THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH

And that, my friend, is God’s story from creation to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Humanity could not reach up to God, so God became a human and reached down to us.  But the story is not over.  God did not save us and leave us.  Jesus taught His disciples that when He departed from this world, He would send a Helper to be with them forever.  This Helper is the Spirit of God– the “Holy Spirit”– who indwells all who believe and call on Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Jesus said, 

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.  A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also.  At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”  Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you  hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.  These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you...” (John 14:15-27a) 

Before His ascension to heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for what He had promised– the Holy Spirit. 

“for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (Acts 1:5-9) 

After Jesus ascended to heaven, His followers remained in Jerusalem, as Jesus had instructed, and were gathered in an upper room.  There the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak and prophesy in other languages. 

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.  And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.  Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?  And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” (Acts 2:2-8) 

God had filled His followers with His Spirit, just as Christ had promised.  As the disciples prophesied, the Spirit spoke through them so that everyone present heard about the wonderful works of God in their own language (Acts 2:11).  This was a miracle.  The Gospel of Christ was preached by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Many Jews hearing the Gospel became born again and returned home to share the message to others.  This was the beginning of the Church. 

These early believers faced great persecution.  One of their persecutors was a Jewish man named Saul.  Saul condoned the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and went from house to house dragging off Christians to prison.  He even led a group to Damascus to arrest to all who preached Christ there in an attempt to snuff out the Church.  However, on the way he was intercepted by Christ Himself! (Acts 8-9)

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”  So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”  Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.  Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one.  But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.  (Act 9:1-9)

Saul became a Christian on the road to Damascus.  God then changed his name to Paul and made him an apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews).  Paul later travelled all over the Roman Empire preaching the good news of Jesus Christ.  His letters (or epistles) to the new believers comprise a large part of the New Testament.  Paul and the other apostles were given authority to record God’s word as the Holy Spirit led them, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).  

The Old Testament books, together with the New Testament letters and the four gospels written by Christ’s apostles (or those approved by the apostles), are considered to be the authoritative word of God.  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  

Often the word “Church” is perceived as a literal building made up of bricks or stone.  But it is actually people who believe the Gospel, those who have been “saved” or “born again,” that make up the Church.  That being said, the Bible uses the imagery of a spiritual house, building, or temple to describe this body of believers.  Every building foundation has a cornerstone that is perfectly true and square.  This cornerstone is put down first, so that the foundation can be aligned to the plane of its perfection.  Jesus is this chief cornerstone for the Church.  The Bible says it this way, 

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)  

Jesus is the cornerstone that was put down first.  The apostles, who were taught by Christ, make up the foundation.  They went on to preach the Gospel of Christ to all the world, and great multitudes of people were saved.  This multitude of believers comprises the structure of the Church. 

BEING “BORN AGAIN”

So how does one become a part of this Church?  Let’s go back to Jesus’s teaching in John chapter three.  A ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God be with him” (John 3:2b).  Knowing what was really on Nicodemus’s heart– how one can enter heaven and have eternal life– Jesus got straight to the point and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  

Like many people today, Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant by this mysterious phrase, “born again.”  So, in reply, he asked a clarification question, “How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4).  

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.”  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. 

(John 3:5-8) 

Here Jesus is saying that you must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God.  Being born of water is not a reference to water baptism, for Jesus immediately explains it is as “being born of the flesh” (3:6), i.e., a physical birth.  Every one alive has had this first birth.  However, to enter the kingdom of God, one must also have a second spiritual birth.  This is called being “born again.”  

To illustrate this further, Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).  We all know that wind exists, because we feel it.  And even though we cannot see it with our eyes, we can see its effects.  The same holds true for God the Father and His Holy Spirit.  Although we do not see God the Father with our physical eyes, we know that He exists from seeing His creation.  Likewise, the Holy Spirit cannot be seen, just as the wind cannot be seen.  However, we can know that He is present and working in the life of a true believer, because we see His effects– a changed life.  The Bible calls this “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Everyone who receives Jesus Christ as Lord receives the Holy Spirit.  

Nicodemus was still confused and said to Jesus, 

“… How can these things be?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:9-15)

Jesus explained to Nicodemus that he had to believe by faith in the testimony of the One who came from heaven and knows the way to everlasting life with God the Father.  Jesus is that One.  In other words, Jesus came to earth to give and be an eye witness testimony of God.  Notice how Jesus used language such as “We speak” and “Our witness” to indicate that He is part of the Triune Godhead and is speaking on behalf of Himself, the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus concluded by saying that He would be lifted up on a cross to die for the sins of the world, and that looking to this sacrifice with eyes of faith would be the only way for man to be saved from the consequences of sin … to be “born again.” 

Here Jesus is referring to an Old Testament story that Nicodemus would have known well– the story of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, found in Numbers 21:5-9. 

