God has spoken through the prophet

GOD HAS SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHETS

The heavens declare the glory of God…the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:1,8).

King David’s Psalm speaks of nature’s message about God—and it also speaks of another message. We "see" not only by the lights God placed in the heavens. We see also by another light, a spiritual light, "the commands of God." To know God, man needs more light than nature alone gives.

NATURE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

Nature has many valuable lessons for us. The amazing order in all things, living and nonliving, tells us of wisdom and power far, far higher than ours. Our hearts reach upward in praise. "Laws of nature" are always so steady, so dependable, that we are led to believe that the great Law-Giver can also be trusted.

Nature also raises many questions. For example, since God is so great does He care about us who are so small? Some have felt that He is too high and too distant to think about people on earth. Therefore, they have turned to things of this earth, or to other spirits, for help in times of need.

Others feel that God is against them. They say, "If plenty of food is a sign of God’s kindness, then what does the lack of food mean? In our times of suffering and death, has God changed from His kind ways?" Nature by itself does not give us important details about God’s character and thinking. It does not tell us how to approach Him. It raises the questions, but does not give the answers we need.

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THE GOD WHO SPEAKS

Why do some think it so strange that God speaks or communicates in some manner? Surely plain reason tells us that He should be able to speak. Humans speak (some would say "too much"). Are they more able than their Maker? Is the great Creator of humans less able to speak? When people thought that God failed to notice their sins, the writer of Psalms reasoned with them in this way:

He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? (Psalm 94:9).

That logical thinking can continue, "Does He who made the tongue not speak? Can He who gave language not use it? If God chooses to use special messengers, can He not provide His messengers with clear speech?"

The Bible tells about the time God sent Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. When Moses had doubts, God reasoned with him in this way:

"Who has made man's mouth?…Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak" (Exodus 4:11-12).

Moses, of course, could speak. He just worried that he could not speak well—his words might not be clear and well-chosen. God assured him that He, the Creator of the mouth and of speaking, could do what was needed for a clear message. If we have worried that God’s message is poorly given or is unclear, we can stop worrying. God not only communicates, He communicates very well.

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GOD SPOKE BY THE PROPHETS

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets (Hebrews 1:1).

God’s love for people is such that He did not remain silent. He did not leave us alone and ignorant. "GOD SPOKE." He could have communicated in any number of ways. "In the past," He chose to speak "through the prophets." Prophets were God’s messengers, passing along God’s message to the people.

The writer of the book of Hebrews had no doubt who those prophets were. He quoted often from them—prophets like Moses (Hebrews 4:4; 8:5), David (Hebrews 4:7), Nathan (Hebrews 1:5b), Isaiah (Hebrews 2:13), Jeremiah (Hebrews 8:8), Habakkuk (Hebrews 10:37), and Haggai (Hebrews 12:26). Hebrews chapter 11 also names many prophets. We call these the Old Testament prophets. The book of Hebrews shows that the words given through these prophets were not their own words, but God’s words. When Hebrews quotes from Psalm 95, it recognizes that Psalm as written by King David. Yet look at how it is expressed: "God… saying through David" (Hebrews 4:7). In Hebrews 3:7 the same words by David are said to be from God’s Spirit: "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says…" Similarly, through Jeremiah’s writing, "the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us…" (Hebrews 10:15).

Hebrews and other books of the Bible often speak like this. Nehemiah 9:20,30 is an example from the Old Testament. It tells how God’s Spirit was in His prophets, teaching and warning His people for many years. In the Bible there is no doubt about it. God has spoken by His prophets. He has spoken so clearly that people many, many years later could depend on their words. The books of Nehemiah and Hebrews were written hundreds of years after the old prophets died. Yet they still quoted and trusted those prophets’ words as the true words of God.

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HOW WERE GOD'S TRUE PROPHETS RECOGNIZED?

But any person can claim to be a prophet speaking for God. People may do this to get money or power or fame. Some might even do it sincerely, for their own ‘good’ reasons. This was a problem in the past, and it is still a problem today. Many who now claim to speak for God argue against each other. Their messages do not agree. After speaking about God’s true prophets of long ago, the apostle Peter warns,

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you (2 Peter 2:1).

God knew there would be false prophets. He also knew that people might have trouble in knowing which speaker was true and which was false. So God made it clear which prophets were sent by Him.

Look again at the example of Moses when God made him a prophet to carry His message to Egypt. Moses had grown up in Egypt and had not been known as a prophet then. How could the people possibly know that now God had made him a prophet? The people might even think of him as a false prophet. Moses asked God,

"But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you‘" (Exodus 4:1).

