The Obstacles (16)

It is important to realize that this study, while somewhat thorough, is not exhaustive.  There is much more to be learned about the subject of salvation.  There are important points that have not even been touched upon due to my desire to keep this writing relatively short.  There will be a follow up study that will cover more of this intriguing, not to mention, vital subject.

Before we conclude this first part of the salvation study, there are a few points I would like to touch on.  So as we begin the conclusion process several things will be mentioned… some of which will be covered more in depth in part two of this series.

The teaching of the gospel by Jesus

We have seen that it was clearly the actions of Jesus that put the New Testament Gospel into force:  It was His death, burial, and resurrection that put the power of salvation into effect.  But, as we saw with John the Baptist’s message, the gospel was taught by Jesus as something that would soon be available to the lost… that is, it was yet to come.

The beginning of the ministry of Jesus began with the same message as John preached:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  (Matthew 4:17)  We have the first element of the template in agreement with the preaching of Jesus.  Upon repentance the door is unlocked and a two-step entrance is available to usher the seeker into the Kingdom of God.  Those two steps are the now familiar components of burial (of the repentant nature by baptism) and resurrection (bringing new life to the believer).  Jesus taught it by using the symbolism of the new birth… that is, water and Spirit.  Again the words of Jesus:

“Except a man be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:5)

The bride from the side

This is in total agreement with the teaching in I John chapter 5 as John tells us that this he that came by water and blood.  It was from the side of Jesus that water and blood flowed when upon His death the Roman soldier pierced Him.  And as the first Adam received his bride from an opened side, so the second Adam will soon receive his bride (the church) from His opened side… those who came to the kingdom (Holy Ghost) by means of the blood (repentance) and water (baptism).  While there is further study of these truths, we will wait for the second in the series to consider it more.

Some objections

There are some ligitament concerns that need addressing as there are a few passages that perhaps would cause confusion.  I would like to mention three that are often used to object to the clear message of the gospel that we have seen.

In order of their appearance in the scriptures:

The thief on the cross is sometimes used as an example of salvation that does not seem to fit the pattern we have been seeing.  In our study we have actually already laid the basis for biblically answering this concern.  Simply, the New Testament Gospel, which is the means of salvation during the church age… our age, came into force after the death of the person whose will (testament) we are considering.  A testament is a statement of the will of someone (testator) at their death.  A will never is in force while the testator lives.  Jesus, although near death, was still living when He told the thief that he would join Him in paradise that day.  The thief on the cross died under the Old Testament law and Jesus, as the Word of God in flesh, had divine power to forgive sins and proclaim his eternal destiny.

The Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16 asked, “what must I do to be saved?”  He was immediately (as he was about to kill himself with a sword) told to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…”  (Verse 31).  The context of the story reveals the reality of the situation as well as the fact that the full message of salvation was not given at that “emergency moment”.

To save the man from suicide Paul needed first to give the man hope… it was not time to explain the gospel in its entirety.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ covered “all the bases”… the gospel message is generally understood as an act of believing… for all of the message is contingent upon believing… or faith!  So statements such as “we are saved by faith” are true statements… however, faith and belief are abstract terms needing further clarification.  The three-fold gospel clarifies the general terminology of “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”.  Our study has also laid the foundation for this concept as John declared that “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself…”  John taught that there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”  (I John 5: 8)

Finally, in considering the context of the story.  We should read the rest of the verse and the verses following the statement that is often used as I just presented it… in an incomplete manner.  At the end of the verse that I quoted (believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved) are three more words, they are:  “and thy house.”  If we are to take this verse as it is often presented, as a complete answer to the question of the jailer of “what must I do to be saved”, we would have to believe that upon his belief that his house (family) would also be saved by his belief.  Common sense tells us that each member of the family would need to believe as well and that the belief of the jailer would open the door of opportunity for their own salvation.  While their salvation is not automatic upon the jailor’s belief, it is (to a great extent) contingent on his belief. 

