by Steve Hale
INTRODUCTION
For centuries, men have longed to know the pathway to God. Various methodolgies have arisen specifying what to do to be saved.
The most important place to look for salvation is the Bible. It is the inerrant, inspired word of God ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17). It contains all we need for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:3).
It is the fervent hope of the writer that, as we begin our search together, the Bible will be the binding tie, the road map by which we find God's way. Feel free to check scripture references. Read, search, and investigate!
Truth has nothing to fear from scrutiny. Only tradition and man's will does.
Be a Berean ( Acts 17:10-11) as we begin our search together.
Salvation is found only in Jesus ( John 8:24). He is the focal point we can all surely agree ( John 14:6).
Yet, it was this same Jesus that sent the Holy Spirit to guide inspired writers to pen His message ( John 16:13-14). The Lord has promised to judge us by this inspired message ( John 12:48).
Therefore, it is essential to come to Jesus by His criteria, and not that of any man. May the Lord bless us on our search together! --Steve Hale--
THE AUTHORITY OF GOD
Let's say the holiday season is approaching, and it's time for you to order presents from a mail order company. This year, you decide to buy your teenage daughter the dress she's been wanting.
The dress is a size 7 blue print, with matching size 6 shoes. You order these items from the company.
A week later, the company returns with a huge tractor trailer rig. The driver begins unloading a lawn tractor, a boat and motor, an electric generator, and many other items.
Finally, he brings to your door the bill along with the dress and shoes. You respond quite forcefully that you did not order all of this, but just the dress and shoes.
The driver responds: "Yes, we know this is all you ordered, but you did not tell us not to bring these other things." How long would a company like this stay in business?
We understand that when we order something from such a company, we eliminate everything else. This is known as "the authority principle."
The same is true in the Bible. When God orders something, he eliminates everything else. Paul said: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" ( Colossians 3:17). To prove the validity of this reasoning, let us go to a familiar example from the book of Hebrews. Under the Old Law, priests could only come from the tribe of Levi ( Numbers 1:49-50).
Yet, the New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus would be the High Priest, and that He would be of the tribe of Judah (Bethlehem was in Judah, Matthew 2:1; Hebrews 7:27-28). Since He could not have been a High Priest under the Law of Moses, a change in the Law was necessiated ( Hebrews 8:1-7).
With this in mind, note this statement: "For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests" ( Hebrews 7:14). In other words, to eliminate Judah from having priests, the inspired writers did not have to say "thou shalt not be from Judah, thou shalt not be from Benjamin..."
When God through Moses authorized the tribe of Levi, He eliminated all the other tribes, for of Judah "...Moses spake nothing concerning priests." The Lord, therefore, need not tell us what he doesn't want, but merely what he does want! By the authority principle, everything else is eliminated.
This is a vital principle when we search for God's way to salvation. When the Lord tells us what to do to be saved, He will eliminate all other ways. Therefore, when someone differs from God's way, we know that it is false. Jesus asked: "And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say" ( Luke 6:46)? That question is as legitimate to ask today as it was then.
OUR SEARCH BEGINS
Can you imagine finding a man so noble that he would travel a thousand miles to worship God? Not only that, but when he gets there, he cannot enter into the place of worship because: (1) a castrated man could not enter into the congregation of the Lord ( Deuteronomy 23:1); (2) a Gentile (Ethiopian) would only be allowed on the Court of the Gentiles, and not into the Temple proper.
We find just such a man in Acts 8:26-40. He was an Ethiopian eunuch over all the treasury of Queen Candace, and was a man of great authority ( Acts 8:26-27). His purpose in coming to Jerusalem was to worship ( Acts 8:27).
On his way home from Jerusalem back to Ethiopia, he was reading about Jesus from Isaiah 53:7-8 :
"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His
generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth" ( Acts 8:32- 33).
In the meantime, the Spirit of the Lord brought Philip the Evangelist to where this Ethiopian was. This eunuch asked Philip: "...of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself or some other" ( Acts 8:34)?
Philip began where the eunuch was in his knowledge of Jesus, and preached to him. Luke, the author of Acts, tells us: "...beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus" ( Acts 8:35).
Knowing Jesus is the beginning of salvation. Without Him, there can be no salvation. Examining compelling evidence about Jesus produces faith: "So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" ( Romans 10:17). Philip wanted to convince the eunuch of the Messiahship of Jesus.
