The Heaton File

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. (Ephesians 5:1)

Be Like God

To imitate something is to copy or use something as a model, form, or design. Within personal relationships, it is to act the same as or to impersonate and mimic. One of the keys of imitation is to present an accurate model of what is being copied. The result will be that what is imitated will be like the original. Authors have suggested imitation is the highest form of flattery, but it is more than trying to flatter someone else. Imitation is the foundation of man’s relationship with God. The Lord demands it and includes it in His canon of doctrine. Paul’s exhortation to the saints in Ephesus included the need to form one’s life to model God. As dear children, the Father’s offspring is to look like the Heavenly Father in every way.

Herman Melville wrote, “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” Melville was not writing about the relationship between man and God in a spiritual sense. Still, his statement rings true with the struggle humanity has with obedience to the word of God. The days of Noah were characterized by individuality, where everyone did what they wanted to do. Only eight souls imitated the character of God, and only eight souls were saved in the ark. Throughout the period of early days of Israel, the land was governed by judges who the Lord would send to rescue the people out of bondage. This cycle continued for many years because there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. They imitated what they wanted instead of seeking the divine blueprint. The failure of “originality” not only led to their failure but their destruction.

The human spirit has a hard time wanting to imitate the Divine. Freedom of life-choices is the banner most live under, believing that life is about the here and now. They believe that imitation is one letter short of limitation. Trying to mold their character after God will limit their pleasures, wisdom, and purpose in life. Why do so many people refuse to obey the will of the Father? They do not want to imitate God. According to human reasoning, imitating the world is a lot more productive and much more fun. Sadly, when these souls stand before the Father in eternity, they realize that human imitation was the greatest limitation.

Imitating God is a powerful task, daunting at best and humbling to try. How can a man imitate God? The Father has not given an impossible task, but with His divine help, any man can model their lives after the character of God. Children of God become like God. Reading the Bible helps a man see that God is loving, kind, merciful, benevolent, forgiving, and slow to wrath. There are myriads of ways to describe God as found in God’s word for His charity. It must not be lost on the student of scripture that the Lord God is also just, fair, punishing when required, without partiality, and unwavering in His word. All of the characteristics of God (goodness and severity) must be imitated by His children.

Love and forgiveness are the spiritual DNA of the child of God because they belong to the Father. The follower of Christ cannot endure sin as the Father abhors sinful conduct. The Lord God is pure and holy, and His children must be pure and holy. God so loved the world, He gave His only Son to die for those who did not deserve grace. Children of God learn to forgive and remove the stain of prejudice against others. Imitating God shows kindness, being tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave His children. When the world looks at the life of a Christian, they see the Father. If the world sees the child of God walking like the world, talking like the world, and living like the carnal world, they will not see the imitation of God. Who do you look like?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Spirit Fruit: Kindness

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is an amazing contrast of the world and the child of God. There are few similarities as the light of God shines in a world darkened by the hatred, prejudice, and self-serving dictates of the human soul. The Christian is filled with the fruit that will show kindness to all men while the carnal heart looks out for self and no one else. A contrast of spirits shows the disposition of a disciple of Christ to be mild of temper, calm in spirit with an unruffled nature seeking the betterment of his neighbor. He is a kind and gentle person. This is not something a person naturally develops in life but comes from the Holy Spirit.

Kindness is a gentle word that is a moral platform of God’s grace. Joseph Joubert defined kindness as “Loving people more than they deserve.” Kindness began with God, and He expects His children to follow His example. The fruit of the Spirit shows kindness to be part of the growing process in the heart of the Christian. It also suggests that kindness is not a natural outgrowth of a disposition someone is born with. Kindness is an act that shows love toward enemies. It takes the hatred of self and follows the pattern of Jesus, who sacrificed Himself for others. The home is established on kindness as an integral part of the marital relationship of husband and wife. A happy marriage is when the husband shows kindness to his wife, and the wife expresses kindness to her husband. Parents teach their children to be kind to everyone. Respecting the elderly, helping those in need, and showing respect to those in authority is how young people learn kindness.

