Hearing the Gospel

​"... Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard
through the word about Christ". - Romans 10:17 (NIV)​

This step may sound like it's just a given, but in fact many people do not begin their spiritual journey by listening carefully to what God has to say. Many people get their informantion about how to become a Christian from other people. Trusting in others to give us the correct information is fine for some areas of life. For example, I trust what my doctor says. However, when it comes to my eternal salvation, God doesn't want us to depend on second hand information. We need to get in touch with God's word directly. God designed his word to be accessable and inteligible for all. 

In Acts, we read:

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica,
for they received the message with great eagerness and examined
the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
Acts 17:11 - (NIV) 

Am I listening to the Bible or am I more attentive to what the people around me are saying. At the transfigueration of Jesus God said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” - Mark 9:7  -(NIV)  Is my faith based on the traditions of man or the words of Jesus?

There are good people out their who have good intentions, but they can be wrong. There are very dynamic and enthusiastic teachers and preachers out their with impressive credintials, but they can be wrong. This is why it is so important to get our informantion about spiritual things from the word of God itself. God will guide us and bless us in this effort. Remember the passage we mentioned earlier, "Seek and you will find." That's a promise.

Faith

"And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and
that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." - Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)​

Jesus paid the price of our sins when he died for us on the cross. Salvation is a free gift of God. However, we must accept God's gift on his terms. Like the people in Acts chapter two, we ask the question, "What must we do to be saved." We don't just make it up as we go. We stop and listen to God. We wait for God's answer. It is important to understand that obeying God, whatever that might be, is not an attempt to "earn" our salvation. It is simply an act of faith. 

The Bible says that we are saved by faith. But what is "faith". We must let the Bible define its own terms. The word faith in the Bible does not simply mean something that we feel or believe in our heart and mind. In the Bible, faith is an action word. Hebrews chapter 11 clearly demonstrates this principle. One after another it lists the great men of faith down through the ages. It alwasy begins, "By faith Abel..." did this. "By faith Noah..." did this. "By faith Abaraham..." did this. And the thing that they did was always to obey God. 

So when the Bible tells us that we are saved by faith it is not just talking about something in our head and heart. Faith is what causes us to act. And obedience is the action God is looking for.

Repent

Perhaps you've heard the saying, "No pain, no gain." Well, it is true in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm as well. It is impossible to come to God without a little internal pain. Perhaps that's why Jesus said, "Blessed are those who morn..." (Matthew 5:4) (NIV)​

But we have all learned throughout our lives that sadness is often the gateway to joy. Never is that more true than with the sadness we feel about our past sins.

Expressing our Faith in Words 

“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your
good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  -  I Timothy 6:12 (NIV) 

A public verbal declaration of faith in Christ was an important element of the conversion process in the New Testament. It is an example that we should follow. The New Testament calls this our “confession” of faith in other places.

Like baptism, it is an outward expression of faith. Customarily, this verbal expression is made sometime before baptism.

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,...”. - Romans 10:9 (NIV)

This passage is often used to try to prove that faith alone is all that God requires for salvation. However, declaring our faith in Jesus in this passage is inseparably linked to faith in this passage just as baptism and belief are linked in Acts 2:38. 

A comprehensive study of the subject of salvation makes it clear that faith is not something to be isolated. We are to express our faith in obedience. 

Faith is the starting point, and it is the driving force behind our whole response to the Gospel. Faith causes us to obey God and do exactly what He tells us to do. Obedience is complementary to faith, not contrary to it. Those steps of obedience include repenting of our sins, confessing our faith with our mouth, and being baptized into Christ. When we cover baptism in our next section, we will see that it is this last step that actually puts us into Christ.

Expressing our Faith in Baptism

In Acts chapter two, the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem just as Jesus had instructed them. Peter preached the first gospel sermon with a convicting message: ​

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to
the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
“Brothers, what shall we do?”  - Acts 2:36-37 (NIV)​

Peter answered their question in a straight forward way:​

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off,
for all whom the Lord our God will call.” - Acts 2:38 (NIV)​

Just as those men and women who heard the first gospel sermon in Acts chapter two, we ask the question, “What must we do?…”. The answer is still the same for us, even after 2000 years.​

Baptism, properly understood, is not an effort to earn ones salvation. Rather, it is a simple act of faith. As we mentioned earlier, obedience is the most important act of faith there is. Here are some other scriptures in the New Testament that speak to the meaning and importance of baptism.

