The Six Foundation Teachings of Jesus Christ - Final

Foundations of Christianity
The Six Foundation Teachings

Of Jesus Christ
John Lemmon
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The Six Foundation Teachings of Jesus Christ by John Lemmon
Copyright © 2016 John Lemmon
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without
permission from the author/publisher, except as permitted by Australian copyright law. For
permissions contact the author at: jlemmon1153@gmail.com
Bible quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946,
1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9954324-3-7
DISCLAIMER
This work and the interpretation of the scriptures are based upon the knowledge and
experience of the author. The author is well aware that other people may have different
interpretations of the scripture. What is crucial to the understanding of this work and any work
based on scripture is, as the Bible states in Romans chapter 14 verse 5, "Let every one be fully
convinced in his own mind." It is the responsibility of each person to seek and find the way for
him or herself.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Foundations
What are the Foundations?
What Michael Jordan, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods know!
How does this relate to Christianity?
But how important really is it that you have a good foundation?
Jesus – the cornerstone of Christianity
But can you live in a house that is only at foundation stage?
Repentance
What are the beginnings of repentance?
What is repentance?
Why should I repent?
How does Repentance work?
A personal experience of God's protection
Do I have to do anything else?
A final warning.
Faith toward God
What is Faith?
But don't I have to do good too?
Righteousness by faith
What should you believe?
Freedom from sin and the law
How does it work?
Baptism in Water
Christian baptism
Do you have to be baptized in water?
Baptism and perfection
How are you baptized?
Is it necessary to remove the law?
Baptism in summary
Laying on of Hands
The importance of receiving the Holy Spirit
How do you receive the Holy Spirit?
Why receive the Holy Spirit?
Who is the Holy Spirit?
What is the work of the Holy Spirit?
Walking in the Spirit
You are at war!
What is walking in the Spirit?
How do you walk in the Spirit?
What is speaking in tongues?
Why does walking in the Spirit and speaking in tongues work?
Resurrection of the Dead
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No resurrection, no Christianity
Atonement for sin
Resurrection is the key
But what is the resurrection?
The two resurrections
Eternal Judgment
The end game
Judgment in this time
The basis of judgment
The final judgment
The ultimate reward
In closing…
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Introduction
Can you build a house that will last without a solid foundation? Can you build anything at
all such as a marriage, friendship, business venture or even a society without a solid foundation?
The answer is clearly no.
Christianity is no different. To grow in Christ and to become mature in the word of God
such that God's word is effective in your life requires that you must first have a solid foundation.
This eBook was written to identify and explain the six foundations of Jesus Christ as
defined in the Bible. Understanding these foundational teachings are essential to help any
Christian become solidly rooted and grounded in the words of God. Knowing and living these
foundations will establish you in Jesus Christ, so that the ongoing work of transformation in your
life can commence and work through to a conclusion in Jesus Christ.
The information in this eBook will open your eyes to the importance of understanding the
foundations of Christianity. There will be ideas and explanations of some teachings of
Christianity that many will not be familiar with. The teachings are not new, but the truth of the
message has been clouded or lost over the years. It is not until you get deep into a study of the
words of the Bible that the pieces of the puzzle start to come together. It is my hope that you will
see these things in a new light or that this eBook might open your eyes to something new that
will help you in your walk with Jesus Christ. Whatever you are seeking, I hope you will find this
eBook thought provoking and perhaps even a little challenging.
There are many ideas and opinions as to what constitutes the foundations of Christianity.
Different churches often have their own versions of what they believe to be the foundational
teachings and what they believe is important for their congregations to know.
But I have found that many of those teachings are not always based upon the truth of the
bible. Many are built on human traditions, misinterpretations and in some cases complete
fabrications that have no basis in the Bible. Some of these I will address as we go through the
pages that follow, where they cut across the words of the Bible.
What you will find in this eBook is what the Bible defines as the foundational teachings
of Christianity. I am sure you will agree that the Bible is the best and only place to start.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 6 verses 1 and 2 the writer clearly identifies the
foundation teachings of Christianity. All of these will be discussed in order, and I have added a
couple extra sections to provide a deeper explanation of why we need foundations and also to
open up some of the teachings a little more, explaining how to use that particular foundational
teaching.
As you read this book you may still have unresolved questions or find some things still
unclear. Please note them down and feel free to contact the author. My aim is to make this
understandable, but I am also aware that different people often understand things differently to
others. Thus, if more explanation is needed, I am more than happy to offer it. You can contact
me by email at john@freegiftfromgod.com or on Twitter using my Twitter handle,
@JohnBLemmon.
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Please enjoy this eBook and feel free to pass it on to your friends and associates.
If you are thirsting for still more teaching, I highly recommend you come across to my
website to check out my blog at http://freegiftfromgod.com/blog/ and join my email newsletter
list. At the time of writing this eBook there are close to 1,000 blog posts and articles on my
website and blog combined, and I post new material regularly.
It is important that you read this eBook side by side with your Bible. Check the scriptures
I have quoted in your own Bible because sometimes it can make more sense when you read the
translation you are used to reading. All scriptures quoted in this work are from the Revised
Standard Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted, but it is important you are comfortable
that what is said matches your own version. So I encourage you to do a side-by-side comparison
of the scripture references, especially if I quote a bible reference without actually quoting the
verse in the text.
In case you are not used to the way I reference scripture, if I reference a verse it will
appear as, for example: Hebrews 6:1-2, which should be read as Hebrews chapter 6 verses 1 and
2. This method of referencing scripture is quite common, but just in case you are unfamiliar with
it, I thought it would be useful to provide this explanation.
And now to the subject at hand…the Foundations of Christianity.
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Foundations
"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11)
When a builder or a construction company erects a house, it is crucial that the
foundations are strong and solid. If they aren't the whole structure will come tumbling down the
first time it is put under stress.
To use a fairy tale example that happens to illustrate this point quite well, just look what
happened to the houses of straw and sticks in the children's story of the Three Little Pigs. One
puff of wind from a blowhard wolf and the two houses collapsed.
But not so with the house of bricks, because it had a foundation and easily withstood the
huffing and puffing of the big bad wolf.
From a Christian perspective it's no different. If you lack a solid foundation in Jesus
Christ, you too will fall when you come under stress from the evil one. You need a solid
foundation to achieve a place of stability in Christ Jesus so that you,
"…may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles." (Ephesians
4:14)
Progressing in the teachings of Jesus Christ as a new creation is like the growth of a
child. A newborn child goes through the stages of crawling, standing, first steps, walking and
running. Likewise, a new Christian goes through a similar growth process. If we look in Hebrews
5:11-14 you will see that as babes in Christ,
"…you need milk not solid food."
The Apostle Peter also said you should,
"…long for the pure spiritual milk…" (1 Peter 2:2).
Studying and understanding the foundations of Christianity is the pure spiritual milk that
newborn Christians need so that they can learn to stand and walk properly in Jesus Christ. We
need to crawl before we walk, and understanding the foundations will prepare us to be able to
walk in the strength of the gospel of Jesus Christ as we seek salvation.
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What are the Foundations?

The "pure spiritual milk" mentioned above are the foundation teachings identified in
Hebrews 6:1-2 which says,
"Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about
Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith
toward God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment" (Hebrews 6:1-2 NRSV)
When the writer of Hebrews put these words down, he was suggesting they move on
from these foundational teachings, as there is a need to grow beyond them. We need to move on
to the teachings that will lead to perfection in Jesus Christ too, but before we can go there, it is
essential the foundations be in place.
The writer of Hebrews knew that his audience understood, or should have understood all
of these things already. But it is not possible to go on to perfection if the foundation teachings
are not in place. With the multitude of strange and diverse teachings in Christianity today, it is
important every Christian understands the foundations that are laid down in the bible.
There are many things taught in the name of Christianity that are not part of the truth of
the gospel. So it is important that by understanding the foundations we learn how to distinguish
the good from the bad.
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What Michael Jordan, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods know!

Just for a moment, think about the best athletes in the world today. While writing this
eBook, three athletes who stand out in their respective sports are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods
and Roger Federer. At the time you read this, they may have retired and moved on, so in their
place think about whoever comes to mind who is at the peak of sporting prowess.
These three stand out first and foremost because they understand and are experts in the
foundational, basic skills of their games.
They each spent countless hours on the training fields of their chosen sports learning,
drilling and honing the foundation skills. They don't even think about the basic skills when they
play any more, but they continue to practice those same foundations to improve their skills so
they can perform them with absolute precision.
The reason they continue to practice the foundation skills is so that when they are in those
difficult positions that come up during game times, they effortlessly find a way to achieve what
the rest of us can only dream about. They are able to do this because they have drilled their
bodies and minds in the basic skills to near perfection so that their superlative foundational skills
just seem to happen as if on autopilot.
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How does this relate to Christianity?