The proverb writer says that what is desired in a man is kindness, and the mouth of the virtuous woman is filled with wisdom and the law of kindness. It is interesting to see that kindness is a law. The fruit of the spirit is given for men to accept the will of the Father to be people who are kind, slow to anger, and merciful. Paul would tell Colosse saints to be the elect of God; they must put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and forgiveness with love. The cousins of kindness are the true characteristics of a child of God. Christians are known for their kindness. This is one of the great dividing pictures of those who live according to the Spirit and those who live according to the flesh.

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit that must be developed. It is not a natural outgrowth of a person’s disposition. Peter will include in the graces of a Christian the need to add to godliness brotherly kindness. It is a formula that must come from the heart of God, learned in the spirit of man, and shown through the active hands of a Christian. If there is any kindness in the world, it must come from God’s people first. Grouchy, angry, discontented, unhappy, and resentful people do not show the love of God and His kindness. It may be hard for some folk to be kind, but God expects it. Nay – He demands it.

The joy of kindness is the fruit it bears. Open a door for another. Smile – it becomes contagious. Let others know you care about them. Send a note to encourage. Help others. Help someone without being asked. Prepare a meal. Tell someone you care about them. Give a flower. Say thank you and please. Never fall victim to gossip but speak the truth in love. Forgive. Sing. Pray. Show the heavenly Father your kindness. The greatest kindness you can do for another is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help them find eternal life. That is the kindness that will never end. Be kind.

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (John 6:60-66)

Refusing To Walk With Jesus

When the people heard Jesus teach, they recognized He was a man of authority. His preaching was not like the Jewish leaders of the day. The sermon on the mount was a masterpiece of a direct, unmistakable, and powerful message from the word of God. There was division about Jesus because of the manner of His teaching. Some accepted His word while others held fast to the doctrines of the Jews. Jesus answered questions about allegiance to the Roman government, how to deal with unruly brethren, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, viewing sin as the detestable thing it was, and a host of issues that would not win Him many friends. No one could deny the teachings of Jesus. His messages were always without contradiction.

Jesus often accompanied His teaching with miracles by healing all manner of disease, casting out demons, and raising the dead. Multitudes came to Jesus to be healed. He took away their maladies and then taught them the healing power of the Father’s word. Following the feeding of more than five thousand people, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea. When the crowds found Him, they chided Him for not telling them where He had gone. Jesus knew the reason they sought Him was to be fed the bread and fish again. After the Lord taught the message of the bread of life, many were offended by His words. Many of His disciples told Jesus He had offended the people by His teaching. They had witnessed His miracle and now rebuked the miracle worker.

The miracles of Jesus showed the power of God so the people could be drawn to the Son. However, the miracles did not save them. Jesus fed five thousand people, but they were hungry the next day. The fish and loaves only took away their hunger for a moment. What the people needed more from Jesus was the bread of life that would always endure. Jesus was extremely popular when He fed them fish and bread, but people were offended when it came to His teaching. The selective nature of the human spirit is to desire something that will not last and be more inclined to refuse that which is eternal. This is what the people did with Jesus.

When God sent His Son to earth, He desired to save all men. Sadly, the human heart gets easily offended, and the people turned away from Jesus. They would never find a man who spoke like Jesus. There was no great manifestation of the power of God than found in the miracles of Jesus. The Lord had power over nature, time, distance, death, and the world of Satan. In the face of all the testimony of the divine power of God, the people turned away and walked with Jesus no more. When the human heart is offended because what is told to them does not fit with their wisdom and desires, man quits. That is what the people did to Jesus – they abandoned Jesus.

The crowds still walk away from Jesus. With all the teachings of Jesus in the Bible and the proofs of His miracles testifying to His divine nature, people walk away from the Lord because the word offends them. The Bible is not a book difficult to understand. There are many different types of churches, faiths, beliefs, and practices that do not harmonize with the teaching of Jesus. Modern religion has walked away from Jesus long ago because the truth offends them. Many people refuse to accept the Bible because they would have to change their life to mold it into the image of something that offends them. The ‘Cancel Culture’ has been around for a long time as men cancel the word of God for what they accept as truth.

