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JOHN 8:31-32
[Jesus Christ]: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. JOHN 6:45-47 Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. |
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| What must we do to be saved—according to the Bible? |
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SALVATION—Part 3 I believe one of the best ways to discover what you must do to be saved—is to find out what the first Christians were commanded to do to be saved. That's because these Christians were under the direct instruction of Christ's apostles, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, when we read what they did, we are reading what God requires us to do as well. So, what did Biblical Christians do to be saved from past sins, and enter into a relationship with God? What did they do that gave them real hope of eternal life? Acts 2: The first Biblical account of people being saved The very first Biblical account of Christians coming to Christ is an excellent example (Acts 2). In this chapter, we read of a crowd of people that had gathered to hear the first sermon in the history of Christ's church—which took place in Jerusalem—yards away from where Jesus had been crucified just a few weeks prior. These people heard about Christ, and heard about how they allowed Him to be crucified, thereby becoming indirect participants in His murder. They heard that they had killed the very Messiah who had come to save them. Realizing the magnitude of their sins, they were compelled to ask the apostle Peter: "What must we do?" And what did Peter say? Did he ask them to raise their hands and repeat a man-made "sinner's prayer," or have some "holy water" (not found in the Bible) poured over their heads to "baptize them?" No. Instead, he commanded them to "repent, and be immersed, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins..." (Acts 2:38) Please note the following: (1) They believed the message of truth, and believed in Christ as the Messiah (obvious from their reaction).Please note that all of them were commanded to repent and be immersed in water (baptized). And we find that's exactly what they all did. They obeyed Peter's teaching and became the first Christians of history. (Acts 2:47) Modern confusion over baptism Because the word "baptism" has been defined and redefined over the centuries, it's important to understand exactly what it meant in Biblical times. And in Biblical times, baptism did not mean "to have water poured over one's head." Nor did it mean "to have water sprinkled upon oneself." It meant: immersion. In other words, the whole body was to be submerged in water. But why? Why did Jesus Christ begin His ministry by being immersed (by John the Baptist)? Why were the first Christians commanded to be immersed (see above)? Why did every example of people coming to Christ (in the historical book of Acts) describe that they were baptized? Why was the apostle Paul commanded to be baptized immediately upon accepting Christ? And why was there such urgency to baptism that people were encouraged to be baptized immediately upon believing in Christ, no matter how inconvenient? (see verses) Why not simply raise ones hands and utter a "sinner's prayer," or something else more simple and more convenient than immersion in water? Probably for a number of reasons, one of them being that proper, Biblical baptism was incredibly symbolic of the fundamental concepts of Christianity. Proper baptism (immersion) represents the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:1-4) Our process of coming to Christ in baptism represents becoming dead to sin (repentance), burial of the old self (submersion in water), and resurrection of the new self (rising out of the water, forgiven of sins, ready to live for Christ). These concepts are absolutely central to true Christianity, and must be understood from the beginning of our Christian lives. With baptism being so important (the point of your sins' forgiveness and symbolic of the central theme of Christianity), it's no wonder that every single example of someone becoming a Christian (in the historical book of Acts) involved baptism. Consider also the following: The Bible teaches that baptism "saves you," washes away your sins, causes your sins to be forgiven, and puts you "into Christ." (see verses) No wonder Christians were commanded to be baptized. And any Christian who believes he can be saved with his sins still intact is badly mistaken. We cannot be saved without the grace and forgiveness of Christ. (Ephesians 2:5,8) What about confession? One more concept needs to be mentioned before concluding this discussion of salvation, and that is "Confession." A lot of people believe you need to "confess Jesus" as part of becoming saved. And they are right, according to Romans 10:9-10 and Matthew 10:32. But what do you confess? There aren't any magical words you need to repeat, as some would suggest. But there are concepts that I believe God wants you to confess and understand during your confession. For example, your new faith in Christ, your belief that Christ is the Messiah (and all that entails), and your acknowledging that He is now the "Lord" of your life (meaning, HE is in control of your actions). Notice also that confession should be "before men." In other words, if you don't have the courage to stand up before men and admit you believe in Jesus, you're in the wrong profession. Serving Christ will take a lot more faith than that, and at times will require the ultimate of courage. (Revelation 21:7-8) So, in summary... Here's what God commands every person to do to become saved initially: (1) Believe in Jesus, to the extent of making Him Lord over all your life and actions.This act represents the most central concepts of Christianity: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also the first physical command of God to show your obedience to Christ. Do you need to be re-baptized? People who are baptized wrongly or without properly understanding why they are being baptized, need to be re-baptized according to the Bible. An example of re-baptism is found in Acts 19:1-7. These believers in Christ actually had been baptized, but under John's baptism. The solution was simple: be re-baptized. So they were. And so should people do today, especially if they have been baptized for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way. For if we seek to redefine God's instructions for salvation, we do man's will. And man does not have the power to save. Now that you're a Christian, what's next? Now that you're a Christian, it's time to show your faith by your obedience to God and His commands. That's why the New Testament was written: to identify God's will for you and how you need to live to please Him. Click here to find out what to do after becoming a Christian. Need help with being baptized? If so, please contact us and we will try to direct you to someone in your area who can help. And God bless you richly in making a life-saving choice to live for Christ! (NOTE: You can now see a complete video version of this series by clicking here). 
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