us to do.

The Ceremony Is Important, Too

A wedding ceremony does not make a marriage, it is the love between the two partners; and yet, if the love is there, the ceremony is very important, even though it may be a very simple one, in order to publicly pledge fidelity to each other. In baptism we are pledging to no longer live for self, but to live in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

Jesus, in one of the most shocking statements in the Bible, says we cannot be saved unless we are born of water, in other words, baptized (immersed).

John 3:5 "Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’"

This is not a hard saying, it is not hard to marry someone if you truly love him or her, and it is not hard to be baptized if we truly love Christ.

In mercy Christ has given us some absolute imperatives. Here He says, "Most assuredly," absolutely, no exceptions (speaking of those who have opportunity "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.") As I say, God in mercy has given us some absolutes; otherwise too many people would try to fool themselves into thinking they were exceptions to the rule and thereby miss out on salvation by not following God’s prescribed path of obedience. Jesus has wonderfully solved the problem of who can be saved without being baptized by assuring us that no one can no one who is physically able and has opportunity, of course which should cause everyone who has never been baptized to do some serious thinking.

Baptism itself has no merit, but it is the prescribed ceremony Christ has established to signify that we are Christians like the marriage ceremony signifies that a person is married. Baptism is like a million-dollar check someone gives you. If the check is good and really represents a million dollars awaiting you in the bank, it is very valuable. Yet the check itself is just a piece of paper. If there was no money in the bank, the check would be worth nothing. If there is money in the bank, that piece of paper becomes very valuable. In fact, the bank will not give you the money unless you give them the check. It is interesting that no one complains about the formality or the legalism of having to present and sign the check in order to get that million dollars. Isn’t it therefore interesting that when we are dealing with eternal life and riches worth billions of dollars that people squabble about the set form of baptism that God has established? It shows their ingratitude and lack of faith. True enough, baptism, unless it represents what is really in the heart, is worthless, just as a check is worthless unless it represents what is really in the bank. Nevertheless, unless we are baptized, the Lord will not acknowledge our new-birth experience anymore than the bank will give us the million dollars without the check. Jesus, speaking of those who know and have opportunity, said there are no exceptions.

A Man Who Almost Lost

In the Old Testament a man by the name of Naaman, who had leprosy, came to Elisha for healing. Elisha told him, by a messenger, to go submerge himself in the River Jordan seven times and he would be healed. "But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed, I said to myself, "He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy . . . ‘So he turned and went away in a rage" (2 Kings 5:11, 12). Thankfully, he later thought better of it and went and washed and was healed.

Today we are plagued with the leprosy of sin, but there is a cure. We too can have the leprosy washed away. We can be born again of the Spirit and washed in the waters of baptism and it takes both. Won’t it be a shame when Jesus comes and multitudes find themselves lost simply because they refused to go through the simple ceremony of baptism? If they will not follow a simple command like that, Jesus cannot trust them and they will be lost. Everyone who knew and had opportunity and yet refused or neglected to obey will be lost.

Baptism in the New Testament Church

On the day of Pentecost, baptism was one of the prerequisites for joining the Christian church.

Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said to them, ‘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.’. . . 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. . . . 47 And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

To teach and baptize people was the last commission Jesus gave to the disciples.

Matthew 28:18 "Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen."

Jesus Himself was baptized, as an example for us all, in the River Jordan. When Paul was converted, he was urged not to tarry, but to be baptized so his sins could be washed away. Some people have been shocked when they started studying the ten commandments as they are explained in the New Testament to find out that like the rich young ruler who talked to Jesus, even though they had been keeping the law according to the flesh, in their hearts they were breaking it. Jesus wants to wash away your sins in His own blood if you are willing to give them up. No unforgiven Sabbath-breaker can go to heaven, but Jesus can cleanse you from the sin of Sabbath-breaking if you are willing to give it up and start obeying all of His commandments.

Acts 22:16 "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Appeal

I wonder this evening if there is anyone here who has never been baptized before. You may have been sprinkled or even had water poured on you while someone mistakenly called it baptism, but you have never really been baptized. I wonder if there is anyone like that who has experienced or is beginning to experience a new conversion from these studies of prophecy and would like to formalize his commitment to the Lord by the rite of baptism.

Today Jesus offers a million dollar check is there anyone here who would like to cash it?

On the other hand, there may be a few who have been baptized by immersion, but did not yet know what it all really meant. You may have cashed an empty check at the time. Maybe you have learned many new things in these prophecy seminars and have had an experience you have never had before and would like to signify this new experience by baptism. Paul, when he met people who had been baptized but had not yet received a full knowledge of the gospel, had them rebaptized (Acts 19:2–5).

Who of you today are willing to follow the Lord all the way?

Yes, friend, I make an appeal to you to follow the Lord all the way. He, the King of the universe, came down and took our nature upon Himself and overcame in our behalf can we do any less than follow that example? He who knew no sin was baptized in the River Jordan. Can we, sinful and erring, do any less than follow with baptism, too? Some are too proud to be baptized, but how can we see Jesus, our Maker and Redeemer, baptized and say, "He might have needed it, but I don’t." "Jesus might have stepped down into the waters of baptism, but I am too important a person for that." Jesus said, "I have given you an example. . . Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; . . . If you know these things, happy are you if you do them" John 13:15–17.

Yes, friend, I make no apology for making an appeal for you to follow Jesus all the way for it is not my appeal but Christ’s appeal to you. I am but a spokesman for Him. In Christ’s day He called all who would hear to forsake all and to follow Him. Some of His followers had family members and friends who were opposed to them following Jesus all the way but what did Jesus say to them?

Matthew 10:32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’ 36 And ‘a man’s foes will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Baptism is a public confession of our acceptance of Jesus and His truth. Jesus said if we will confess Him, He will confess us; but if we deny Him, He will deny us. Jesus appeals to us today to forsake all and follow Him. For "he who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."

Will you follow Him all the way today?

The Purpose of Prophecy

The purpose of prophecy is to cause the Morning Star to arise in our hearts. We signify that we truly accept Jesus into our hearts and that we have chosen to follow Him all the way by baptism. Baptism means that we have died to our old sinful nature, our old nature is crucified with Christ and now we arise to walk in newness of life in harmony with all of God’s commandments. (Romans 6)

Jesus closes His prophetic messages with this appeal to each of us:

Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

Our eternal destiny depends upon our response to that invitation.

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Last Updated: 06/18/03