Those people offended by the teaching of Jesus and who walked away from Him walked back to Him in death. The sad reality is that no one will ever be able to walk away from Jesus. A man can turn away from Jesus in this life and follow after human religion and serve the flesh to his full desire, but there will come a day when all men will come back to Jesus. On that day, there will be no time and no mercy. The Son of God they rejected will now be their Judge. All the teachings that seemed hard and offensive in life will then be crystal clear. Salvation will only come to those who walk with Jesus, not away from Him. The joy of eternal life is to walk with Jesus now so that we can walk with Him in death. Who are you walking with? Have you walked away from Jesus?

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. (Proverbs 11:1)

God Demands Honesty

There are many things that scripture calls an abomination to the Lord. Idolatry is at the top of the list with everything attached to it loathsome to the nostrils of God. Incest is unconscionable to the character of the Lord. Adultery was considered an abomination as well as sodomy. The sacrifice of children to Molech and other idols as burnt offerings were abominations to the eyes of the Lord. Sorcery and necromancy were condemned in the Law of Moses as an abomination. Prostitution was considered a vile act. Homosexuality was a detestable sin and repulsive to the Lord. For something to be called an abomination would bring about the wrath of a furious God who viewed these matters with great disgust and anger.

It is easy to look at sinful acts at different levels of consequence. Sexual sin may have a more significant impact than other sins, but one sin is just as damning as another. Lying is one of the most prevalent sins committed by men but not considered as serious as murder. As the Bible speaks of many things that are an abomination to God, one overseen abomination is clearly stated in scripture. Unjust weights and measures are just as much a detestable thing in the eyes of God as incest.

The Proverbs are filled with practical and everyday wisdom based upon the holy law of God. These are not mere suggestions to follow but commands to be entrusted to the hearts of the faithful. There are many contrasts between the righteous and the unrighteous, the proud and the humble and the wise man and the foolish found in the wisdom literature. God gives a severe warning that he views dishonesty with the same wrathful fervency as sodomy, murder, adultery, and homosexuality. The Lord detests dishonesty. A man who would cheat his neighbor is an abomination to God. Honesty is not the best policy – the Lord commands it.

People of God must live at a higher standard of integrity. They are not honest because it serves them some reward in life. The Christian is honest in all his dealings because he is a child of God. Dishonest scales were a specific problem, but the underlying cause was a corrupt heart. If a man weighs out a measure knowing that he is cheating another man, God sees his dishonesty and is repulsed by his action. The cheated man may never know, but the Lord will remember the deceit of the accused man in judgment.

Dishonesty can happen in many ways. Failing to work full hours on a job, skimping on production, lying on an application, not being honest on taxes, selling a car with known defects, knowingly allow a man to receive less than he expects for greedy purposes and a host of common maladies in the world that Christians have allowed to influence their decision making. A just weight is something that pleases the Lord and should be the motive behind every action a Christian takes. Honesty is the character of a man of God. His word is a bond of truth. There is no deceit or misinformation. The eyes and ears of the Lord are seeking hearts that are true and just.

For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. (Psalm 33:4)

It Is Right And It is Truth

When a thing is right, it is a matter that conforms to unalterable facts. It is genuine and real. Truth is along the same lines as what is right as the foundation of real and factual. The elements of being right and truth conform to the authority of the one who establishes what is right and true. In sports, delegating organizations establish rules that apply to football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc., individually. Governments pass laws directing which side of the road to drive on and penalties for breaking the laws. A body of truth is how the authorities delegate and regulate the letter of the law. What is right is determined by the precedent of the governing authorities. This is all true except for how men view the word of God.

The Bible is the mind of God revealed to humanity for understanding, guidance, direction, and knowing the will of the Lord. From the Garden of Eden, Satan has challenged the truth of God by suggesting the question, “Has God indeed said?” His ploy has been successfully used against the word of God as men refuse to obey the commands of the Lord. Moses wrote the law down for the people of Israel to read, but they still disobeyed. Jesus taught for nearly three years the will of His Father, and the Jews rejected and killed Him. After two thousand years, the Bible is still viewed with suspicion and distrust, and religions pick and choose which parts of the Bible they will accept. Sadly, while the Bible is the most prolific book in history, it is the least read and understood.

