Baptism and Salvation

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid" (Gal. 2:17). A whole lot of folks who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ really need to take a long, slow, repetitive look at this telling passage of scripture. Almost everyone in Christianity, including those who are truly in the body of Christ by means of the Spirit baptism, have been taught and conditioned to hold to the mindset that "We're all just sinners." Indeed the "sinners saved by grace" mentality reigns supreme in Christianity, and in fact it is the very theme OF Christianity. And many wonder why I am "so hard" on Christianity. Well, I am very "hard" on the Devil, I will readily admit; and Christianity just happens to be HIS GOSPEL (II Cor. 11:4,13-15; Gal. 1:7,8). Just see it like it is: In our text scripture, the apostle Paul plainly states that if we claim to be sinners at the same time that we claim to be justified by faith in Christ, then we are plainly saying that "Christ is the minister of sin." Come on now friend, who DO you think is behind a "gospel" that conditions and teaches its recipients that they are "all just sinners?" The Christian gospel claims to exalt Christ by "believers" still being sinners, saying that "it's all about HIS righteousness, not ours. All we can do is believe on him, and we are cleared of all past, present, and future sins." Wow! That does sound cozy to the flesh, I have to admit. But it is a lie, and it is the biggest lie that has ever been told in this world. And that perverted "gospel" is simply of Satan. Period.

The truth is, when we REALLY believe on Jesus according to HIS terms of faith, we are baptized with his Spirit with the accompanying witness of speaking in tongues, and are thereby not only literally washed from the nature of sin; but we are also given power over the inner working of sin, to put it to death in ourselves (Jn. 7:37,38; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4; Acts 5:32; Rom. 6:6; Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5-14). In fact the apostle Paul addressed the very "sinners saved by grace" mindset of modern Christianity even in his day: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" Do you see that? He was addressing the exact school of thought that Christ is exalted when we "are all just sinners," but that our supposed faith in him, which faith is on our own terms, or Christianity's terms; we are still justified. So what was his answer to that question? "GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:2-4). So THE apostle to the gentiles said "God forbid" to the modern theme of Christianity. As he said, those who truly believe, and are baptized [with the Spirit] into Christ; are given power over sin for the purpose of walking in NEWNESS of life." And that is synonymous with what the same apostle had to say about the new birth in another place: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW" (II Cor. 5:17). That is the true gospel friend, the one that DELIVERS from sin and imparts new life to those who believe. Amen.