As Christians, we too need to be able to recall the foundation teachings of Christianity to
be able to "…withstand in the evil day," (Ephesians 6:13).
We need to have the foundations as deeply ingrained into our life as these star athletes
have their basic skills ingrained. When the Christian foundations are a deeply rooted part of our
life, we will be unerringly directed and guided by the truth of the word. Without the foundations
that allow you to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, how can you move
forward? And how will you be able to withstand the pressures and stresses that come against you
in your daily walk with God?
Thanks be to Christ who has provided His words in the Bible so that you and I may learn
these foundations. You will find in Ephesians 4:11-16 that he gave the church gifts. His gifts
were that some should become apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and
teachers to equip Christians so they would become mature in Christ. But before we can stand
mature and grow as a Christian it is essential that you build on a strong foundation. If we try
standing without a foundation, it is like trying to stand on weak and shifting sands. We will
certainly fall when the storms of life come against us because we have no foundation.
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But how important really is it that you have a good

foundation?
The example below provides a good answer to this question from the Bible, and you may
want to take a moment to read and consider it before continuing.
The importance of a good foundation:

In Matthew 7:24-26 Jesus provides an example of the importance of a solid
foundation. Here he likens those who listen to and do the teachings that He gives, to a
builder who lays a solid foundation upon bedrock. In times of storms with strong
winds and flooding rains, that house is not moved because it has a strong foundation.
But the builder who builds on sand, without a solid foundation, will lose everything
under the same stormy conditions because the house has no foundation to anchor it
and hold it in place.
We are all the same as these two types of houses. When you dig deep into the word of
God to learn and put it into practice in your life, you are building a strong foundation
that is built on the Rock of Christ. That is, you both listen and do the words of Christ
as he taught us. However if you treat your Christianity as merely a social activity and
do nothing about applying the words you hear, then you will not have the foundation
of Christ as a solid anchor. When times of trouble strike and when you go through the
storms of life, you will collapse for lack of His foundation.
In this example you can see that a house built without a solid foundation falls when
storms hit. The "house" Jesus is talking about is you and I, and the same is true for us when we
go through adversity. If we have a solid foundation built on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we will
come through unharmed because His words guide our thoughts and actions. But where there is
no foundation or the foundation is as weak as shifting sands, then we will suffer harm.
So what do you do?
It's not enough that you only hear the words of God. You also must DO them to establish
the solid foundation.
This is the key from the scripture in Matthew 7:24-26, to both hear AND do the word of
God. If you both hear and do the word of God you will be solidly grounded. When the storms of
life or temptations come against you, you will not be moved because you have a solid
foundation. The solid foundation provides an anchor for your life in Christ Jesus and He will
guide you through the storms of life.
If you hear only, you will suffer loss when under pressure, as you will have no
foundation. When you apply and do the teachings of Christ, you build up understanding and
resilience through trial, error and practice, just like an elite athlete. This is why you must be a
"practicing" Christian so that you are trained through having a firm foundation on the Rock of
Christ to be able to stand when you are tested by adversity.
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Jesus – the cornerstone of Christianity

My father was a builder and many times when I was younger I helped him lay out the
foundations of the houses he was building.
I learned from him that when stones or bricks are laid in a house they always start at a
corner. This cornerstone is the most important stone or brick that is laid. It is critical that the
cornerstone be placed in the right position, because once the cornerstone is laid, the position of
every other brick in the house is set. If it is in the wrong place, then every other brick will be
wrong. That's why the cornerstone is critical to building a house.
In 1 Peter 2:6-8 we are told that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christianity. It is from
Him and through Him that the New Covenant commenced and in it He laid the foundation
teachings and set the standards for our life in Him when he walked the earth.
As Christians we are like buildings with Christ as the cornerstone. Just like a house, our
foundation must start with Him because He is the cornerstone.
This principle is again emphasized in Ephesians 2:19-22 showing that Christ Jesus is the
cornerstone, with the apostles and prophets laying the foundation of the teachings of the New
Covenant in Christ. As you grow in Him you are built into His spiritual dwelling place as part of
the spiritual temple of God.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the
whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in
whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians
2:19-22)
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But can you live in a house that is only at foundation stage?

The obvious answer is, of course you can't. And as Christians we too must progress
beyond the foundation.
Once a foundation has been laid, more work is required to complete the work of building
us into the house of God. But if your foundation is no good, the building (you) will not be able to
stand. (Remember the houses of straw and sticks?) I am not going into the further teachings as
this eBook is focused on the foundation teachings. Suffice it to say though, that this is just the
beginning, not the end state.
The quality of a house (you) built on a good foundation can vary greatly depending on
the skill and ability of the builder. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 we see there is only one true
foundation: Christ Jesus (vs. 11). But we also see there are varying qualities of building upon
that foundation.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a
foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he
builds upon it. 11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each man's work will become manifest; for the
Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what
sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the
foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he
will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1
Corinthians 3:10-15)
The Apostle Paul speaks of the quality of a building built on the foundation of Jesus
Christ in terms of, "…gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw…" There are many
religions, cults and philosophies in this world that are not founded on Jesus Christ. The Bible
tells us here that religions and philosophies that are not founded on Christ will not give provide
strength and stability in the face of adversity, because Jesus Christ is the only true foundation.
The quality of the buildings described by Paul in the verse above is also quite interesting.
The building materials he mentions refer to the quality of teaching you receive and act upon after
coming to Jesus. If you follow a lower quality teaching, (wood, hay, straw), Paul says you could
suffer loss as a consequence. You may still be saved because your foundation is built on Jesus
Christ, but even so, your building will be tested by fire. And it goes without saying that fire will
burn wood, hay and straw much more easily then gold, silver or precious stones.
It is important that by the ongoing study of the word of God and seeking Him in prayer,
you strive for the "gold" building. Gold and silver too, will not only be unharmed by the fires of
adversity, but will actually be refined and strengthened in the same way that gold and silver are
purified by fire.
Laying a foundation is just the beginning. There is a cost associated with living the
Christian life, just as there is a cost to build a house (Luke 14:28-30).
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Are you prepared to accept the cost? The good news is that if you are prepared to pay the
price you will soon find the benefits of life in Christ far outweigh anything that the world may
offer. You will find victory over the problems sent to test and try you as you walk in Christ
Jesus. Make no mistake; there will be trials and tribulations as a Christian because you are
standing against the things of this world. But don't think for one moment you would be better off
not being a Christian. The world will suffer as much and more than Christians suffer, and they
have no loving God and Savior to call upon for help in their hour of need.
So it is far, far better to be a Christian than not. And if we are to follow Jesus Christ, we
need to build our life with Him on His solid and stable foundations. Now, let us move on to the
first of the actual foundation teachings: repentance.
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Repentance
"I have come not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32)
"Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." (Luke 15:7)
"The Kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15)
You must "begin at the beginning" so the saying goes, so the first of the foundation
teachings to consider from Hebrews 6:1-2 is "repentance from dead works." The scriptures above
give us some indication about the need and value of repentance. It is indeed the beginning point
for those who come to Christ.
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What are the beginnings of repentance?

From a timing perspective, this is the starting place for all when they first come to Christ
after that first grain of faith that brings them to God.
When a person comes to Christ they must first recognize they are a sinner who needs to
turn from their old, sinful ways to be saved by Christ Jesus.
This principle is much the same as that for many people who struggle with addictions or
destructive weaknesses that tear them down. If you consider Alcoholics Anonymous as an
example and their Twelve Step Program, the first step an alcoholic must take is admitting they
have a problem and are in need of a solution.
Repentance is no different. Repentance is about turning away from your old sinful ways
to begin a new life with Christ, and like Alcoholics Anonymous, it is just the starting point.
If we look at the beginning of the ministries of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, we
find they both began their work with a call for repentance. John the Baptist's work and life
mission was to prepare the way for the Lord. When he first began preaching he said,
"Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand" (Matthew 3:1-12).
Jesus also began his ministry saying these same words, which you can read in Matthew
4:12-17.
John baptized people in water as a sign of their repentance, telling the people to renounce
their sins, to turn and change their ways, to bear fruit that befits repentance (that is, to do good)
and to follow the one who was to come after John, that is, Jesus.
As a side note, the baptism of repentance taught by John is somewhat different to
Christian baptism that commenced after Jesus died and was resurrected. Under the New
Covenant we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whereas John the
Baptist baptized the people for repentance. This will be covered in more detail when we get to
the foundation teaching on baptism.
If you have come to a place of repentance you are now called to perform deeds worthy of
being repentant and to reject the sinful ways of the past.
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus,
then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their
repentance. (Acts 26:19-20).
If you have not come to the place of repentance yet, it is important that you repent to
begin your new life in Christ. Seek the Lord in prayer and ask for His mercy, compassion and
forgiveness for all the things you have done in your sinful past, and He has promised forgiveness
to those who genuinely ask it.
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What is repentance?
In Acts 3:19-21, Peter told the people to repent and turn around that their sins may be
blotted out.
To repent is to go to the Lord recognizing that you have done wrong and to ask His
forgiveness. Beyond that simple action repentance is the desire to live your life in accordance
with Christ's word and to shun the evil of this world.
The actual word "repent" is translated from the Greek word "metanoia," which means
literally to "change your mind." What it refers to is the need to change the way you think. This is
the change of mind that we are seeking as we repent. The change of mind we seek is to turn our
mind and our thoughts away from sin and the sinful passions of this world, and to focus instead
on those things that will bear good fruit.
Pretty simple don't you think? As you study the Bible you will find that everything is
quite simple and straightforward. The Lord did not make any of His teachings complex; it is only
man who complicates them. The Bible CAN be understood by anyone who truly seeks to
understand it, and God has promised to open up His words to those who seek. God meant for His
covenant to be understandable so that it would be accessible to all mankind. You don't need
degrees in theology or philosophy, and you don't need to go to bible school to understand God's
word. God has promised to open His word to any and all that will look.
Sometimes a good way to test if something is from the Lord or not is to look at how
complex it is. If you cannot understand it, it may not be from the Lord. It is Satan who
complicates things to hide the truth with his lies. The Lord tells you to ask and His promise is
that what you ask for will be revealed.
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to
you." (Matthew 7:7).
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Why should I repent?

