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Tag: New Testament

I desire mercy and not sacrifice

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Hosea, Matthew, What’s new?.

What is the meaning of “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13)?

When Jesus called Matthew to become a disciple (Matthew 9:9–13), the Pharisees were scandalized. Matthew, an unscrupulous tax collector, had been part of the corrupt Roman system that cheated and oppressed its citizens. The Jews passionately hated tax collectors, classifying them among the worst of sinners. When the Pharisees saw Jesus having dinner with a band of these notorious crooks at Matthew’s house, they asked, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11, ESV). Jesus responded unapologetically: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12–13, ESV).

Jesus was quoting from Hosea 6:6, in which God rebuked Israel for focusing on the letter of the law while ignoring its spirit. God desires faithfulness, love, and mercy from His people more than their procedural observance of the law. The word sacrifice in Matthew 9:13 and Hosea 6:6 represents all the obligations and rituals that religious people perform but are void of meaning. Jesus charged the Pharisees with being just like the ancient Israelites. They were faultless in their adherence to religious tradition and ritual sacrifice but had no compassion for needy sinners.

Later, in Matthew 12:1–8, Jesus cites Hosea 6:6 again to the Pharisees. They had scolded Jesus because His hungry disciples plucked some heads of grain and ate them as they passed through the fields. The disciples had done nothing wrong (see Deuteronomy 23:25), but because they had picked grain on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused them of breaking the law of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8; Jeremiah 17:22). These religious hypocrites had turned the Scriptures into an oppressive list of rules and regulations instead of understanding what the law meant and why it had been given. Jesus reminds them of Hosea in Matthew 12:7: “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” Jesus, the Master Teacher, had given the Pharisees “homework” in Matthew 9; they had not completed the assignment and so had not learned their lesson in Matthew 12.

God intended for the Sabbath to be a day for worship and rest, not a legalistic burden. The Old Testament laws, including the Sabbath laws, were all given to lead Israel into a loving, devoted relationship with God. The disciples had not broken God’s law. Instead, they had transgressed the hypocritical regulations laid down by the Pharisees. Jesus is the authority and can override any human tradition: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).

God’s true righteousness flows from our fellowship with Him in Jesus Christ and involves demonstrating mercy to outcasts and sinners. The Lord won’t tolerate cold-heartedness from His people. James informs, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27, NLT).

Some Christians tend to be judgmental toward sinners and take pride in their own perceived goodness instead of remembering and replicating the mercy Christ offers. But Jesus taught us to forgive as we have been forgiven and show the same kind of mercy that was shown to us by God (Matthew 6:12; 18:33). Jesus spent time in the company of sinners and welcomed those who repented and followed Him, and so must we.

The self-righteousness of the Pharisees prevented them from seeing their spiritually sickened condition and their need for God and His mercy. Without an intimate relationship with the Lord, all the sacrifices in this world won’t change our hearts so that we are moved with compassion for the lost, broken, and dying people around us. But if we have been transformed through God’s forgiveness and healing and filled with His love and mercy for people in need, our righteous deeds—our sacrifices—are no longer empty gestures but authentic spiritual offerings (Matthew 6:1–18). Our lives become “a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” (Romans 12:1, NLT).

When God says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” He is calling us to an inner circumcision of the heart that “is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit” (Romans 2:29, NLT). If God does not have our hearts, He does not have us at all.

In Him we have redemption

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Ephesians, What’s new?.

What does it mean that in Him we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7)?

In Ephesians 1 we learn about our incredible spiritual riches in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and how God works to provide these riches for us—including our redemption: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:7–8).

In Ephesians 1 Paul encourages believers at Ephesus by explaining their new identity in Christ. God gave us that new identity, and we learn in the following chapter that we receive God’s grace by faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). This new identity in Christ is characterized by our having every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Notably, all three Persons of the Trinity played a role in giving us these blessings. God the Father chose us to be in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:4). He also predetermined or predestined that we would be adopted as sons through the work of Christ (Ephesians 1:5). God the Son also worked so that we could have a new identity. In Him we have redemption and forgiveness through His shed blood (Ephesians 1:7). God the Holy Spirit seals believers as God’s guarantee or pledge that we do indeed have eternal life (Ephesians 1:13–14).

This new identity in Christ is made possible by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and it is accomplished by the work of Christ on the cross. In Him we have redemption, which Paul identifies as the forgiveness of our sins according to God’s rich grace given to us. The term redemption is translated from the Greek apolutrosin, which means “the act of fully setting free.” Paul explains the need for that redemption in the following chapter.