In reply, God told Moses to throw his stick on the ground. By God’s power, the stick became a snake. Then He had Moses pick it up. By God’s power, it changed back into a stick.

”…that they may believe that the Lord… has appeared to you” (Exodus 4:5).

God then gave Moses other miracles—just as amazing—also to prove that he was from God. God called these "signs" (Exodus 4:8,30). For they were like signboards for the people, pointing out God’s true prophet.

We must be aware that God’s enemies also had some power. Egypt’s sorcerers and magicians copied a few things done by Moses "… by their secret arts" (Exodus 7:11). But God has all power, so His miracles were always far greater. He showed the kind of power that only the Creator has over His creation. The power in Moses was so great that all could see that Moses was God’s prophet.

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TEST FOR PROPHETS

Once God had proved the authority of Moses it was not always necessary for true prophets after him to do all the miracles he did. But through Moses God gave tests for future prophets. At that time any "prophet" failing these tests was put to death. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 has one of these tests:

But the prophet who presumes [thinks] to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken? ’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously [thinking wrongly]. You need not be afraid of him.

ERV: But a prophet might say something that I did not tell him to say. And he might tell people that he is speaking for Me. If this happens, then that prophet must be killed. Also, a prophet might come that speaks for other gods. That prophet must also be killed. You might be thinking, "How can we know if something a prophet says is not from the LORD?" If a prophet says he is speaking for the LORD, but the thing does not happen, then you will know that the LORD did not say it. You will know that this prophet is speaking his own ideas. You don’t need to be afraid of him.

Yet God also knew that some dreamers and leaders might foretell events that actually happen. (This might be by luck, or by clever powers like the Egyptian magicians had.) So, in Deuteronomy 13, God told how to test such cases:

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’… you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 13:1-3.)

We have seen three tests: All true prophets after Moses were proved true by…

• "Signs"—if they had any—clearly showing the Creator’s power over creation. (The weaker power of magicians was no proof.)
• All that they foretold coming true. (God never lies or makes mistakes.)
• Agreeing with what God had revealed about Himself through Moses. (God does not deny Himself or deny His own teachings.)🙏   
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  LEARNING FROM THE PROPHETS

  False prophets did not have the power of God or the truth of God. At one point or another they all failed to pass these tests. In this way, through many centuries, God made clear who were His true prophets, and who were not. That is why the Bible not only says that "God spoke to our forefathers by the prophets" (Hebrews 1:1), but it actually names those true prophets. Their writings, called "Scriptures," are God’s words through His proven prophets.

  Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).

  If we really seek God and His way, we will go to the Scriptures. In "God Has Spoken Through His Writings" we will see more about Scripture’s claim to be the truth given by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

  LET'S SUM UP

  What great love God has shown us by choosing to speak to us. What great wisdom God showed when He chose to speak to people through people! For this means that He has spoken in human language—language we can understand! Here is a message much clearer than nature alone can give us. Above all, here are words from God that we can read for ourselves. For the message of the prophets has been passed on to us through the reliable record called "the Scriptures." We should honor God by learning and following the Scriptures.
  Lord God, how dark life would be for us if You had kept silent! We are grateful that You spoke. Thank You for caring enough to speak through fellow-humans and in human language, so that we can understand… 
• Source worldbibleschool.org

God qualifies the called

God Doesn’t Call the Qualified    by Christine Caine, from Undaunted

Read Exodus 4:10-13 God called Moses to rescue His people from slavery in Egypt. But Moses felt his lack of speaking skills disqualified him from pursuing God’s plan. God saw it another way. Called to Rescue There is only one Rescuer with the power to free us from the darkest prison. That Rescuer is the God who loves us so much He left everything to come for us, to free us. He is the one who made us, each of us, for a unique purpose and a magnificent destiny. His plans are for good, not for evil. His ways are straight and merciful. He came to give me a hope and a future —and to give you one too. His promises are true. His love is full of forgiveness and peace, joy and kindness, grace. He is the true Rescuer. He saves us from any prison, whether physical or emotional or spiritual, the ones we’re forced into and the ones we fall into on our own. He chooses us. He loves us without condition, unrelentingly, forever. He loves us broken, and He loves making us whole again. And He asks those of us who love Him to love others the same way. To choose them. To be agents of His hope, His forgiveness, His grace. He asks us to join Him in rescuing others. So why don’t we? There are reasons why when we hear God’s call, when we feel that gentle urging of God’s Spirit for us to make a bold step, take a risk, serve others, save a life, commit — we so often hold back. It may be because we don’t feel qualified. We think we lack the courage, the strength, the wisdom, the money, the experience, the education, the organization, the backing. We feel like Moses when, from out of the burning bush, God called him to speak for him before Pharaoh. And Moses answered, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent… I am slow of speech and tongue… Please send someone else” (Exodus 4:10-13). Not me, God. I’m afraid. Weak. Poor. Stupid. Unqualified. Daunted. Not long ago, that is exactly how I would have responded. But it has never been my desire to be daunted, to be afraid, to be unable to respond to God’s call. Is it yours? I doubt it. Just as God gave Moses exactly what he needed to accomplish great things, He will equip us in the same way. If He calls us to slay giants, He will make us into giant slayers. God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

