by Barry Newton

For me, sometimes the irony gets real thick. I remember watching a television evangelist spend fifteen minutes emphasizing "you are saved by faith not by works." He correctly pointed out that we are not capable of being good enough to save ourselves; this would be salvation by works. And the scriptures do teach that we are not saved by our own merit; we must rely upon Jesus.

However, he also went beyond these biblical affirmations when he claimed that works meant doing something. Because of how he defined works, he concluded that there was nothing we could do in order to be saved. But then as the program came to an end, he began to encourage people to respond to Jesus. Guess what! He told them to do something in order to be saved! He told his listeners to say a prayer confessing that they were sinners and to ask Jesus to come into their hearts!

He obviously failed to realize that by defining works as "doing something", he had also condemned saying a prayer and inviting Jesus into one's heart! He could have avoided this whole awkward dance if he had just focused on preserving Paul's definition of works and faith in Christ which boil down to self-reliance and trusting in Jesus.

Each branch of Christendom teaches that you must do something in order to be saved. Does it not make sense to ask, "what does the Bible teach us to do?"

Examining Luke-Acts

This question is raised several times in the biblical books of Luke and Acts. We first encounter it being directed to John the Baptizer who was proclaiming a baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins as he preached the good news about the One to come (Lk. 3:3, 16-18; Acts 19:4). To him the crowds queried, "what should we do?" (Lk. 3:10,12,14). In each case, John's response called for them to repent, that is, to cease ungodly behavior and exemplify lives of love. And of course, they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River.

After Jesus died on the cross establishing the new covenant, Peter preached for the first time on the next Pentecost the good news that Jesus was the Messiah and Lord. They had killed Jesus, but God had raised him to life. In response to his lesson, his Jewish listeners asked their Jewish brethren, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Peter's answer was, "repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38 NASB).

Later when Saul of Tarsus encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul came to realize that Jesus was Lord. And yet, Jesus told Saul, "Rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do" (Acts 9:6).

What was Saul to do? When Saul retold this story in his own words he recounted Ananias' words, "For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:15,16).

Perhaps the Philippian jailer had in mind saving his skin when he asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). But Paul and Silas jumped at the opportunity to teach him the gospel. What did he need to do? He needed to understand who Jesus was and to believe in him. But this jailer had no idea who Jesus was nor how he should trust in him. So Paul and Silas taught him. And immediately he and his household were baptized. Upon being baptized, they rejoiced because they had come to believe in the Lord (Acts 16:31-34).

Conclusion

Whether in the Gospels, the historical literature of Acts, or the Epistles, consistently the New Testament message announces what we need to do in order to be saved/1. We must rely upon Jesus, not ourselves, for salvation. We start down the path of relying upon Jesus and his blood by being baptized.

Every group in Christendom teaches that you must do something in order to be saved. Why not teach what scripture announces?

1/ Mark 16:15,16; Matthew 28:19,20; John 1:12,13; 3:3-5; Acts 2:37,38; Galatians 3:26,27; Romans 6:1-4; 17,18

Barry,
Excellent article! I don't know why it continues to amaze me when man discounts baptism by calling it a work, I guess my mind is too simple for such advanced theological thinking. To me the hardest work of all concerning our salvation is coming to terms with the fact that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. As anyone who does both physical labor and mental (paper work) labor can attest, at the end of the day the one who does mental work is just as physically drained as the man who digs ditches.

So what part of Christ's salvational formula is the most work; Faith or Baptism? What part of baptism is work? Walking down the steps into the baptistry?

Your last statement is so simple yet many overlook it's significance. Let us teach what the scripture announces! Amen, brother!

In His Name,
Mitchell Skelton

Barry,

The NT records, "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent'" (John 6:29). You are correct, there are no meritorious works that we can perform to earn our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). If ALL works prevent us from receiving the gift of salvation, then faith itself would keep us from enjoying that which the Father offers freely through His Son (see "Works," www.oakhillcoc.org.

I especially appreciate your final question. This ought to be our constant plea. "Why not teach what the Scripture announces?" Indeed.

One observation though, with your indulgence. You observed that the jailer may have not been thinking in terms of "saving his own skin." I would respectfully disagree. He knew the terrible consequences if even but one prisoner escaped from his watch. The Roman authorities would have given him the death penalty. That's why he nearly committed suicide (cf. Acts 16:28). Lenski notes, "...Roman law dealt severely with jailers who were unable to produce the prisoners who had been put into their custody. If prisoners who were liable to the death penalty were lost, the jailer himself would be promptly executed instead" (Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles, 676). Better to take his own life quickly, than to have it taken at the hands of his own brutal government One scholar observes, "What was this pagan asking? Mere deliverance from physical harm? That hardly seems likely--especially in view of the way in which he was answered by his two famous prisoners. He may have been familiar with the slave girl's message that these men 'proclaim unto you the way of salvation.' He seems to have interpreted the earthquake as an act of God, and saw himself in need of divine mercy..." (Jackson, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 207). Is it not also possible that the jailer learned something of his need for redemption by virtue of the prayers and song offered by Paul and Silas (cf. Acts 16:25; Col. 3:16). Singing is instructive. The jailer may have come to faith by virtue of that small two-man "worship assembly" in prison.

I appreciate your efforts for the Kingdom and I'm thankful we can serve together at FR.

Prov. 17:17,
Mike

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