However, before getting into the many benefits found in Christ, we would be remiss if we did not state up front exactly what one must do to get there. Only two verses directly indicate how we can enter Christ, while one verse depicts the same thing from a different perspective. Paul informed his Roman contemporaries, “Do you realize that those of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were also baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3) He wrote to the Galatians, “For everyone who has been baptized in Christ has put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). I Corinthians 12:13, which indicates that we are baptized into His body, is the third passage mentioned. Being baptized into Christ is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. To misunderstand that, you'll need assistance.
Before You Continue...
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When it comes to knowing where one has to go in order to be saved, one must first know what he needs to be saved from. The ark that Noah built was the best location to be if you wanted to be saved from the flood of Noah's day. By being in that area, eight souls were saved (I Pet. 3:20). If one wishes to be redeemed from the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23), or from eternal destruction, one must be in Christ Jesus, who is the source of all spiritual blessings. Timothy was instructed by Paul that he “…suffered everything for the elect's sakes, so that they, too, might inherit eternal life through Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 2:10). According to the apostle John, “And this is the record: God has given us eternal life, which we have in his Son” (I John 5:11). The text we mentioned from the book of Romans also reveals that our salvation is in Christ, but the words are not spoken. They were baptized into Christ and into His death, Paul said, and then he added, “As a result, we are baptized into death with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we may also walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4). Take note of when the newness of life began, at the time of baptism into Christ. The Corinthians were told by Paul, “As a result, if anybody is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away, and all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17). It is self-evident that one must be baptized into Christ in order to be saved, for salvation is found there. And, once again, one would need assistance to misunderstand that. However, we must recognize that there is a lot of assistance accessible in the area of misunderstanding.
Now let us look at some of the other blessings that can be found “in” Jesus Christ We might easily fill the rest of our space with specific blessings that the exact words used to describe them are employed to describe. In the book of Ephesians, for example, after the declaration that “Paul wrote that “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” are in Christ (Eph. 1:3), that we are chosen in Him (Eph. 1:4), that we have redemption by His blood (Eph. 1:7), and that sins are forgiven in Him (Eph. 1:8). (Eph. 1:7). He also remarked that we have received an inheritance via Christ (Eph. 1:11). Going through the New Testament and making a list of all the blessings we have “In Christ” would take up all of our available space and then some.
With the remaining space, let us focus on one particular blessing that is frequently missed by the world at large. People who profess to be Christians but have never been baptized into Christ can be found all around our country. Many people have been baptized, but not in the way that the baptism that brings us into Christ requires. To be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins, one must believe the gospel, repent of their sins, confess Christ as the Son of God, and confess Christ as the Son of God. The Lord then accepts that person into His body, the church (Acts 2:41, 47). Many people who haven't done so still pray to God with their heads bowed. Prayer is a blessing that is conferred upon people who are in Christ Jesus, dear friends and brethren. Those who accept Christ have the ability to become God's sons (John 1:12). This demonstrates that mankind as a whole is not God's child. Paul declared to the Philippians that they were God's sons (Phil. 2:15). We are unable to pray “When God isn't our Father, we say “our Father.” According to the previously blind guy, “He was not an inspired speaker when he said, “God heareth not sinners” (John 9:31). He was Peter, and he wrote, “For the Lord's eyes are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their petitions; but the Lord's face is set against those who do evil” (I Pet. 3:12). The blessing of prayer is one of the many magnificent blessings that God has bestowed upon us via His precious Son. Thank God for that, since it is your birthright.
What are the spiritual gifts of the spirit?
The New Testament has a number of listings of spiritual gifts, the majority of which are found in the Pauline epistles. Although each list is distinct, there is some overlap.
The charismata were prophesied in the Book of Joel (2:28) and promised by Christ (Mark 16:1718), according to Christians. This promise was realized on Pentecost Day and as the church spread around the world. Paul devoted much of his First Epistle to the Corinthians (chapters 1214) to spiritual gifts in order to rectify misuse surrounding spiritual talents in Corinth.
Two Greek phrases are translated as “spiritual gifts” in 1 Corinthians 12. The word pneumatika (“spirituals” or “things of the Spirit”) appears in verse 1. The word charisma is used in verse 4. The word comes from the Greek word charis, which meaning “grace.” The terms diakonia (translated “administrations,” “ministries,” or “service”) and energemata (“operations” or “inworkings”) are used in verses 5 and 6 to describe the nature of spiritual gifts. The term “manifestation (phanerosis) of the Spirit” is used in verse 7.
Christians interpret spiritual gifts as enablements or capacities conferred by God on individuals, based on these scriptural texts. These cannot be earned or merited because they are freely supplied by God. These are activities or manifestations of the Holy Spirit, not of the gifted person, even though they are carried out via persons. They are to be used for the benefit of others, and they are given to the church as a whole rather than to individual members. The gifts are distributed in a variety of ways; no single person will have all of them. The church is edified (built up), exhorted (encouraged), and comforted through spiritual gifts.
Many think that there are as many gifts as there are needs in the church of Christ, despite the fact that Paul did not mention all of the Spirit's gifts. The gifts have been categorized in the past based on their similarities and differences with other gifts. Some categorize them into three groups based on Old Testament offices. Any gift that involves teaching, encouraging, or rebuking others is considered “prophetic.” Mercy and concern for the poor are examples of “priestly” gifts, as is intercession before God. Gifts involving church management or government are referred to as “kingly.” Others classify them as “gifts of knowledge” (words of wisdom, word of knowledge, differentiating between spirits), “gifts of speech” (tongues, interpretation, prophecy), and “gifts of power” (tongues, interpretation, prophecy) (faith, healing, miracles). The gifts have also been divided into those that promote the church's inner growth (apostle, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, teaching, word of wisdom/knowledge, helps, and administration) and those that promote the church's outer development (apostle, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, teaching, word of wisdom/knowledge, helps, and administration) (faith, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues).
