What Does the Bible Say About How to Be Saved?

In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a look at what the Bible says an individual must do to be saved. We start out by noting what Jesus directed the apostles to do upon His departure. We note Mathew and Mark's account of what Jesus said to them right before He ascended to heaven. We begin in Acts chapter 2 when Peter preached the first gospel sermon. We read the record of that occasion and note that the people asked what they needed to do, and Peter gave them specific instructions that were in line with what Jesus told them. The next occasion is when Philip went to Samaria. There he taught the people things concerning the kingdom of God, and both men and women were baptized. There was a sorcerer there as well who eventually obeyed his preaching. Philip was also sent to a desert area in Gaza by the Holy Spirit where he found an Ethiopian eunuch, the treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia. They had a discussion of Isaiah chapter 53 that he was reading. We read the passages and find out what the Ethiopian eunuch did. We note that it is consistent with what Jesus commanded to be done. Saul, later to be known as Paul the apostle, was contacted by the Lord on the road to Damascus as Saul intended to go there and persecute Christians. We discuss what he was told to do. We begin our discussion of Cornelius the Roman Centurion but run out of time to finish it. We will finish that discussion in the next episode. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.

Transcript

Fred Gosnell: 0:00

This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ, meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com

Arnie: 0:31

Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell at the w\Woodland church of Christ in Sumter, South Carolina. And this is what does the Bible say? Regrettably, we don't have Glenn with us again this week. He's out of out of town, so Fred and I are, will be talking with you, and we have a topic that we want to share. Want want you to understand that if you happen to be in the Sumter area, we would love for you to come visit with us on on the Lord's day for Bible class and in the morning and and possibly worship in the morning, and as well as worship on Sunday evenings. And we also have a Bible class as well on Wednesday evenings. If you have questions that you want to ask of us, we would be glad to welcome those for you. You can call me on the phone at 803-840-6693, and I'll try to answer your question for you, and if I need to, I'll pass it to Fred or pass it to Glenn. One of us, one of us will be in touch with you and work you through that. And just to let you know that we're all we are about two miles east of the Shaw Air Force Base main gate. So you're certainly welcome to meet with us on the Lord's day or on Wednesdays. And I guess with that, Fred, let's talk about a let's talk about a discussion we can have. What are we going to discuss today?

Fred Gosnell: 2:29

Well, we're going to look at, first of all, what, what Jesus told the apostles right before He ascended to heaven his his last, basically last instructions to them and, or to them. And and Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20 there. Verse 18 says, Jesus came and spake unto them. He's speaking to the the 11 apostles, saying, All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Then he says, Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world or end of the age. Amen. So. So then Mark's recording of what Jesus said, of course, when you when you look at what Mark said and what Matthew said, of what Jesus' conversation, then you'll have everything that was said on that occasion. So in Mark 16, 15, through 20, there, he said unto them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned or condemned, and these signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils, demons, shall they speak with new tongues, they take up serpents. They drink any deadly thing. It shall not harm them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. And then you'll notice that all of the they's there, the thems refer to the apostles. It doesn't refer to somebody else then. So after he verse 19, so then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, sat on the right hand of God, and they went forth and preached everywhere. The Lord working with them and confirmed the word with signs following Amen So. So in the first reading, the Lord said, Go to all the world, preach the gospel in every creature then, or preach the Gospel all nations. And this one, he says, preach the gospel every creature. And here, Mark includes what Jesus said, that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. So what we're going to do is we're going to look at the passages that relate to the gospel being preached by the apostles and what they said and what the people did concerning being saved, as Jesus told them and commanded them. So. so again, remember that in Matthew, he said, teaching them, he commanded them, teaching them all things whatsoever. I have commanded you. So, so these teachings are commands that Jesus initially gave the apostles to do, and so we're going to look at what they did when they taught people the gospel and how to be saved.

Arnie: 5:33

The Gospel begins really in in AD 33 and at least the publication of the Gospel begins at that particular point. And it was in Jerusalem that that that occurred the the first time that the gospel had been preached. And the book of Acts records that, for us, tells us what occurred and and what was said and what the results of that were. Acts, chapter chapter two, and beginning in in verse 36, the instruction is, is given. Let the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus, whom you crucified. And when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. They were it was intended to prick them in in their heart indeed and and to get their attention. And said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children and all them, to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted, say them saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. They them that received his word, were baptized and they were added unto them that day, about 3000 souls. They continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. So one of the things that that we ought to recognize here is this wasn't just a situation where the gospel was preached. They responded to it, they were baptized, and now they just go their own way and do whatever they whatever they want to do. They became a part of a group of people. We speak of it as a congregation sometimes, and other words probably would would fit that as well. But there were things for them to do, things for them to do to to encourage and edify one another, things for them to do, to publish the gospel and and make it available to to other people. And that's what they began to do right then and there, on the day of of Pentecost. And as a matter of fact, when, when they had said the things that we've just just read, there wound up being some 3000 people that responded to the Gospel. They were baptized right there at at that time in Jerusalem, and then from there, from that point on, there were others as well that were that were baptized. Of course, there was more to it than just being baptized. They had to hear the gospel. They certainly had to believe it. You couldn't become a child of God without believing the things that he had put in in His Word. We had to not only believe it, and we had to practice it. We had to put it into into use, and certainly, the the baptism was a part of it. No one in the New Testament became a Christian without being baptized in the process there, but baptized at the beginning of it as as occurred right here in Acts chapter two, and there'll be a number of other times that we'll that we'll see that that occurred as as well.

