Baptized for the Dead

The bible often uses symbols to teach very important truths. In the book of Hosea God says: “I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.” Hosea 2:10 Today we’re going to briefly look at how the number seven symbolizes important truths about salvation. In scripture the number seven is God’s number for completeness. When God created the earth He made everything in six days and then rested on the seventh day completing His work of creation. When we rest on the Sabbath day we remember how God completed everything in creation and we are honoring Him for His work.  There are other examples of the number seven being used to describe completeness. Let’s turn to the story of Naaman the Syrian. Let’s go to 2 Kings 5: In this story Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army but he was plagued with leprosy. During one of his raids of Israel he had brought back an Israelite girl. This Israelit

There are approximately 33,000 Christian denominations in the world. Even if that number is inflated it is certainly obvious that there is a plurality of beliefs within the larger Christian community. If there are so many churches can any one denomination claim to be God's church? Does God even have a visible corporate institution? That's certainly a question that many ask both without and within Christianity. I would like to posit that there is and that this church is not just a system of beliefs but a visible church. Let's go to two passages. The first passage comes can be found in Revelation 12:17 and it says: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17 The dragon in this passage is a symbol for the devil. We know this because a few verses earlier in the same chapter we read: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpe

Jesus said: 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 17:4,5 What glory did Jesus have before the world was? Ellen White said in Desire of Ages p23: Had (Christ) appeared with the glory that was His with the Father before the world was, we could not have endured the light of His presence. That we might behold it and not be destroyed, the manifestation of His glory was shrouded. His divinity was veiled with humanity,—the invisible glory in the visible human form. {DA 23.1} And yet Jesus at the close of His earthly ministry asked His Father to give Him the glory that He had with the Father before the world was. Why did Jesus ask for this revelation of His glory if people could not endure it? Turn with me in your bibles to Matthew 16:27,28. Here Jesus is speaking to His disciples and He says: 27 For t

The apostle Paul says: 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  1 Corinthians 15:19-22 Where would we be without the resurrection of Christ? If Jesus had not come forth from the tomb what hope would you and I have? The resurrection of Christ is so important. In fact it is more important than people realize. All of the sufferings of the cross, all of the loneliness in the life of Christ, all of the provisions made for humanity would be for nothing unless Jesus rose from the grave.  It is through the resurrection that God unleashed the power of the cross. And it was at the resurrection that Jesus truly became the only begotten Son of God. How do we know that? Well today I would like to take you

Baptized for the Dead The world is reeling right now. But God is still here. If we have been truly listening to the Spirit of God we are hearing a message that has been woven through the tapestry of God’s word: a message that is the ultimate fulfillment of the gospel. Today I would ask you to come and reason with me as we open the scriptures. The apostle Paul tells us: 25 For he (Jesus) must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 1 Corinthians 15:25-27 This is a difficult passage for many to understand. But basically Jesus must reign until God has put all of His enemies under His feet. And the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. And when death has been destroyed Jesus will be submitted to His father. We can see this in verse 28 that says: 2

The Israelites declared: All that the Lord hath spoken we will do…Exodus 19:8 They were responding to the thundering words they had just heard from Mount Sinai. From out of the smoke and the fire the people heard the commands of God and they promised to obey. When God first gave His ten commandments He spoke them audibly so that everyone could hear. God wanted everyone to understand. He didn’t want anyone to be confused. But God also didn’t want them to forget. In order that the people of God throughout all generations would know what His commandments were God did something very special. Please turn with me in your bibles to Exodus 24. After God had spoken His instructions to the people He called the leaders of Israel to come up and worship Him in the mount. Exodus 24:9 says: 9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone,