I was listening to comments on “Faith Only” and then the person refers to Acts 17 and repentance. So it brought up some thoughts.
While I agree in principle with the statement I disagree in what Faith Only looks like.
Using Paul’s “sermon” from Acts 17, specificity this verse:
Acts 17:30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
Which always brings me back to the basic question of “what must we do” to be saved and a key verse for me is always from Acts and Peter’s response to the quest:
Act 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “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.
Repentance and Baptism were key for Peter for Salvation.
Paul says in Romans 10:8-10:
But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For Paul “confession is made unto salvation”
James says “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19). Which to me says to say “Faith Only” is not enough.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to put works into faith but I think if we put forward Faith Without Action then I think faith can be empty and meaningless.
So the real question is what must a person do to be saved?
Does a person need to just believe Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day for the sins of the world and that is it? Do they need to “confess” their sins? Do they need to “repent”?
Heaven forbid I bring up this one but do they need to be baptized? What is the purpose of baptism. I think the bible is clear it unites us with Christ, but I think it is also clear it is the point we join with Christ and the point we have our sins washed away. (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:5; Col 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21). Also baptism is required for membership at some church’s who accept faith only. If it is truly faith only for salvation then why should they require more than God for membership into his church?
One of my favorite passages is from Acts chapter 8. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip preaches in such a way that the eunuch ask :See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”. I find this amazing because Philip than has to ask “If you believe with all your heart, you may”. I wonder if you have ever preached a sermon on salvation such that the question is why can’t I be baptized before the question of faith comes up? Where is baptism in our salvation message? I enjoy this passage because it reminds me of my own journey and at the point I believed and asked to be baptized (where we were at the time) I was not asked if I believed but told I was not ready. In shock I left that group and found a better bible believing church in which I was baptized about a month later. To me baptism is the last step of a believing faith, not something I do but something I submit to, and not the first step of a believer.
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, be Baptized!
I recently read the “Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus” by John MacArthur. In the book he struggles with his view of predestination and free will but the emphasis of the book is that “Faith Only” may not be a saving faith. Faith that does not change and call to action is a faith that is not enough.
Since the bible says we are responsible for spreading the word of God it becomes an important question to ask what must we teach. Ezekiel 3:18-19 for example puts unbelievers blood on our hands if we do not explain the gospel correctly and they are not saved.
So I ask the question what must a person do to be saved? What should we teach for salvation?
Just believe, believe what? “Believe in Jesus” and say a little prayer?
Not that I question what I believe but how much I can tone it down to still fall within the guise of the local church belief system as it were while still being faithful to scripture. Paul himself says he is told to “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”. I also believe that as Paul wrote in the NT he wrote from the belief that all believers were baptized and there was no such thing as an unbaptized believer. If someone ask me about baptism I have to use scripture to point out I believe it is necessary for salvation. I know that does not fit with some churches and so I ask the question.
So I ask the question what must a person do to be saved? What should we teach for salvation?
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, be Baptized!
Then be faithful to Christ!