In Ephesians 2, we learn that we need redemption because we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). We were physically alive, but we were in bondage to sin and walked enslaved to the world, the devil, and our own flesh (Ephesians 2:2–3). Ultimately, we were deserving of God’s wrath. We owed a debt we could never repay on our own. We were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), as Paul explains elsewhere. But in Christ we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7). He died on the cross to set us free. By God’s grace through our believing in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) we are set free from the bondage of sin (Romans 8:2) and from the wrath and judgment of God (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Paul writes to make sure that believers understand that in Christ we have redemption—in Him we are fully set free. Furthermore, God has accomplished this for His own glory (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). We know that, if God has staked His own glory on our having redemption in Him, that God has made certain that we are fully set free. Jesus explained that the one who believes in Him has eternal life (John 6:47). Peter identifies at least eleven ways we can be certain that the redemption we have in Christ has been accomplished (1 Peter 1:3–5). Paul affirms to the Colossians that in Him we have redemption, which is the forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:14). And if there is any doubt in our minds as to the security of our redemption in Christ, Paul reminds us that we are sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

Though we are still surrounded by the consequences of sin—even in our own bodies—one day we will experience every aspect of being free from sin. In Him we have redemption. In Him we have been fully set free.

That the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Ephesians, What’s new?.

Why does Paul pray “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18)?

In Ephesians 1:15–23, the apostle Paul prays for the Ephesian believers to be filled with spiritual insight to know Jesus better and understand the fullness of God’s blessings in Christ: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (verses 17–19).

Throughout the Bible, the “heart” often represents the center of a person’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual life—the whole inner person, encompassing the mind, will, and emotions. Thus, “the eyes of your heart” refers to our inner perception. Our “inner eyes” are “enlightened” when they open and light is cast on them, allowing them to see and understand the things of the Spirit.

Paul prays for the Father to give believers the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” True spiritual enlightenment can only come from the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; John 14:25–26; 16:12–14; 1 Corinthians 2:9–16). The natural mind cannot comprehend the things of God. Christians “have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12, NLT). The Spirit of God opens the eyes of the heart to see, receive, and understand the truth in God’s Word (Psalm 19:8; 119:18).

Paul says, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” because he wants all believers to comprehend the great hope, riches, and power they have received in Jesus Christ. Paul himself would have remained a blind Pharisee had the eyes of his heart not been opened on the road to Damascus. Acts 9:1 says Paul (then Saul) was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (ESV). While on his way to arrest followers of Jesus in the city of Damascus, Paul was struck down by a blinding light. He heard the voice of Jesus calling him to salvation. Three days later, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and his sight was restored (Acts 9:17–19). The restoration of physical eyesight symbolized Paul’s inner transformation as the eyes of his heart were enlightened to see the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Paul tells the believers in Corinth that the same God who spoke light into existence in Genesis 1:3 “has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT). The apostle wants Christians to grasp three things: the hope of our calling (Romans 8:30; Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Philippians 3:14), the riches of our glorious inheritance (Colossians 1:12; Ephesians 1:14), and the matchless power that is available to us who believe (Ephesians 3:7, 16; Philippians 3:21; 4:19).

The Christian life is an ongoing experience of growing in our faith, knowledge, and understanding of God and our relationship with Jesus Christ. Before salvation, we lived in darkness until the true light of the world shined in our hearts (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; John 1:9; John 8:12; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:8). But once we come to know Him through salvation, the eyes of our hearts are opened (John 17:3; Hebrews 6:4). He becomes our Savior and Lord. Jesus says to us, “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear” Matthew 13:16 (NLT).

If we keep seeking the Lord throughout our lives, we will increasingly get to know Him through experiential sanctification (Philippians 3:10–16). We will discover that He is our “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15), “Good Shepherd” (John 10:10–16; 1 Peter 5:1–4), and “Bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). We will slowly transform into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:9–10) until one day the eyes of our hearts are fully enlightened, and we know Him “face to face” in complete perfection (1 Corinthians 13:9–12).

Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Ephesians, What’s new?.

What does it mean that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)?

If you need a reason to celebrate, consider Paul’s word in Ephesians 1:13: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (NKJV). One of the many key points found in the book of Ephesians is that believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.

A seal, both in the past and today, serves as an identifying mark to establish ownership. It’s similar to a stamp, though seals carry a more binding significance. Seals were employed on letters and documents, and, when a king issued a decree, a seal made it legally binding (see Daniel 6:7–9). In the ancient world, seals were also used on animals and even slaves. What sets Christians apart is the nature of our seal. Rather than a mere mark, Christians are sealed with a Person.

The Holy Spirit dwelling within us serves as a form of identification, a seal that demonstrates our belonging to God. The New Living Translation renders Ephesians 1:13 in straightforward terms: “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago” (emphasis added).