Many people think that they are living OK, and so they may wonder why there is any
need to repent at all. The following example from the Bible is one good reason why repentance is
worthwhile.
The reward for your repentance is…life, as you will see in the example of repentance in
Ezekiel 18:19-25.
19 "Yet you say, 'Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?' When
the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my
statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer
for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the
righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked
shall be upon himself. 21 "But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he
has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall
surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed
shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall
live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not
rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous man turns
away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable
things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he
has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he
has committed, he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:19-25)
When a person turns away from their evil ways where their life was filled with sin, and
they seek the forgiveness that comes from God through repentance, then God will honor their
desire and forgive them. God will not reject anyone who is truly repentant from the heart and
who seeks to live a better life in line with God's will.
We also see that the Lord and all the angels of heaven take great pleasure over a single
person who repents (Luke 15:1-10 – see below).
The process of Repentance is a source of great joy:

Jesus gave three parable teachings in Luke 15:1-10, all of which indicated that there
is great joy in heaven whenever a person repents. These are the parables of the lost
sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son.
In each case the Lord shows that the person in the parable is in a lost state. In the
first two parables, Jesus shows that there is a search and a seeking for the lost
individual. In the third parable, there is a recognition of this "lost-ness" in the
individual and a desire to repent and make things right. Finally, when the person is
found and turns from their sinful ways to God, there is great rejoicing.
The scripture says there is, "...joy before the angels of God over one sinner who
repents", and, "...there will be more joy over one sinner who repents than over ninety-
nine persons who need no repentance." The basis and underlying reasons for such joy
is found at the end of the chapter saying, "It was fitting to make merry and be glad,
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for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found."
It is not the Lord's desire that anyone should perish, but rather that all should reach
repentance and come to him (2 Peter 3:9). God will honor the desires of anyone who comes to
Him in repentance and will forgive their sins so that they can move forward in Christ Jesus.
And that is the point of repentance. Repentance is not the end, but the beginning of the
process. It is the first step by which we seek God and His forgiveness, so that He can show us
His mercy and grace, and reveal to us the rest of the blessings and promises that come through
Jesus Christ.
Understanding these verses should give you encouragement and hope, and there will be
times when you will need both as you continue to walk with Christ.
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How does Repentance work?

Repentance is not a one-time action. Every time you go astray, (and the Lord knows you
will mess up from time to time), you will need the hope and encouragement that comes through
repenting before the Lord. Even in your daily dealings with your family, business associates and
other people, when you fall short or make a mistake it is an act of repentance when you say, "I'm
sorry" which then leads to forgiveness.
It is the same when we stand before God. As Christians when we mess up and recognize
that we have messed up, we suffer grief. But the grief we suffer is different to the grief that the
people of the world suffer when they have similar issues.
Ours is a "godly grief" and the essence of this godly grief is the desire to set things aright.
Paul describes it like this.
9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into
repenting; for you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For
godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but
worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has
produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm,
what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves
guiltless in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:9-11)
See how this godly grief works to lead people to repent and to set things right? The
earnestness it produces in a person drives them to want to make things right. And when we
repent before the Lord and we set right those things we can fix with other people, the Lord
honors our repentance and forgives us.
There is also a great protection given as a gift for our repentance, which is not given to
the unrepentant. We see this in the following scripture.
1 There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose
blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you
think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because
they suffered thus? 3 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo'am fell and killed them, do you think
that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell
you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-5)
These scriptures show us that a number of people died in different disasters. Jesus
observed that these people were no worse than any others at that time, but He made the point that
anyone who did not repent would likewise perish. The people who died just happened to be in
the wrong place at the wrong time.
Do you want this kind of protection? To be taken out of harm's way before disaster
strikes or to be protected during times of disaster? Then follow Jesus' teaching of repentance.
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A personal experience of God's protection

Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying you won't have accidents and other painful
issues. But you will be protected, and I say this from experience. The following is a personal
example from my own life where I saw God's protection even though I suffered injury.
My wife and I suffered a very serious accident many years ago when a large tree fell on
us while camping, just like the tower that fell on those people described in Luke 13:1-5. But
unlike them we were protected. We did not die nor suffer any long-term consequences even
though we both suffered some significant injuries. Looking back we could see the hand of the
Lord with us that night as we set up camp because although we are seasoned campers, on that
night we did many things differently for "no apparent" reason.
Had we set up camp in our normal manner, either our children or ourselves would have
been killed that night. As it was the children were unharmed and although my wife and I were
injured, we came through the ordeal with no lasting effects. If you want, you can check the
details and my testimony regarding this event on my website at this link.
I believe this is the kind of protection those who are repentant and who follow Jesus
Christ receive that the rest of the world do not have.
22
Do I have to do anything else?

In the same way that Christians have repented and sought forgiveness from God, He also
expects us to forgive others who sin against us when they repent of their sins against us. You will
see this in Luke 17:3-4 and also in Matthew 18:21-22.
3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive
him; 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times,
and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say
to you seven times, but seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22)
God has forgiven you so you also must forgive when asked by those who have sinned
against you. And just as God forgives us many, many times when we turn to Him for repentance,
so too we must forgive those who sin against us when they ask for forgiveness.
You can also see in Romans 2:1-11 that God's kindness was meant to lead us to
repentance, not as a one-time act, but as an ongoing way of life.
Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans
2:4)
Yes, you will make mistakes as you continue in your daily ongoing walk in Christ Jesus.
But God in his great mercy and grace has provided for your mistakes in advance by giving you
His forgiveness. If you unwittingly make a mistake after coming to Christ, and then recognize
your error, you exhibit a "godly grief" producing repentance and leading you to salvation through
the desire to clear yourself.
You have been called to repentance so don't fail to make the change and live rightly.
Also because you now have some insight into God's forgiveness and the processes of
repentance, do not use the teachings wrongfully. Whatever you do, don't think you can do acts of
evil or live wrongly, and then try to justify your actions on the basis that God has provided
forgiveness and freedom. To do this is licentiousness and you will be judged harshly for so
doing.
But as noted in the scripture above, "…God's kindness [grace] is meant to lead you to
repentance."
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A final warning.
Repentance is a serious issue and you should be warned about the failure to carry through
with repentance. I mentioned the issue of licentiousness above, but that is not the end of the
problems that can occur if you reject Christ Jesus after coming to Him.
In Hebrews 6:4-8 you will that see if you receive Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit,
only to then commit apostasy and turn back from the truth and to spurn Christ Jesus, then there is
no avenue to be restored to repentance. It is one thing to unwittingly make a mistake, but quite
another to commit apostasy and deliberately turn to evil.
Repentance, as the first of the foundation teachings, is one of the key teachings of the
Christian gospel.
When you are living in repentance you exhibit a number of Godly characteristics. When
you repent you show humility by recognizing your failures, you show a desire to change for
good and you show a willingness to subject yourself to the higher power of God in recognition of
His authority.
All of these are aspects of repentance and are essential to your walk with Christ. These
are also the necessary starting points and precursors to the other foundations of Christianity, the
next of which is faith toward God.
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Faith toward God

As we go through this next foundation teaching on faith toward God, you may come
across a number of teachings that are new to you. Be sure to check the verses mentioned in your
Bible as you read them, because from here on some things might be quite challenging the first
time you see them. If you are struggling with any of the teachings presented here, please feel free
to contact me at john@freegiftfromgod.com, especially if something is unclear and you would
like more information, or just to discuss these matters further.
Let's move on now to the second of the foundation teachings identified in Hebrews 6:1-
3…"faith toward God."
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What is Faith?
"The righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'He who
through faith is righteous shall live'" (Romans 1:16-17)
To state it as simply as possible, to have faith is to believe in something. The basis of
Christianity is faith, and the promise of faith is righteousness and life, as we see in the scripture
above.
However, many people find this a difficult issue to fully grasp and it becomes a
stumbling block for them. But you will find that faith, like all of God's teachings, is built on very
simple principles.
The difficulty many people struggle with, including some church leaders, is that you
cannot DO anything to receive salvation and life. Your Christian life and your salvation in Jesus
Christ is based on what you believe, as we see in Romans 9:30-33.
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have
attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued the
righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law. 32 Why?
Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. They
have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in
Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who
believes in him will not be put to shame." (Romans 9:30-33 my emphasis)
This is a well-known principle in the church, but not always followed. In some cases it is
the opposite of what some believers think and what some church leaders teach.
In this world the focus is on what you do, but in Christ it is what you believe. God set it
up this way because if Christianity and life were dependant on what you do, some people would
be disadvantaged as compared to others. Those who have money, skills or power would have
advantages over those who do not have those things, if salvation were based on what you do
rather than what you believe. If Christianity were based on doing things, it would not be
accessible to all people.
But Christ based our salvation and our life on faith, because this makes you, me and
everyone else in the world equal. We all have the same capacity to believe and have faith.
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But don't I have to do good too?

