Jesus' Disciple

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Jesus paid the price that, each individual owed for sin at Calvary. In other words, if someone owed a debt and did not have the means to pay the debt, they would be in bondage to that person they owed until the debt is paid. The only means of correcting that dilemma is to have someone intervene by paying the debt for them. The act of paying the debt is the act of redemption. Redemption, then frees the debtor from the bondage of the debt. The person who payed the debt for has thus redeemed the debtor. The debtor however is now in debt to the redeemer. In this scenario, the original holder of the debt is Satan who is a murderer. The debtor is set free from the debt of death, but in return he is now indebted to Jesus his Redeemer.

Mt 16::24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.Jesus said if a man wanted to be a disciple or follower of Jesus, he must do some things. He must first deny himself. That means he must begin to turn away from his fleshly desires. He must be willing to sacrifice some things. He may even need to deny the very things that define his identity in the world. Then he must take up his cross and follow Jesus. Where did Jesus take the cross? He took it to Calvary. What happened to Jesus on Calvary? He died, was buried and arose on the third day. So does that mean the disciple needs to take up the cross, physically die and be buried in hopes that Jesus will resurrect him. No!

Rm 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, . . .

Paul said that the disciple was to be a living sacrifice. He did not have to pay the sin price of death himself, but rather accept the price that Jesus paid for him. Being a living sacrifice means that the sacrifice he is required to make is a spiritual sacrifice not a physical human sacrifice. He has to make the sacrifice in the way that he are still alive to serve God. He has purchased his disciples, so they no longer belong to themselves, having denied themselves, they are now His.

Jn 3:3,5-6 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . . Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Jesus told a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus, unless he was born again he could not see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus questioned Jesus, not understanding how a man who was already born from his mother’s womb could be born again. Jesus said you must be born of the water and the spirit. He differentiated between natural birth and spiritual birth. Jesus said that which is born of flesh or born in the natural is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spiritual. In other words it is a spiritual rebirth process. Many people believe in being born again, but how is it done according to the scriptures? To understand, we must jump to the celebration of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost that was recorded in the book of Acts, Chapter 2. This feast occurred 50 days after the crucifixion of Jesus.

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The day of Pentecost is recognized as the birth of the New Testament Church. Jesus had told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait until they were endued with power from on high. They were all gathered together fasting, praying, and worshiping God. As Acts 2 opens, we find them all being filled with the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. There was quite a commotion, if you can imagine the excitement of the Spirit of God physically manifesting itself among a group of believers. The Lord revealed himself in a physical and spiritual experience. The Spirit of God was revealed through both audio and visual manifestation. The Bible records that tongues of fire sat upon each of them and they spoke with tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance.

The people in the street thought that the disciples were intoxicated. Peter goes into the street, where there are gathered thousands of Jews who had come to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Weeks. To understand how supernaturally charged the atmosphere was, keep in mind, Peter was the guy who just a little over 7 weeks before had, out of fear of the Jews, denied Jesus three times. Now he finds himself standing in front of a huge crowd of Jews, many of whom could have been the same people he was afraid of a few weeks before. Peter begins to boldly tell them about Jesus. He summarizes his sermon as follows:

Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Peter tells the people that God had made Jesus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ. In other words Jesus was God and man or divinity and flesh. Imagine how the people felt. The man they had crucified was their Messiah, whom they had literally waited for, for thousands of years.

Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

It hits them hard, right where they lived. The Bible says they were pricked or cut in their hearts. They were wounded. Their hearts were pierced with sorrow and fear. These men suddenly realized what they had done and they were hurt by it. They turn to the disciples and say what are we going to do now? How can we ever be saved considering this great atrocity against our God?

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, . . .

Peter begins to explain the plan of salvation to them what they must do. He tells them how they are going to be born again and become a living sacrifice.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, . . .

