Tekijä: --

”To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12.

This is the beginning of the way to eternal life.

Receiving Jesus Christ means rejecting sin and being set free from its power. Sin is transferred to the cross, where Jesus bore the penalty for our sins: ”But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, your fruit leads to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:22,23.

Now is the time to turn to Jesus and receive him:

”Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…” Acts 2:38.

”Those who accepted Peter’s words were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added to the number of believers. THEY devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.” Acts 2:41,42.
All opportunities to live in God’s blessing are open to those who have accepted Jesus. The doors are open.

But situations often change for the better gradually, as our lives are filled with things that are according to God’s will and living and remaining in them.

Those who accepted Jesus and were baptized in his name continued

• in the apostles’ teaching
• in fellowship,
• in the breaking of bread, the communion
• and in prayers. Acts 2:42.

That is the direction of faith given by God, the door through which everyone can enter. The door is open. From it opens the content of our sanctification life, the growth of faith.

This certainly works.

Blessings to you!

Weijo Lindroos
Turku
Finland

The thief on the cross was saved without baptism, which is sometimes used as a reason to say that baptism is not necessary. But when we look at the matter more closely, we see that the criminal on the cross should not have been baptized at that time because he was saved before the commandment to baptize was given. Jesus gave the general commandment to baptize 40 days after the events of the cross. Mark 16:9-20. Acts 1:3. Thus, the thief on the cross was the last person to be saved from the old covenant. The new covenant began with Jesus’ death: “This is the new covenant in my blood!” Luke 22:20. Jesus was still alive when He forgave the sins of the criminal on the cross next to Him. The thief prayed in agony, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42,43. He was thus saved as a borderline case, when the old covenant was exchanged for a new one.

Jesus is the only Savior! His blood cleanses the sinner who repents of his sins and calls on Jesus for help. Rom. 10:13. And Jesus gives everyone ”a future and a hope”. Jer. 29:11-13. He saves even the worst sinner. He does not leave the person he saves as he was before, but of those who have come to faith, whose sins have been forgiven and who have repented and then been baptized, it is said: ”Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, the new has come!” 2 Cor. 5:17. / Acts 18:8.

The unbaptized is in Adam. The baptized is in Christ. ”For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal. 3:27. 2 Cor. 5:17. ”Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye were raised with him through faith.” Col. 2:12. Rom. 6:4.

Only those who have come to faith can be baptized. Just as a newborn child is washed after birth, so the regenerate must be baptized immediately, ”by the washing of water.” Thus we can understand the ”washing of regeneration” in its proper connection with the forgiveness of sins and the baptism of immersion received after regeneration. ”He saved us, not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5. John 3:5.

Baptism is performed by the brethren of the congregation, ”for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” 2 Cor. 13:1. When the thief on the cross was saved, the commandment to baptize had not yet been given. Therefore, he should not have been baptized. But ever since the commandment to baptize was given, baptism has been an absolute requirement for all believers. The Bible clearly teaches that in the early congregation ALL believers were baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus! No one was left unbaptized. ”Let every one of you be baptized…” Acts 2:38,41. ”Then those who received his word were baptized…” ”And they continued… in the apostles’ teaching…” Acts 2:41-42. The Bible does not teach that the unbaptized are part of the new covenant congregation.

Baptism is an essential part of the salvation process of the human soul because it involves the burial of the old man through baptism into death. Rom. 6:3,4. ”Repent and be baptized, every one of you…” says Acts 2:38. So there are two things: 1. ) repentance and 2. ) baptism. So if repentance is necessary, then baptism is necessary. – Can we say that repentance is not necessary? In that case, we can say the same about baptism. But we say that both are necessary because God has given them to us as equally valuable. After the baptism command was given, the Bible does not know the concept of an ”unbaptized Christian.” The Bible only knows a converted Christian who has been baptized in water in the name of Jesus after coming to faith. A baptized Christian is a biblical Christian!
Acts 10:48.

The necessity of baptism should not be underestimated. The Bible warns about it, among other things, in Gal. 1:6-9. 2 Pet. 3:16. Rev. 22:18,19. And the unbaptized thief on the cross is not set as an example for us.

”If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”Acts 22:16. Titus 3:5. After baptism, you too will have the same faith as the first Christians.

Weijo Lindroos
Turku

When we examine this matter from the Bible alone, we come to views that differ in many respects from current practices. An example of this is the question of who should be given? There is a lot of money being asked for. Some of it is justified because people are in real need.

But some try to make easy money for themselves by falsifying fund-raising events, the proceeds of which end up in their own pockets. There are also such people among believers. 2 Pet. 2:3. This too must be taken into account.

So the object of our help is our dear brothers and sisters, the saints, who were purchased with the blood of Jesus. Their plight touches our hearts. And we are happy to help them in their need.

The Bible’s example of relief work shows the way. They helped Jesus’ poor disciples in Jerusalem. Acts 6. So the congregation did not help people of the world, but mainly believers who were in need of food. Acts 11:27-30.
John 17:9.
But individual believers can of course donate wherever they want, as long as it does not undermine the work of helping believers.