God’s word is right. There is no deviation from this principle. It’s not right about some things; it is right about everything. What makes people uncomfortable with the word of God is that it invades every part of life and demands recognition. Man desires to establish his own code of what is right so that he can enjoy the pleasures of sin. If he calls evil good and calls light darkness, he feels good. Calling evil good does not make good evil, and trying to change the light to darkness does not diminish the light. God’s word is right all the time, and it is unchanging. No man can change the word of God without permission from God – and that will never happen.

Truth comes from the body of what is right. If God’s word is right, His word is truth. The measure of truth is determined by establishing the body of law determining what is right and wrong. This becomes the truth. God’s word is true because everything God says is right, just, perfect, everlasting, and represents the only truth that will bring man happiness. Sin is rebellion against God’s truth and always (without exception) fails to get the pleasure expected. The truth of God is the right way and the only way to find happiness. Mixing the truth of man with the truth of God denies the righteousness of the Lord. Truth is pure. It comes only from what is right in the eyes of God. What is right is what God says is right, which establishes the only truth that will save a man. To reject what is right is to deny truth. Believing the righteousness of God will bring the heart of man to the truth of righteousness and salvation.

Afterward, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me. (Galatians 1:21-24)

Glorifying God In Me

Saul of Tarsus was a driving force against the church of Christ as he sought to destroy all remnants of the early church. He went everywhere to destroy those of the Way. The authority given to him by the high priest in Jerusalem was sweeping in its reach to destroy all those who professed Jesus Christ as Lord. No laws were protecting the Christians from Saul barraging into their homes without provocation, arresting people, and committing them to prison. He was not sympathetic to men or women. The threats of Saul’s persecution reached a fever pitch of threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Many of the Christians in Jerusalem were thrown into prison. Saul cast his vote to have Christians executed. He forced followers of Christ to blaspheme God. His wrath against the church was so intense he persecuted them to foreign cities. Saul did a lot of harmful things against the Lord’s church. All the disciples feared him.

On a trip to Damascus to arrest Christians, the Lord met Saul on the road and changed his life. In the mind of God, Saul was a chosen vessel to bear His name to the world, including kings and the children of Israel. The Lord told Saul to go into the city and wait. Three days later, Ananias comes to the house where Saul has been staying and baptizing him for the remission of his sins. Saul immediately begins to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ and to preach its message with great zeal. The Jews plotted to kill Saul, but he escaped. Coming to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were terrified of him. Barnabas brought him to the apostles and declared to them how Saul had become a disciple of Christ. Saul was accepted as a follower of Christ.

Much of the work of Saul, who would later be called Paul, was in the region of Galatia and other parts of Asia Minor. Writing to the churches in Galatia, Paul recounted the story of his conversion. He was unknown to the churches of Judea, and the brethren were afraid of him because of his past. The people were puzzled because the one who used to persecute them was now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy. This did not cause them to shrink back from him but to embrace him. Paul said that people glorified God in him because of his life and his willingness to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s life was a testimony to the abundant grace of God and His love for a man who called himself a chief sinner. No one would have imagined that Saul of Tarsus would become one of the staunchest defenders of the faith. Saul was not at the top of the list of possible candidates for a Bible study. He would not have been someone a Christian tried to approach with a tract or an invitation to worship services. Even Ananias was scared to go and see Saul and this came from the request of the Lord. His faith overcame his fears, and he went. What an amazing scene when Ananias walked into the room where Saul, the great destroyer of the church, sat hungry and blind, and soon after, Ananias lifted him out of the waters of baptism. God’s grace is so compelling.