What is the meaning of 2nd Peter 1 3?
I enjoy working with tools. Please double-check that. I enjoy having a large number of tools at my disposal. When I was a teenager working weekends at a service station, I acquired my first toolbox, which contained wrenches, ratchets, pliers, and screwdrivers. (Before it became a convenience shop with fuel pumps in front, a gas station was known as such.) Later in our marriage, my wife surprised me with a whole new (even bigger) toolbox full of tools on Christmas Day. Is it true that I've gotten rid of my old toolbox and tools? Are you serious? Obviously not. Instead, I was ecstatic that I now possessed a plethora of 9/16th-inch wrenches, Phillips-head screwdrivers, and other tools. Later, I expanded my tool collection to include metric tools, as most contemporary autos and appliances required them. There aren't many circumstances these days when I don't have the tools I need to complete the task.
While we're on the subject of tools and life, here are some questions that sprang to mind as I read 2 Peter 1:3-11:
- Is it possible for me to live the mature, holy life that Christ desires?
- Is it possible for me to be the kind of husband, parent, coworker, churchgoer, and neighbor that pleases Christ in how I interact with others?
- Can I rise to the occasion and assist in instances when spiritual “repairs” are required, owing to the spiritual instruments I possess and am familiar with?
With these questions on my mind, I can't express how happy I was when I came upon these words in Scripture:
Through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness, His divine power has given us all we need for life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
Consider what Peter said in this passage for a moment. We have everything we need for life and godliness as believers. Everything. There is nothing missing. The toolbox is stocked and ready to use! The Holy Spirit, who lives within us, provides us with all of the spiritual resources we require to live the holy, mature lives that Christ demands. Furthermore, we have the instruments to restore relationships that are starting to sputter or simply require some upkeep.
Isn't it true that tools that sit in the toolbox or go misplaced aren't very useful? That is why Peter exhorted believers to “make every effort” (1:5) to employ and build up the spiritual resources Christ provides when we place our faith in Him. In fact, the list of resources outlined by Peter in verses 5-7 resembles Paul's description of the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5:22-23). Faith, goodness, wisdom, self-control, endurance, holiness, brotherly affection, and love are some of these resources. “If these traits are yours and are expanding,” Peter says, “they will safeguard you from being worthless or unfruitful in our Lord Jesus Christ's knowledge” (2 Pet. 1:8).
What does it mean to you as a Christian that Christ has provided you with all you need to live a godly life?
What can you do right now to put one or more of your spiritual instruments to work in a “healing” situation?
What are the 3 realms of heaven?
There are three degrees of glory (alternatively, kingdoms of glory) in Mormon theology and cosmology, which are the final, eternal resting place for practically all who lived on earth once they are raised from the spirit realm.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the biggest denomination in the Latter-day Saint movement, believe that the apostle Paul briefly outlined these degrees of glory in 1 Corinthians 15:40-42 and 2 Corinthians 12:2. Joseph Smith elaborated on Paul's descriptions, based mostly on a vision he had with Sidney Rigdon in 1832, which is recorded in D&C Section 76. According to this vision, everyone will be resurrected and allocated to one of three degrees of splendor at the Final Judgment: heavenly, terrestrial, or telestial kingdoms. A small number of people who commit the unpardonable sin will be sent to outer darkness with Satan, where they will be called “sons of Perdition,” rather than receiving a kingdom of glory.
What is the greatest gift that God has given to the world?
Giving gifts is a way of expressing love. “This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven,” the First Epistle of John explains (4:10, Good News Translation).
We could argue that God's gift of Christ Jesus is the greatest gift ever given to humanity. God, who is divine Love itself, loves us so much that He sent Jesus to awaken us to our true identity as God's beloved sons and daughters and to show us how to live it. This is definitely something to rejoice over!
Jesus referred to himself as the Son of God, implying that he is the entire expression of divine Love's reforming and healing power. He also referred to himself as the Son of Man, referring to his appearance in human form as a result of his virgin birth, which we commemorate throughout the Christmas season.
Jesus encountered every kind of opposition while carrying out his Christ-identity on Earth. And there was plenty of it to go around! Nonetheless, he adored us – all of us. Jesus restored human character, healed sicknesses, and reversed destructive material forces by his authentic representation of divine Love's omnipotent power. He accomplished all of this to demonstrate God's love for humanity and to demonstrate that God is completely capable of meeting everyone's human needs.
All of Jesus' teachings, including the Lord's Prayer, the Sermon on the Mount, and instructional parables – as well as his miraculous healing miracles assist us in recognizing and living our own spiritual identity and following Jesus' example as Christian healers.
What are the seven blessings of God?
K'samechacha yetzircha b'Gan Eden mi-kedem, sameach te-samach re'im ahuvim, k'samechacha yetzircha b'Gan Eden mi-kedem. Mesame'ach chatan v'kalah, Baruch Atah Adonai.
- Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Creator of all things, Ruler of the Universe, Who gave us joy and gladness, loving couples, merriment, joyous music, pleasure, delight, love, loving communities, peace, and fellowship. Adonai, our God, make the sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the loving couple, the sound of their jubilation from their canopies, and the sound of the youths from their song-filled feasts, soon be heard in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. Blessed are You who bring joy to the pair, one to the other.