So the target of our help is our dear brothers and sisters.

The early Christians knew the Bible teaching: “He who oppresses the poor insults his Maker, but he who is kind to the poor honors his Maker.” Proverbs 14:31. This applies to a person. Whether he is a believer or not is secondary. The same applies to the good Samaritan. Luke 10:30-37.

There are many people in the world today who need help. Priority should be given to believers. And first to the Christians in your own community. “Seek the welfare of the city to which I am sending you, and pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will be yours.” Jer. 29:7.

This is the limit of blessing set by God in other congregation matters as well. We take responsibility for the believers in our own city and pray for them. We cannot help the whole world. But we pray for God’s guidance in each case separately. We pray and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and then act accordingly.

Requests for help come from different parts of the world that we cannot answer.

I am writing this so that the congregation in each locality will take responsibility for the needs of the believers in their own area. And if there are sufficient funds, also for helping those who are not yet believers.

“For it is written: ‘He has distributed, he has given to the poor, his righteousness remains forever.’”: 2 Cor. 9:9.

May Jesus lead.

Weijo Lindroos

Turku Finland

Could this be the last time you will be called to heaven? No one knows the hour of their death. Tomorrow everything could be forever too late.

”We are therefore ambassadors for Christ, begging you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.” 2 Cor. 5:20. ”Working together with God, we urge you to accept the grace of God. For he says, ”In a time of acceptable acceptance I have heard you, in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:1,2.

What does Jesus want to save you from? First, about sin and the eternal lake of fire:

”I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev. 20:11-15.

He calls you to eternal life.

One day, at the final judgment, you will have to answer for how you responded to this call of grace. There God confirms your own choice.

The Bible says this:

”And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ’Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…’ Then he will say to those on his left, ’Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matt. 25:32-46.

So you can be saved today because of what Jesus did for you on the cross. He gave his life, dying a scourged and bloody death as the Savior for the sins of the whole world. ”The punishment that brought us peace was upon him…” Isaiah 53:5. The Bible says, ”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23. And ”The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God and his heaven), but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

A person must be saved during this life. After time has ended, there is never an opportunity to have their sins forgiven. ”The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Mark 2:10.

Pray this prayer in a clear voice:

Holy God. Forgive me of my great sins and the fact that I have lived in a state of sin, separated from you. I repent of my sinful life, and I repent of it now. I want Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice to be counted for my benefit. I decide right now to start living according to your will. Then I will tell all my relatives, acquaintances, etc. about my decision. I am publicly in faith. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Pray the previous prayer with all your heart and soul. After this, God’s promise is for you: ”Everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through him.” Acts 10:43.

You are now a child of God who has been forgiven. 1 John 1:7-9.

The next step is baptism, where you are baptized in water by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 2:38,41.

Blessings,

Weijo Lindroos

Kristillinen Toimintakeskus
Maariankatu 2.
20100 Turku
Suomi Finland

Even if you have read the following scripture several times, read it again now. Let’s consider it carefully together. This is a very serious matter.

God loves every person and “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4.

”Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:1-8.

John wrote the answer to the question, ”How do we know whether the spirits are of God?”

The first key to discernment here is to recognize Jesus, to accept Him as He is. ”for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” John 8:24. The Word who came from heaven and became flesh is Jesus, the Son of God. ”The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” John 1:14.

Of course, we cannot recognize any gift or other activity as being influenced by the Spirit of God unless the person acknowledges Jesus as Lord. This acknowledgment is therefore the first of the elements.

But the matter continues. To say Amen to the previous at this point would be too early. To do so would remain solely on an ecumenical level: – – –

The second key to discernment is crucial. John states that ”we are of God.” Verse 6. He meant himself and all the early believers (ekklesia, congregtion) who remained in the apostolic truth; and thus also us who remain in the apostolic faith today. “We are of God!” We remain in the original Christianity (who remain in it). We do not join new religions, such as Evangelical Lutherans, etc. – – –

“He who hears us,.. is of God!” That is what it said. And besides all this, the Word of God says the decisive criterion:

“THIS IS HOW WE KNOW THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT OF DECEIT!” So ​​from what? – – – Does anyone want to hear the original apostolic Christianity. If someone rejects the word of the Bible, even though things are clearly shown to him, then we know that the Holy Spirit does not lead him.

We also know that the evil spirit prevents the Spirit of Truth from working in him. “By this we know… the spirit of deception…” But the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, who guides into all truth!

Do you want to confess Jesus of Nazareth as your Lord revealed in the Bible and accept Him as the atoning sacrifice for your sins?

Do you want to forsake your sins? And do you want to obey His clear Word and be baptized in water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? (if you have not yet been baptized since your conversion) And do you want to forsake all religiosity that is not the influence of the Holy Spirit?

Do you want to forsake all your own opinions and focus only on the opinions expressed in God’s Bible?

If you say amen to all this, then all is well.

If you do not want to hear ”we”, then we cannot believe that the spirit in you is from God!

Check today that you are in harmony with God? Jesus wants to fix everything!
He is our GOOD Shepherd.

Blessings,

Weijo Lindroos