Repentance is the act of turning 180 degrees, away from sin, and walking toward Jesus. The carnal man is by nature walking in the opposite direction from God. The must turn around and head their lives toward God. It includes asking God’s forgiveness for the things a person has done wrong. It does not stop there. The sinner must also commit to God that he will serve Him. He must admit that his attempts to save himself is vain and futile. He must recognize that He is our only hope and agree that no matter what He asks us to do, we will serve Him. True repentance is the ultimate act of denying one’s self. It is spiritual death to the flesh, because the person commits to no longer seek after the desires of his own flesh, in exchange for the Lord’s mercy and grace.

Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The physician Luke reiterated that Jesus taught that repentance must be taught to all nations. This began on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem as Jesus had prophesied. Can a small child or baby who is not aware of their sinful condition repent? The obvious answer is no. A small child or infant cannot repent, because they are not yet aware of their sin nature.

Mt 3:2 . . . Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

John the Baptist, in preparing the way of the Lord preached repentance. There are a lot of faiths today, that say you only need to believe in God to be saved. I challenge the reader to find out how many preach repentance. While there are some who do, there seem to be many more who do not.

Rm 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Paul equates repentance to being crucified with Jesus. This is a spiritual crucifixion that takes place in a person’s heart when he commits to turn away from sin. What has occurred is they have shown God a sincere desire, a hunger, to change their lives. It says to God, I am tired of me, I don’t want to be what I used to be, I am disgusted with the person I have become. Lord I have a problem and I do not have the power to fix it.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you , , ,

Next a person must be water baptized by immersion. The Greek word transliterated baptized means to be immersed. We must be immersed or buried in water to be baptized according to scripture. Note also that Peter said every one of you must be baptized. He did not say some of you, or only certain ones. Everyone who repents, must be baptized.

Mk 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Some faiths say that baptism is symbolic and not necessary for salvation. The apostle Mark wrote that he that believes and is baptized is saved. Believing alone is not enough, a person must believe and be baptized. Again, if we believe, it requires a response. A person can say that he believes, but if he does not respond according to the scripture, where is the evidence of his belief. The obvious counter to this is that a person who does not believe will not be baptized according to the scripture. A person must first believe that God means what He said, before he can submit to God’s plan of salvation. The person who does not believe the scripture, is not baptized and therefore is damned by their unbelief or disobedience to God’s word. These are not my words, but the word of God as recorded by Mark.

Rm 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Paul in the book of Romans equates baptism to spiritual burial. In other words a person dies, when he repents and now he is buried with Jesus into death when he is immersed in the waters of baptism.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ . . .

Next the name of Jesus Christ is added to the formula for baptism. Most people calling themselves Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). That is the way most denominational churches baptize. This comes from the scripture in Matthew where Jesus taught his disciples the great commission.

Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

If the words Father, Son and Holy Ghost were each a name, then the scripture should have said: in the names (plural) of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.” The scripture does not use the plural form of the word “name.” It uses the singular form of the word “name.” That means there is one name that represents the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Remember the previous chapter, there is one name under heaven given to men whereby they may be saved. Acts 2:38 tells us the name is Jesus. Jesus is the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. At the name of Jesus every knee will bend and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Eph 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

There is just one Lord, one God, one Father and his name is Jesus. There is only one body, one faith, one church, one bride of Christ. There is only one baptism and that is the baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, because that is God’s name.

Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

When the people believed what Phillip was preaching, they responded to the preaching by faith. Phillip baptized everyone, both men and women in the name of Jesus Christ. Does baptism only apply to men? No, it applies to everyone who is old enough to repent. Remember infants cannot repent because they are not yet aware of their sin nature. If you cannot repent then it is meaningless to be baptized.

Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Peter did not ask people if they wanted to be baptized in the name of the Lord. He commanded they be baptized in the name of the Lord. This verse of scripture reveals how important it was to the apostle to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter did not ask, when he saw they had received the Holy Ghost, it was apparent that they had already repented. Therefore, it was imperative they be baptized in the name of the Lord. What is his name? Thou shalt call his name Jesus.

Act 19:4-5 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Paul baptized in the name of Jesus. Can there be any doubt, that all were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Why is the name of Jesus so important?