Of course it is necessary for you to do what is good, right and true. We are shown that
faith is completed by our actions or what we do, as James wrote.
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac
upon the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was
completed by works, 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of
God. (James 2:21-23)
Good works alone does not and will not make you acceptable to God. It doesn't matter if
you build cathedrals, schools for the under-privileged or donate millions to charity. If you don't
have faith these other things are unimportant. It is impossible for you to please God unless you
believe first that God exists, and second that He rewards you for seeking Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Most important in this message is that it's not about keeping the works of the law. Yes,
we are required to do right, and if we do what is right we will meet the requirements of the law.
But it's not because of the law that we do what is right. It's because we choose to serve God
through faith and thus do what is good. Our aim is not simple compliance to the law, but a deep
commitment to following Jesus and doing what is good, right and true to please God. If we do
this, then by nature we will keep the just requirements of the law anyway.
And there is much more than simply believing in the existence of God that we need to
understand about faith. The Bible tells us in James 2:19 that even the demons believe…and
shudder! So if you believe God exists, you have made a good start, but now you need to learn the
finer details of what faith toward God is all about.
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Righteousness by faith
"...not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" (Philippians 3:9)
"Abraham believed God, [had faith in God] and it was reckoned to him as
righteousness." (James 2:23)
In order to come into the presence of God you must be righteous as He is righteous. It is
this aspect of faith that is critical to all Christians.
All of mankind are born under the power of sin and are sinners. It is impossible for any of
us by our own power to become righteous as we see in Romans 3:10-23 "…all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God." That is why you and I need Christ, who died for our sins to set us
free from sin and was raised for our justification, that is, to become righteous by faith. This
principle was first shown in the example of Abraham in Genesis 15:1-26, which I have
paraphrased in the next paragraph.
God told Abraham that he would become the father of many nations and have
descendants as many as the stars in the sky or as the grains of sand by the sea. The bible says that
Abraham believed God despite the facts that he was about ninety years old and his wife Sarah
was about eighty years old and unable to conceive. Under these same conditions you or I would
probably struggle to accept what the Lord told Abraham. But Abraham believed God could
overcome all these apparent obstacles that you or I would deem impossible, and so God reckoned
or added Abraham's faith to him as righteousness.
Thus Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
(Galatians 3:6).
Abraham did not do anything to be proclaimed righteous; it was because he believed God
that he was made righteous.
Righteousness was given to Abraham based on what he believed, not what he did. The
completion of the promise to him did not come for about another ten years. However, Abraham
did not waiver in his faith or mistrust God, but he grew strong in his faith, believing that God
could and would do what he said (see Romans 4). It is important that you note here that Abraham
was given something quite specific to believe. When Abraham believed what God told him,
trusting by faith that God would do as He promised, God pronounced Abraham to be righteous.
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What should you believe?

When we come to Christ today, this same principle exists. We too, like Abraham, are
given something specific to believe so as to receive the free gift of righteousness and have
righteousness reckoned to us just like it was for Abraham.
However, what we are asked to believe and have faith in is quite different to what
Abraham was given to believe. The major similarity though, is that in both Abraham's and our
situation you and I are called to believe that God can and will do what He promised He would
do. What God asks us to believe to receive righteousness is quite simple.
You must believe that Christ died to set you free from your sins and He was resurrected
to give you a new life. You must believe you are justified (or made righteous) and set free from
your bondage to sin (Romans 4:23-25).
23 But the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, 24
but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the
dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our
justification. (Romans 4:23-25)
That's it! It really is as simple as that. The basis of faith that leads to salvation in Jesus
Christ is really that simple.
Through Christ's death we have died to our former sins and they have been taken away.
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
We are alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1-11).
"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Romans 6:11
We must also believe that by entering into Christ's death through baptism, we are
discharged from the law (Romans 7:1-6).
5 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at
work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are discharged from the
law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written
code but in the new life of the Spirit. (Romans 7:5-6)
And we now live a life in freedom; dead to the law that had held us captive to the power
of sin, because in Christ we have the victory over sin and the power of sin, which is the law.
55 "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" 56 The sting of death
is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
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Freedom from sin and the law

Discharged from the law? Dead to the law? What on earth am I saying here, you might
well ask!
You may not have seen these teachings before but I assure you this is what the Bible says
and as you continue through this eBook you will see how this works and more importantly, why
it is necessary.
You will find that the process God has put in place, like all things in the Bible, is very
simple. It is quite logical and works like this.
Whenever you sin you are breaking God's law because sin is the breaking of the law (1
John 3:4-10).
"Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4)
But when we are discharged from the law, and we are discharged from the law through
Jesus Christ as noted above in Romans 7:6, it is no longer possible for us to break the law
because we have been set free from the law. If you are set free from the law, you cannot break
the law and if you cannot break the law you cannot be convicted of sin. It's as simple as that.
Take away the law and sin no longer exists because sin is the breaking of the law, but where
there is no law there is no sin.
"For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression."
(Romans 4:15).
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How does it work?

The Apostle Paul likened this to the way that a woman is set free from the laws of
marriage through the death of her husband. The laws of marriage bind a woman to her husband
while HE lives. But if the husband dies, the woman is set free from the marriage laws and can
marry another man if she so wishes.
In the same way, we too are freed from the laws of God through the death of Christ Jesus.
(Romans 7:1-6)
We are born under law, but the law is binding on us only while we live. Christ died for us
and by God's grace we are able to take the death of Christ Jesus as if it were our own when we
are baptized into Jesus Christ, and so be set free from the law. We die through Christ Jesus and
are set free from the law.
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might
walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we
shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old
self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might
no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:3-
7)
And we see also at the start of Romans 7, that because we have died with Christ, we are
no longer under the law because the law is only binding on those people who are alive.
Do you not know, brethren--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the
law is binding on a person only during his life? (Romans 7:1)
The law does not bind a dead person because when a person dies, that is when they pay
the debt for sin. Death is the penalty we pay for sin. But when we die through baptism and
believe through faith that we have died with Christ, which God accepts as being our REAL
death, we are set free from the law. In Jesus' death He takes our place, dying for us and so
releasing us from sin and the law.
These last few paragraphs show "what" it is that you are called to believe. They detail
what it is we must believe to receive righteousness by faith and this is the basis of our
righteousness by faith. As I mentioned earlier, Abraham was given something specific to believe
to receive righteousness, and so too have we been given something specific to believe.
Now as for "how" this all works, the description below may help to explain it a little
better using a modern example. When we get to the section on baptism, the "how" of all this will
be covered in more detail.
How does faith set you free from the law?

To use a modern example, consider a person who goes to a motor racing track. As the
person is driving to the track they are confined under the traffic code, which specifies
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a maximum speed limit, and if they break that speed limit they suffer the
consequences of their actions by being fined and/or losing their drivers license.
However when that same person goes through the gate or the door on to the
racetrack, they are no longer bound by the maximum speed limit and are free to drive
as fast as they like without suffering penalties under the law.
This same principle applies for the Christian who comes to God through Jesus Christ.
In the same way that you are set free from the traffic code by entering through the
racetrack gate, Jesus Christ is the "gate" or the "door" through which we enter to be
set free from the law of sin and death.
Indeed in John 10:9 Jesus states plainly that he is the door by which we enter and are
saved. So let us enter and have faith that we are set free.
So if you are set free from the law, it is important now that you no longer consider
yourself to be a sinner, but rather believe wholeheartedly that you are dead to sin and alive to
God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). The key here is faith. You must believe and have faith in the
words of God that He has accepted your entry into Christ Jesus' death through faith. He now sees
you as having died, and if you have died, you are no longer under the law but are set free to
belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 7:4).
There is much more to say about this subject to explain how it works, which you will see
in the next chapter when we cover water baptism. You will find that water baptism and what it
truly represents is core to understanding how righteousness by faith works. So if you are ready,
let's move on to the next of the foundation teachings found in Hebrews 6:1-3, which is baptism.
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Baptism in Water
The third of the foundation teachings identified in Hebrews 6:1-2 is baptism.
There are many differing views on baptism among the churches. Some churches teach
about baptism in water, baptism for repentance, infant baptism, believer's baptism, no need for
baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In this section we will look into some of these issues, specifically as they relate to water
baptism and what the bible has to say. Along the way we will debunk a few myths and incorrect
teachings about baptism. We will get to baptism in the Holy Spirit when we cover the next
foundation teaching.
The truth of baptism in water has been lost in the confusion of the many differing ideas
and views. It is one of the most important of the foundation teachings, and thus it is critical that
we distill the truth from the myths and false teachings that have infiltrated the church. There is a
power in baptism that has been overlooked or lost. My hope is that you will see how powerful
baptism is and how critical it is for all Christians to be baptized correctly.
Water baptism is one of the most important but least understood of the Christian rites.
The true purpose and meaning of baptism has been clouded because of the acceptance of
practices that have no biblical foundation. Some such practices include infant baptism and the
use of baptism as a kind of initiation into a church. These practices have hidden the truth of
baptism and its significance for the Christian. Consider the importance of baptism as noted in
Jesus' own example when He came to be baptized.
"John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you
come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to
fulfill all righteousness."" Matt 3:14-15
Note that if Jesus stated that to be baptized is essential to fulfill all righteousness, and let's
remember that He WAS righteous having never committed sin, then how much more important
is it for us to be baptized correctly.
There were in fact two quite distinct and different water baptisms and the difference
between them is seen in Acts 19:1-5. The segment below titled "The contrast of the two
baptisms" will give you some insight into the differences between the two. The first baptism as
preached by John the Baptist, was a baptism for repentance. Under John's baptism the person
being baptized renounced past sins and sought forgiveness from God.
The contrast of the two baptisms:

