Baptized Believers in His Name -- In the Name of Jesus - PART 110

According to the Biblical scriptures, the Church is His body. We are the body of Christ. We are His bones. We are His flesh. We are the temple in which He is pleased to dwell. We are the people called by His name (the Jesus people). The early believers continued steadfastly in the teachings of the Spirit of God, which they in turn delivered to us. As the scriptures state, "For another foundation can no man lay other than that which has been laid." This is the apostles' foundation with Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone.

Further, Jesus said this is My church and the gates (teachings of hell) shall not prevail against it. The holy Spirit of Jesus Himself will lead and guide believers into all truth. As it is written, believers will all be taught of God. Christ alone is the Head of His Church (body). In essence then, this church is not a two headed church. This foundation verifies yet again that there is only one mediator between God and man. That is, the man Jesus the Christ who is the only begotten Son of the Spirit of God. It is in this body that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. This makes God alone the Father and Mother of the man Jesus.

Was Mary the mother of God? Of course not. Mary was a surrogate mother of the Son of God. Does Mary intercede on our behalf? Again, no.  Mary said that her spirit rejoiced in "God her Saviour." Can a believer be more blessed than Mary? Indeed, yes. As the scriptures state, more blessed are they that hear the Word of God and do it.  Blessed much more than the womb that bore me! Who is Jesus' mother and father then? They that hear the Word of God and do it. Is anyone infallible? No. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, No not one.

But the good news is that whosoever sins that you remit, they are remitted. Whosoever sins that you retain, they are retained. When Jesus bore our sins on a tree, He allowed the people -- sinners -- to call upon Jesus so that they would receive forgiveness and remission of sin. But the apostolic message did not end there. In this context, other questions are asked. Am I really baptized if I am baptized in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit?

As outlined in earlier posts, these are relationship titles with no applicable name attached. By being baptized in the titles and not the name of Jesus, one is substituting man’s rendition of Matthew chapter 28:19 without including the practical applicability. How did the apostles baptize? How were all new believers baptized in the Bible? Note here that the apostles did follow Jesus' instructions when they baptized believers in His name -- in the precious name of the Lord Jesus!

It is the same when, during communion, countless congregations of people are told that the wafer or bread and the wine are miraculously transformed into the blood and body of Christ. Would I be committing an unforgivable sin if I participate? We would if we did not acknowledge that Jesus sacrificed Himself once and for all so that we could be saved.  As such, there is no longer a need for churches to offer a repeat performance. Jesus made the sacrifice. And it was Jesus Himself that said on the cross -- It is finished. The sacrificial death of Jesus is present tense.

Moreover, there is only one high priest. That is Jesus, who is a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. Is the new testament a continuation of the old covenant? No. The new testament is a testament between one party. This one relationship is between God who is Spirit and between God Himself as a Son. Grace testament. Whereas the old covenant was between two parties -- a covenant of life and death -- the new testament is about grace! This is why the scriptures ask new believers to search the scriptures so that they will know and understand the plan of salvation.

What were the first believers told to do? The first 3000 people who believed in Jesus repented and were baptized into the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, and as a consequence, received the gift of the Holy Ghost. For further details, please read through Acts chapter two.

Ask our Lord God and Saviour to open your eyes for understanding. Stand in the offering plate.