As Philip taught the eunuch about Jesus, this great Ethiopian came to believe. The eunuch confessed: "...I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" ( Acts 8:37). Therefore, the way of salvation begins by examination that
produces faith.
As they were riding along, they came to a certain water. The eunuch asked Philip: "...Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized" ( Acts 8:36). This eunuch obviously wanted to change his life, and give it to the Lord Jesus. This desire to change is evident by the question about baptism.
As with the eunuch, faith must cultivate a desire to repent or change. This spiritual change was evident in the life of the great apostle Paul as he told King Agrippa of his conversion ( Acts 26:18-20). When we come to the King, our lives become different. Our direction and desires are different. We repent or change when we are truly converted.
Not only was this eunuch going to change, but he told Philip of this change when he confessed Christ ( Acts 8:37). When we become Christians, we want others to know of the change we have made so they might make it as well ( Matthew 10:32, 33). This confession of Christ is a lifelong confession, and not just at the point of baptism ( Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10).
Finally, this eunuch asked to be baptized ( Acts 8:36). When Philip asked him to confess Christ ( Acts 8:37), he took this eunuch into the water and baptized him ( Acts 8:38). Why baptism?
The word baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo which means: "to dip, to plunge, to immerse." The substance into which he was baptized was water. Does this water wash away our sins?
No! The Bible clearly teaches that only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from our sins ( Revelation 1:5). Therefore, we must ask when does His blood cover our sins?
Jesus shed His blood when he was crucified for us. Since the life of the flesh is the blood ( Leviticus 17:10, 11), He literally shed his life for us. Obviously, this blood was shed when he died.
Therefore, we must die with Him for His blood to cover our sins, for His blood was shed when He Himself died. But, how do we die with Him?
Paul said: "Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death" ( Romans 6:3)? Paul tells us that baptism is the means by which we die with Christ ( Romans 6:3) and thus have His blood cover our sins!
Baptism is also the means by which we are buried with Christ ( Romans 6:4), and raised with Christ ( Romans 6:5). It is when we are dead in Christ ( Romans 6:7) we are loosed from our sins!
We die with Christ in baptism. In fact, Peter said: "which after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" ( I Peter 3:21).
The eunuch knew he was saved after his baptism, because the Bible says: "...he went on his way rejoicing" ( Acts 8:39). Why should he rejoice? Because he had been saved! If we will do what this eunuch did, we too will be saved!
DO YOU BELIEVE JESUS?
This writer does not doubt you believe in Jesus, but in the same breath, do you believe Jesus? Jesus said:
"...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned" ( Mark 16:15-16).
Wait a minute. I have heard different. My preacher told me another way. A relative shared with me something that contrasts from this.
Remember a few minutes ago, we began by talking about the authority principle. If the Lord authorizes something, he eliminates everything else. Jesus does not lie ( Hebrews 6:18). His way is truth, not error ( John 8:32). Do you believe Jesus? If you do, then you will, as did Saul of Tarsus: "...arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name" ( Acts 22:16).
As you ponder your relationship with God through Jesus Christ, ask yourself these questions:
1. Do I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God?
2. Do I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God?
3. Do I want to go to heaven?
If you have answered yes to these three questions, you are ready to respond to the message of this tract, and put Christ on in baptism ( Galatians 3:27). Why wait a moment longer ( 2 Corinthians 6:2)?
KEY SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Plan of Salvation
Hear ( Acts 2:37; Romans 10:17; Acts 8:35).
Believe ( Hebrews 11:1, 6; Acts 8:37; John 3:16).
Repent ( Acts 26:18-20; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
Confess ( Acts 8:37; Matthew 10:32-33;
Romans 10:9-10).
Baptism ( Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7; Galatians 3:27).
Faithfulness ( John 15:6; Galatians 5:22).
Other References
Blood ( Matthew 26:26-28; Ephesians 1:7).
Christ ( John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:5-11).
Resurrection ( I Corinthians 15:1-6; Mark 16:9).
Reconciliation ( 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Romans 5:10).
Redemption ( Romans 3:24; Romans 8:23; Ephesians 1:14).
Justification ( Romans 5:1, 9; James 2:14-26).
Sanctification ( John 17:17; I Thessalonians 5:23).
Salvation ( Romans 1:16; Hebrews 9:28).
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