Christian Cooperation and Separation - John R Rice

Christian Cooperation and Separation
“Jesus Christ,” but always “the Christ.” The word is taken
from the second Psalm where the word in English is
“anointed.” In the Hebrew it is “Messiah.” In the Greek it is
Christos or Christ.
Now there are people who say, “Well, I don’t agree that
Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, and the Christ of the Old
Testament are the same person.” They believe there is a
historical Jesus. They do not believe that He is Jehovah God of
the Old Testament. They do not believe He fulfills Isaiah 53,
Psalm 2, all the Passover lambs, etc. They deny that Christ of
the Old Testament is Jesus of the New Testament, God in
human form.
Now, “This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to
yourselves .... Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God.” You say, “I believe Jesus is a
good Man.” But if Jesus is just a good Man, you are going to
Hell. There is no salvation for anybody who takes Jesus only
on the basis that He is a good Man.
You hear somebody say, “I believe Jesus died as a martyr to
convictions.” Well, if He died as a martyr instead of a
Redeemer, then nobody can be saved.
You say, “But I believe Jesus may have been the best Man
who ever lived.” But the best man who ever lived is not good
enough to keep a sinner out of Hell.
Jesus is the God-Man, the perfect, sinless Man, the Second
Adam, God in human form, who took our place, paid our debt,
was made sin for us, or nobody can ever be saved.
All right! You don’t have to be right on baptism to be saved.
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