Fred Gosnell: 10:28

So so the next time that we have a similar situation here is that in Acts chapter 8, 12, and 13, and it's here that Philip went to Samaria, and he preached, was concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. And the text says, in Acts 8, 12, and 13, But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women, and Simon also himself, believed in being baptized. He continued with Philip and beholding signs and great miracles wrought. He was amazed. So of course, you you need to read the context there, you'd find out that Simon was referred to as a sorcerer. He was a he was a magician that was making money by doing various things to deceive the people, thinking that that he was some, some great person. Then, of course, the Philip showed up and started preaching the gospel there, and the people, notice, it says the people, when they believed Philip concerning good tidings, or concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized. So remember what Jesus said, Go in all the world and preach the gospel of every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. And so belief is one of the first things that you you must do. Of course, you've got to hear it as as Arnie pointed out. But then notice that now Simon was a magician, but then it says that he believed so that after he believed then he was baptized. And we'll notice in every one of these situations, the people that believe they were baptized immediately, within the same hour, at the same night, they didn't schedule baptisms a month or a week or any time later than the same day, the same hour, the same night.

Arnie: 12:30

Baptism, of course, as we'll see in some of these passages, was for the purpose of washing away sins, and no one was born as a sinner. We are without sin until we decide to do something that that God has told us not to, not to do. There weren't any infants or young children or anything of that sort that were baptized in in the New Testament, you can check that out. In fact, we'll look at a number of passages here that that have the word baptism in it, and you'll see that they're all, they're all grown ups that are responding to to that. And it wasn't just by sprinkling or pouring or anything of that sort, as we see occurring very often in religious circles today. People were actually immersed in water, and it was for the remission of sins. Infants haven't sinned, so they don't have any sins to to repent of and and to be to have washed away. But by the time that we have become adults, we surely have those, those sins, and in fact, sometime, probably during our teenage years, that that begins and and we may be in the situation where sin needs to be removed. Philip, you mentioned him just a moment ago. Fred, was was up there in where Simon the the Samaritan was, Samaria was, and he was, he was baptized, but Philip baptized somebody else as well, didn't he?

Fred Gosnell: 14:39

Yes, and he was, he was sent on some work to do by the Holy Spirit. And notice, well, by by an angel in Acts 8, 26, through 29 and we'll, we'll find out from this, the text says, an angel of the Lord, spake to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, the same is desert. And he arose and went. Behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship. And he was returning and sitting in his chariot and was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said unto Philip, go near and join thyself to his chariot. And Philip ran to him, and he heard him reading Isaiah, the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I except some man shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. Now, the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the Prophet this, of himself or of some other? And Philip opening his mouth and beginning from the Scripture, preached unto Him, Jesus. So, we stop there. Just notice, if you go to Isaiah 53 and I believe it's verses seven and eight that that the eunuch was reading and so and if you read Isaiah 53 you'll never see Jesus name in that in that chapter really starts in in 52 a little bit earlier than that. But Philip opened his mouth and beginning at the same scripture that the eunuch was reading, and he preached to him Jesus. So then verse 36 says, And as they went on his way, they came to a certain water. And the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized? Now, if you go back in Isaiah, 53 again, and you'll notice that Jesus' name is not there, and baptism is not mentioned in those, any of those passages. But evidently, when Philip is explaining what this is saying, Philip is talking about telling him, Well, Jesus is what this is, who this is talking about. And he evidently had said something about baptism. So the eunuch and he had said something about water. So the eunuch said, Okay, so here's water. So what hinders me, what keeps me from being baptized? So Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. Then he answered and said, I believe that Jesus, Christ is the Son of God. So the first thing the eunuch wanted to know, What keeps me from being baptized? So Philip said first you've got to believe. Well, Jesus said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. And Philip is doing exactly what Jesus told him to do. So So then he commanded the chariot to stand still. Of course, the what the eunuch did. Then he says, Well, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Of course, he just made a confession. We'll we'll hear the requirement for a confession later on. It's not said here, but that's what the eunuch did. So he after making the confession, he believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In verse 38 he says he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they were they both went down into the water. Notice, both of them went into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. Of course, we've talked about this word before. The word baptized there is should be translated, immersed, immersed. So they went both into the water. So Philip immersed him. So when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Philip was gone. Don't know how he was gone, but he was gone, and the eunuch saw him no more, and so he went on his way, rejoicing. So he was reading Isaiah 53 and Philip taught from Isaiah 53 that Jesus was the one that's being talked about. And he talked about the requirement to be baptized and the requirement for it to be in water. And of course, then the eunuch learned that. He asked, Why should I hinder? He said, If you believe you may. They stopped the chariot. And then he was baptized immediately. He was immersed in the water immediately. And they come, came up out of the water. Philip was gone, and the eunuch headed on his way to notice Ethiopia, deepest darkest Africa. So one of the first Christians made in the first century, AD 33, or so, 34 was somebody from the deepest, darkest parts of Africa. The gospel is already going there. And no doubt, the eunuch went there and he started teaching people exactly what he did.

