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you, Nay; but rather division: For
from henceforrh there shall be five in
one house divided, rhree againsr rwo
and rwo against three."
If you are really following
G:Jrist
-
living as He lived, doing as He did ,
keeping God's Law as He did - rhis
sociery, even some of your closesr
former friends and your own relarives,
will begin ro resise and persecute you.
"Forasmuch then as Chrisr harh
suffered for us in rhe flesh, arm your–
selves likewise wi rh rhe same
mind . . .. For rhe rime pasr of our
life may suffice us m have wroughr
tbe will of rhe Gentiles .... Wherein
rhey [ rhe former associares wi rh
whom you followed the courses of so–
ciery] rhink
it
srrange rhar ye run nor
wirh them ro the same excess of riot,
speaking evil of you" (1 Peter 4 :1-4) .
Notice how srrongly God
im–
presses on every Christian rhat rhey
musr disconrinue rheir relationships
wirh rhis sinning sociery! "Love NOT
the world, neirher the things that are
in thc world. If any man !ove the
world, rhe
/ove of the Father is no! in
him.
For all rhat is in rhe world, rhe
Just of che flesh, and rhe lusr of the
eyes, and rhe pride of life, is not of
rhe Farher. but is of rhe wodd. And
che world passerh away, and rhe lust
rhereof: bur he thar
doeth
rhe will of
God abiderh for ever" (I John 2:15-
17).
However, if a true Christian does
have ro disagree, he should do so
wirhour being disagreeable. The
Apostle Paul said, ' 'lf ir be possible,
as muchas lieth in you, li ve peaceably
with all men" (Rom. 12:18). Our
free anide "Be Seen and Not Heard"
shows how a new Christian - a
"babe in Chrisr" - should conducr
himself in rhis sinning sociery.
Counc the Cosr
In Luke 14 Jcsus srernly warns
every prospective Christian ro counr
the cost of being a true follower of
Him
1
How many people are being
rold ro count rhe cosr, or are even
rold whar thar cose is, in roday's grear
evangelisric efforrs which invite
PLAIN TRUTH December 1972
people ro "make a decision for
Christ"?
Are they being rold whar ir really
means> Are chey being rold how ro
give rhemselves ro God - HOW ro
serve Christ - whar co do - whar ir
means) Are rhey being rold ro come
out of chis society and be nor con–
formed ro rhe world?
No! They mosr decidedly are not!
Many peopJe are being led ro "ac–
cepr Jesus" or ro "receive Him"
today, in a momenr of emocional re–
morse over pase mistakes. Bur many
thousands do nor know whar ro do
to
really become a Christian!
What IS rhe Cost?
Remember, Jesus rells you what
you muse do to become a Christian.
"Nor every one rhar sairh unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enrer inro rhe king–
dom of heaven; bur he rhar
DOlHH
the WlLL OF MY fATH.ER which is in
heaven" (Mart.
7:21).
"Rf.PENT," said
Christ. "Do rhe WILL of God," said
Jesus!
God's
wi/1
is expressed in His
\'<lord. "Thy word is truth" Oohn
17:17).
Ir
is rhe rrurh, the Word of
God rhar will ser you free.
Here, then, is whac it really COSTS
co become a rrue Christian, and ro be–
come a begorten son of God! Ir coses
your life! Literally!
Does chat shock you? Perbaps ir
does unless you chink I mean thar
sraremenr as a kind of "spirirual
phraseology'' which is just anorher
way of saying "ser your hearr on the
Lord" or sorne similar sentimenr.
God's W ord rells you thar you
muse lirerally !ay clown your life fot
Chrisr.
"R.epent.
and
be baptized
every one
of
yo
u in che name ofJesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall re–
ceive rhe gifr of rhe Holy Spirir"
(Acrs 2:38).
After you have been broken up and
your own human will has been torally
shatrered, afrer you are disgusred wirh
yourself - fi lled wirh abhorrence at
your own actions. your own way of
life, your own self, which is rhe van-
ity wirhin you - chen you should be.
baptized!
(\'</
rire for our free booklct
A
ti
Abou.t IVater Baptism.)
What
Ir
Means
Tmmersion inro a warery "grave" is
a deep spirirual symbolism which sig–
nifies che acrual, literal burying of rhe
o ld self - YOU - rhe way you have
been, and rhe resurreccion of a NEW
YOU - now conquered by God,' sur–
rendered ro God, meekly and humbly
child-J ike in your obedience and trust
in Him as your living Saviour.
"Know ye nor, chat so many of us
as were baprized inro Jesus Chrisr
were baptized inco bis dearh? There–
fore we are buried wirh him by bap–
rism
into
tleath:
rhar like as Christ
was raised up from che dead by che
glory of rhe Farher, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.
Por
if
we have been planred togerher in rhe
likeness of his dearh, we shall be also
in che likeness of his resurrection.
Knowing this, rhat our old man is
crucified wich him, rhac rhe body of
sin [che former "you"] mighc be de–
stroyed, rhar henceforrh we should
not serve sin" (Rom. 6:3-6).
Paul explained rhis principle fur–
rher when he said, "For 1 was alive
wirhouc rhe law once [wirhout a
knowledge of rhe law]: bur when the
commandmenr carne [to bis con–
sciousness - so he became aware of
whac sin was] sin revived (he was able
ro see clearly rhat he was a grear sin–
ner) and
1
died" (Rom. 7:9). Paul
said, "For sin, raking occasion by the
cornmandment [being broughr ro
lighr for whar ir was by rhe laws of
God) deceived me, and by it slew me.
Wherefore [because God's Law had
shown hirn he was a sinner] che law is
holy, and che commandmenc hoJy,
and jusr, and good" (Rom.
7:11-12) .
A Change of Mind
The Aposde Paul was a rrue Chris–
tian. He had che Spirir of God, which
is promised ro everyone who is will–
ing ro lay clown his life and surrender
rhe self-will, who fulfills the ordi–
nance ofbaprism, and comes to God's
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