People all over the world are hurting from sin that has affected their lives. They have a strong desire to change their ways and find a relationship with God. Their desire turns to action. They may attend a revival with a friend or talk to someone personally about their dilemma. This leads them to make a commitment to Christ.
Often when I am talking to people about the subject of salvation, I will ask them how they know that they are saved. They will respond that they have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. And it is true; one must accept Jesus in order to build a relationship with Him that assures that person of his salvation. I ask, “How did this take place in your life?” Some will say, “I just received Him in my heart. “Others will share an experience they had one day while thinking about their need for God. Still others will state that they received Jesus through a prayer on the front pew in a revival. Some will quote John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ They will state that they believe this verse and have accepted Him as their personal Savior.
“Who do you believe Jesus is?” is a question I feel compelled to ask. Others, I may ask, “What do you understand the gospel to be?” I further state that the reason for such a question is based on Jesus’ instruction to the Christian to “Go preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15. Before a person makes that important step to follow Christ, they should hear or read about the gospel. Some claiming salvation will know and yet others claiming that same experience with Jesus are not sure.
Jesus says that unless a person believes that He is the I AM, he will die in his sins. That makes it necessary to tell both the one in a lost state and the one claiming salvation who He really is…See John 8:24. It is not enough to have some nebulous understanding of a person called Jesus. What should one know about Him?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
When one examines the scriptures, it is clear the gospel consists of the message about Jesus, His deity, birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, intercession, and the good news of His return to judge the world. Jesus, as God, truly did love us enough to leave heaven to become a man that He might better understand His own creation, Hebrews 1:2. The Hebrew writer expresses it so beautifully in Hebrews 2:17, 18 “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted “So, on the cruel cross Jesus suffered for the sins of all, Hebrews 2:9. His resurrection was simply a prelude to our own which He promised at His second coming, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23. The letter to the Hebrews tells of His ascension to the throne of God, Hebrews 9:24. It also further states that He will judge us some day, verse 27. The heart of this story of Jesus is the fact that He died for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised the third day. This is called the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and is the very message presented to the lost on the first day the church came into existence in Acts 2:22-36.
Many claiming salvation had never heard these simple truths or had heard bits and pieces of the gospel sometime in the past. Coming to Christ is a serious decision which must not be taken lightly. Also, coming to Christ must be on His terms laid out in the scriptures. How does the Bible tell us people accepted Christ nineteen hundred years ago? Did one come to an altar and pray to God? Let’s let the Lord tell us how we should respond to him.
RESPONDING TO GOD WHEN JESUS WALKED THE STREETS
A man came to Jesus to ask Him, “A certain ruler asked him, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No one is good—except God alone.” You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother. “Luke 18:18-20.
Here Jesus appeals to the Ten Commandments as a directive for the young man’s life. This man could not appeal to the cross of Christ for salvation, for he was not conscious that Jesus would soon die for his sins.
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS APPEALS TO CHRIST FOR SALVATION
Once again a man turns to Christ as he hangs next to the Savior and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. “ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise,” Luke 23:22-23. This man would not come to know the gospel of Christ before his death because both Jesus and the thief would die within a few minutes of each other. Therefore, he would not have understood Jesus’ resurrection. It was only after Jesus was raised that the gospel was to be preached to everyone.
HOW DO I ACCEPT CHRIST AS MY SAVIOR?
One is really lonely when he does not have Jesus as his personal Savior. Material possessions don’t satisfy one looking for purpose in life. God has arranged a way for the person seeking Him to have Jesus as a personal friend and Savior. This is through one’s response to the gospel. In fact if a person goes through life believing the gospel but never obeys it, he will suffer eternal destruction away from God, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. Here Paul says that when Jesus returns again, He will punish those who don’t know God and who do not obey the gospel. This begins with a change of heart. The desire to turn from sin and serve Christ is referred to as repentance. Paul says it so well in Romans 2:4, “God has been very kind to you. And He has been patient with you. God has been waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of His kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will change your hearts and lives. “In the same letter Paul says that we should confess Jesus as Lord, Romans 10:9-10. In verse 16, he makes it clear that not all will obey the gospel.
APPLYING THE BLOOD OF CHRIST TO THE LOST
Jesus blood was shed to cleanse us from all our sins, Ephesians 1:7. His blood was shed in His death. The Lord instructs that we need to get into His death where the blood can cleanse us. Paul tells us how to get into Jesus death in the letter to the Romans. Here he writes, “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,” Romans 6:3-4. When we reenact the death, burial, and resurrection in baptism, God puts us into Christ where all sins are forgiven. After the Jews heard the gospel in Acts 2:22-36, they really felt sorry for killing Jesus, verse 37. They asked what to do to right the wrong done by them fifty three days earlier. “Peter said to them, ‘Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, “verse 38. Those converted now had a new family that would later be called Christians, Acts 11:26. They were together often, sometimes daily, Acts 2:42. They were happy and they had a purpose in life for the first time.
WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD FEELING I HAD WHEN I ACCEPTED JESUS
It is an exciting time when one decides to give his heart to Jesus. Emotions run high and those around the person feel an air of excitement. However, some who have had an experience different than the Bible offers for salvation become excited once again for having discovered some new truths. Apollos is a good example of this. He only knew John the Baptist’s teaching about Jesus regarding salvation. He was so excited about his response that he went about teaching the same message John taught; however, when two Christians took him aside and explained the gospel, he had a whole new message to share. He did not reject what he had learned earlier but built upon it. Read Acts 18:24-26. Once again, in Acts 19 a group of disciples believed only the teaching of John. In fact they had been baptized into John’s teaching. They had made an earlier response to God. After hearing the gospel about Jesus, they did not hesitate to obey the gospel. They had learned more about God’s will and wanted to make their salvation sure.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BELIEVE IN VAIN?
Jesus made a point to the Jews that has really helped me reevaluate my former response. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ‘will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Matthew 7:21-23. What does the word “never” say about their initial response? Paul later told those at Corinth that it was possible to believe even the gospel in vain, 1 Corinthians 15:2. Why was it in vain? Apparently because they had never obeyed the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 1:8.
Speaking personally, at the time a man presented the gospel to me, the only thing I knew was that one had to accept Jesus in his heart through prayer and that salvation would come immediately. When this man so kindly opened my mind to scriptures such as Mark 16:15-16 and 1 Peter 3:20-21, I had a big decision to make. Should I stick with my former understanding of salvation or accept the new truths I had now found in the scriptures. I struggled for three months and decided to accept Christ on His terms. After I obeyed the gospel, I began to work and worship with the church of Christ. I was so happy to be in such a loving group.
A CHALLENGE FROM THE LORD
Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, John 5:39. Read if you will the stories of people coming to Christ in the book of Acts. Read the message presented and how they were told to respond to be forgiven. Were they asked to pray through at the altar? Were they just told to receive Jesus in their hearts? Were the sick told that their recovery from their illness was a confirmation of salvation? Then if you find that the lost responded in a different way back then, will you be honest with your soul and do what they did to receive Christ as their personal Savior?
Copyright 1992
Bob Danklefsen
T-44 11-24-92
