Lesson 2 - Question 41 of 41

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The Kingdom:  Entrance into Jesus' Church

Scriptures after Jesus' died and rose from the dead (after the gospel* was enacted):

Jesus said:  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." in Matthew 28:19-20 (NAS)

Jesus said:  "And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.  Mark 16:15-16 (NAS)

Jesus said:  "...and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24:47 -- (NAS)

From Jerusalem, a few days later, Peter said in Acts 2:38-39:

"And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. "For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NAS)

Paul said to the Christians at Rome:

"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,"  Romans 6:3-5 (NAS)  

"...that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved..."  Romans 10:8-10 (NAS)

Paul, writing to the Christians in the city of Corinth:

"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NAS)

Paul, writing to the Christians in the region of Galatia:

"But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:23-27 (NAS)

Paul, writing to the Christians in Ephesus:

"...just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless."  Ephesians 5:25-27 (NAS)

Paul, writing to the Christians at Colossae:

"having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  Colossians 2:12 (NAS)

Paul, writing to the Christians in the city of Thessalonica:

"...and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."  2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 (NAS)

(Note: these Christians had obeyed the gospel and Paul tells what will happen to those who have not obeyed the gospel or do not know God. See Lesson 1 for how to "obey the gospel.")

Paul, writing to Titus:

"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."  Titus 3:5-7  (NAS)

"...and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:21-22 (NAS)

"And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him." 1 Peter 3:21-22 (NAS)

Scriptures before Jesus' death and resurrection (before the gospel* was enacted):

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 (NAS)

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21 (NAS)

"...and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3 (NAS)

"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all. " Mark 10:15 (NAS)

"Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5 (NAS)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. "When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. "And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them." John 10:1-6 (NAS)

Jesus said in John 16:25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father." (NAS)

Question:

After Jesus rose from the dead, what instructions are we to follow to get "into Christ" and "into His body"...the "church?"

  1. All people are already in Jesus' church.  There are no instructions to follow.
  2. Just believe and pray.
  3. Believe, confess Jesus, repent from sin, be baptized for the forgiveness of sins - obedience to the gospel - raised from the waters of baptism to walk in newness of life (all the things that Jesus and His disciples taught with respect to being clothed with Christ...and how to enter the church...which is His body).

All are in Church Just Believe & Pray All That He Taught


* The gospel is the good news that resulted from Jesus' (the Christ, the Son of God) death, burial and resurrection.  See Acts 15:1-4 and also Lesson 1 on "The Gospel."

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