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WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
"...Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
" From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17
" And they went out, and preached that men should repent. "Mark 6:12
"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. "Luke 13:3
" Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
" Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"Acts 3:19
"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."John 8:24
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John1:29
The way of salvation in the Bible is layed out as follows...
1. You must repent...that is admit to God that you are a sinner, reorientate your life, your thinking, turn your whole life around in a new direction, seek after the things of God, be obedient to the teachings of Jesus.
2. Believe the Good News about the
3. Be baptized. It was when potential
converts believed the Good News (Gospel) Message about the Kingdom of God and
then ame of Jesus Christ that they were baptized
into the faith (Acts8:12). This is the process by which we are to be initiated
into the faith.
See also Mark 16:15-16,Acts 2:36-41, 8:36-38,9:18,
10:44-48, 16:14-15, 16:30-33, 19:3-5, 22:14-16,
Romans 6:3-5,Colossians 2:12-13, 3:1-4
It is very important to realize that 'the gospel' is not just about the
death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, although most certainly this is a
vital part. But this was later added to the message of the gospel. For when Jesus preached the gospel he did not say
'believe that I will die on a cross for your sins'...'accept Me into your
heart'...'be good and go to heaven when you die' ...No, He said..."the
kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."...namely, the good news about the coming
The gospel that Jesus preached was a message of repentance and belief in the
coming
To restrict the scope of the Gospel to the work of
our Saviour when he died on the cross is a mistake,
ignoring the much wider plan God has had in mind from earliest times. In
fact we are not left to speculate, because the Gospel preached by Jesus and the
apostles is defined in very specific terms. It was after his cousin John the Baptis had been put in prison by Herod that "...Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
Similarly, Jesus sent out his twelve disciples to
preach the
We note how the terms 'gospel' and'
"The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him." (Mark 9:31,32)
Some of the last words spoken by Jesus before he ascended up into heaven were...
... Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15-16)
Please note... nowhere in the Bible will you find the phrase "preach a gospel", "preaching a gospel", preached a gospel, but you will find "preach the gospel", "preaching the gospel", "preached the gospel". There is only one gospel.
Not two or three or four different gospels as some dispensationalists would have you believe. They say a gospel was preached to Abraham, another was preached in the days of Noah, another will be preached during the tribulation in the future. There is only one "everlasting" gospel(Revelation 14:6), also translated "eternal gospel" in the RSV and NIV versions and that is the gospel that Jesus preached.
Also note... Commitment to Jesus, receiving Jesus ,coming to Christ is defined in the N.T. as intelligently and repentantly receiving the Message/Gospel of Jesus -- the word(s) of Jesus. It is possible to miss the point if one speaks only of "coming to Christ," "receiving Christ," "believing in Christ." Receiving Christ means receiving His words. The N.T. uses both types of language..."receiving Christ" and "receiving the words of Christ." The one defines the other. "Receiving Christ" is not possible apart from the reception of His words/teaching/Gospel.
A Jesus without his defining Gospel easily becomes a vague symbol of salvation, a non-descriptive, loving personality who is not clearly the Messiah/Savior, Kingdom/Gospel preacher of the New Testament.
You might think that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preached a gospel, but that it did not include the kingdom message. Have you ever read...
"And he (Paul) went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for
the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning
the
Paul said in Acts 20:24-25..." so that I
might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the
Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold,
I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the
And in Acts 28:23,31 "And when they had
appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he (Paul)
expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them
concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets,
from morning till evening.... Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those
things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man
forbidding him."
Salvation is by the grace of God, through the atoning blood of Christ. It consists of God's forgiveness of sin, the imparting of His Spirit to the believer, and finally the gift of immortality at the resurrection when Christ returns. The steps in the gospel plan of salvation are:
1. Belief of the things concerning Jesus Christ and the gospel of the Kingdom (Acts 8:12; Romans 1:16);
2. Sincere repentance and confession of sins (Acts 2:38);
3. Baptism - which is immersion - in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins (Mark 16:15, 16;
4. Indwelling of the believer by Christ through God's Spirit (Gal. 4:6;Eph. 3:16, 17);
5. Growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Pet. 2:1-3).
One final note...A warning about the
danger of ignoring the invitation to the
The word "devil" here, meaning "sin in the flesh" (Romans
8:3), "the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the
lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh
unfruitful" (Mark4:19)
"...tribulation or persecution ariseth because
of the word, by and by he is offended."(Matt.13: 21)
"...when they have heard (the word), (they) go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."