John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance, teaching the people to turn
away from their sins and lead a new life. The people were then baptized as a sign that
they were making a fresh start.
However when Jesus came, he introduced a new baptism being a baptism into His
death. The symbolism and teachings of Jesus' baptism is much greater. In this new
baptism we believe we have died with Christ and that God accepts this symbolic death
33
as if it were our real death. The reason why is so that God will forgive us our past sin
and set us free from the law. Why do this? Simply because when a person has died
they are no longer captive under the law as detailed elsewhere in this book.
If a person is set free from sin and also set free from the law, then through faith they
receive the free gift of righteousness. So we see the two baptisms are quite different.
The first recognizes our weaknesses and a desire to change, but the second extends
beyond that to lead us to freedom and strength.
Today the baptism we follow is baptism into Jesus Christ, which as you can see is much
more than John's baptism.
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Christian baptism
The second form of baptism, which is the one you will learn about here, shows baptism to
be a symbolic death with Christ (Romans 6:1-4).
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might
walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)
Through baptism you enter into Jesus' death to be set free not only from past sins, but to
be removed from the law so as to never sin again (Romans 7:1-6, Galatians 3:22-29).
23 Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until
faith should be revealed. 24 So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that
we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under
a custodian; 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:23-27)
Under the baptism into Jesus Christ's death and resurrection you are making an appeal to
God for a clean conscience through the taking away of sin; you are not just seeking repentance (1
Peter 3:18-22, John 1:29).
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19
in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey,
when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in
which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which
corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an
appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1
Peter 3:18-21)
If Christ's baptism were simply for repentance, there would have been no need for him to
die, because a baptism for repentance already existed under John the Baptist's ministry.
We need to also understand that it is also by the process of being baptized into the death
of Jesus Christ that we enter into the kingdom of God.
"Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."
(John 3:5)
This is a major difference between what is commonly taught regarding baptism and you
will do well to consider all these scriptures and this process for a moment. Without
understanding the true meaning of baptism you will struggle constantly believing that you are a
sinner and unable to break free from the shackles of sin. But in Christ Jesus, God has set you free
from sin and freed you from the law, and God accomplished this through the process of baptism
with faith.
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Breaking the law is sin, and to be created anew (or born again) ready to live your life
with Christ you must be completely free from sin as well as the law. Let me emphasize this point
once more. In baptism you have died with Christ and you are no longer a sinner because God has
removed and taken away your sins, and God has also taken the law away as well. Now if there is
no law, you cannot break it. And if you cannot break the law because you are no longer bound by
it, you no longer sin. All you have to do is have the faith to believe it.
Let me repeat that once more because it is CRITICAL that you understand this point.
Through baptism into Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, God has taken away your sin and set
you free from the law. And if these are removed, you are no longer a sinner. You are
righteous…through faith, and you MUST believe you are not a sinner but a son of the Father in
Jesus Christ. It is important to believe this, as you will see shortly.
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Do you have to be baptized in water?

Jesus showed in his own example that water baptism was required to be done by
everyone in order to fulfill all the requirements of righteousness (Matthew 3:11-17).
"John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you
come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to
fulfill all righteousness."" Matt 3:14-15
He showed us that if it was necessary for Him to be baptized, who had never sinned, then
we too should follow His example. No one can claim that they do not need to be baptized when
Jesus stated in Matthew 3:15, "…for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." If you
have not yet been baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you should seek
to do so as soon as possible. Baptism is necessary so that you too can "…fulfill all righteousness."
Baptism into Christ and believing by faith is how we are set free from sin and the law and
receive the free gift of righteousness.
When you are baptized in water you take on and enter into Jesus' death. As you go down
into the water you are buried with Christ, and as you are raised up from the water you are
resurrected with him and re-born as a new creation in Christ Jesus. In John 3:1-7 Jesus showed
that unless you are born anew of water and the Spirit you are unable to enter the Kingdom of
God. Baptism in water is a critical and fundamental key for our entry into God's kingdom.
"Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."
(John 3:5)
You are to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 19:5) and into His death for the
forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38).
However, the truth of baptism into Christ Jesus is that your sins are not simply forgiven,
but are taken away and removed from you (John 1:29). I ask that you take special note of this
point, as it is extremely important. If your sins have been taken away, then you no longer have
sin in your life and if you have no sin then you are righteous and perfect.
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Baptism and perfection

Now hold on a minute I hear you say. Perfect? How can that be possible? Surely nobody
is perfect except God alone!
Of course you are quite right, only God is truly perfect. But God has seen fit through the
faith based teachings of baptism to pronounce us righteous by faith. And if we are righteous as
God is righteous, we are perfect. If your sin has been taken away in Jesus Christ's death, then you
have no sin, and if you have no sin you are perfect. And we MUST be perfect as we are told
here:
"You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
Remember this is not your doing but is a faith based teaching for you now, "...must
consider yourselves dead to sin…" (Romans 6:11) since you have died with Christ through
baptism. And, if you are dead to sin, sin no longer has power over you. This matter is discussed
in detail in Romans 6:1-12 and I strongly recommend a detailed and prayerful study of these
scriptures.
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How are you baptized?

In baptism, you symbolically die with Christ and are raised to live a new life with him.
Since you symbolically die and are buried, true baptism requires full immersion in water.
All examples of baptism in the New Testament show that Jesus and others went "down" into the
water to be baptized (Mark 1:9-10, Acts 8:36-38).
This is evident in other scriptures also, which showed that "much water" was required to
baptize, again indicating the need for full immersion baptism. For example in John 3:22-23 you
can see that John was baptizing at Aenon because, "...there was much water there."
Again in Acts 10:47-48 when Peter commanded the people to be baptized after they had
received the Holy Spirit, it was evident that "much water" was needed and the people were
concerned as water was in short supply. If baptism required just running a cupful of water over
the head then "much water" would not be necessary.
So now through full immersion baptism you are "buried" with Christ and you have died
to sin by entering into Christ Jesus' death through faith. In addition, the bondage of the law has
been cancelled and Satan's power has been disarmed by the removal of sin and the law
(Colossians 2:8-15).
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Is it necessary to remove the law?

You may be asking yourself why is it necessary to be removed from the law? Isn't the law
good?
Yes, the law is good. It shows us the difference between what is right and wrong. There is
great wisdom in the law and if you ignore it you do so at your peril.
But the law also identifies sin for what it is and no person is capable of keeping the law.
The law stands constantly condemning people as sinners when they break it.
However, if you are truly following Christ and walking with Him, then in actual fact you
don't really need the law. If you do by nature what is right in God's sight, why do you need the
law to tell you it is right?
God removed the law through baptism so that He could step in and help to change our
nature. And God is transforming our nature to be like His nature and to always do what is right,
through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is a long journey that only begins at
baptism.
You see God gave up man to sin because all men sinned and fell short of His glory
(Romans 1:29, Romans 3:23). He said he would have nothing to do with sinners. So if He is to
step in and work with you and I, He had to find a way by which you and I would no longer be
sinners. He did this through Jesus' death and you enter that death by faith to receive His free gift
of righteousness.
All you have to do is to believe that you have been set free from the law and sin, and to
consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11-12). In just one
sentence this is the essence of the Christian faith.
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Baptism in summary
The essential aspect of water baptism is that it provides and opens the doorway for entry
into God's kingdom, and that doorway is Jesus Christ's death. You enter into his death and take
on His death and resurrection through faith; by believing He has set you free from sin and the
law in your water baptism.
I have touched briefly on the teachings of freedom in Christ but to do this subject justice
requires a deeper study. To help with this I highly recommend you carefully and prayerfully
study all of Galatians, along with Romans chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8. These cover many of the
teachings of baptism and a lot of the teachings on freedom.
For the present though, we will continue the teachings on the foundations of Christianity,
the next of which concerns the laying on of hands.
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Laying on of Hands
The fourth of the foundation teachings identified in Hebrews 6:1-2 is "…laying on of
hands..."
As you search the Bible scriptures you will find that there are several purposes for which
laying on of hands is performed. From a foundations perspective in this eBook, I am only going
to cover laying on hands for the purpose of receiving the Holy Spirit. But be aware that laying on
of hands was also used to appoint people to ministry roles, such as appointing apostles and elders
in the church, and it is also used for healing.
While those are important, they are not part of the foundational teachings. However,
laying on hands for the purpose of receiving the Holy Spirit is crucial to our walk with Christ,
and it is this purpose that is such an important foundation for our Christian walk.
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The importance of receiving the Holy Spirit

In the book of Joel, God promised to pour out His Holy Spirit on all mankind. Peter
refers to the prophecies of Joel when he makes the statement that the promise of the Holy Spirit
and the gifts of the spirit are open to all. (Acts 2:38-39)
"For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to you and to your children and to all that are
far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." (Acts 2:39)
We have seen already that John the Baptist came to bear witness to Jesus Christ and
prepare the way for Him. In John 1:32-34 he bore witness firstly that Jesus was the Son of God,
secondly that he received the Holy Spirit and thirdly that He came so that man could also be
receive the Holy Spirit.
32 And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it
remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with
water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is
the Son of God." (John 1:32-34)
Now why do you suppose that this was so important that the Lord ordained John to bear
witness to him over these matters? It was because you must receive the Holy Spirit to be able to
worship God in the Spirit. God is Spirit and he seeks us to worship Him in the Spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24) This is referred to in the Bible in some places as Walking in the Spirit.
Walking in the Spirit is not one of the foundation teachings, but it is important to
understand the fundamentals of it. To assist you to understand walking in the spirit better, it is
included as a separate section after this chapter.
After the resurrection of Jesus, He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem when they
would receive the promise of the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 1:4-8). This took place during the
feast of Pentecost.
Jesus told them at this time they would receive power to become the children of God
(John 1:12). It is by receiving the Holy Spirit and learning to walk by the Spirit that we receive
power to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Jesus Christ.
This power is still available to you, me and anyone else who comes to Him today seeking
to receive the Holy Spirit. As the scripture from Acts 2:38-39 quoted above says, the gift of the
Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues, is available to, "…you and to your children and to all
that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him."
We are those who are far off, in both distance and time. And if you believe you are also
among those who "the Lord our God calls to him," then you are also still able to receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit with the attending signs. Let me ask you this question, "Have you been called
by God?" If your answer is "Yes," (and it should be) then the gift of the Holy Spirit with all the
signs attending it, including speaking in tongues, is still being offered to you by God.
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How do you receive the Holy Spirit?

