The Power of the Gospel #2381

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13, NKJV).

Paul unashamedly declared the gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). The gospel’s power to save the lost reached Thessalonica, where Paul, Silas, and Timothy preached “the gospel of God in much conflict” (1 Thess. 2:1-2; Acts 17:1-9). How the Thessalonians “received the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13) is how the gospel’s power continues to save lost souls. (1) First, the lost person must hear the word of God. The gospel cannot save if the sinner does not hear it (Rom. 10:13-17). The Thessalonians heard God’s word (v. 13). (2) Second, the lost person who hears the word of God must believe it. The gospel cannot save if the sinner does not believe it is true. The Thessalonians “welcomed” what they heard from Paul, Silas, and Timothy as God’s word, not man’s (v. 13). The gospel they preached is still the truth one must believe for salvation. (3) Third, the lost person must be converted and obey the word of God (Acts 3:19; 2:38). The gospel cannot save if the sinner does not obey it. Obedient faith saves. Otherwise, it is dead faith (James 2:17-18). When the Thessalonians heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel, they turned from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thess. 1:8-9). The word of God “effectively works in you who believe” (Christians, v. 13). Hear, believe, and obey the gospel, and its power will work in your life, too (Phil. 2:12-13).

Receive Jesus #2361

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (John 13:20, NKJV).

“Receive Jesus as your personal Savior” is an oft-heard exhortation. How does that happen? How does a person receive Jesus? We need a Bible answer, and God provides one. The word “receive” in John 13:20 means to “take” and “get hold of” (G2983). It is a deliberate action, not a passive reception. John 1:12 says those who receive Christ have “the right to become children of God.” These are the ones “who believe in His name.” Believers received Jesus, and they had the right to become children of God. So, this verse explains that believing in Jesus is not the end but the beginning of becoming a child of God. (Many believers are not saved, John 12:42-43.) Receiving Jesus for salvation is further explained in Galatians 3:26-27, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Believers in Jesus are baptized into Christ to “put on Christ;” To “get hold of” Jesus and be a child of God. Just as Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Now, the question is whether you will receive Jesus and be saved by receiving the words of His apostles (whom He sent into the world, John 13:20; Matt. 28:19)? To receive Jesus, one must believe in Him and then obey Him by obeying the apostles’ teachings. Faith only does not save the lost (James 2:19-20, 24). If you believe in Jesus, you have the right to become a child of God. Now, take hold of Christ and His salvation by receiving and obeying His apostles like sinners did on Pentecost (Acts 2:37-41).

“Therefore, Receive One Another” #2301

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.  8Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name” (Romans 15:7–9, NKJV).

The gospel brings into one body people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, etc., “Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11; Gal. 3:28). He is our peace, reconciling us to God “in one body through the cross” (Eph. 2:14, 16). Therefore, outward, physical differences must not become barriers preventing us from receiving one another as Christ received us: Fully, complete, and to the glory of God (Rom. 15:7). Using Christ as our great example of pleasing others instead of ourselves, the inspired apostle summarizes the message of Romans 14. Like Christ, Paul urges Christians to sacrificially serve each other instead of pleasing ourselves over scruples of conscience (Rom. 15:1-3; 14:1-3, 13-18). Christ served the truth of God (Rom. 15:8). For the Jews, He did so by fulfilling the promises made to the fathers (Rom. 15:8; Acts 3:20-26). For the Gentiles, He did so as their (our) only means of mercy (Rom. 15:9-12). Surely, since Christ served us by serving the truth of God, we must “receive one another” without rancor, dispute, and division over matters that do not prevent God from receiving us (Rom. 14:3-5). This is not a defense of “agreeing to disagree” over doctrinal and moral issues (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 John 9-11). It is a pattern of how those who practice the truth of God receive one another to the glory of God (Rom. 15:7).

To Receive Jesus, REceive His Apostles #2019

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. (Matthew 10:40, NKJV)

Before Jesus sent His apostles “into all the world” to “preach the gospel to every creature,” He sent them on a limited commission “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mk. 16:15; Matt. 10:5-6). Today’s verse is within the context of that limited assignment. Jesus encouraged them with a concise principle: Receiving the apostles is equivalent to receiving Him and the Father who sent Him. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus reinforced this principle to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (Jno. 13:20). When we accept the apostles’ teaching, we are accepting Jesus and the Father. The antithesis is also true. When we reject the apostles, we are rejecting the Son and the Father: “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me” (Lk. 10:16). It is a flawed and futile exercise that exalts Jesus while minimizing and discounting His apostles. (They spoke His word!) Friend, you have not accepted Jesus when you reject what His apostles taught (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16). After all, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jno. 14:15).