We belong to Christ when we have the Holy Spirit living in us as a seal, a mark of identification. Paul reaffirms this truth in multiple places, including Romans 8:9, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Also see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19–20; Galatians 4:6.) It is impossible to claim that you belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit. The seal, promised by Jesus and prophesied in the Old Testament (Isaiah 44:3; Joel 2:28–29), can also be considered a gift (Acts 2:38). What a privilege to have God’s Spirit dwelling in us!

The Holy Spirit provides both internal and external assurance that we are secure in Christ. Internally, the Holy Spirit generates a desire to please God, a deeper conviction, and even a transformed purpose for our lives. While new believers may often experience a joy and enthusiasm akin to the infatuation of a new relationship, this is not always the case. Some may find assurance through a quiet conviction. Externally, our assurance is derived from God’s Word. As we read, study, and meditate on Scripture, the Spirit confirms our salvation. The external assurance is especially valuable during times when the flesh seems to prevail.

So, how should we respond to the reality of the Holy Spirit sealing us? First, we should rejoice that anyone in Christ is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and a temple, regenerated and inhabited by the Spirit. It logically follows that we ought to live differently and treat ourselves as temples, staying away from anything that defiles us (1 Corinthians 6:19). Paul summarized the Christian life in one sentence: “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

The Holy Spirit, as a seal, provides us with the confidence that we belong to God and that our salvation is secure. The Spirit guides us, illuminating Scripture, bestowing gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ, and empowering us to fulfill God’s will.

Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Romans, What’s new?.

What does it mean that whoever believes in him will not be put to shame (Romans 9:33)?

Romans 9:33 says, “As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.’” In this passage, the apostle Paul begins by expressing his anguish over the Jews who reject Christ. In verses 30–33, he shows us why. Instead of accepting God’s righteousness by faith, they attempt to earn righteousness through their own works, causing them to stumble over the stumbling stone, which is Christ (verse 33).

In contrast, Paul declares that those who believe in Christ will not be put to shame. The statement is presented as a matter of fact and can be seen as a promise. It signifies that those who trust in Christ for eternal life and are declared righteous by faith will never experience disappointment or disgrace at the end. They will not be ashamed. This assurance in Christ motivates us to remain in Him, unlike pursuing a works-based righteousness, where our confidence relies on our own abilities.

Scripture gives us certainty that whoever believes in Jesus will not be put to shame, and it points to the monumental event of the resurrection. In another of his letters, Paul argues that Christianity would be false if Christ’s resurrection never occurred, and our hope would be in vain (1 Corinthians 15:12–20). Evidence for the resurrection abounds, including the conversion of Paul, the radical transformation of the disciples, their willingness to suffer for what they claimed to have seen, and their credible eyewitness testimony.

Our faith in Christ is never misplaced. Those who trust in Him will not be put to shame, for He has won the victory over death and the grave (Revelation 1:18). But various factors can sometimes shake our confidence. These include our own sins and even our lack of spiritual growth. It is easy to lose assurance of salvation after a major failure, and sometimes we make the mistake of the unbelieving Jews in Romans 9, placing hope in our good deeds rather than Christ’s perfect work.

Christians at all stages of spiritual development must be reminded that our hope is firmly anchored in Christ:
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
(Credits: Townend, S., and Getty, K. Thankyou Music, adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com, 2001).

Our response to having a secure foundation in Christ should be one of gratitude. Knowing that we will not be put to shame provides motivation to live for God every day in every circumstance. This security doesn’t give us a license to sin but rather empowers us to freely obey God without fear of condemnation from the law.

This security should also motivate us to evangelize the lost. Christ is not just our hope; He is the hope of everyone else as well. It is our responsibility to point others to Christ through our words and actions. Our prayer is that they may not stumble over the Stumbling Stone but instead discover true, life-giving hope.

If you can

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Mark, What’s new?.

What is the significance of Jesus saying, “If you can?” (Mark 9:23)?

In Mark 9:23, Jesus responds to a desperate father seeking healing for his son, who is afflicted by an evil spirit that renders him mute and causes violent seizures. The father’s plea, “If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” (Mark 9:22, NASB), is met with a rhetorical question from Jesus: “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23, NASB). In this article, we will examine the significance of Jesus’ response to the father.

Jesus’ response calls the father to put his trust in God. This principle highlights a critical aspect of the relationship between faith and God’s power. The father has doubts about Jesus’ ability to perform the healing, especially since His disciples had failed in their attempts to help. He asks for Jesus to do something if He can. Jesus picks up on the man’s doubt and repeats the man’s words back to him as a question: “If you can?” In this way, Jesus points out that the issue is not His power but the father’s faith. For the son to be healed, the father must have faith in God, who alone can accomplish the seemingly impossible: “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27, ESV).