“...and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” - I Peter 3:21 (NIV)

“...having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” - Colossians 2:12 (NIV)

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been
united with  him in a death like his, we will certainly  also be united with
him in a resurrection like his.” - Romans 6:4-5 (NIV)

“...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
- Galatians 3:27 (NIV)

"Faith Only"?

The idea that we are saved by "faith alone" or "faith only" is widespread. It is a part of a system of teachings known as "Calvinism" based on the teachings of John Calvin. The only passage of scripture that mentions "faith alone" is found in the book of James. It reads:

"You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made
complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,”   and he was called God’s friend.
You see that a person is considered righteous by what
they do and not by faith alone."  - James 20 - 24 (NIV)

Faith and baptism are not at odds. If we are baptized without faith it is meaningless. But on the other hand, if we say we have faith but don't do what God tells us to do, our faith is dead. 

People often quote Romans chapter 10 in order to try to prove that faith in your heart is all that is necessary for salvation.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”  - Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

But the verse doesn't just refer to faith in the heart.  Notice that salvation comes not only from believing in your heart but also by doing something: professing your faith with your mouth. So why does Paul mention faith and verbally professsing our faith here and not baptism or repentance?  Are repentance and baptism unnecessary elements of the conversion process? No, it is in this very same letter that Paul explains carefully the critical role of baptism in the conversion process: 

"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly
also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  - Romans 6:3-6

The Bible authors often focus on certain aspects of a subject for the sake of emphasis. In Romans ten, Paul is stressing the importance of the faith as manifest in the heart and mouth in order to contrast that with the external law keeping of the Jewish system. He is not discounting the importance of baptism or repentance.

Those who say that we are saved by "faith only" dismiss baptism from the process of salvation because they have been taught that if you have to "do something" to get saved you are trying to "earn" your salvation. An act of obedient faith is not an effort to earn our salvation. However, they too teach that if you want to become a Christian you must do something. They say that you must say a prayer and ask Jesus to come into your heart. 

Is not saying this prayer something you do? If someone has to pray this prayer are they attempting to "earn" their salvation? No, of course not. Those who defend saying this prayer would tell us that the prayer is simply an act of faith.  

So if saying a prayer is an act of faith what about baptism?  Isn't baptism an act of faith?  The difference between baptism and "the sinners prayer" is simple. One is prescribed in scripture as the way to become a Christian and the other is not. Nowhere in scripture are we told to come into Christ by saying a prayer. There's nothing wrong with saying a prayer when we become a Christian. Before or after. But prayer does not take the place of baptism.  Baptism is clearly defined in scripture as the point in which we are joined with Christ. (Romans 6:5) We must come to God on His terms.

Living In the Body of Christ

As a new Christian you are a part of a spiritual body the Bible calls the church. The word "church" in the the Bible means "the called out". We have been called out of the world and into the Kingdom of God. Christians do not live a trouble free life. In fact since you have decided to follow Christ, you are now a prime target of Satan. He would like nothing more than to see you fall away and give up the battle. But you are not alone in this struggle. Christ has promised to be with you and he gives you everything you need to over come the world. He reminds us that since he has over come the world, we can too.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

The victory over the world and the forces of darkness are not won by our own power but by God's. If we stay near to God, Satan can not touch us. If we stray from God we become easy pray. 

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour."  - I Peter 5:8

An important thing to keep in mind is that God has now simply saved us from the consequences of sin but from a life of sin. Though we will sometimes sin, sin must not rule in our lives. Our goal must be strive for holiness. "Holiness" is what God is calling us to. We have been made in God's image. Sin caused us to lose that likeness but in Christ God is calling us back to become once again the person we were meant to be. 

Denying ourselves and taking up our cross.