You can receive the Holy Spirit in one of two ways. The first method is that the Lord
may simply give the Spirit to you, as he did with the Apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and also
when the Gentiles first received the Spirit in Caesarea (Acts 10:44-48). In both of these cases the
Spirit was received accompanied with signs, specifically speaking in tongues (other languages)
and prophecy. Also at Pentecost there was the sound of rushing winds and fire resting on the
apostles.
Typically (though not necessarily always), the sign of tongues shows a person they have
received the Holy Spirit. If you look at John 3:5-8 Jesus made the point that it was the "sound" of
the Spirit, like the sound of the wind, that provided evidence of the Spirit's presence.
"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know
whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."
(John 3:8)
The second method by which you can receive the Holy Spirit is through the laying on of
hands with prayer to ask the Lord to give you the gift of the Spirit. It is this method that we are
most interested in as it relates to the foundation teachings.
Peter and John used this method when they were sent to Samaria by the church so that the
new disciples there could receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-21). This was also the method used
by Paul in the upper country of Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7) where he laid hands on a group of about
twelve disciples.
"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and
they spoke with tongues and prophesied" Acts 19:6
You should note these two verses in Acts 19:1-7 and Acts 8:14-21 well, as they clearly
show that the disciples who had been baptized did not automatically receive the Holy Spirit.
I am aware that some churches teach that people automatically receive the Holy Spirit
after being baptized. However, this is not what the Bible says and so this belief is incorrect.
Laying on of hands and prayer was necessary to complete the process by which the Spirit was
given.
Note also that in order to receive the Holy Spirit you need to ask God for this gift. This is
shown in Luke 11:13 where you are instructed to ask for the Holy Spirit and it will be given to
you.
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Why is it is necessary to receive the Holy Spirit? We see that, as with baptism, Jesus
received the Holy Spirit and it was only after He received the Holy Spirit that he received the
power to commence His ministry. The block below gives some more information on why it is
important to receive the Holy Spirit.

There are numerous reasons identified, but these few stand out.
First, God is spirit and seeks us to worship him in the Spirit. Second, because we are
flesh, we do not understand the things of the Spirit and cannot transform ourselves
into "spirit-mindedness". Thus the work of the Holy Spirit is to make this
transformation occur. Third, although we live in the physical world, we are waging a
spiritual war and we do not have the weapons of defense or attack to be able to win
the spiritual war without the power of the Holy Spirit.
Finally it is through the Spirit that we receive power to achieve all of these things as
well as the power to become the children of God. In the final analysis, all the gifts of
the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and miraculous works will pass away. (1
Corinthians 13:8) But it is the power to become the children of God through the
working of the Holy Spirit in us that is important. It is only as children of God that we
will receive the inheritance and the promise of eternal life.
In the same way it is through the Spirit that you will receive power to be transformed into
the image of God. This work of transformation within you is the work of the Holy Spirit (2
Corinthians 3:17-18) and much of the process revolves around your ability to walk in the Spirit.
If you don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, then walking in the Spirit is difficult at
best if not impossible. This will be covered in more depth in the next chapter.
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Who is the Holy Spirit?

There are many different opinions as to who or what the Holy Spirit is. Some teach that it
is a force, like the wind. Others say the Holy Spirit is God or the third person of the trinity, and
there are other descriptions of who or what the Holy Spirit is in different churches.
However, in the Bible we are given an answer to this question.
In Hebrews 1:7 the writer relates a prophecy from the Old Testament saying, "Of the
angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire."
Now if you have been following in your Bible you will recall in Acts chapter 2 that when
the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles at Pentecost, he appeared with the sound of rushing
winds and as tongues of fire resting on each of the apostles. This was the fulfillment of that
prophecy.
It was at Pentecost that God made the Holy Spirit come onto the disciples with the sounds
of rushing winds and with flames of fire. And what were the beings referred to in the prophecy?
They were angels.
You should also consider the work of the Holy Spirit, which is to minister to Christians
and transform them into God's image. In Hebrews 1:13-14 it says,
"But to what angel has he ever said, 'Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a
stool for thy feet'? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake
of those who are to obtain salvation?"
You and I are those who are being ministered to and we are the ones who are to obtain
salvation.
Based on this scriptural evidence you should be able to conclude that the Holy Spirit is an
angel.
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What is the work of the Holy Spirit?

In brief the work of the Holy Spirit is to be your indwelling Counselor within you (John
14:15-17). The Spirit is also your teacher to bring all things to your remembrance (John 14:25-
26). The Holy Spirit is your guide leading you into all truth as He has access to all that Jesus and
the Father have (John 16:13-15). Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to you from the Father and the Spirit
bears witness to Jesus in you (John 15:26-27). It is by the working of the Holy Spirit that we are
transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, who is the image of the Father. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed
into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord
who is the Spirit
The sum of all this should provide you enough compelling reasons as to why it is so
important that you receive the Holy Spirit. And this is before we even get into looking at what
the Spirit can do for you by walking in the Spirit. So let us now look at walking in the Spirit
before going on to the next of the foundation teachings.
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Walking in the Spirit

"Walking in the Spirit is the active application of our faith in Jesus Christ to
overcome in this world."
Faith is the key to your life of transformation and victory through Jesus Christ in the New
Covenant. Walking in the Spirit is the active application of your faith to achieve those ends. It is
the work of the Spirit to change you into the likeness of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) and
it is through Walking in the Spirit that this is achieved within you.
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You are at war!

When you walk in the Spirit you are able to fight and defeat the evil that comes against
you.
Make no mistake, when you become a Christian you are at war. But it is not war as this
world understands it. The war we are waging is against the evil spiritual realm and is not of this
world (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Since this war is not of this world, then the weapons of warfare
also are not of this world but are of divine power.
3 For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, 4 for the
weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take
every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
When you read the verse above you should note that the key to winning the spiritual war
is to be able to, "destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take
every thought captive to obey Christ." Walking in the Spirit is how you achieve this.
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What is walking in the Spirit?

"But I say walk by the Spirit and you do not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians
5:16)
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14)
"He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the just requirement of the law would be
fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
(Romans 8:3-4)
Galatians 5:16-26 shows us that if we walk by the Spirit we do not gratify the desires of
the flesh, which are opposed to the desires of the Spirit. It also tells us that those who belong to
Christ Jesus have put to death the passions and desires of the flesh, which is the outcome of
walking in the Spirit. In order to please God we must learn to worship Him in Spirit and truth
because God is Spirit (John 4:23-24).
Paul emphasized this again in Romans 8:3-9 where he shows us that the just requirement
of the law is fulfilled in those who walk according to the Spirit. This is not the same as "works of
law" but rather the fulfilling of the righteousness of the law. Paul further shows that to set your
mind on the flesh is death, but to set your mind on the Spirit is life and peace, and that the mind
set on the flesh cannot please God because it is hostile to God's way.
So you see, there is a recurring theme in all of these passages. All of them indicate that a
change must take place within each of us, led by the Holy Spirit, and that change is in the way
we think.
It is our thoughts, driven by our passions, lusts and desires that bring forth sin and death
(James 1:14-15). It is because of this that the writer of Hebrews says that sin "...clings so
closely..." and that we must lay it aside if we are to move forward in Christ (Hebrews 12:1).
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How do you walk in the Spirit?

You are called to, "...take every thought captive to obey Christ..." as mentioned above,
but how do you do this?
In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul shows us that we should think and set our minds upon whatever
is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent or worthy of praise. Thinking on these
things is the application of Walking in the Spirit.
So when you are being tempted, suffering, or your desires and emotions are running
amok… change your thinking by setting your mind on one of these things, and the "God of peace
will be with you" (Philippians 4:9).
Examples of what you can do in a practical sense include reading your bible, singing
spiritual songs, praying, praising and worshipping the Lord. All of these things will be of great
benefit, as they require you to think about something else other than the problem or issue that is
troubling you. They lead you to think on what is good, that is, on the things of the Lord, which
are the things of the Spirit.
And there is a still better way!
The apostle Peter tells us not to be surprised at the fiery ordeals which come upon us to
test us (1 Peter 4:12-13), and that we should expect trials and tribulations.
But sometimes when we are under attack we get so low that we will feel beaten and won't
have the energy to Walk in the Spirit in the ways mentioned above. Sometimes the attack is not
from within, but is direct opposition from the enemy. Sometimes, even when praying we just
don't know what to say to the Lord because we feel so low. Sometimes we wish someone would
just step in and take it all away.
I know about these things because I have experienced them all myself. So how do we
wage war when we are in these situations?
The answer is by speaking in tongues.
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What is speaking in tongues?