The Bible repeatedly stresses faith as the means God uses to accomplish His divine purposes. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it was move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (ESV). Jesus’ analogy illustrates that even a small amount of faith can see big things accomplished. It is not so much about the amount of faith as the object of faith—God.

Mark 9:23 parallels other instances where Jesus teaches about the importance of faith. In Mark 5:34, Jesus tells the woman with an issue of blood, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease” (ESV). Likewise, in Mark 10:52, Jesus says to Bartimaeus, a blind man, “Go your way; your faith has made you well” (ESV). In each case, Jesus teaches that faith in Christ played a pivotal role in the miracle.

After Jesus says, “If you can?” He says, “All things are possible for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23, NASB). It’s important to note that He is not saying that faith can magically guarantee immediate results according to our whims and desires. Rather, Jesus calls us to trust in God’s power and purpose. Faith, in this context, is a deep, abiding trust in God’s sovereign will, regardless of the outcome. In faith, we submit our will to His.

The father’s response to Jesus’ challenge is instructive for believers: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, ESV). This honest admission represents the father’s earnest desire to overcome his doubt about Jesus’ ability to heal his son. It is perfectly acceptable to bring our doubts to God and ask for His assistance to strengthen our faith. Jesus responds to the father’s weak and unstable faith by casting out the demon and healing his son (Mark 9:25). This confirms that God’s power is not contingent upon perfect faith but on God’s sovereign will. God meets us in our weakness—there’s no other place for us to meet (see 2 Corinthians 12:10).

Jesus’ asking, “If you can?” in Mark 9:23 reminds believers about the importance of faith in God’s power. Jesus’ question prompts us to consider how all things are possible for those who have faith. Like the father begging Jesus for help, we can trust that God will help us to overcome doubt about His ability to accomplish impossible things.

By your words you will be justified

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Matthew, What’s new?.

What did Jesus mean that “by your words you will be justified” (Matthew 12:37)?

In Matthew 12:37, Jesus says, “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (ESV). Here, Jesus makes a connection between our hearts and the words we speak.

Jesus said, “By your words you will be justified” in the context of addressing the Pharisees, who had just accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul (Matthew 12:27). Jesus uses this opportunity to teach on the connection between the Pharisees’ hearts and their words. Just as a tree is known by its fruit, people are known by their words. The idea is that words reveal the condition of our hearts: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (verse 34, ESV).

Words, then, are not insignificant. On the contrary, they are direct manifestations of what lies within our hearts. Since the Pharisees had spoken evil things about Jesus, they demonstrated the evil in their hearts. Radical conversion by the Holy Spirit is necessary to cleanse our hearts and make us new (John 3:3, 5; Titus 3:5). Following conversion, our words will “justify” us, i.e., our words will acquit us and demonstrate that we have been born again.

When Jesus says, “By your words you will be justified” (NKJV), He is not saying that our words possess some kind of magical power to make us right before God. Rather, He is saying that God-glorifying words are evidence of saving faith. Just as fruit reveals the health of a tree, our words reveal the spiritual health of our hearts. In this way, pure, righteous, and holy speech demonstrates the genuineness of our faith. Conversely, if our words are evil, blasphemous, or deceitful, that is a sign we are not right with God.

Matthew 12:37 corresponds to several other biblical passages. For example, Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (ESV). Here, Solomon points out that words can either have a positive or negative impact. To use Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:37, words can either “acquit” or “condemn” us. Therefore, it is important for us to be mindful of how we use our words. Believers should always use their words to glorify God and edify others. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,” Paul says to the Ephesians, “but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29, ESV). James teaches that controlling the tongue is basic to godly living: “If we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way” (James 3:2, NLT).

Romans 10:9–10 also makes the connection between our hearts and our words: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (ESV). Confession, then, is an outward expression of saving faith, and it is by our words that we will be justified or shown to be genuine believers (Matthew 12:37).

Matthew 12:37 reminds us that words are significant because they reveal where we stand with God. If we have been justified by faith, then we will live and walk by the Spirit, producing good fruit, including good speech. If we are not in right standing with God, then that, too, will be evident by our words (see Matthew 7:16).

Passed from death to life

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in John, What’s new?.

What does it mean that believers have passed from death to life (John 5:24)?

In John 5:24, Jesus makes a striking statement about the nature of eternal life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life” (ESV).