The story of Saul’s conversion serves a purpose. That purpose is to show the glory of God’s grace. Paul said the disciples glorified God in his story. His conversion was a remarkable event. The least likely person in the world answered the gospel call. God washed away the sins of Paul in the waters of baptism, and the early Christians glorified God for His grace. His conversion story was a hallmark for all the early saints to teach the lost – and those who seemed really lost. Stories that Paul abound in the church today. It seems hard to imagine a Moslem obeying the gospel, but my son-in-law did. God is glorified by his willingness to accept the gospel of Christ as true. Stories abound of prostitutes, drug users, drunks, immoral and ungodly people hearing the gospel of Christ and obeying the word in baptism. Their stories glorify God. How did you learn the truth? Let your story of conversion glorify God. The church needs to hear those stories.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Spirit Fruit: Longsuffering

With each passing day, the world becomes a little older and its history longer. Known historical records date somewhere beyond five thousand years. While this seems infinitesimal to the staggering billions of years suggested by those who deny God, the span of man’s history is small compared to the eternal landscape stretching out before and after the existence of humanity. During this short time, God created the world, destroyed the world save eight souls, and has permitted humanity to engage in wars, destruction, wickedness, and for the majority of souls, deny the existence of God. Most of the world refuses to follow the teaching of the Lord. Many people follow other gods. All in all, the world has no desire to believe in or follow the grace of God. And yet, the world continues for a time.

Longsuffering is when love suffers long. The longsuffering of God is to understand how He allows the world to continue in the face of the world’s hatred of Him. He does not act according to the whims of human wisdom that would destroy the universe if given a chance. God’s love is beyond the comprehension of carnal men who thrive on personal pride. The love of God allows time to continue giving men an opportunity to find Him. If the wickedness of men were the gauge to destroy the world, it would have been destroyed long ago. Long-mindedness is where the Creator bears with the frailties and provocations of men. It is to this kind of love, the fruit of the Spirit implores the child of God to show longsuffering to others.

Life is filled with troubles and difficulties. It can be unfair and unjust at times. The fruit of the Spirit instills in the heart of a Christian the calm patience to endure the inequities of life, knowing that God sees and cares for His children. Longsuffering changes the outlook of life because the ‘up-look’ of life comes from the Holy Spirit. The world can only see despair, hatred, prejudice, misery, and life as a single moment with nothing beyond. For the Christian, life is about loving the unlovable, helping the defenseless, and praying for their enemies. David Lipscomb writes, “Love leads the Christian to bear with the mistakes and wrongs that grow out of weaknesses, infirmities, and evil designs of others.”

Longsuffering is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and its full worth cannot come but through the grace of the Holy Spirit. Human wisdom does not understand longsuffering. Without the divine morsel of patience, the Christian becomes like the world. It is a strong passion that brings men like Paul and Silas to sing in prison or for Peter to be awakened from a sound sleep with a death sentence hanging over him. Longsuffering is the love of Paul writing to the church at Corinth with all of its problems. Jesus gave an eternal example of longsuffering with His willing sacrifice on the cross. The church of Christ needs to be filled with longsuffering saints who look out for others more than themselves. This is how the Holy Spirit dwells in the child of God.

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!” Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:8-10)

Shine, Sweep, Seek, And Sing

Jesus tells a story about a woman who had ten silver coins. These coins were valuable to her as she cherished them for her livelihood and security. Imagine the horror when she realizes that one of her coins is missing. Frantically, she begins seeking her lost coin. It is not a matter of greed she seeks the coin. Losing the coin is misplacing a thing of great worth and value to her. It brings with it enumerable blessings that would not be possible if the coin is lost. A wealthy man may look at the loss as part of doing business. Losing ten percent is not desired, but those who can endure such loss will not seek one lost coin. The woman is desperately seeking the coin because of its value. How she seeks the coin shows the importance of great value and the limits she will go to find one lost coin.

The first thing she needs is light. Finding her lamp, the woman lights the oil lamp to look under the table, in the dark corners, and all the places in her home the coin may be. The worth of the coin demands shining light throughout the house. Without the light, she would probably miss the coin and lose it forever. Oil is expensive for this woman, but she uses her valuable oil to find something of greater value. It becomes a sacrifice to being the search, but she is undaunted.