Now I know there are a great many people in the Church who do not exercise the gift of
tongues and it is not preached in their places of worship. I also know of some people who have
received the gift but do not fully understand its purpose. You may be in one of these categories,
so I urge you to read on as it may help you understand the power of this gift of the Spirit.
Remember, every gift given by the Lord to his people is good for us and has a real and definite
purpose. The Lord does not do anything without a purpose, and the gift of speaking in tongues is
no different.
There are many diverse and strange opinions about speaking in tongues, and room does
not permit me to address them all. For the purpose of this section though, you should understand
that tongues are one of the gifts of God and are as valid today as they were 2,000 years ago. In
fact Peter showed at Pentecost that this gift is offered to all who seek it. He said in his oration
after the early disciples first received the Holy Spirit with wind, fire, prophecies and tongues, the
following words.
38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off,
every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." (Acts 2:38-39)
Note that the offer of the gift of the Holy Spirit, with all the signs and gifts attending
receiving the Holy Spirit were promised to "…all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our
God calls to him." As I mentioned earlier, we are those who are far off and who have been called
by God. As you are reading this, I hope you will agree that YOU are one of those whom the Lord
our God has called to Himself. If so, then this promise is still offered and available to you. This
offer did not cease with the deaths of the people in the early church.
The Bible says that, "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever..." (Hebrews 13:8). It
also tells us "…the gifts and call of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29). Since this is true, then
tongues are here to be accepted and used today by any who seek this gift given by God.
Furthermore, Paul stated that he wanted all Christians to speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5)
and not to forbid speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39).
But just what exactly is speaking in tongues? In a nutshell it is the indwelling Holy Spirit
speaking to God on your behalf with your voice in a foreign language. This may be for the
purpose of prayer, praise and worship, or as spiritual warfare.
In Romans 8:13-17 you are told, "...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body
you will live," and, "...all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God." This section further says,
"When we cry 'Abba, Father' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are
children of God..." So you can see it is by the active working of the Holy Spirit, at your
instigation that you obtain the victory.
The Spirit will not take you over against your will, as you have not received a Spirit of
bondage (Romans 8:15, also 1 Corinthians 14:32). But when you submit yourself to God and
give your tongue over to the Spirit to speak in tongues for you, He is able to give you the victory
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on your behalf.
In Ephesians 6:13-18 you are instructed by Paul to, "…take the whole armor of God",
which includes the "sword of the Spirit". Now a sword is not just for defense, but is also a
weapon of attack, and you can see here the Spirit likened to such a weapon. It is actually the
word of God, that is, the knowledge in the Bible that is the sword of the Spirit. But without the
Holy Spirit there is no one to wield the sword. We need the Spirit to wield the sword of the Spirit
and so win the victory. And we are instructed in verse 18 of this section to "…pray at all times in
the Spirit…" (Ephesians 6:18) Speaking in tongues is this "prayer in the Spirit."
While it is quite possible for the Spirit to guide your mouths and give you words in your
native language, as occurs in prophesy to instruct others, when you speak in tongues it is the
Spirit speaking directly to God on your behalf. So when you are weak or under attack and don't
know what to pray; speak in tongues for the Spirit to intercede directly to God on your behalf
with "sighs too deep for words," as it says in Romans 8:26-27. When you speak in tongues, it is
the Spirit talking and praying to God on your behalf in the tongues of "...men and of angels..." (1
Corinthians 13:1).
An Example of Walking in the Spirit:

In Acts 16:19-40 we see Paul and Silas having been beaten and thrown into prison.
While they would have been forgiven for grumbling at their misfortune, they did not
complain but rather exercised their faith through Walking in the Spirit by prayer and
singing hymns to God. Furthermore the rest of the prisoners listened to them.
At around midnight, an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, the doors
were opened and everyone's fetters were unfastened. As a result, the jailer was about
to kill himself, believing the prisoners had escape. But Paul and Silas called out to
him and restrained his drastic action. Instead the jailer found God with his family,
Paul and Silas were fed and had their wounds cleaned and the following day left the
town with an apology from the leaders of the city.
One other value of speaking in tongues is that when you speak in tongues you are
spiritually up-built and edified. You become stronger and can overcome your problems,
weaknesses or the attacks of the enemy through handing your tongue over to the Spirit to speak
to God on your behalf (1 Corinthians 14:4-5). By doing this you also allow the peace of God to
descend upon you. I can testify personally that this works.
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Why does walking in the Spirit and speaking in tongues

work?
Why does this work? It works because you are humbling yourself under God's hand and
turning your problems over to Him through the Spirit. As soon as you commence speaking in
tongues when you are in a difficult situation, you are essentially saying, "Lord help me!" and
recognizing that He has the authority in all situations where you do not. This is humility and is
the essence of Walking in the Spirit.
The proud person on the other hand says, "I can do this myself!" and does not hand it
over to the Lord by walking in the Spirit.
Tongues are both a form of praise and a form of prayer, and by turning our tongue over to
the Spirit we are exercising our faith in God through Walking in the Spirit. We are setting our
minds on the things of the Spirit, and after all what better way is there to have the victory than to
use the power of the Spirit directly!
Finally there are the promises from God that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond
our strength but with the temptation will provide us with the way of escape that we may endure it
(1 Corinthians 10:13). The way of escape is through Walking in the Spirit as it is by this process
we hand the temptations or the problems over to Him to lead us through. And when we have
come through and endured the trials, God himself will, "...restore, establish and strengthen you."
(1 Peter 5:10).
What a marvelous promise to end with as we move to the next foundation teaching,
which is the Resurrection of the Dead.
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Resurrection of the Dead

The fifth of the foundation teachings identified in Hebrews 6:1-2 is, "the resurrection of
the dead."
No resurrection, no Christianity
"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26)
Resurrection of the dead is pivotal to the Christian faith.
We believe that Christ died and was resurrected, and through Him we have the hope of
entering a new life. Jesus said of himself that, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25-
26). We are called to believe, through baptism, that we have died and been buried with Christ as
we go down into the baptismal waters. We are also called to believe that as we are raised up out
of the water, we are resurrected with him and our new life is hidden with Him seated at the right
hand of the Father (Colossians 3:1-4, John 11:17-27).
The starting point of the apostle's ministry was to bear testimony to Jesus Christ's
resurrection, and you will see evidence of this in much of their early ministry (Acts 2:22-36, Acts
1:21-22, Acts 4:1-4, Acts 4:32- 33)."
"…one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." (Acts 1:22)
"33 And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." (Acts 4:33)
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Atonement for sin

"It [righteousness] will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the
dead Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our
justification." Romans 4:24-25
In Hebrews 9:22, we see that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
In order to atone for the sin of man there needed to be a perfect sacrifice.
Death is the outcome of sin (Romans 6:23). We die because we are born sinners and we
build up a debt of sin during our lives and death is the penalty or price we pay to clear that debt.
However, during his life on earth Jesus did not sin and so He was perfect. Yet He
suffered death like a sinner.
Because he was perfect He could not be held by death since the penalty was unjustified.
He was able to take his life again through resurrection and open the way for you and I to escape
our bondage to death. We symbolically take on his unwarranted death in our baptism (John
10:14-18). Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that was offered, so that the shedding of blood could
occur to take away our sins.
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Resurrection is the key

The apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15 that resurrection is taught as of first
importance. It is so important that if there were no resurrection of the dead, there would be no
Christianity.
Resurrection is the key to the New Covenant because without Christ's resurrection, we
would never be able to be freed from our sin.
The basis of what we believe through faith in our baptism into Christ's death is that as He
was resurrected from death into a new life with the Father, so too we will enter a new life with
God through Jesus' resurrection. Through baptism, we believe that we have died and been raised
with Him to walk a new life in the Spirit with God, fully believing that we are dead to sin and
alive to God (Romans 6:1-11). Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected so that we could
become righteous and so that we would become holy, first through faith by grace, and then as the
Holy Spirit works in us, through transformation into the image of Christ.
In this manner you die a physical body and are raised a spiritual body (Romans 4:24-25).
The apostle Paul considered his whole pre-Christian life to be worthless compared to
knowing Christ Jesus and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:1-11), and he hoped to be
part of the resurrection of the dead, as do we all.
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But what is the resurrection?

In the New Testament, the Sadducees wrongly believed that there is no resurrection.
Jesus upbraided them sternly for holding such a wrong belief. He further showed that God is God
of the living, not the dead, and that those who have passed away in the flesh are actually still
alive in the spirit (Luke 20:27-40, Matthew 22:23-33).
As for how the resurrection will occur, we are given some insight into this in Ezekiel 37.
I have paraphrased the process in the block quote below, but I recommend you read the section
in the Bible closely.
How the Resurrection of the Dead occurs:

In Ezekiel 37:1-14 the resurrection of the dead is described.
The prophet has a vision of a valley of dry bones and as he moved amongst the bones
the Lord said to him, "Can these bones live?" He was then told to prophesy to the
bones. He did as commanded and then heard a rattling as the bones began to come
together. As he continued, flesh and sinew and skin began to cover the bones but they
did not yet live.
He was then told to prophesy again to the breath, and as he did so breath came into
the bodies on the ground and they stood up on their feet.
This vision is an example of what we may expect the final resurrection might be like.
Of key significance is that it clearly shows that although the bodies have and can be
reconstructed physically, they do not live, and thus cannot stand up, until the breath
of the spirit comes into them. It is only when this occurs that they become living souls.
The New Testament in Revelation 20 shows us that there will be two separate
resurrections. The first will be the resurrection of the righteous into eternal life, and the second
will be the resurrection of the rest of the dead, both great and small for judgment. Our aim should
be to take part in the first resurrection, as that is far better.
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The two resurrections

At the return of Christ the first resurrection of those who died in Christ will occur and
they, along with the remaining Christian believers still living, will be caught up into the air to
meet Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This is commonly referred to as the Rapture. Can you
imagine the joy that you would experience in meeting Christ, the angels and those who have
gone before in this way! Words fail me to begin to describe the feeling I can only imagine you
would experience. It will be awesome!
Those who enter the first resurrection are greatly blessed. The second death, which is the
destruction of the spirit of man, will have no power over those who attain the first resurrection.
The second resurrection is at the final judgment when all people will be raised and judged
according to what they have done during their time on the earth (Revelation 20:4-15, John 5:28-
29).
This brings us to the last of the foundation teachings, which is Eternal Judgment.
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Eternal Judgment
The sixth and final of the foundation teachings identified in Hebrews 6:1-2 is "…eternal
judgment."
The end game