Hiding place

	Your Hiding Place

“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7 NKJV The Judean wilderness extends approximately 60 miles along the Dead Sea. It is an area characterized by rugged mountains, and an absence of vegetation. Very little rain falls in most of this area. The whole region is relatively inaccessible with many steep cliffs and inhospitable ravines. Some descents provide treacherous declines of nearly a mile. Throughout history, this relatively uninhabited wilderness has provided the ideal hiding place for political refugees, bandits, and others. Some discovered incredible caves, whose obscure entrances lead to elaborate tunnel structures extending deep into the ground. Recent excavation work has revealed that some caves have narrow passages leading to complexes of rooms. In one cave, passages lead into a hall 165 feet high. Pools of water provide sustainance. It was to this area that David fled when he was being pursued by King Saul (1 Samuel 24). In this wilderness he found caves that provided perfect hiding places. David was able to draw on these experiences when he thought about God. He was his “hiding place.” He provided security and safety. When he experienced fear, he could find safety in His presence. He could find peace and rest. He would be reassured and find direction. That is what God offers to all of us. An escape from dangers and the chaos of life. A place of refuge where we can find peace. Where we can feel secure. Where we can pray and get God’s direction and perspective. Where we can be renewed by His Spirit. Do you feel discouraged? Overwhelmed? Plagued by problems? Weak and weary? Unsure what to do? These are opportunities to turn to God. To get alone with Him and seek Him in prayer. To lay everything else aside and focus on His Word. To wait in His presence. To rest in Him. Make Him your hiding place. Prayer Father, thank You that I can hide in You. Thank You for protecting me. Thank You that I can rest in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God speaks through nature

GOD HAS SPOKEN THROUGH NATURE

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

With these words the Bible opens the history of our world. It does not try to prove that God exists. From the very beginning God already is, and He is already active. The writers of the Bible never doubt or question God’s existence. Nor do they go into long arguments to show to others that God is real. Why is this?

GOD'S PRESENCE IS WELL KNOWN

”No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18).

The fact that God is not directly seen does not have to lead to doubt.

The wind is unseen. Does anyone really doubt that wind exists? We are sure it exists because we see the results of its blowing. Though God is invisible, we know He is there because of the results of His powerful work. The world around us, called "nature," is one of those results (Genesis 1:1). With other results of God’s work, nature speaks clearly of its Creator.

People through the ages, and all over the world, have come to the same conclusion: Creation points to an amazing Creator. Rulers who have tried to make people deny God have ended in failure. When those rulers fall, their people are seeking God more than ever.

SEEING THE CREATOR THROUGH CREATION

The apostle Paul speaks of those who try to hide the truth about God. He shows why God is angry with them:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes [qualities], namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived [seen], ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (Romans 1:19-20).

Realities about God can be ”clearly perceived”! How? ”In the things that have been made.” Just looking at the wonderful creation around us helps us to know about God!

We know of the wind is real by seeing how it moves dust and leaves. In a far greater way, we know things about God by the effect of His work around us. God has made it clear to those who are willing to look. That is why people have ”no excuse” when they twist the truth about God.

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CREATION BY ACCIDENT?

Some want to live as if there is no God to whom they must answer. To avoid the need for God they teach that all we see exists by accident.

Matter has always existed, they say, but at some time long ago matter exploded. Some flying pieces from this "Big Bang" came together by chance and they formed our system of sun and planets, with our own wonderful world. Much smaller pieces later came together in such a way that they happened to form living things. They say that over ages these slowly changed their form in many ways - all by accident, too - and we humans are the result. We have no spirit and no real purpose. From a long line of accidents, we are an accident on its way to its final accident! Does such a picture make sense?