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,

Because the name is the authority and power by which our sins are remitted. Without the name, there is no remission of sins. Let’s examine what Jesus taught.

Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

All of the power was given to Jesus. If there is any thing more powerful than Jesus, he would not have all power. It there is a Father God in Heaven who has more power than Jesus, Jesus would not have all power.

Mt 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, . . .

Jesus as a demonstration of his power, healed the lame man, so we might know that he has power to forgive our sins. He and only he can forgive sins, because he has all power in earth. It is only through Jesus that all sins are forgiven, hence you must be baptized in his name to receive the remission of sins. The remission of sins does not come by the titles, only by the name.

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

People are commanded to do everything, whether they are words or actions in the name of Jesus. If people are to do everything in Jesus name, it would only follow that they must baptize in his name. Why, because there is only power to forgive sins in the name of Jesus. Without the name, there is no remission of sins.

Act 2:38 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.

Finally comes the fulfilment of the promise. A person can receive the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. In other words, if a person will receive it or accept it, he can receive a portion of God’s Spirit imparted to him. His Spirit dwelling in a man is what will help him overcome sin.

Lk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Act 1:4-5 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence

Luke wrote about how Jesus said he would send the promise of his Father. The promise is the Spirit of the Father or the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is not a different Spirit. God is a Spirit and God is Holy, therefore his Spirit is by nature the Holy Spirit. The term Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is used throughout both Testaments of the Bible to describe the action of God placing his Spirit in man. In other words it is an operation of the emanation or manifestation of the Spirit of God in man.

II Sam 7:5-6 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

When Samuel went to God after David had informed Samuel of his plan to build the temple, God asked Samuel, when have I ever asked anyone to build me a house. God told Samuel that he dwelt in a tent and a tabernacle. The tent is a temporary dwelling place as opposed to a fixed building that David wanted to build. It is interesting because the human body is a temporary vessel for the human mind, spirit and soul. Scripture says that the human body of the believer will be transformed into another type of body for the immortal man.

II Sam 7:11-13 . . . Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. . . . I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Samuel goes on to write that the Lord would build himself a house. Explaining further, the Lord would come descended from the throne and seed of King David. We know this prophecy was fulfilled because the seed of the Messiah descended from King David to Mary, Jesus human mother. The blood line of King David descended through Mary. Joseph, Mary’s legal husband was also descended from King David. This meant that according to Hebrew law, the throne of David descended to Jesus Joseph his legal human father. The legal heir to the throne of David comes by way of the father. It would be this prophesied descendant of David who would build the house of the Lord.

Mk 14:58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

Fulfilling Samuels’s prophesy, Jesus told the pharisees that he was going to destroy the temple and build a new one made without human hands. If Jesus was crucified around 30 AD and the temple was destroyed around 70 AD, then one generation of 40 years passed between the crucifixion and the destruction of the Jewish religious system. The last Jewish physical temple will not be rebuilt until Daniel’s seventieth week. What happens in the interim is the building of a Spiritual temple or the body of Christ.

Eph 2:20-22 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. The Apostle Paul explains how the body of Christ or assembly of the believers is built into the only temple that God ever desired. He desires to both dwell with us and in us. This temple is built on the words of the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.

I Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Paul makes a plain statement that the born again church, is that temple built for and by Jesus Christ for the Spirit of God.

Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Unless we are born again, born of water baptism in Jesus name and Holy Ghost we can not see the kingdom of God. How sure am I that the Holy Ghost is necessary for salvation.

Rom 8-9 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.Unless you have the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that was in Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, you do not belong to him. If you do not belong to Jesus, you are not part of his kingdom. Jesus, the Son of God, gives us power to become sons of God. As sons, we are joint heirs with him in inheriting the kingdom.

Rom 8:11 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.

Receiving the Spirit of God, is the resurrection and life. When we receive we are spiritually resurrected and restored to the kingdom. The relationship that God had intended that Adam would have, is restored as those of us with the Spirit can now walk with God in the cool of the day.

Rom 6:8-11 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.