Man will be judged on the basis of three main things; His actions and behaviors in the
world, the words that he speaks and his faith in Jesus Christ
Eternal judgment is the final stage of the whole work of God's creation and is the ultimate
end of His plan for man. The primary purpose of your life in this world is to give you the
opportunity to make a decision whether to walk with God or to do the opposite. It is at the final
judgment that God will determine whether you have made the right decision and are able to
continue to live with Him.
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Judgment in this time

"For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in
well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for
those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be
wrath and fury." (Romans 2:6-8)
The Father has given all judgment to his Son, Jesus Christ (John 5:19-29). If you are a
Christian you have a great advantage, as it is possible for you to believe the Father and listen to
the Son and be able pass out of judgment directly into eternal life.
By this I mean you can become part of the first resurrection and escape final judgment
because you have already been judged in your lifetime and found to be worthy.
The Bible tells us that judgment begins with the people and household of God (1 Peter
4:12-19).
It is the hope of all Christians that they will be judged worthy to enter eternal life with the
Father in His kingdom. Matthew 25:31-46 shows us that mankind will be separated into two
groups. The people in the first group are those judged worthy to receive and enter into eternal
life, while the remainder are judged unworthy and will be sent to eternal destruction.
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The basis of judgment

Judgment will be broadly based upon your beliefs and behaviors in obedience to the
principles in the word of God. You should note also that on that final Day of Judgment, every
person would stand alone at the throne of God. So it is essential you find God's way for yourself,
as no one else will be able to save you or stand as advocate for you on that day.
Romans 2:1-11 shows that you will be judged by what you have done in this lifetime. In
the earlier foundation teachings you will recall that by faith you have been set free from sin and
the law through baptism into Christ Jesus. However this does not give you license to break the
law or behave wrongly, which is licentiousness.
The gift of freedom God gives you is meant to lead you to repentance, not to behave
wrongly. If you do not repent but deliberately continue to behave wrongly, you will be judged
the same as the rest of mankind and fail to receive eternal life (Jude 1:5-7).
If you do sin deliberately after having received the truth of Jesus Christ and the word of
God, and if you hold up your Christianity in contempt and turn from God to reject Jesus and
commit apostasy, then you are judged as a sinner. There will no longer be any sacrifice to
cleanse your sin but only the fearful prospect of judgment as advised in Hebrews 10:26-31.
On the final Day of Judgment, all people will be judged for every careless word they
speak (Matthew 12:33-37). So you must ensure you continue to speak and to act in accordance
with the teachings of Christ.
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The final judgment

The Judgment of God:
As Christians we believe and are told in the scriptures that it is appointed for a
person to be born, to live their lives, to die once and after that comes judgment
(Hebrews 9:27).
Thus we are given the opportunity only in this lifetime to make one decision; whether
we choose to live a life pleasing to God or whether we desire to turn away from him.
The whole point of life on this earth for mankind is to determine how he wants to live.
This life is merely an introductory phase to see what we will choose to be like and to
determine if we are worthy of going into eternal life with God.
Imagine what could be done and achieved if you were not limited by the wearing out
of the body and death! The possibilities are limitless, and this is the real promise on
offer to us. The ability to grow continuously in the presence of God, without the fear
of death, sin, sickness or any form of evil to stand in our way. This is the hope of
God's righteous judgment for us.
Revelation 20:1-15 provides us with details of the resurrection and judgments of man.
When the first resurrection occurs at the return of Christ, those who died in Christ are
raised to live with Him as priests on the earth. These people are blessed and the second death has
no power over them. The second death is when the spirit of man will be destroyed.
Christ will reign for a thousand years, after which the second resurrection occurs when all
people who ever lived will be raised and judged according to what they have done. Some will go
into eternal life and others will go into eternal destruction.
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The ultimate reward

After the final judgment, we will see the creation of the New Jerusalem where we will
live with God forever. The beauty and wonder of the new city is described in Revelation 21 and
we will live into eternity with God, Jesus Christ, the angels and his people in a world without
crime, disease or any form of evil. This is the ultimate reward for the Christian.
Although this subject can be quite a fearful topic for many people, we must remember
that God has the power to protect His people and rescue them from trial and persecution while
keeping ungodly people under punishment until the Day of Judgment (2 Peter 2:4-11).
God has not left us without hope and has not left us unprotected. He has provided many
weapons for defense and protection to enable Christians to wage the spiritual war, (Ephesians
6:10-17) so that we will gain the victory in Jesus Christ, and not fall into judgment.
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In closing…
This now concludes the teachings on the Six Foundations of Christianity as defined in
Hebrews 6:1-2.
There is a lot of information in these pages, but it is by no means all that could or should
be said about these topics. I stress also that this is not intended to replace a detailed and thorough
study of the scriptures regarding these matters. This is intended to point you in the right
direction, in the hope that you may gain some insights and see some of these topics with new
eyes.
As indicated in the introduction, the information in this eBook should be reviewed
against and with the scriptures. You should read ALL the indicated texts as you read through this
eBook. My aim here is to set you on the path of truth and to separate out the truth from error in
what is commonly taught in some places. It is important for your walk in Christ that you find the
straight and narrow path that leads to life and not blindly accept what is spoon-fed to many
Christians.
A recent survey by the Barna Group indicated that among those who profess to be
Christians, roughly fifty percent read the Bible less than once per month. And of those twelve
percent say they have never read the Bible at all.
How can a person claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ when they have never or rarely
read the book He provided for us to learn His ways? This issue is what concerns me most and in
this and other books I have written, my aim is to address this issue in the hope some may find the
path to salvation.
Finally, I must stress that this eBook is a study only of the foundation teachings of
Christianity. If you think about a house you will quickly realize that you cannot live in a house
that only consists of a foundation. You need the rest of the house built on the foundations to be
able to live in it safely, securely and comfortably. You need the rest of the house to have shelter
from storms and the elements.
It is the same in Christ. This book looks at foundations, but it is only the beginning. You
need to build on this foundation to create the rest of the building that you are to become. We are
told that we are being built into the house of God in the spirit and as such we need to be built up
in the spirit to be part of His house.
Paul tells us that there is one foundation and that is the foundation of Jesus Christ who is
the Rock and the cornerstone of the church. These six foundations are the prime teachings that
form the foundations upon that cornerstone of Jesus Christ. But the building that is or can be
built on the foundation can be good, bad or indifferent. Look at what Paul says here in 1
Corinthians 3:9-15.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 According
to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and
another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. 11
For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus
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Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw— 13 each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will
disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of
work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation
survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer
loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
What you build on the foundation will determine your standing and maturity in Christ.
If what you build is built on false teachings, poor information, the teachings of man
rather than God or teachings based on works of law, then you will be building your house of
wood, hay or straw. These "houses" will be burned up when the testing fires of life come against
them. They will burn because they have no substance to achieve victory in Jesus Christ.
But if you seek diligently for the truth, not blindly accepting whatever you are told by
any who are proclaimed to be leaders in the church without checking for yourself, then you will
be striving to build your house with materials that are not destroyed by the fires of life.
Better yet, when you strive for the building made of silver or gold, you will not only
survive the fires when they come, but will be strengthened by them. Just as fire refines and
purifies those precious metals, so too the fires of this life will purify you so that you learn and
grow and become rock solid in Jesus Christ, able to stand in the face of devastation and fight
back when tested by the devil.
So do not look at this as the end of the process, but just a beginning. Once you have the
foundations firmly in place, build the building, seek the truth and seek the Lord so that you strive
to build your building with teachings of gold.
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Should you wish to know more, or if you have any comments or questions about this
study or anything else, please feel free to email me at john@freegiftfromgod.com and also check
out the other resources on my website at freegiftfromgod.com, and my blog at
freegiftfromgod.com/blog/ and don't forget to go over to my blog and subscribe to my newsletter
to receive your free gift report (see below).
I encourage you to continue to study the Bible, to seek out the truth of the gospel, and to
find the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
May God bless you and keep you.
67
This free gift booklet can be downloaded when you come across to my website and
subscribe to my newsletter, which provides a wealth of information, resources and other things
from time to time. Grab your copy by signing up at freegiftfromgod.com/blog/
68

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Foundations of Christianity

The Six Foundation Teachings

The Six Foundation Teachings of Jesus Christ by John Lemmon

Copyright © 2016 John Lemmon

Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9954324-3-7

What are the Foundations?

What Michael Jordan, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods know!

How does this relate to Christianity?

But how important really is it that you have a good

The importance of a good foundation:

Jesus – the cornerstone of Christianity

But can you live in a house that is only at foundation stage?

What are the beginnings of repentance?

Why should I repent?

The process of Repentance is a source of great joy:

How does Repentance work?

A personal experience of God's protection

Do I have to do anything else?

Faith toward God

But don't I have to do good too?

What should you believe?

Freedom from sin and the law

How does it work?

How does faith set you free from the law?

The contrast of the two baptisms:

Do you have to be baptized in water?

Baptism and perfection

How are you baptized?

Is it necessary to remove the law?

The importance of receiving the Holy Spirit

How do you receive the Holy Spirit?

Why receive the Holy Spirit?

Why receive the Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

What is the work of the Holy Spirit?

Walking in the Spirit

You are at war!

What is walking in the Spirit?

How do you walk in the Spirit?

What is speaking in tongues?

An Example of Walking in the Spirit:

Why does walking in the Spirit and speaking in tongues

Resurrection of the Dead

Atonement for sin

Resurrection is the key

But what is the resurrection?

How the Resurrection of the Dead occurs:

The two resurrections

The end game

Judgment in this time

The basis of judgment

The final judgment

The ultimate reward

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