The Devil's Knock Off

Do you know what the most popular brand of knock is?........... It is FAFO and it is manufactured by satan himself.

Faith Alone Faith Only looks like a waterless improvement of the real thing but unfortunately it doesn’t give birth to the spiritual man.

Those that hold FAFO will say things like:

Nowhere in the Bible is immersion into water commanded.

That water refers to amniotic fluid.

Their hero, the thief on the cross wasn’t baptized.

Ignoring the messages found in:

The account of John the Baptist

The account of Cornelius

The account of the Eunuch

The account of the Disciples in Ephesus

Not discerning the difference between the old and new covenants

Let’s look at John:

John 1:19-34 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny; and this is what he confessed: “I am not the [a]Christ.” 21 And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING [b]OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE THE WAY OF THE LORD STRAIGHT,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

In the religious world we hear about many different paths even being told that they all lead to heaven. But that’s not what the Bible says! If John is making the way straight, that renders all other ways crooked, false and counterfeit!

24 And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the [c]Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize [d]in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people.

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘After me is coming a Man who has proved to be [e]my superior, because He existed before me.’ 31 And I did not recognize [f]Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing [g]in water.” 32 And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 And I did not recognize [h]Him, but He who sent me to baptize [i]in water said to me,

(this is but one place where baptism in water was commanded by God)

‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes [j]in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the [k]Son of God.”

Let’s look at Nicodemus:

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, is aware of John's baptism but lacks a full comprehension of its meaning.

John 3:1-7 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to [a]Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these [b]signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born [c]again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus knows Nicodemus came to see Him to understand the water baptism of John and that’s the first thing He says to him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born [c]again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered,

Seems Nicodemus was thinking amniotic fluid too but Jesus corrects him.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.

In other words, the natural man is born of water and flesh, likewise the spiritual man is born of water and the Spirit, isn’t he?

7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born [d]again.

Let’s look at Cornelius a man born from amniotic fluid.

Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the [ae]message. 45 All the [af]Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Yet another command to baptize with water. I guess the water Jesus mentioned in John 3 isn’t amniotic fluid.

Let’s look at the Eunuch

Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[r] And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 And he ordered that the [s]chariot stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

If Faith Alone Faith Only is the correct message, How does the Eunuch know that he needs water? Isn’t this account an example of the Apostles obeying Mark 16:15:16

Mark 16:15-16 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned

Let’s look at the disciples

Acts 19:1-7Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.

They were disciples, students learning of Jesus much religious people that we have today.

2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.”

Paul ask them a basic question that a disciple ought to know if they were reborn.

3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?”

Paul could only ask this question if it was common knowledge that a water baptism is necessary to enter the Kingdom of God.

And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

Paul confirms that John’s baptism is the Gospel. Important because FAFO say that there was no such command to baptize and diminish John’s baptism although Jesus confirms it by saying TRULY he baptized.

5 When they heard this (which means they understood), they were baptized [a]in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

What about their hero, the thief?

Simply put, the thief appealed to the only God that could forgive him under the old covenant. We are under the new covenant.

Hebrews 9:15-17 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a [r]covenant, there must of necessity [s]be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a [t]covenant is valid only when people are dead, [u]for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.

Even more importantly, the thief did not enter the Kingdom the way we enter today. How did the thief connect with the death, burial and resurrection, water immersion and the Spirit? If the pattern followed by the thief is how we are saved today, where is the out pouring of the Spirit as a sign?

Jesus told us that there was a broad and wide way that leads to destruction and a narrow and constricted way that leads to life. The majority of so called christian religious people consider the gospel to be centered around FAFO. But, I urge you to consider the account Namaan and ask yourself, was Naaman healed when he believed a prophet could heal him or when he did as the prophet said?

2 Kings 5:9-14

9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, “Behold, I [a]thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the [b]leprosy.’ 12 Are [c]Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 Then his servants approached and spoke to him, [d]saying, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Matthew 13:37-43 is is such a profound warning from Our King for FAFO, Faith Alone Faith Only.

We are children of the Kingdom and because FAFO are children too you're a knock off of us.

FAFO holds a message from the devil similar to the message from Our King.

Our King will send His angels to remove FAFO from His Kingdom into a baptism of fire since a baptism of water and regeneration of the Spirit has been refused. Titus 3:5 and Matthew 7:21.

Pray and study for understanding.

In the words of Jesus, are you on the broad and wide way or the narrow and specific way that few find?