(Luke 8:14)
"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8).
The above quotation from the Bible, stresses the importance of a sound understanding of what constitutes the Devil and Satan. As Christ was manifested to destroy the work of such, it is obvious that we will not understand God's plan of salvation, unless we have a clear and proper comprehension of what is meant by these terms.
Unfortunately, current ideas upon the subject are astray from the Bible.
It is taught that the devil is a superhuman monster, a fallen angel, who dominates the minds of humanity, inducing mankind to sin. The teaching induces fear of the devil, and also provides an excuse for sin by blaming it on him.
The doctrine is not only unscriptural, but is also a reflection upon God's love and omnipotence. Would a God of love allow weak, mortal man to be dominated by a powerful, depraved fallen angel if He has the strength to destroy him? And as God is omnipotent, why does He not rid Himself of the devil, if he be a fallen angel in heaven?
Thus logic would set aside the normal teaching of the devil as unsound and unscientific.
And the teaching of the Bible is in conformity with this statement.
It reveals that the devil is a more familiar figure than is normally recognized: not a fallen angel, but a synonym for human nature in its various forms. It teaches that we are responsible for the sins we commit; but proclaims the means whereby sin can be forgiven, and human nature controlled. This is essential for the salvation of each one.
Obviously, therefore, it is necessary for us to know what constitutes the devil, if we are to successfully resist its power.
How the Bible Defines the Devil
The mission of Christ is expressed as follows:
"Forasmuch then as the children (i.e. those Christ came to save) are partakers of flesh and blood, he (Jesus Christ) also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15).
This important declaration of Scripture teaches that:
If we can scripturally define that which Christ came to destroy, and that which has the power of death, we shall know what constitutes the devil.
As far as the Bible is concerned, these two lines of investigation lead to one answer: SIN!
Consider the evidence:
(a) CHRIST CAME TO DESTROY SIN. "He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26). "Christ died for our sins" (I Corinthians 15:3)."His own self bare our sins in his body on the tree" (I Peter 2:24). "He was manifested to take away our sins" (I John 3:5).
(b) SIN WAS THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF DEATH. "The wages of sin are death"(Romans 6:23). "By one man (not a supernatural devil) sin entered the world and death by sin" (Romans 5:12). "The sting of death is sin" (I Corinthians15:56).
From this evidence it is obvious that Christ came to destroy sin, and also that the power of death is in sin. It logically follows, therefore, that the devil is a synonym for sin.
The fallacy of the idea that the devil is a fallen angel is clearly illustrated by the definition of the Apostle in Hebrews 2:14 above. How could the death of Jesus encompass the destruction of a powerful, superhuman fallen angel?
It would leave him more powerful than ever!
But once it is recognized that the devil relates to sin, and that sin comes from within...
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James1:14-15)
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5)
"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the
heart; and they defile the man.
For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
These are the things which defile a man:..."
(Matthew 15:18-20a)
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders,
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
All these evil things come from within,
and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23)
...it will be acknowledged that the atoning blood of Jesus is a powerful weapon to defeat and destroy it! It defeats the power of sin by providing the means of forgiveness; it conquers death through the promise of a resurrection to life eternal (I Corinthians 15:20-26).
Yes, the early followers of Jesus were baptized. Why? Because Jesus commanded them to be. It was one of the most important commandments he gave. Baptism was the way in which people showed that they believed in Jesus and his teaching. Each new convert became a member of a special group of people, the disciples of Jesus. They preached God's Word and Iooked forward to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
Can you imagine a man being accepted into the army of any country, if he refused to obey the orders of the Commander-in-Chief? Jesus Christ, the Christian Leader, said, "If you love me you will obey my commands" (John 14:15). He also said, "Those who believe it (the gospel - the good news of his teaching) and receive baptism will be saved" (Mark 16:16). We must take Jesus at his word if we want to be accepted by him.
