by Jon Burnett
In Romans 6:23, Paul says, �the wages of sin is death.� In addressing the Corinthians he repeats that the unrighteous (literally �wrongdoers�) will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). The prophet Isaiah was even more personal in his choice of words, �but your iniquities have made a separation between you and God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear� (Isaiah 59:2).
So where does the responsibility lie? On you! Paul said in Romans 2:6, �He (God) will render to each one according to his works.� In John�s last revelation he was told that �the dead were judged � according to what they had done� and that those not found in the book of life were �thrown into the lake of fire� (Revelation 20:12-15). The judge of these people is the word of Christ (John 12:48), which we have the power and self-control to follow (2 Timothy 1:7).
But our will to obey God would be in vain without some help from the Almighty. We�ve been saved by God�s grace, which is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8,9). This grace came along with truth through Christ (John 1:17). Christ �saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy � so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life� (Titus 3:4-7).
As our grace came through Christ, our salvation is reliant upon him. Our obedience to him is required for eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). If we reject Christ, we reject the only name �under heaven given among men by which we must be saved� (Acts 4:11,12). He is the way, the truth, and the life and salvation is only through him (John 14:6).
But how are we to learn of this Christ? If we are to obey him, how do we know what he�s said? Paul told the Romans that belief is reliant upon hearing Christ through the preaching of his word (Romans 10:13-17). We�re told that hearing the word is not enough, it must be understood (Matthew 13:23) and obeyed (Matthew 7:24).
So does merely reading this article save you? The apostle John said, �For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life� (John 3:16). Christ echoed this statement later in the same book by saying, �unless you believe I am he (the Christ) you will die in your sins� (John 8:24). How many atheists are there in today�s world? How many Muslims? Buddhists? Jews? These along with all unbelievers condemn themselves to Hell for their sins.
But just believing what the Bible says is not enough. James said in the book that bears his name, �You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone� (James 2:24). So what else is there? For one: repentance of sin. Paul addressed the Romans at the Aeropagus and said that, �The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent� (Acts 17:30). In Luke 13:3, Christ said to his followers, �No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.� We�re told to rejoice in our guilt over sin because it produces repentance unto salvation, and that is our ultimate goal (2 Corinthians 7:9,10).
But God not only commands us to stop sinning, but to start working for him. This new calling comes with a contract, your confession. A confession of Jesus as Lord brings about salvation (Romans 10:9,10). When we acknowledge Christ as Lord, he acknowledges us before God (Matthew 10:32,33). An example of this confession was Timothy�s. In 1 Timothy 6:12,13, Paul exhorts the young man to take hold of the salvation by confession and fight the good fight.
Many would like to stop there. To them salvation is something given by a gracious God to undeserving man free of charge: a gift not needing to be unwrapped. And that�s just what they do, they leave God�s gift unwrapped! So let�s tear off that paper!
Peter said that as Noah and his family were preserved by water, �Baptism, which now corresponds to this, now saves you � as an appeal to God for a good conscience� (1 Peter 3:21). Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians spoke of baptism as the natural result of faith, and that by baptism we put on Christ (Galatians 3:26,27). In the case of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, we read at the end of the account that �both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him� (Acts 8:38). Baptism is not merely an outward sign of your service to God, but is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38 & 1 Peter 3:21).
Baptism not only washes away our sins, but also adds us to the church. In Acts 2:41, Luke said, �So those who received the word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.� When we are baptized into Christ, we put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). Christ�s body is the church (Ephesians 5:23), which he sacrificed himself for, �that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word� (Ephesians 5:25,26).
But even after becoming a member of the Lord�s church, the process is not complete. We must discipline our bodies so that we might not be disqualified from the race (1 Corinthians 9:27). Even through trials, we must remain faithful unto death to receive our crown of life (Revelation 2:10). We must seek God�s kingdom and his righteousness first and before all else (Matthew 6:33). We must �hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering� and �consider how to stir up one another to love and good works � encouraging one another� (Hebrews 10:23-25).
Thousands of years ago God placed man on this earth to serve him, but by our own choice that he gave us, we fell out of favor with him and into sin. But even through the defiance of God by all men through sin, he has been gracious enough to provide for us a way to come back to him and escape our all-too-horrible judgment. Through the death and resurrection of his Son, we have salvation, and by him alone. Once we�ve heard the word and believed on it, we then must act. By acknowledging our guilt in God�s eyes we cast off our shackles of sin through repentance and confess Christ to dedicate ourselves to him. Then by baptism, we wash away all our sins, enabling us to live faithfully according to God�s word, and it alone. But don�t take my word for it. Follow the example of the Jews in Berea who, �searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so� (Acts 17:11). And if what I say is from God, you�ll know what to do.