In is obvious that there would need to be further explanation to his family… but not to them only… the jailer himself received more instruction.  Notice: “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”  We are not told the entirety of what was said, however there is no reason to believe that it was any different than what has been shown over and over to be the message of the gospel.  We can see a partial result of the words which were spoken to him and his family.

“And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes (the stripes he put on them!  Evidence of repentance.); and was baptized, he and all his straightway.”  (Acts 16:33)  Although it is not mentioned that they received the Holy Ghost it is clear that the message they were given, the word of the Lord, was one that when fully explained included baptism.  Again there is no reason to assume the message that Paul and Silas preached in the home of the jailer was in anyway different than the rest of the examples given.  After all it was Paul who said if “we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel… let him be accursed”!

A familiar verse often used as a salvation “proof” text is found in Romans the 10^th chapter.  It says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  Again, we see that John’s mention of the three-fold internal witness of one’s belief as being the water, Spirit, and blood is once more applicable, as belief is a condition of salvation. 

However, there is more to be considered in this passage.  We notice a phrase being used in this verse that is not used anywhere else in scripture.  “… if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus…”  Why would it appear here and not anywhere else?  This is especially important given the weight this one verse is given in espousing a salvation doctrine taught by many.  Let us consider why it is used and in doing so we will clearly see its proper application.

Questions arising from biblical statements can almost always be answered by simply looking at the context of those statements.  This case is no different.  A few questions about the setting of this verse can help us to identify why this particular language is used. 

·         Who is it written to?

·         Who is it written about?

·         Are the terms in it abstract or concrete?

·         Are unfamiliar terms standalone commands or are they simply different ways of saying something that has already been stated?

The book of Romans was written by Paul to the church (saved) in Rome.  Again, we will not be seeing verbatim instruction to the lost of how to be saved.  This book is written to those who already are saved and know the plan of God as taught by the apostles who preached it to them. 

The tenth chapter is written about Israel.  Paul begins this portion of scripture by saying (Verse 1), “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”  It is imperative that this is understood as the knowledge that this is written concerning the Jews is essential to seeing why the verse is worded the way it is. 

While the salvation plan does not change from group to group, or person to person, or religion to religion, the obstacles preventing differing groups of people from perceiving its relevance and truth can be different.  Paul wrote, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness”.  (I Corinthians 1: 22 & 23)   

A crucified Christ was not the mindset of the Jews of Israel.  Yet their salvation depends on an acknowledgment that their Messiah was crucified.  Peter put it this way, “Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:  and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded… the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense…”  (I Peter 2: 6 & 8)

The Jew’s biggest problem, the one that was literally keeping from salvation, was their inability to confess that Jesus was their Messiah.  What was keeping them from salvation?  Repentance?  Baptism? Receiving the Spirit?  Of course, all of those things are necessary as we studied the verses to follow quite thoroughly (Verses 13 – 15)  But until they confess the Lord Jesus and believe in their hearts that He was raised from the dead, all of the elements of our template do not matter.  Paul’s heart’s desire and prayer was that Israel be saved.  To be saved what did they first need to do?  It is this concern that Paul is addressing… the biggest stumbling block to Israel was confessing Jesus.  So what did they need to do?  Confess… and they will be saved.  Obviously, the elements of the gospel are not negated because of this primary need, but rather they are easily understood and obeyed once the stumbling block is removed by confession and belief. 

This is not to say that other groups or religions don’t need confession and belief… we all do, but some road blocks are peculiar to specific people… such was (and is) the case with the Jews of Israel. 

We see then, the reason for the use of the phrase here and not elsewhere.  Paul was singling out a specific group of people and addressing their greatest particular hindrance to obedience to the universal gospel.  The terminology of confessing and believing is somewhat abstract, leaving the concrete terms of death, burial, and resurrection in place as the three-fold concrete witness to the abstract terms.