Have You Received The Right Answer?
After reading the above caption one might ask, "The right answer to what ?" By the above caption we mean the right answer to the world's greatest question — "What must I do to be saved?" We live in an inquisitive age, men in every field of endeavor are seeking answers. Millions of man-hours and dollars are being spent to find the answer to questions that have to do with this short life and small world in which we live. But the question we wish to call to your attention at this time is not only concerned with life here and now but the answer which man gets to this question will also determine where he shall spend eternity.
This question is a Bible question and, therefore, for the good of man, the answer must be a Bible answer. Three times we find this question posed in the New Testament and God's answer to it given. It was asked by devout Jews; it was asked by a zealous Pharisee — Saul of Tarsus; and by a certain Gentile — the jailor at Philippi. To find the right answer to this all important question let us consider the answers given to these honest inquirers. When we learn what they had to do to be saved, we will know what men must do to be saved now.
The Conversion Of The Devout Jews
In the second chapter of the book of Acts the apostle Peter preached a wonderful sermon to a group of devout Jews numbering well up into the thousands. The occasion was the feast of Pentecost after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The place was the very center of Jewish religion — the city of Jerusalem. There for the first time the gospel of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ was preached. The hearers were convicted that they were sinners and convinced that he whom they had caused to be crucified some fifty-odd days previous was, indeed, as he had claimed to be, the Son of God. When they heard the things preached by Peter they believed in the Christ. Faith thus came by hearing and hearing by the word of God which Peter preached unto them. As the apostle Paul states, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17.)
This faith alone did not save them however, nor were they added to the church by it alone. Faith alone is dead. (James 2:26.) This faith did give them the power to "become" the sons of God. (John 1:12.) And we see in them an example of faith working unto their salvation. (Gal. 6:6.)
They believed in the Christ and cried out to ask, "What shall we do ?" (Acts 2:37.) This is the very thing we want to know. So, let us get the answer Peter gave those people. Peter said, "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38.) Thus Peter spake to them and the answer was inspired by the Spirit of God. Now we read in Acts 2 and verse 41, "They that gladly received the word were baptized and that day the Lord added unto them about three thousand souls." Thus as Christ had said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16), so they believed and obeyed and were saved. Peter preached the commands of the Lord and when heard and obeyed, they brought salvation. The Lord then added them to the church and he will do the same for men today.
The Conversion Of The Zealous Pharisee
This Pharisee — Saul of Tarsus was the persecutor of the church who later became the apostle to the Gentiles. As we look at him for the first time he is on his way to Damascus to oppose the church in that area. On this journey a great thing happened. As Saul of Tarsus journeyed toward Damascus a great light shone round him and he fell to the ground. He heard a voice from heaven speaking to him, and when the voice made known to him that it was Jesus speaking he said, "Lord what shall I do." (Acts 22:10.) The Lord gave answer to hint as recorded in Acts 9:6, "But arise and enter into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do." Now we have had our question stated, let us get the answer.
Saul of Tarsus arose and, being blind, was led by the hand into the city and was fasting and praying for three days; but none of this saved him. He had not yet been told what he must do. Some people get the idea that all that is necessary to be saved is to believe and pray. Saul believed and was praying but he was still not saved. His sins were still upon him and he was without pardon till God sent Ananias to him to command him, "Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16.)
This has been God's unvarying rule of conversion since He gave the commission to the apostles saying "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:15,16.)
The Conversion Of The Gentile Jailor
Let us turn now to the third time our question is asked and answered. In this instance the one saved is a Gentile as the others were Jews, but of course there is no difference before God today. Peter says, "He put no difference between them and us." (Acts 15:9.) Therefore we expect this example to agree with the others in detail, and it does. In the jail at Philippi the jailor cried out, "Sirs what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30.) Paul made answer to him saying, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, thou and thou house." (Acts 16:31.)
Now a good many people want to stop right there and cry out that salvation is by "faith alone," but this is not taught here. The record goes right on, "and they spake the word of the Lord unto him with all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his immediately" (Acts 16:32,33.) Faith was the first thing commanded but it was not the only thing.
They heard the word of the Lord which is necessary to produce faith and the hearing of this word taught them the necessity of repentance and baptism as is shown by their obedience of that night. Their conversion was as that of the others. They heard the gospel, believed it, repented of their sins and were baptized for the remission of sins. When all this was done then it is said of them in verse 34 that "they rejoiced, having believed in God."
Thus we have our question asked and answered three times in the word of God. If men would be saved today, they must walk in the same path of obedience set forth in the three answers we have studied. Paul said to the Saints in Rome, "But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Rom. 6:17,18.) Therefore it will be in the "obedience of faith," (Rom. 1:5) that men will be saved today. When thus saved the Lord adds men to His church today as he did in the days of the apostles.
Have you received the right answer to this all important question?