And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”  So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died.  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.”  So Moses prayed for the people.  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”  So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 

At first glance, this is a strange story.  But it contains a very important illustration.  God is holy and just.  Therefore, He cannot let sin go unpunished.  However, in His love and great mercy, He provided a way for the Israelite people to be forgiven and healed.  A bronze image of the serpents that had bitten the people was lifted up on a pole for all to see.  Likewise, our sin, that causes spiritual condemnation and death, was laid on Christ, and He was lifted up on a cross for all the world to look to for salvation.  

Jesus finished the conversation with Nicodemus by saying,

For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.  (John 3:1-21)

This passage is simple.  If you believe and follow Christ, you will be saved.  Your sin will be forgiven and paid for by the sacrifice of Christ.  His righteousness is both the light that exposes our sin and the way back to fellowship with God.  Unfortunately, many people reject this because they love their sin more than God.  

Jesus said you must “believe.”  What does it mean to believe?  Is this just a general understanding that Christ came and died on a cross for people’s sins?  No, it is a much higher calling than that.  Genuine belief results in action and commitment.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  This is a very important scripture.  Jesus is saying that He is the only way to be saved.  Not by any other means, such as false gods, false prophets, or even your own good works.  The Bible also says that, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

So how do we “get saved” if it is not by being good?  Aren’t there scales in heaven weighing out our good and bad deeds?  You may think, “My good works should outweigh my bad ones.  I don’t think I’m that terrible of a person.  After all, there are much worse people than me.”  Have you ever thought this?  Many people have this belief, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.  Romans, chapter three says, “‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; they have all together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’ … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:10b-12, 23).  

Now, if we have all sinned and can’t work our way to heaven, how do we receive this gift of salvation?  Let’s examine what Romans 10:9-13 says, 

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteous, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” 

Here, genuine belief results in confession.  Let’s compare this to marriage.  In a free society, when a man wants to marry a woman, he tends to go to extremes to prove his love for her.  But the woman can freely decide if she will accept or reject his proposal.  If she says “Yes,” then she chooses to enter into a marriage covenant with him.  To confirm this covenant, she confesses with her mouth that she wants to live in a relationship with this man for the rest of her life.  Although the marriage vows differ slightly, the gist of them is something like this:  “I swear to love this man in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do us part.”  In marriage, the two become one (cf. Mark 10:8). 

The same holds true when entering a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  He went to great lengths to prove His love for us!  He left heaven to live among us, and then gave His very life on the cross to take our place and pay for our sins. This sacrifice was sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world, and it was acceptable to God the Father.  However, just as the woman must say “Yes” to the marriage proposal, you too have to respond to this good news, the Gospel, to enter into this covenant.  By confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior, you will enter into the New Covenant that He purchased with His blood and be joined to Him forever.

So, what is the definition of “Savior,” and what do we have to be saved from?  A savior is someone who rescues another from grave danger.  For example, a fire fighter saves a man from a burning building.  Or a life guard saves a girl from drowning.  A more extreme example would be a soldier who gives his life for a fellow brother in arms.  These are lower examples of what Christ has done for us.  As Romans 3:23 and 6:23 say, we are all sinners condemned to die.  But God sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  Jesus is the only Savior that can save us from sin’s condemnation and eternal separation from God. 

So, what is the definition of “Lord,” and what does it mean to confess someone as Lord over your life?  I believe a good example of this is when a knight bows down before a king and proclaims to him, “My lord.”  The definition of “Lord” is someone having influence, power, and authority over you.  By bowing down and confessing someone as your Lord, you are submitting your life to him as your Master, your Ruler, your King.  You submit all authority to him.  This is what we are called to do before Jesus Christ.  To His disciples, Christ put it this way, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24b-25). 

When you realize that you are a sinner condemned to be separated from a holy God for eternity, this leaves you in need of a Savior!  To receive Jesus as your Savior is to humbly accept the sacrifice that He paid for you personally on the cross.  To confess your sin before God is to agree with Him that your condition is hopeless without Christ and that only by Christ’s blood sacrifice can you be forgiven.  

If you were trapped in a consuming fire or drowning in water, you probably wouldn’t hesitate to cry out for someone to save you.  Likewise, we must call out in prayer to God for His mercy and forgiveness through Christ.

To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to submit your life to Him.  Just as the bride in the wedding confesses with her mouth her vows to the man she is committing herself to for the rest of her life,  the same holds true to enter into the New Covenant with Jesus Christ.  Your confession of Jesus as Lord, resulting from faith, and your belief in God’s raising Him to life again for our justification, will save you from your sins and seal you in the New Covenant which was purchased for us through Christ’s blood.  Just as in a wedding, one vows to enter into a covenant that will last until death do you part, this commitment to submit to Jesus as Lord is a lifetime commitment.

What does Christ give us in return for our submitting to His Lordship?  In addition to forgiveness of sins and eternal life, the Bible says that Christ gives us the Holy Spirit who seals us and helps us to be lights in this dark world.  “In Him [Jesus Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).  Speaking to His disciples, Jesus said this, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7b-8).

In closing, salvation is available to “whoever will call upon the name of the Lord.”  That includes you.  Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, confessing Him as Lord of your life, submitting all authority to Him, committing to follow Him the rest of your days?  Have you been “born again”???