By Mark Atteberry
All Christians agree that Jesus is the only way to salvation. However, there has been much debate about the proper way to accept Christ. For many people, it”s just a matter of believing. Others would say that faith needs to be accompanied by the sinner”s prayer in order to be acknowledged and accepted by God. I must confess that I don”t feel comfortable with either of these notions.
For one thing, a person can believe in God and not be obedient to him on any level. This is the point James was making when he said, “Do you still think it”s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!” (James 2:19). Clearly, James says, no one believes more than Satan and his minions . . . but they are not saved. Yes, I know John 3:16 and several other verses talk about believing and being saved. But the wise Bible student always allows one verse to shed light on another. If James 2:19 is true, then there can be no such thing as “faith only” salvation.
I also have a problem with what”s commonly referred to as the sinner”s prayer. The Bible does say that “anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). But when Paul said that, did he really intend for us to come up with a special prayer to be parroted like some sort of incantation by every person who wants to be a Christian? And if he did, why don”t the conversion accounts in Scripture feature such a recitation? When Peter concluded his Day of Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, why didn”t he ask the 3000 people in the audience who wanted to be saved simply to bow their heads and repeat the sinner”s prayer? He could have done exactly that. Without question, it would have been easier than having all those people parade down to the local watering hole to be baptized.
Please understand, I”m not challenging the faith or sincerity of any person who”s ever recited the sinner”s prayer. If you did, don”t panic. All I ask is that you look beyond the sinner”s prayer and see what people in the Bible really did when they accepted Christ. I see five things.
THEY BELIEVED
In the book of Acts, where many conversion stories are documented, the word believed is used 18 times in some sort of statement about salvation. Acts 5:14, for example, says, “More and more people believed and were brought to the Lord””crowds of both men and women.”
THEY CHANGED
In Colossians 1:6, Paul said, “This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God”s great kindness to sinners.” He said it even more forcefully in Galatians 6:15: “What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people.”
This side of Heaven we will never attain perfection. Spiritual growth is a lifelong process that will always have its ups and downs, but the journey has to start somewhere. In Luke 13:3 Jesus admonished us to “turn from [our] evil ways and turn to God.” He left no wiggle room. He saw this life change as a requirement to be met, not an option to be considered.
THEY SPOKE OPENLY ABOUT CHRIST
Even when they were being persecuted, they courageously testified of their faith.
On one occasion, Peter and John were ordered by the religious power brokers never to speak or teach about Jesus again. They responded with one of the most inspirational statements in Scripture when they said, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19, 20).
Peter viewed his witnessing as an act of obedience to God. No doubt, the words of Jesus were ringing in his ears. In Matthew 10:32, 33, he said, “If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.”
Later, Paul reiterated the importance of confessing Christ when he said, “It is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:10). Again, with such powerful, unequivocal statements on the subject, it”s hard to see how openly confessing one”s allegiance to Christ could be considered optional.
THEY WERE IMMERSED
A lot of people feel uncomfortable connecting baptism to salvation. They say it”s a work and that salvation is by grace, not works. Rather than quibbling over such matters, I prefer to look at the big picture. Baptism was commanded (Acts 2:38; 22:16), baptism was practiced (Acts 2:41), and baptism was connected to salvation, according to the Bible writers. Acts 2:38 specifically says that baptism should be “in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,” and 1 Peter 3:21 says that baptism “saves you by the power of Jesus Christ”s resurrection.”
I suppose the fuss over baptism”s significance will continue until the Lord returns, but I”ve never understood it. I think it would be easier to climb Mount Everest barefooted than to explain why baptism isn”t important.
THEY PERSEVERED IN THE FAITH
In those early days of the church, Christians were told to expect persecution and to endure it with a good attitude (1 Peter 4:12, 13). They were also told that their salvation depended on their ability to do so. John said, “You must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us” (1 John 2:24, 25).
Mark Atteberry, author of six books, including The 10 Dumbest Things Christians Do and The Samson Syndrome, is the preaching minister at Poinciana Christian Church, Kissimmee, Florida.
This week”˜s articles are adapted from his new book, Free Refill, available from Standard Publishing by ordering item number 24310. Scripture references are from the New Living Translation.
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