Jesus’ teaching that we have passed from death to life means that we have been brought out of a state of spiritual death and brought into the life of God in Christ (see Colossians 2:13). At one time we were alienated from God, the Source of Life, but now we are joined to Christ and enjoy communion with God (see Ephesians 4:18).

The verb has is present tense, signifying present possession of eternal life. In other words, eternal life is a present reality—a gift bestowed upon believers the moment they place their trust in Christ (see John 3:16).

While the full blessings of eternal life await believers in the eschatological future, the present possession of it is not a mere theological abstraction. It is, in fact, partially realized and significantly experienced in the here and now (2 Corinthians 5:17). The truth that believers have passed from death to life points toward a future reward in heaven, but it also significantly impacts our present lives, creating a tension between the “already” and the “not yet.”

Although believers still navigate the challenges of living in a fallen and broken world, they have been given a foretaste of things to come (Romans 8:23; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5; Ephesians 1:14). We have already passed from death to life, but we do not yet see the implications of that life in all its glory.

The assurance of eternal life is more than a comforting thought; it fundamentally changes our perspective on the last judgment. Instead of fear and trepidation, we can face judgment with boldness and confidence because we have passed from death to life.

The connection between belief in the atoning work of Christ and confidence on judgment day is found throughout the New Testament. For example, 1 John 5:11–12 says, “This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (ESV). The implication is that the one who does not have the Son remains spiritually dead and subject to eternal punishment (cf. John 3:36).

The confidence that believers have is not based on personal merit; rather, it is firmly anchored in the finished work of Christ: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). Belief in Christ, then, assures us of eternal life, and this profound truth undergirds our stance before God.

Those who are justified by faith are eternally secure, knowing that Christ’s substitutionary death guarantees their salvation from God’s impending wrath (Romans 5:1–11). This hope is not naïve optimism or wishful thinking but a steadfast assurance firmly rooted in the unchanging promises of God.

The Christian’s assurance is not passive; it is a resilient hope that thrives amidst the trials of life. We can “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5)

Having passed from death to life by God’s grace, we stand on the firm foundation of Christ’s finished work. We can face the judgment with confidence in the eternal promises of God. This assurance is a wellspring of comfort, hope, and motivation for living out the will of God in the here and now.

Baptized into Christ

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Galatians, What’s new?.

What does it mean to be baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27)?

In Galatians 3:23—4:7, the apostle Paul discusses what it means to be a child of God: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (verses 26–29). When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are “baptized into Christ” through faith in Him.

What are the implications of being baptized into Christ?

We are clothed in Christ.

Paul explains, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” In the original language, the phrase translated as “clothed yourselves with Christ” (NIV) or “put on Christ” (ESV) means to be “endowed with the quality of being wrapped in a covering” of Christ. “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes,” says Galatians 3:27 in the New Living Translation. The same term appears in Romans 13:14: “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

When we are baptized into Christ, we become wrapped up in Jesus Christ like a robe. Our filthy, old, sin-infested rags are cast off (Isaiah 64:6), and we put on the new righteous nature of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24). Water baptism outwardly depicts this inner work of baptism into Christ by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:44–48).

This idea of changing clothes carried an additional implication for the Galatians. In ancient Roman society, when a young person reached the legal age of adult citizenship, he would stop wearing his childhood apparel and begin to don a toga, the customary outfit of an adult. This change of attire indicated a rite of passage into the responsibilities of adulthood. As believers baptized into Christ, we receive full, mature sonship status before God (see Romans 8:17).

We are all one in Christ.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit joins us to Christ and identifies us with Him. As children of God, we become members of God’s family, who are all “one in Christ Jesus.” Paul reiterates this truth in 1 Corinthians 12:12–14: “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, NLT).

As believers baptized into Christ, we belong to God as His sons and daughters and to each other as brothers and sisters. God’s family consists of people from every nation, culture, skin color, and language (Matthew 28:19; cf. Revelation 5:9). In Christ, there is no distinction of rank (“slave nor free”), status (“Jew nor Gentile”), or gender (“nor is there male and female”). We are all on equal footing with God when it comes to salvation. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it (Romans 3:10, 23; Ephesians 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:9–10; Titus 3:5). We all receive it as a gift from God through Jesus (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8). The equality of our union transforms into fellowship—a communion of brothers and sisters that can only exist in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:18–19; 2 Corinthians 5:18–19).

We are dead to sin, alive in Christ.

Being baptized into Christ means identifying with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. We died with Him and, through Him, received a new life in which we are set free from sin. Paul asks the Romans, “How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life” (Romans 6:2–4, HCSB).

As born-again Christians, we are set apart with Christ in righteousness and justification: “Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (Romans 6:6–7, NLT).