How could so many accidents result in such order? What would happen if you caused a great explosion to scatter a pile of rocks and wood? Even if you repeated this many times over, would the millions of pieces ever have the chance of coming together in such a way as to form a normal house? Would the heavier rocks happen to come down first to make a perfect foundation? Would smaller pieces then fall in by chance to make straight walls on all sides, with doors and windows all in place? Would other pieces finally fall in such order as to make a roof that keeps rain out?

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EVERY HOUSE HAS A BUILDER

No one would dare say that a house came about by accident. Its order and design show beyond doubt that it had a builder. Notice the simple force of Hebrews 3:4,

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

Look closely at the simplest leaf in nature. It is far better planned than a house. It has tiny openings for the flow of gases. Its green coloring catches sunlight and uses it for energy. It carry water and food from the soil. It is more like a highly ordered city! And that is just one leaf. We have not considered jungles and forests full of different plants. We have not pointed out the many, many kinds of land and sea animals, nor all that it takes to provide them life.

He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts [animals] their food, and to the young ravens [birds] that cry (Psalm 147:8-9).

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CREATION TELLS THE GLORY OF GOD

What about the order of the stars and the planets? The nation of Israel once had a great king called David. He wrote many songs. Here are words from one song:

The heavens declare [tell] the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Psalm 19:1).

King David was right. If our sun (just one of billions of stars) is so powerful, how much more powerful is the One who made all suns! He is even called "the Father of lights" (James 1:17)!

Yet the sun’s strength is strictly controlled. If the earth changed its course even a little, all life on our planet would end. Everything is in perfect place for life to exist on this earth. Such careful design in every detail must have a Builder! But we have not yet mentioned the man and woman, with their children, who live in this amazing home. The brain of even the smallest child has many more active parts than all the stars the eye sees at night! Our minds work with great thoughts. Our eyes see beauty in living colors. The human spirit has power to choose and to love. Our hearts reach high in praise and worship. King David thought about his own body and soul. He realized how well God had worked. So he praised God with this song:

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well (Psalm 139:14).

David wrote in the Hebrew language. In that language he actually said, "My soul knows it very well." The person who pretends there is no God and no soul is like a mouse eating bread in the dark. With its mouth full, the mouse announces, "I do not believe there is a baker. I do not believe there is such a thing as grain for making bread, for I have never seen these things." We stand on the evidence! The proof is all around us and within us! The Bible describes those who refuse to see it:

For although they knew God, they did not honor [respect] him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile [empty] in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:21-22).

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GIVE GLORY AND THANKS TO GOD

Notice that Paul, in Romans 1:21, shows that it is only right that we should give to our Maker glory and thanks. The air we breathe is God’s good air—its gases mixed in just the right parts to give life and not death. When you eat, remember that the food and drink you enjoy are God’s good gifts for you.

Yet he did not leave Himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17).

That we exist and live at all is itself a wonderful gift. The truth is that we owe all that we are and have to our Maker! When we truly understand that, it is not hard to give to God the praise due to His name. It is not hard to give back in service to Him the life that He first gave to us. It is the right thing to do. And our lives are far better in every way when we respect, worship and serve our Creator. Such service takes time and effort. Yet isn’t that time actually the time He is giving to us? "Our" time on earth can and will end some day. Since it is really His gift of time, we can afford to take time for Him. Believing in God goes beyond simply knowing facts about God. It leads us to praise God and to seek Him. Even those who do not yet know how to come to God can begin to seek Him. A Roman soldier named Cornelius was one such person (Acts 10). Because he was truly seeking God, his prayers were heard. God helped him. Through this help Cornelius became a follower and friend of God. Prayer is an important part of this friendship. For that reason each lesson has an example of prayer. OUR PRAYER, at the end of the lesson, offers a suggested beginning to a prayer about the lesson. This start may lead to many other thoughts which should be given to God in prayer. We can briefly sum up the main points of the lesson in this way:

LET'S SUM UP

God does not need to prove that He exists for it is already obvious. Just look around you! Look in the mirror at how you are put together! You know that this life and universe are far too orderly to be accidents. That means that behind all this there is a very wise, very powerful Creator. His work shows also that He really cares about what He made. It’s time we cared enough to thank Him for the life He gave us.

O God, Maker of all things, we are filled with wonder and awe when we look around us. How great is Your power and wisdom! Thank You for making us, and for supplying our needs. Help us as we seek to know You better. For we owe to You life itself…

The Good News

The Good News

And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:34-35).

