South Valley Baptist Church
 
An Anointed follower of Jesus Christ.  

Anointed is in reference to what the Holy Spirit does - in Christ's teaching (John 14-16) Jesus teaches his disciples that He is getting ready to leave them but they will not be orphans - why?  Because the Counselor/Comforter (Holy Spirit) will come helping them to remember what Christ has taught and allow believers to dwell not only with Jesus but also the Father “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and  we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words." (John 14:23-24).

Notice what Jesus teaches when it comes to God showing Himself  - "He will keep my word - whoever does not love me does not keep my words."  This should be the test for authenticity in the Christian life - do we still hold to what Christ taught or do we move away from it - the Holy Spirit's task according to Jesus is to "convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment" (John 16:8).  Paul later teaches in 1 Cor. 2 that the Holy Spirit teaches "the things freely given us by God" so that we can have the "mind of Christ" which is all rooted in the crucifixion - 1 Cor. 2:2  "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."  - everything we need is found in what Christ did to set us free from sin at the crucifixion - the Holy Spirit takes what Christ did on the cross and applies that to us now so that we can be new people, born again (regeneration), holy and clean, no longer under condemnation (Romans 8). 

Titus 3:4-7  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

Colossians 1:20 and  through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace  by the blood of his cross. 21  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,  22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,  23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 

What does it mean to continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting?  

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  3 For  God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  4 in order that  the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Basically if your gospel goes back to a list of do's and don't (according to the flesh - what you do) instead of what God has done you are not keeping in step with the Holy Spirit but "submit again to a yoke of slavery" instead of standing firm in Christ's freedom (Gal. 5:1).   

Anointed followers of Christ are people who understand the things freely given that allow them to develop the mind of Christ through the power of His death, burial, and resurrection - it is the Holy Spirit who works the circumcision of our hearts (Isaiah 6:10, Rom. 2:29, Col. 2:11-14).  

When an LDS person asks if you think they are a Christian you can go through the teachings of Christ and ask do you follow what Christ taught about who you are and who He is, does your salvation fully rest on Him, or do you use it as a stepping stone to another gospel that moves away from what the Holy Spirit has freely given?


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The Greek word for founder or author is archegos - a combination of the word for beginning/power and the other word to lead, bring forth, and carry - Jesus is the one who starts to lead us and just so we don't take credit for what he is doing he completes us - but what if we don't agree with his teaching and perspective?  How many teachings of Christ can I deny and still be a follower?  Are the teachings of Christ a part of the good news?  What if I don't abide in his teaching?  


10 things Jesus taught - a simple test of abiding in His Word and Gospel

John 14:23 Jesus answered him,  “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And  the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,  whom the Father will send in my name,  he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. According to this teaching of Jesus if you love Him you will keep or abide in His teaching.  How many teachings of Christ would you have to hold to to follow Christ - what if you disagreed on one point - would you still be a follower?

1.  What does Christ teach about my pre-existence and his pre-existence?

John 8:23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

John 8:31   So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,  “If you abide in my word [teaching], you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

2.  Marriage in heaven?  -What did Jesus teach

Matthew 22: 30  For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  - This was to answer the question whom’s wife will she be in heaven?

3.  Will Jesus do guest appearances on earth - after the resurrection/ascension?
Matt. 24:23  Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders,  so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

-notice all appearances of Jesus after the Ascension are visions in/from heaven  -Paul on road to Damascus (Acts 9, 22, 26) and 2 Cor. 12, Stephen while being stoned (Acts 7), the book of Revelation as John is taken up (Rev. 4) and in the Spirit (Rev. 1)

4.  Do most people go to heaven?

Luke 13:23 And someone said to him, “Lord,  will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them,  24  “Strive  to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.Matt. 7:13  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and  those who find it are few.

5.  Does the true church cease to exist and become apostate?

Matthew 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them  in   the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that  I have commanded you. And behold,  I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matt. 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

6. Is there another way to get to heaven besides Jesus?  -what about good Baptists and other religions?

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and  the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7. Am I basically a good person who needs a little help to get me going in the right direction?
Matthew 12:34  You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.Matt. 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?  -Jesus talking to the most religious people of his day. 

8. Do you choose God (free will / free agency) or does God choose you?

John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And  I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets,  ‘And they will all be  taught by God.’  Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46  not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.John 6:62 Then what if you were to see  the Son of Man  ascending to  where he was before? 63  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But  there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus  knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and  who it was who would betray him.)  65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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

Matt. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds  that of the scribes and Pharisees, you  will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matt. 5:48  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Paul writes:
Rom. 3:10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11  no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;  no one does good, not even one.” 
1Cor. 6:11 And  such were some of you. But  you were washed,  you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 
Rom. 2:29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.  His praise is not from man but from God. 
1 Cor. 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.    -Can you list what God has freely given you - most people who have a man centered instead of God centered salvation can not list one thing God has given them in Christ.

9.  How much of my own righteous energy and strength get calculated into the salvation equation according to Jesus?

John 15:5 “apart from me you can do __________”
John 3:3 “You must be b______  a__________”  
-How much credit do you take for your own conception and birth?
John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,  13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and  whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

10.  The gospel is centered on the cross of Christ - his followers know the cross is essential for a new life. 

John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man,  then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

Luke 9:23   And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him  deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 14:27  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Matt. 16:24   Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him  deny himself and  take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life  will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or  what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Paul wrote:Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives  in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,  who loved me and  gave himself for me. 

John's warning to the church:
2 John 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.  10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,  11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 

How many of these 10 teachings did you disagree with?  Can we pick and choose what our Master and Teacher is saying is correct or when we do that does He cease to be our Master and teacher? 

Example:  Peter in Matthew 16 disagrees with Jesus that He will suffer in the hands of the elders:  Jesus' response:  "Get behind me, Satan"
Matt. 7:21    “Not everyone who  says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will  enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who  does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not  prophesy in your name, and cast out demons  in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23  And then will I declare to them, ‘I  never knew you;  depart from me,  you workers of lawlessness.’
This quote from Jesus is a warning which begins to wrap up the Sermon on the Mount - will we put into practice what Christ taught (build on the rock) or will we only listen then go our way?  
The bottom line is God’s Word - in Luke 16:31 Jesus taught, “if they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”  Basically he is saying the power of the Old Testament is greater than a dead man resurrected knocking at your door telling you it is all real. 
In the case of the LDS they dismiss the teaching of Christ not over a dead man resurrected telling us it is all real but over a young man who had many claims one being that salvation is done by our effort after faith in Christ - Nephi 25:23 - where is Christ as author and perfecter?  His role is diminished and we are left with another testament (gospel) just like the Book of Mormon suggests in it's subtitle.

The LDS move away from the apostolic teaching of Paul down playing the role to the cross.  

Colossians 1:20 and  through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Col. 1:21  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,  22 he has now reconciled  in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and  above reproach before him,  23  if indeed you continue in the faith,  stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed  in all creation  under heaven,  and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 

Finally the LDS instead of moving us into the teaching of grace and what the Holy Spirit has freely given they move us back to the shadow (Hebrews 10:1) of the Old Testament with temple worship which never brought about a changed heart unlike the blood of Christ and the circumcision of the Holy Spirit (Rom 2:29).

Heb. 10:19  Therefore, brothers,  since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,  20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,  21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 
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