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Hey gang:
Below is a question I posed to a Church of Christ preacher with a television ministry, and below my question is his response. I am having trouble with the idea of Jesus forgiving people then that He would not forgive now, but perhaps I am not able to grasp what he is trying to tell me.
Some of you please give me your thoughts on this.
Thanks,
Terry
-------Original Message-------
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 12:09:12
Subject: Re: Web Site Request for Information
In a message dated 3/16/2003 8:15:01 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
If I understand correctly, you believe thst it is impossible to be saved without being baptized.
The thief on the cross was not baptized before his death, and Zaccheus was not baptized at the moment he repented, yet Jesus told the first that he would be in Parsdise with Him and He told the second that Salvation had come to his house.
Are you incorrect, or did Jesus lie, or am I just missing something?
Hello Mr. Clifton,
I am so glad to hear from you. It is a pleasure to get to read and answer e-mail from those who have visited our website. I hope that you will have the opportunity to visit us again in the future, as we strive to update our website on a weekly basis.
In considering your question, I could not help but think of Matthew 9:2-7 when Jesus forgave a man's sin based upon, not his faith, but someone else's (v. 2). (Parallel account: Mark 2:1-12). Now, what if someone wrote you and said, "If I understand correctly, you believe that it is impossible to be saved without faith in Christ. The man in Matthew 9 and Mark 2 didn't have faith in Christ and Christ said he was forgiven of his sins. Are you incorrect, or did Jesus lie, or am I just missing something?" How would you respond to this?
Furthermore, don't forget that when the rich young ruler asked Jesus what to do to have eternal life, Christ said, "Keep the commandments," specifically naming several, and then told him to sell all he possessed and follow the Lord (Matt. 19:16-22). What if someone wrote you and said, "If I understand correctly, you believe that it is impossible to be saved without faith in Christ. The man in Matthew 19 was told to keep the commandments, and sell all he had and he would have eternal life. Are you incorrect, or did Jesus lie, or am I just missing something?"
What if someone said they wanted to be saved like the woman who washed Christ's feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair? Christ said, "Thy sins are forgiven" (Lk. 7:47). Now, "Are you incorrect, or did Jesus lie, or am I just missing something?"
Friend, I use these examples to emphasize the point that while Christ was on earth, He forgave sins in various ways. Christ could see the hearts of men and women, and "knew what was in man" (Jn. 2:25). While He lived, if He so chose, He could forgive people of their sins in any way, and under any conditions that He pleased.
Now, it is different. Since Christ has died on the cross, His will has come into effect. Once His will came into effect, then we are subject to that. The Hebrew writer spoke of this when he said, "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" (Heb. 9:16-17). We understand this concept, I know. If you have a will, Mr. Clifton, and you specify certain ones get "x" amount of money/goods upon your death, when does this take effect? At your death, of course! In the meantime, the money/goods are yours to use as you see fit while you live. In like manner, while Christ was upon this earth, He forgave the people (including the thief on the cross) how it pleased Him, but now, once His will came into effect, and we are now under the will/testament of Christ, we must be subject to the conditions of that will. If we wish to be saved, we'll meet the stipulations/conditions laid out in His will, and not go back to something He said or did BEFORE the will came into effect.
This is consistent with Biblical teaching. Notice that we have examples of people being forgiven of sins in various ways while Christ lived. Yet, once Christ died, and His will came into effect, the people are consistently taught to Believe in Christ as the Son of God, Repent of their sins, Confess their faith in Christ, and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:36-38; 8:35-39; 16:14-15, 30-34; 22:16; Heb. 11:6; Lk. 13:3; Matt. 10:32-33; I Pet. 3:21; etc.).
So, to answer your question, Christ was NOT lying at any time while He was on this earth. What we read concerning the thief of the cross, Zacchaeus, the paralytic, the rich young ruler, etc., must be studied in light of the context, and "handled accurately/aright" (II Tim. 2:15) in order to come to the truth.
I hope this helps you. For further study on what to do to be saved, feel free to click on this link: What Must I Do To Be Saved? I hope it will help you in your study.
Have a good day.
Sincerely,
Jarrod Jacobs
www.southside-churchofchrist.com
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