One major point of contention in the religious world is how is one to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. One might ask you, as they did on the day of Pentecost, “Men, and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) There are so many responses to this question in the twenty-first century that it is no wonder why people question what is true. How is this question to be answered? Are we to just assume that Peter was wrong in his answer?
Mode of Salvation
At the heart of the question of salvation is the mode to which we are to adhere. Many believe that to become a Christian you are to state a prayer and “accept Jesus into your heart.” Is this a correct reading of the New Testament? What are we to do about passages that directly speak to baptism?
The origins of the sinner’s prayer are uncertain. The man that is normally given the credit for originating the skeleton of the modern day sinner’s prayer is John Bunyan. In his book Pilgrim’s Progress which he wrote in 1678, one will find his version of the sinner’s prayer. He states, “God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that if his righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Savior of the world; and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow him upon such a poor sinner as I am—and I am a sinner indeed. Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.” The words sound good on the surface; however, can there be saving power in them?
A question that should be raised to the proponents of the sinner’s prayer is, “Why aren’t they all the same?” If the sinner’s prayer is the way of salvation found in the Bible, then why aren’t they all the same across the spectrum? What is the reason that they are not the same? The sinner’s prayer is not found in Scripture and is not of God.
What is the correct mode of salvation? Acts 2:38 states, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We must see the verse for what it says. “Repent” carries the idea of making a radical change in life to be able to be prepared for the new life you will receive (Rom 6:4). Repentance might be the hardest step of the entire process of becoming a Christian. Satan loves to make sin look good and feel good, but for us to truly change we must turn away from the temporal and turn to the eternal.
“And let every one of you be baptized” is change from the singular of repentance to the plurality of the all listening and reading. This means that we are ALL commanded to be baptized into Christ! What does baptism truly mean? The Greek word used in Acts 2:38 is a form of the verb βαπτίζω (baptizó). This verb carries the idea of being immersed, submerged, or dipped into water to wash away sin in a person’s life. We are buried in baptism, to die to sin, and to rise in resurrection of a new life (Rom. 6:4).
Baptized Into One Faith
When baptized, are we added to one fellowship or a multiplicity of fellowships? Many would say that when you are “saved” you should join a church of your choice. Others would say that once you become “saved” you are to adhere to the creed of that particular church. What does the Bible say on the matter?
Ephesians 4:1-6 states, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Notice that there is reference to only one body! There is not a multiplicity of bodies that make up a collective. There is also only one faith and one baptism. After we are baptized into Christ, we are added to a single body, in a single faith.
Luke would write in Acts 2:41-47, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Notice that the Lord added those who were being saved to the church, not churches. It is a far cry from what the religious world would have everyone believe.
Conclusion
Christ would say in Matthew 16:18b, “…and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Christ has only built ONE church and we are baptized into that one body. Our salvation rests in Christ and what He did at Calvary. Our lives and worship are in one body. We must strive to be Christians according to the New Testament. If we get salvation wrong, then we are jeopardizing our souls and those who we teach. We want to have the home that is being prepared for us (John 14:1-4), but we must be baptized into the body of Christ and stay faithful to the end of our lives. Our prayer should be that every soul comes to a saving knowledge of Christ before they die!
Will is the minister of the Pleasant View Church of Christ in Bradford, TN.