Baptism is a life-saving command from Jesus Christ. Philip believed that. He preached in Samaria, so successfully, that "when they came to believe Philip, with his good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized (Acts 8:12). The message of belief, followed by baptism, is at the heart of the New Testament.
Today, many churches sprinkle infants on the head and call it baptism. This is not the baptism of the Bible. When the Bible speaks of baptism it tells us of adult men and women who make a deliberate choice. They wanted to obey the Lord Jesus and be baptized. They were completely covered in water. This is the baptism of Bible times.
A good example to prove this is found in Acts 8. Philip talked with an Ethiopian eunuch. He "told him the good news of Jesus" (verse 35). No doubt, while they talked, they were both carrying water for their journeys. It would have been easy for Philip to sprinkle water on the eunuch's head. But the eunuch, who believed the words Philip preached about Jesus, was not baptized until "they came to some water" (verse 36). The eunuch then said, "Look, here is water: what is to prevent my being baptized?" So "they both went down Into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up from the water . . . the eunuch . . . went on his way rejoicing".
Notice, they both "went down into" and "came up from" the water. The eunuch was a mature person who believed the things preached by Philip concerning Jesus Christ. He was completely covered by water.
Why do we have to be completely covered by water when we are baptized? God chose immersion in water because it is a very powerful way of showing us that our sins must be forgiven. Believers realise that they need saving from sin and require God's grace. They go under the water in baptism, and die to an old way of life. They come up out of the water to a new life. In baptism, believers identify with the death of Jesus Christ, who died for us.
Just as Jesus rose from the dead, they also rise from the waters of baptism to "set out on a new life" (Romans 6:4). Now, believers are God's children, and they desire to please Him. If they do so, He will give them His great gift of everlasting Life. This will happen when Jesus comes to rule the world (Luke 1:32,33). No wonder Jesus regarded baptism as being so important.
You need to be baptized because, like all mankind, you are dying. We have all earned the wage of sin. Paul tells us "the wage is death" (Romans 6:23). Without God, death is the end.
People have a very bad habit of not wanting to think about important issues that they do not like. Death is one of those issues. We must be wise enough to face it. The good news is that God offers us everlasting life; but on His terms. That is fair, as He is the giver of life. Peter tells us, in Acts 2 and 3, that we must take five steps to salvation. They are:
God always keeps His promises. He will never let us down. As Jesus said, "No one can snatch them out of the Father's care" (John 10:29).
The Bible tells us, from Genesis to Revelation, that God is serious. Obedience to God's commands brings life, and disobedience results in death. God always means what He says.
Noah preached to the wicked people of his day (Genesis 6). They had a choice. They could believe Noah's message, repent and be saved, or ignore it and perish. They ignored it and perished. God did not change His mind. Noah also had a choice. He could build an ark and be saved, or he could reject God's word. He built an ark. "Noah carried out exactly all God had commanded him" (verse 22). Because he was obedient, Noah was saved. For us to ignore God's clear command to be baptized is to choose death rather than life.
The jailer at Philippi asked Paul and Silas: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). The answer came: "Put your trust in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." He obeyed and was baptized.
Jesus himself, though sinless, was baptized. He said: "It is right for us to do all that God requires" (Matthew 3:15). Can we, who are sinners, ignore baptism when Jesus didn't? We must follow his steps in this, as in all things.
To enjoy life for ever, you must take the five steps to salvation; every one of them. The record in Acts 10 concerning Cornelius shows us that just to live a good life, without being baptized, is not good enough. Peter ordered Cornelius "to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (verse 48).
Baptism is the start of a new life which will bring you great joy. It will give your life a renewed purpose. In an uncertain world, the God of Peace will give you peace.
Are you wise enough to follow the command of Jesus Christ to believe and be baptized? What a blessing awaits you if you are! God will bless you with life for evermore, when Jesus returns to establish his kingdom.
"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
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BRAND NEW!...A DECLARATION OF THE TRUTH REVEALED IN THE BIBLE... A Series of Propositions Setting Forth the Faith of the Apostles in Contrast with the Faith of Christendom Today which is Shown to be Largely Composed of Fables...as you will plainly see.
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