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It is written:
2 Timothy 4:3-4-For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Paul warned that during the Christian Age there would be those who had “itching ears.” The phrase has the idea of those who would want preaching that would accommodate their desires, those who would speak what the hearers wanted to hear instead of what God desired them to speak. We live in such a day and age, and this is seen in numerous ways.
Let me share one example of this.
Over the years, many friends that I have studied the Bible with have expressed apprehension and outright anger towards the teaching of the New Testament that baptism in water precedes forgiveness of sins of the repentant believer in Christ. Indeed, every passage in the New Testament which mentions baptism and salvation places baptism before salvation.
Matthew 28:19-20-Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Mark 16:15-16-And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
John 3:5-Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 2:38-Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 22:16-And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Romans 6:3-4-Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1 Corinthians 12:13-For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Galatians 3;26-27-For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Colossians 2:11-12-11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Titus 3:3-7-For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Hebrews 10:22-let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water
1 Peter 3:20-21-who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
This teaching is often met with fury by many in the religious world. Years ago, a gentleman that I was studying with was extremely offended by this teaching. He told me quite frankly that he could find many churches in our area that did not believe this and would agree with him that he could be saved by faith only, and that he could easily attend those churches instead of the churches of Christ. I told him that it was true that he could, but that the church of Christ would be the one that held to the Word of God when so many others rejected Jesus.
If Jesus teaching is not welcome in so many churches, why should those of us who want to follow Jesus seek their approval and acceptance?
I would rather be accepted by Jesus and rejected by man, then to be accepted by man and rejected by Jesus.
If you are a preacher or leader in a church that isn’t following Jesus teaching, why not begin preaching what His Word says?
If you are a member of a church that does not honor Jesus’ Word, and refuses to repent of this, why not leave and seek out a church that is trying to follow Jesus’ Word?
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.