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When I was a child, I learned and memorized the steps toward salvation-- hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. These steps, working together, comprise the conversion process which is found in every conversion recorded in the New Testament. Each man responds to the gospel call of salvation differently than another. Some may hear the gospel and are convicted in their hearts, but delay the opportunity to be baptized (Acts 26:28), while others seek to be baptized at that very moment (Acts 8:36). Then, there are those who, for example, hear and believe the word, but remain unrepentant of their sins for a certain period of time.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus taught his disciples this principle. He then explained what it meant.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (Luke 8:11-15).
Before a person can believe, he must hear the word of God in order to gain a perfect understanding and knowledge of the truth. Paul, in Romans 10:14, said,
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?We know this to be true, for Jesus commanded his disciples saying,
Go ye into all the word and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).Begin reading and studying the Bible today.
The Bible says,
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).The word "faith" in this passage means to believe. You see,
without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
God desires that you will believe that His word is truth and that it will set you free from sin (John 8:32), in "His only begotten Son," (John 3:15-16), and in
the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:18).
God has always commanded all men to repent of their sins and serve him. Peter says,
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).Repentance means a change of heart. When one repents, he is acknowledging the fact that he is a sinner (Romans 3:23) and is willing to do what is right.
Paul says,
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10-11).
When a person confesses, he is acknowledging that Christ is Lord. In Philippians 2:11, Paul says,
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Baptism puts one into Christ. The Bible says,
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
Salvation occurs after baptism. Jesus says,
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16).
If you became a Christian other than hearing and believing the word of God, repenting of your sins, confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and being baptized, then you are still not saved. We encourage you not only to read and study God's word, but also attend a church of Christ in your area, for it is God
who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, (1 Timothy 2:4).
Ira Mikell
ira@thechristianexaminer.com
Many times we have heard people say, "God will save all good people." This implies that there are good people in all churches who will be saved. It also implies that there may even be good people who have never been members of any church who will also be saved. Will all good people be saved? What does the Bible say?
The Bible teaches that one can never be good enough to be saved by his own goodness. If people could be saved by their good deeds, then it would not have been necessary for Christ to die for our sins. The Apostle Paul wrote:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast, (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Paul also wrote:
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:6-8).
Even the very best people, who have lived long enough to know the difference between right and wrong, have sinned: The Bible says:
What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one'...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:9-10,23).
In chapter 10 of the book of Acts, we read about a man named Cornelius. Cornelius was a very good man. He was also a very religious man, but he was not saved. Please notice the Bible's description of this good man:
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always (Acts 10:1-2).Please observe that Cornelius was a worshiper of the true God and had taught his family also to fear God. Also, Cornelius was a man of prayer. He was also kindhearted and generous for "he gave much alms to the people."
In spite of his faith and good deeds, Cornelius was not saved. He was told by an angel of God to,
Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved, (Acts 11:13-14).
Will all good people be saved? The answer is "no," for even the best people have sinned and just one sin can keep a person out of heaven. John wrote,
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:27).The only way to remove sin is by the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5). This is done in our obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We read in Acts 22:16,
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
All good people will not be saved. Neither will all religious people be saved. It is not enough to be religious, but one must be right religiously. Jesus said:
Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up,"(Matthew 15:13).
He also said:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven, (Matthew 7:21).
Not all good people will be saved. Those who will be saved are those who humbly submit to our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience to His gospel and who ever after live for Him doing His will.
Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).
Dear reader, have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ? If you have not, you are lost! Please obey Christ today.
Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Rod Rutherford
others@thechristianexaminer.com
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