Sermon Audio Archive

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

  

"You Can Be A Christian, Just Like People In The New Testament"

Jarrod Jacobs

Are you troubled by religious division? If you are, we want you to know that we are too! In fact, we believe that Jesus Christ is displeased with religious division. We believe this because Jesus said so in the Bible.

Jesus Prayed for Unity

Jesus prayed that all His followers would be united. Hear Him as He prays to the Father as recorded in John 17:20-21: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." This scripture shows that Jesus is displeased when those who call themselves "Christians" -- followers of Christ -- are divided. And we can learn also that it is possible for all Christians to be united. If it were not possible, Jesus would not have prayed for it.

Unity Was Commanded

When division among Christians developed during Bible times, Paul, an inspired apostle of Christ, charged them that there be no divisions among them. From I Corinthians 1:10 we hear him as he says: "Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." The solution for division specified here by the apostle was for everyone to speak the same thing and to be of the same mind and judgment.

The Bible is not divided. The Bible does not contradict itself. It does not teach conflicting doctrines. So, we can end all religious division if we will let the Bible, and only the Bible, be our guide. Consider this: Many times, we find that men are not divided over what the Bible says; rather they are divided over what the Bible does NOT say.

Christ Is Not Divided

The Bible clearly tell us that Christ is NOT divided, and that division is the result of following men instead of following Christ. We read in I Corinthians 1:11-13, "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, 'I am of Paul'; and 'I am of Apollos'; and 'I of Cephas'; and 'I of Christ'. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" Friends, the cause of religious division today is the same as it was then: people following various men instead of following Christ. Christ is not divided, and neither should Christians be divided. When we follow men, instead of following Christ, the Lord Jesus said that our worship is unacceptable to God. Hear Him, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).

Today We Can Have That Same Unity

Certainly we are able to understand the Bible alike because the apostle Paul commands us to keep the unity that the Holy Spirit revealed. "Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all who is above and through all and in you all" (Ephesians 4:1-6). This scripture shows us that Christians in the Bible were united because they were told to keep the unity. One cannot keep what he does not have. If we will all follow the Bible, and only the Bible, we today can have that same unity which Christians had in the Bible.

We Can Be Like Christians In The Bible

It is possible to be just what Christians were in the Bible if we will believe and obey the Word of God -- the Bible -- like they did. In Luke 8:4-8, the Lord Jesus used the sowing of seed to describe how some people will believe and obey the Bible while others will not. In Luke 8:11-15 the Lord Jesus told what the parable meant. He explained that "The seed is the word of God." A fundamental truth is that a certain kind of seed will always produce its own kind. When we plant a seed of corn, we know we will always get corn, not beans or squash or something else. In like manner, the word of God -- the Bible -- when it is planted in our hearts -- when it is believed and obeyed -- will always produce Christians, not anything else. So we can be Christians just like Christians in the Bible, if we receive that same seed in our hearts -- unmixed with the commandments and doctrines of men -- and we believe and obey the Bible like they did -- nothing more and nothing less.

How People Became Christians In The Bible

It is easy to understand how people became Christians in the Bible. The Lord's instructions are plain, and the numerous examples God has given in His Word are simple.

1. They Believed in Christ - The Bible tells us that the Philippian jailor brought them, Paul and Silas, out "and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his straightway" (Acts 16:30-33).

2. They Repented of Their Sins - "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost ... they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls" (Acts 2:37-41).

3. They Confessed Christ - "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him" (Acts 8:35-38).

4. They Were Baptized - "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).

How Christians Were Joined Together In The Bible

When they became Christians, they were not part of any denomination because denominations did not exist in the Bible. Denominations resulted when men began teaching "perverse things" -- things not found in the Bible, and "drew away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). We read in the Bible that Christians in each local area joined together to worship God, and every group of Christians was just alike in their faith and practice. They worshipped the same way; they taught the same doctrine; they did the Lord's work in the same manner; they had the same organization. They were independent churches which all looked to the Lord Jesus Christ alone as their head. They had no sub-head under Christ over them. Such as this resulted from the "perverse teachings" of men long after New Testament times. We encourage you to follow the Bible, and be a Christian just like the people in the New Testament.

* Related Articles *

A Christian Is ..... Neither Catholic, Jew, Nor Protestant

Back To Articles Concerning Being A Christian Back to Bible Basics