How Do Sinners Receive Jesus? #1876

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:6–8, NKJV)

The call from many pulpits is to receive Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, and you are saved. We agree one must receive Jesus to be saved. The important question is, how does a sinner receive Jesus into his or her heart to be saved? How did the Colossians received Christ Jesus? Christ is not received through the vain and deceitful philosophies of men, through religious traditions that men originate and practice, or by following the principles of the world (v. 8). Prayer is not identified as how sinners receive Christ Jesus. Colossians 2:11-13 teaches they received Christ Jesus the Lord when their sins were cut away by God’s power (“the circumcision of Christ”). This happened when they were “buried with Him (Christ, jrp) in baptism” (v. 12). In the Bible, one is not baptized because he is already saved, but as an action of “faith in the working (power) of God” that raised Jesus, to raise the sinner from sin’s death to new life in Christ (forgiven, v. 13; Rom. 6:3-4). When they were baptized is when they received Christ Jesus the Lord. Saved by the power of God, we are called to live faithfully in Christ with thankful hearts. And, we must be on guard lest our treasures in Christ are plundered by those who bring false messages of salvation (Col. 2:3, 8).

Shake Off the Dust #1772

8 “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.” (Luke 10:8–12, NKJV)

Jesus sent out seventy disciples to places He was about to go (Lk. 10:1). They were to heal the sick and preach the kingdom of God (Lk. 9:60; 10:9). Some would receive them and their message, while others would not (Lk. 10:5-7). By explaining what to do and what to expect, Jesus also gave them a reason not to be discouraged when a city rejected the gospel of the kingdom. He taught them there is a point at which the messenger is relieved of responsibility and the hearer is held accountable. Shaking off the dust of the city was a symbolic gesture that testified against the city for rejecting the gospel. They, not the messengers, would be held accountable (Lk. 9:5; Acts 18:6). The gospel teacher is not innocent when the truth is not faithfully preached (Acts 20:26). Such a failure does not excuse the sinner (Ezek. 3:16-21). But, when truth is taught and it is refused, the full weight of accountability on Judgment Day will fall on those who refused to hear and obey God (Lk. 10:12).

“Wait for one another” #1712

33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. (1 Corinthians 11:33–34, NKJV)

The apostle has been correcting problems in the Corinthian church that were happening when they came together to worship (namely, abuse of the Lord’s supper, and class divisions, 1 Cor. 11:17-22). Now, he summarizes the solutions he gave by exhorting them to “wait for one another.” To “wait” means “1) to receive, accept 2) to look for, expect, wait for, await” (Thayer, 193). Paul makes a unity argument here. When a church assembles, the members should receive or accept each other so that their coming together is blessed (11:17). By doing so, the assembly can “eat the Lord’s supper” decently and with order (11:20-21). To bring and eat our own suppers to satisfy hunger produces “judgment” (condemnation). The work of the church, when gathered together, is orderly worship, not disorderly, divisive conduct. It gathers for spiritual work, not for social activities. By keeping our own suppers at home (entirely separate from the assembled activities), the Holy Spirit ensures unity when the church gathers to eat the Lord’s Supper. By doing we, we avoid condemnation.

Accepting Jesus #1370

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10–13, NKJV)

He who created the world came into the world to save the world, but His creation (humanity) did not know Him. They did not perceive who He was, even though His Light shined in the dark world to replace death with eternal life (John 1:5, 9). He came to His chosen people (Israel), but the nation did not accept Him. When people received (accepted) Jesus they believed in His name and were given the right to become children of God (v. 12). Please note that accepting (receiving) Jesus did not make the believer a child of God, it gave that person the right (the authority, power, or freedom to act) to become a child of God (to be born of God, v. 13). Yet, to this day the lost are being told they are born again when they accept Jesus. No, the believer has the right to become God’s child; that is what verse 12 says. The new birth does not occur at the moment of faith. The new birth, of water and the Spirit, occurs when the believer calls on the Lord’s name by being baptized to wash away his sins (John 3:5; Acts 22:16). Accepting Jesus is the beginning, not the end, of becoming a child of God.

“As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” #1327

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6–7, NKJV)

As used here, “received” means “to receive near…to associate with oneself” (Strong’s Dictionary). Christians have a close association with Christ. This relation began with belief: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12). Those who believe in Christ are given the right to become children of God. Receiving Christ begins with belief, but it does not end there. Jesus clearly said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). To receive Christ (take Him near, to be saved) one must believe and be baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). Through obedient faith, one receives Christ and His salvation (Acts 2:38-41). Christians need a grounded and growing faith to continue to walk in Christ (Colossians 2:7). The teaching of the apostles establishes us in the faith (Acts 2:42). Having heard, believed and obeyed the word of salvation to receive Christ, our hearts were filled with thanksgiving. Now, to remain close to Christ, we must continue to live with an obedient, vibrant faith.

“He who receives whomever I send receives Me” #1232

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. (John 13:20, NKJV)

These reassuring words of Jesus, spoken to His apostles, establish the vital importance of following the apostles’ doctrine today. Th word “apostle” means one who is sent. Jesus told them, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). In their case, Jesus sent His apostles into the world to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). Only by receiving Jesus does a person receive God into his or her life. But, to receive Jesus Christ, one must receive His apostles. Therefore, one cannot reject the apostles’ teachings and rightfully claim to have received Jesus into his life. Receiving the apostles begins by hearing and believing their words (Acts 2:22, 36-37). It continues by obeying their commands (approved by the authority of Jesus) to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38-41, esp. v. 41). Furthermore, one then steadfastly continues “in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). Christians continue to learn and follow the word of Christ which His apostles taught. Do you receive Christ’s apostles, by believing and obeying their teachings? If so, you are receiving Jesus and the Father, who sent Him to the world.