“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.” (2 John 3, ESV)

• Grace: God’s favor toward sinners; giving us what we don’t deserve (salvation).
• Mercy: God’s compassion for sinners; not giving us what we deserve (death).
• Peace: When we are in fellowship with God because of His grace and mercy and our faith.

We can have all these spiritual blessings and more that are given from the Father and His Son when we obey God in faith. Express your faith in Him today by repenting of the sins in your life (a change of mind and will – no longer practicing sin) (Acts 17.30-31), confessing your faith (that Christ is the Son of God) (Rom. 10.9-10), and being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 22.16). Only then will Grace, mercy, and peace be upon you!

Contact Bryan Garlock today. E-mail: evangelist@txkchurch.com | Call/text: 903.308.4905 | Message us on Facebook

“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22.16, ESV)¹

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¹This tell us when Saul, later Paul the apostle, was saved from his sins, added to the body of Christ, and became a Christian.

However, those who hold to a faith only doctrine try to refute God’s word by saying that Saul was saved on the road to Damascus when Jesus appeared to Him. If that's the case, why did Luke record that Saul was told to be baptized to wash away his sins? What sins did he have to "wash away" if he was already saved? In fact, if he was saved on the road then he was saved in his sins, not from his sins. Further, Jesus expressly said there was something for him to do when he arrived in Damascus. Interestingly, he was told to be baptized to wash away his sins.

Some argue that since Ananias called Saul "brother Saul" (Acts 22.13) that this indicated that he was already saved. The apostles often called sinners "brothers" or "brethren" not because they were brethren in a spiritual sense, but because they were brothers or kinsmen according to the flesh (See Acts 2.29 [Peter called them brothers before they were saved (2.38, 41)]; Rom. 9.3, etc.). Further, remember, Luke records that Saul was to be baptized to wash away his sins. If he was saved when Ananias called him brother Saul, what sins did he have to wash away?

These are not the only arguments that we could examine that are used against Acts 22.16, but, simply put, no amount of pervasive-type arguments change the truth of Acts 22.16. Either Saul was to be baptized to wash away his sins and call on the name of the Lord, or he was not. Which is it reader?

Have you been baptized to wash away your sins? (See also Acts 2.38) We'd love to study with you! E-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1.2).¹

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¹Every New Testament writer desired the same thing: grace and peace for all those in Christ Jesus (Rom. 1.7; 1 Cor. 1.3; Gal. 1.3; 2 John 1.3, etc.). However, for one to have grace and peace it must first be rooted “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” This means that one cannot have grace and peace when what he believes or teaches is established in false doctrines. Therefore, the result is one will be anathema and without “the Father and the Son” (Gal. 1.6-9; 2 John 9). Fortunately, God has given us His truth (John 17.17) and “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1.3), and as we increase in this truth, that is, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3.18) then grace and peace is multiplied to us.

If you desire to know more about God and enjoy the increasing grace and peace only found in His precious book, e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2.21, ESV).¹

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¹Before Jesus left this earth, He told the apostles that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations…” (Luke 24.47, NKJV).

Therefore, on the day of Pentecost Peter told everyone that they needed to prepare for the coming judgment by “calling on the name of the Lord”. There is a misunderstanding in the religious world about this statement. What exactly did he mean?

After preaching the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Peter told the convicted murderers (Acts 2.36-37), “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2.38, ESV). Obviously, Peter did not preach anything different in verse 38 than he did in verse 21. Both require the same authority, the name of Jesus Christ, and both end with the same result, salvation.

When the Jews asked what they must do (Acts 2.37), Peter explained by inspiration exactly what he meant. Therefore, it must be understood that to “call on the name of the Lord” to be saved is explained by “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins....”

No wonder Saul was later told, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22.16, ESV).

Have you called on the name of the Lord to be saved? It is not a verbal calling (as in a “sinner’s prayer” – which has no Scriptural support), but a calling on the Lord in baptism for the forgiveness of sins (cf. 1 Peter 3.21; Heb. 10.22). If you’re interested in learning more about what is required to be saved, e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…” (Hebrews 12.28, ESV)¹

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¹God has given us so much to be thankful for. In our text, the Christians were to be grateful for receiving the prophesied kingdom that was impossible to destroy (Isaiah 2.2-4; Dan. 2.44; Acts 2, etc.). Even Jesus said that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16.18). The result of receiving this kingdom is to offer God acceptable worship and this worship is conditioned upon reverence and awe [godly fear] (cf. John 4.24).

Because “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1.13), we ought to be thankful in prayer (Eph. 1.15-16; Heb. 13.15), in song (Col. 3.15-16), and in our daily walk as Christians (1 Peter 2.9).

If you’re interested in learning more about the kingdom God has given us please e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905. We would love for you to become a citizen of His kingdom today (Eph. 2.19; Phil. 3.20)!