One of the common problems in any home is the clutter and dust accumulated over time. Finding a lamp to give light to the room, the woman begins sweeping the floor seeking the lost coin. She sweeps the house. All of the house. There is not a corner left that is not swept. It takes work to sweep the whole house, but she is diligent in taking whatever measures are necessary to find the lost coin. Sweeping is work, and the woman puts her hand to the task.

With the lamp shining brightly and the room well swept, the woman seeks for the lost coin. Her efforts are focused on one single purpose: find the one coin. She has treasured the nine coins, but she must find the one lost coin. After exhaustive searching, the coin is found. It matters not where the coin is found. Rather, the story reflects the worth of the coin and the extent of effort the woman puts forth to find just one lost coin. She cannot afford to lose one coin. The ten coins mean more to her than anything. She lights a lamp to SHINE a way to find the coin and SWEEPS the whole house so that she can SEEK for her one lost coin. Her efforts pay off, and the coin is found.

The joy of finding one coin can be lost on those who have many coins. What the woman does is remarkable as she shares the tale of the lost coin with others. She brings her friends and neighbors into her home to celebrate a single coin that was lost and joyfully found. Did her friends understand how important the coin was? Could they have laughed behind her back for making such a huge production over one lost coin? One thing was sure in the woman’s mind, and that was the worth of the one lost coin and the extensive efforts she was willing to go in finding that lost coin. She shone, she swept, she sought, and then she sang. Her joy was finding the one coin. Its value was beyond measure. Her efforts were rewarded with joy.

Jesus tells the parable of the lost coin to show the intense desire of the Father to save a lost soul. Everyone matters to God, and not one lost soul is pleasing to the Father. The other parables of the lost sheep and the prodigal son illustrate the grace and mercy of God for His people. But there is also a beautiful story of a woman who realized the worth and value of one coin. She had nine other coins, but she was not satisfied until she had the one lost coin. There was a lot of work to be done to find the one coin, and she was willing to expend whatever energies necessary to find the one coin. She lit a lamp to shine light throughout the house. Her hand took to the broom to sweep the house, removing those things that hindered her search. After cleaning the house, she looked for the coin. She knew the coin would not just suddenly appear on its own. The woman had to seek the lost coin. When the coin was found, she sang with rejoicing.

God does not want anyone to be lost. The value of a lost soul is the great lesson in the parable for those willing to light a lamp (shine), sweep, seek and sing when a friend, coworker, spouse, or stranger obeys the gospel. A Christian should let his light shine and keep his heart and mind swept clean of the world so they will have a heart of seeking the lost. When the light of Christ shines in the heart of a child of God who lives a holy life, they will desire to find lost souls and bring them to the Lord. Then the rejoicing will take place. Shine – sweep – seek – and sing. Glory to God for the salvation of ONE soul.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. (Daniel 4:37)

What The King Learned

The world has always had great nations exerting supreme power over the affairs of men. From its early days, the nation of Egypt was one of the most powerful nations on earth. The Chinese dynasties ruled for nearly three thousand years with their zenith during the Qin Dynasty. One of the largest empires to rule over much of the world was the British Empire. Other nations rose to great prominence like the Roman, Spanish, German, Inca, Soviet Union (USSR), and a host of other empires that ruled. In the history of the nation of Israel, the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered God’s people through His divine will. Following the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires, the Kingdom of God was established on the day of Pentecost.

One common factor is found in all of the empires and nations that have ruled the world. Almost all have disappeared on the pages of a long-forgotten history. All that remains are the remnants of a once proud and powerful people. There are nations today seeking their place on the stage of world affairs and, for a time, will exert great influence. History is the great teacher of what happens tomorrow if the student of today will take notice. Pride lifts a nation to great glory, but that pride will also be their destruction. Since the building of the tower of Babel, the history of mankind is measured by the habitation of the Lord restricting the spread of global domination by any people. What God has established as the borders of any nation will not change.

