Articles From Our Bulletins
The Three R's (Not Readin, Ritin, and Rithmatic)
No, not the “Readin, Ritin, and Rithmatic” of shall we say less than formal secular education, but the three R’s of spiritual development- Repentance, Redemption, and Resolve. “Come now, and let us reason together…” Isaiah 1:18.
Repentance is a directional word often defined as “to turn again.” Moreover and metaphorically, it is a change of mind/heart that leads to a change of course, resulting in a change of affiliation. This accounts for it being often emphasized in both the preparatory preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus (24 times in the Gospels), and in the presentation preaching of the Apostles and other early proclaimers of the gospel (11 times in Acts). To be saved, candidates would have to be converted by “turning again” their hearts/minds to God in such a way as to effect a course-reversal in their lives/conduct, and thereby change their affiliation from Satan and self to God (cf. Acts 3:19; 20:21; and 26:20). Thus, without changing both their minds and their conduct, their true affiliation would remain unchanged, cf. John 12:42-43. This further explains why both John the Baptist and the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost both required “repentance” along with baptism (cf. Matthew 3:4-12 and Acts 2:36-47). Simply believing that Jesus was Christ (changing their minds) and being baptized (washing away sins) would do little good if their lives/conduct did not change accordingly. They would need to become “disciples” (followers) of Him, and “observe all” that He commanded to receive eternal benefits, Matthew 28:19-20. Repentance.
Redemption is a positional word that literally means “the process of buying back.” To redeem is, therefore, to buy back what formerly was owned. By right of creatorship, God owns all mankind. But through sin, we sell ourselves in slavery to Satan, cf. Romans 6:12-23. We are hopelessly stuck in this servitude, for the wages we earn from it are only death. We can’t even “sell our souls” to procure our emancipation since they have been tainted with sin, making them worthless to purchase our freedom from the inevitable doom of eternal death. However, there was one precious life, a soul untainted by sin, which was given as the propitiation (the redemptive price paid) to redeem (buy back) us from our despair and dreadful destiny- the precious blood of Jesus the Christ, Romans 3:21-26! His blood, given in death, became the eternal life-giving price paid to buy us back from sin by redemption. But how would the transaction occur? By what means would the exchange be made? How would we who were dead in sin instead become dead to sin, but alive to Him? Note carefully Romans 6:3, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” We contact that precious, life-giving blood of Jesus through being “baptized into His death”- the very place where it was shed! He gave it freely, but we must contact it by being baptized into His death in order to be redeemed from the position of slavery to sins and into freedom in Christ, Romans 6:4-11. Redemption.
Resolve is a word of dedication and determination. In our context here, think of it as a dogged commitment to never turn back or return to the slavery of sin. Some would tell us that such is impossible- that one, once truly saved from sin, can never sin again so as to be eternally lost. But such is contrary to the realities clearly presented by the New Testament. If such were true, why would every NT book, save Philemon, contain warnings against this very thing? Likewise, why would Peter say that Simon, declared by the Holy Spirit to have “believed” and been “baptized” (Acts 8:12-13; cp. Mark 16:15-16) and thus “once saved,” to have, after subsequently sinning, be “in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity,” that his “heart was not right before God,” and that he needed to “repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, in intention of your heart may be forgiven you,” Acts 8:21-23? No, continued resolve to “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you” (2Thessalonians 2:13) is just as important as repentance and redemption to the saving of our souls! We must heed the warnings of the Scriptures to not “shrink back to destruction,” and “Take care, brethren, lest there should be an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from God,” Hebrews 10:39 and 3:12. Resolve.
The Three R’s of Readin, Ritin, and Rithmatic, once mastered, may well get you far in life. But only the Three R’s of Repentance, Redemption, and Resolve will get you into eternal life…. and that’s what I really want for you!
- Three_Rs_The.pdf (88.31 kB)