As Christians we can not lead a double life. We can't fool God. He knows our motives and our every thought. We must choose to be all in or we will eventually be all out.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 
- Luke 16:13 (NIV) 

Following Christ means denying ourselves of sinful worldly pleasures.​

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their
cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23 (NIV)​

What's that all about? "Take up my cross,"?  As we spoke of before, sin is deadly. It is out to rob us of everything we have and leave us for dead. As such, God takes sin very seriously; and we must too. Sin is like cancer. If we don't cut it away completely it will eventually destroy us. As a Christian, sin is no longer our master.

Sin is contrary to the new nature that we have been given in Christ. Peter writes: ​

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;
“by his wounds you have been healed.”  - I Peter 2:24 (NIV)

 To take up our cross means that we die to sin. We no longer respond to it's call. We respond to the call of Jesus.

What do I do if I sin?

It's true that at times we will sin. It's important that we recognize the sin in our life for what it is and not try to cover it up or explain it away. Satan, seeks to destroy us and he accomplishes that by tempting us to sin. We must flee sin quickly as Joseph fled Potifers wife. If we give it a place to stay in our heart it will end up dulling our spiritual senses and cloud our thinking. Sin takes us in the opposite direction from where we want to go. It moves us away from God
.
If we sin, we must come to God for forgivness. We must trust him when he tells us that he is faithful to forgive. And we must resolve not to sin in the future.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."  
- I John 1:810 -(NIV)

Living in the Body of Christ, the Church

"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." - Colossians 1:18 (NIV)​​

After we come into Christ through baptism, we begin our walk with the Lord. Spiritually speaking, we all begin our journey as Christians as mere babes. Just because you may be a spiritual infant doesn't mean that you are in any way inferior to any other Christian. You are just as saved as anyone else in God's Kingdom and all of Gods promises are yours. But it takes time to mature as a Christian. It also takes a lot of Bible study; a lot of prayer and of course we also learn by experience. 

When you become a Christian, you become part of a very special family. God’s family. It is made up of people just like you who are growing and learning to be more like Jesus every day. The church is a place where you can thrive and grow each day. ​

The word church has gotten a bad rap in our modern world. It brings to mind images of stiff and lifelessly people going through rituals. I'm sure there are some churches that live up to that image. But the people of God; the body of Christ; the true church; is nothing like that. The true church is made up of all those who have made Jesus their Lord and Savior. It is a place filled with hope, joy and peace. Things that you just won't find any other place on earth. Not because the people are better than anyone else, but because the head of the body is Christ. His glory each heart and His love spills over into evert heart as well.

The church is described in the Bible as a "body". A body of believers. Even though we are made whole in God's sight, we all still have a lot of growing and learning to do. The church is made up of real people just like yourself;  people with strengths and weaknesses just like you. So don't be surprised if you encounter someone in the body of Christ who is less than perfect. God accepts us just the way we are and then goes to work on us. Shaping us and reshaping us into His image. People will annoy you at times and may make you downright angry at time. But Jesus gave us a "golden rule" to live by: Treat others like you would want them to treat you. Perhaps they just need someone like you to come along side them and encourage them to do better. We all need each other.  

Sometimes following Jesus puts us at odds with those around us. I may even put us at odds with family. I know of people who were cut off from their families when they became Christians. But Jesus said to his followers, ​

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."
- Matthew 19:29 (NIV)

And keep in mind that the strongest testimony we can give others is to demonstrate that Jesus means everything to us. Your unbending devotion to God may be just what they need to cause them to look deeper at the gospel.

As someone once said, the church is not a “museum for saints,”  it is a hospital for “sinners”!  Through Christ we are made perfect in God’s eyes.​​ In the New Testament the church is not described as an organization but rather a living body, the body of Christ. The church simply means "those who have been called out." We have been called out of the world and into God's family. That does not  mean that we are to isolate ourselves from the world. As Jesus said, we are to be "in" the world, but not "of" the world. (John 17: 14-15)

Being an active part of this family is not optional. As you study the Bible you will come to realize that we have an obligation to support and encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord. When you look for a group of Christians to worship and serve with, make sure that they are living and teaching the Word and not human doctrines and traditions.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Acts 28:19-20 (NIV)