During the captivity of Israel, Babylon exercised world dominance under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar. Among the captives brought from Judah, a young man named Daniel served in the King’s palace. After a troubling dream that no one could explain, Nebuchadnezzar sought the counsel of Daniel to tell its meaning. With great courage to speak plainly to the most powerful man on earth, Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that his pride would be his downfall. One year later, as the King was walking among the splendor of Babylon, a proud heart proclaimed the great achievements of Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord drove the King from man, and Nebuchadnezzar ate grass like oxen, and he lived in the wild. His hair grew like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds claws.

At the end of the time, the Lord brought the humbled King back to his throne. The experience changed the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, and he proclaimed the glory of the Most High and praised and honored the Lord who lives forever. His final statement was praise and extolling and honoring the King of heaven. The King had come to know who rules in the affairs of men. He realized as great as his kingdom and as powerful a man he was among men; God was greater. The King also recognized the work of God was the truth, and all of the ways of the Lord are right. It was a hard lesson for Nebuchadnezzar to learn, but he realized all men who walk in pride, God is able to put down. The angels are amused at the pride of men. There is nothing that man has done that warrants glory. Pride is a destructive spirit that only destroys. There are men and women who exercise great power in world affairs either in politics, business, social and global influence, but all are made in the similitude of Nebuchadnezzar. Their time of greatness will be short-lived. Those who exalt themselves in pride will be brought low. Angels laugh at the arrogant hearts that seek to elevate themselves above their habitation. Man is made a little lower than the angels, and this will never change. When men begin to think of themselves as gods, the heavens shout with laughter. Those who walk in pride will be put down—all of them

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. (John 3:22)

Jesus Taught Baptism

The religious world denies salvation by baptism. Very few people who believe in Jesus Christ will affirm that baptism has anything to do with salvation, teaching a faith-only doctrine of redemption. They will cite the “Sinner’s prayer” as the means of washing away sins. Accepting Jesus as a personal Savior is how many believe a person becomes a child of God. Protestant churches deny baptism as essential. They teach a person can receive eternal life without baptism. For example, it is stated in the Hiscox Standard Manual for Baptist Churches that “Baptism is not essential to salvation, for our churches utterly repudiate the dogma of ‘baptismal regeneration; but it is essential to obedience since Christ has commanded it.” The Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches teach justification by faith alone. For the most part, the religious world denies baptism can save.

Followers of Jesus Christ are people who abide by the teaching of Jesus Christ. It is remarkable (and sad) that so many religious folks dedicate their lives to serving the Lord and denying what He does and what He teaches. Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. His baptism was not to wash away sin but to fulfill all righteousness. God the Father accepted what Jesus did as part of the divine plan when He spoke from Heaven that He was pleased with the baptism of Jesus. If baptism was not an essential part of the coming kingdom, why did Jesus go into the land of Judea and baptize? It seems incredulous that followers of Christ would deny something Jesus preached regularly during His ministry.

Many believed Jesus to be the Son of God but refused to give their allegiance to Him lest they fall out of favor with men. Many of the Pharisees and lawyers who heard the teaching of Jesus rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by John the Baptist. They denied it had anything to do with salvation. Holding fast to the Law, they rejected the teaching of Jesus and the prophetic word of John the Baptist. It does not seem remarkable the attitudes of the Pharisees and lawyers remain today for those who firmly deny the essential nature of baptism for salvation. And yet, Jesus went into Judea, and many were baptized.

The moment of salvation is a crucial part of a person’s life. It is the single moment in time when the soul darkened by the stain of sin is washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. Through the grace, mercy, and love of a kind Father, redemption is granted that places a person into a covenant with God for eternal life. That moment is not when a person accepts Christ as their personal Savior. It is not the moment a good feeling comes over a person. The eternal moment in a person’s life that grants him acceptance into the body of Christ is when they are baptized in water for the remission of their sins. Not a moment sooner. There is no hope of salvation without Biblical baptism (immersion; not pouring or sprinkling or infant baptism). The final words of Jesus to the eleven were unambiguous and demonstrative: if a person believes and is baptized, they will be saved. If they do not believe and refuse to accept baptism as essential for salvation, they will be lost to perdition. Jesus taught baptism throughout His ministry and left the Father’s word for all those who seek eternal life to obey His command. Baptism is essential. Jesus said so.