Who is this sacrificed Servant? Philip points to Jesus. Yet Isaiah was written over 700 years before Jesus was born. (The oldest existing copy of Isaiah dates from long before Jesus’ birth.) How could Isaiah foretell so many details of the torture that, in fact, Jesus did suffer? How could Isaiah foresee—long before Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross—the human sacrifice that takes away all our sins? Only God has the power to foretell and to fulfill in this way.

When Philip and the Ethiopian meet, it has not been long since Jesus died in great pain on a Roman cross. Yet Philip has Good News about Jesus! This is news about a Person, not merely about new religious ideas. This is news with a Name!

When Isaiah predicted the coming of Jesus, he gave Him the highest titles. Like other prophets of the Bible, Isaiah emphasized that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6). Yet Isaiah foretold the birth of a Son who would rightfully be called “God.”

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom… forevermore (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Remember, these words were written long before Christianity began. They, and many other passages, predicted the coming of the divine King (the Messiah, or Christ) from King David’s family line. After Jesus died and then returned to life—as seen and reported by many witnesses—He showed how the Old Testament prophecies had come true.

He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:44-47).

Good News Of Forgiveness

We all can enjoy “forgiveness” be­cause Jesus suffered the punishment we deserved. Our sins condemned us. They separated us from God and killed us spiritually. When Jesus gave His life on the cross, He took our place. Now the Father gives to us the gift of His Son’s own purity and goodness.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

How can we be sure of God’s promise to us? Christ’s return from death proves the truth of His Good News! That is why the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of the Good News.

By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:2-4).

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26)

As we hear the Good News of Jesus, the same question comes to us today. Do you believe this? If so, how should you respond to such Good News? What is God’s will for you as a believer? 

The Joyful Response

And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:36-39).

Do you see how faith responds? Philip shares “the Good News about Jesus” and immediately the Ethiopian wants to be baptized (Acts 8:35-36). Baptism is a word that comes from Greek. In that language it means an immersion or dipping. What has water to do with the Good News?

John the Baptizer was a prophet who prepared people to accept Jesus. He did this by “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). “Repentance” refers to the decision to change, to stop living in sin and start following Christ. Baptism marks that change with this purpose: “for the forgiveness of sins.” When Jesus came, He also had people baptized (John 3:22,26; 4:1). His enemies, including the Pharisees, “rejected God’s purpose” by rejecting baptism (Luke 7:30). In this setting, when John and Jesus were requiring baptism in water, a leading Pharisee visited Jesus. To him Jesus said,

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

Thus Jesus Himself created the link between entering the kingdom and “water and the Spirit.” This link continued as Jesus sent His followers to tell the Good News (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:12; 22:16).

Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16).

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”… So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls (Acts 2:38,41).  

For Me?

Does “every one of you” mean this applies to you and me too? And why? What makes the baptism of a believing, repentant person so essential? As the New Testament unfolds its message, the reason becomes clearer.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).

[You were] buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead (Colossians 2:12).

The Gospel events are not distant facts. Jesus lives today. He calls you to share His death, burial and resurrection by baptism. The result is that you are “raised with Him through your faith” (Colossians 2:12, which shows that baptism is for people who have believed the Good News). From baptism you rise with Christ to “a new life” (Romans 6:4). As Romans shows, this is a life free from sin. First, God no longer sees you as guilty. Christ’s blood washes away all sins and you receive God’s free gift of complete purity. Second, God gives you power to change and overcome sinful habits, the power to live with Him and for Him. Nothing can ever separate you from this loving relationship.

There is therefore now no condemnation [rejection] for those who are in Christ Jesus… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors [winners] through him who loved us… [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:1,37,39).

This “new life” begins at the believer’s baptism (Romans 6:4). No wonder the Ethiopian wants to be baptized immediately! His trust leads him to obey Jesus. In the water, he joins Jesus in death, so that he can rise with Jesus to life that is “new” in every way. That is why the baptized Ethiopian goes “on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). Though Philip is taken away, the rejoicing continues because it focuses on the living Lord who promises, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Now, in the best sense, the Ethiopian is on his way home because he has found the Way! And you… where is your life going? Are you rejoicing in the relationship that leads you home? Do you know the Way? Jesus assures you,

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also (John 14:6-7).

Like Philip, your Study Helper is a friend to encourage you and to assist you with God’s Word. Please take a few moments now to complete the lesson exam questions. Then submit them so that you can be assigned the first in-depth course. After your exam is completed, WBS will match you with a Christian Study Helper to study the Bible with you. Explore God’s spiritual Map. Learn the Way to the full life Jesus plans for you. May God bless your personal journey of discovery!  

Source worldbibleschool.org