Arnie: 20:05

Yeah, the Gospel wasn't designed just to be preached, only there in Jerusalem. And in fact, we already noted that that they had gone up into Samaria. Now it's gone out to to Africa. The gospel was intended to spread and and be be taught and obeyed around the the world. That you mentioned, Fred mentioned Isaiah 53 here several times. Let me read the the passage that that he was referring to, and I'm going to start, actually at the end or near the end of of chapter 52 beginning in verse 13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high as many as were astonied at thee, his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. So shall he sprinkle many nations and the kings shall shut their mouths at him, that for which, that for which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard? Shall they consider. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry, dry ground he hath no form or comeliness, and shall when he shall see, let me try that again. He hath no form or nor comeliness. And when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed. All we, like sheep have gone astray, we turn everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He's brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers. Is done so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken, and he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased, pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put Him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed and shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied by his knowledge. Shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide my portion with the great and he shall divide the the spoil with the strong, because he had poured out his soul unto death, he had numbered the transgressors, and he had bear the sin of many and made transgression for the transgressor made intercession for the transgressors. I think we would be classified as the transgressors

Fred Gosnell: 24:31

Exactly. And I'm sure that Philip explained that to the to the eunuch. And of course, he he drew the right conclusion. So the the next notice that we have is relating to Paul. Of course, Paul was on his on his way to Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him. He's he saw the Lord and asked the Lord, What, what must I do? And he told Saul, then Paul to go to Damascus, and it would be told him what he must do. Of course, he had become blind. He couldn't see. So he was in, he was in Damascus. So the Lord sent Ananias, a Christian, to Paul, and he to to restore Paul's sight In in every one of these some kind of a miracle occurred to confirm that what the was being taught was true. So Acts 9, 17, through 22 So Ananias departed and entered into the house, and laying his hands on him, said Brother Saul, the Lord even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, has sent me that thou mayest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and he arose and was baptized, and he took food and was strengthened, and he was certain. And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus and straightway in the synagogues, he proclaimed Jesus that He is the Son of God. And all that heard Him were amazed and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that called on his name, this name, and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priest. But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews that dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. So Paul was a persecutor of Christians, and of course, the Lord appeared to him, told him, this is what you must do. Go to Damascus and it'll be told you. So Ananias came there, told, performed a miracle and received giving Paul his sight back. And then he told him what he should do, and he was baptized immediately. So then he went out and started preaching the gospel. So again and and each, each one of these occasions will we need to note that whatever condition the individual is in, in this case, he Paul wasn't told to believe. Well, why wasn't he told to believe? Well, Paul already believed he had spoken with the Lord, so he had an experience suddenly. So So Paul believed and and then he was struck blind, and so he he went there. He fasted for three days before Ananias showed up. And of course, then, when Ananias gave him, his sight back, performed this miracle, and he received his sight. Then Paul obeyed what he was told, to be baptized, and then he then became Paul the Apostle. And then he, of course, went and preached the gospel every place that he went.

Arnie: 27:57

I'm looking at Acts chapter 10, but I don't know that we have the time to finish with with this. We'll do the best that we that we can. Another city. Remember the the gospel is spreading. It's not just staying in one local place. It's not just staying in Jerusalem. Now that we have Saul in Damascus. Caesarea was, was a city, of course, it was in in Israel, but it was a city where, where Peter taught the the gospel to the family of of the Roman centurion, Cornelius. Obviously, at some point, Cornelius is probably going to be reassigned to another location, and will take the Gospel there with him. So, so here he is. Peter teaches, teaches him and his whole family the the gospel. And Cornelius is a is a Roman Centurion. So so you don't have to just be from a certain group of people to be eligible to receive the gospel. It's designed for everyone everywhere that would like to have their sins taken away and and have the hope of of eternal life with with the Lord in in heaven. And so after Paul had had taught Cornelius, Cornelius was baptized. He had his sins washed away, as as others who were baptized did, and his family was baptized at as well. So let's talk about Cornelius a little bit more next Lord's day. We hope that you'll be with us, and if you have any any questions, by all means, feel very welcome to to let us know. Again, My telephone number is 803-840-6693, or you could send a card to me or note at one Cherokee, C, H, E, R, O, K, E, E road in Sumter, South Carolina, 29150. We'll look forward to being with you again next Lord's Day. Have a good week.