Sometime in the middle of September I had been asked to preach seven lessons geared to get someone to think how they would live if they only had one month to live. I finished that series on October 20 with my morning lesson. As I reflected back upon those lessons, and the sentiment behind them, I was reminded of something that I had heard in one of the lessons that I heard at the Memphis School of Preaching Lectureship earlier this year. The lesson was given by Brother Robert Taylor, Jr., and he referred to an illustration or sermon that had been preached by Brother Marshall Keeble. According to Brother Marshall Keeble, the church has a "Twelve-Step Program."
The first five steps would bring a person into the church:
1.) Hearing the Gospel Preached (Rom. 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -KJV)
2.) Believing that Jesus Christ is Lord (John 8:24 - I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. -KJV)
3.) Repenting of sins (Luke 13:3 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. -KJV [the verse is repeated in Luke 13:5])
4.) Confessing Christ as Lord (Rom. 10:9-10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. -KJV [This "step" cannot be singled out though, notice what is mentioned in the same context in Rom. 10:14, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard." In that short verse, hearing and believing are also mentioned in the same context as confessing.])
5.) Baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; cf: baptism as a burial - Acts 6:3-4; baptism is how one puts on Christ - Gal. 3:27; baptism saves us - 1 Pet. 3:21 --- "by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" --- baptism brings us into contact with the blood of Christ that was shed upon the cross --- through which we "might" have hope, IF we are obedient to God's will!
Then, the Lord will add those who are being saved to the church (Acts 2:47). Salvation and the church go hand in hand.
So, the five steps into the church: hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized for the remission of sins. Remember, all of that is based upon a person's faith and obedience to what the Lord has told us through the inspired penmen of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3, 20-21).
However!!! It DOES NOT stop there!!!
The next seven steps (of the twelve steps) fall within the realm of Christian growth. As Christians, we know it is important to grow! We would not expect a child to drink milk and formula their entire life, so likewise, we as Christians ought to progress from the milk of the word to the meat of the word (Heb. 5:12-14).
The final seven steps in Brother Marshall Keeble's illustration are found in 2 Pet. 1:5-7 and are commonly referred to as the "Christian Graces."
"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Pet. 1:5-7; NKJV)
6.) Add to your faith, virtue.
7.) Add to your virtue, knowledge.
8.) Add to your knowledge, self-control.
9.) Add to your self-control, perseverance.
10.) Add to your perseverance, godliness.
11.) Add to your godliness, brotherly kindness.
12.) Add to your brotherly kindness, love.
The twelve steps...
In regards to the final step, add to your brotherly kindness, love --- Remember the words which Jesus spoke in John 13:34-35...
"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
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