"The Plan of Salvation" (1)
Steven J. Wallace
"in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:8).
Have you obeyed the gospel? Is the gospel to be obeyed, and if so, what is required? We know the gospel is to be obeyed.
"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Pet. 4:17).
With such doom facing those who do not obey the gospel, it must be clear what man must do to be saved. The New Testament teaches five things that must be done to be saved. Sometimes Christians are ridiculed as "five-steppers." But which step shall we eliminate? Shall we delete the need to:
Hear?
Perhaps this first step is the most underrated and yet most important of any step. It takes work to not only listen, but to be a good listener. Without listening, no one can progress into being a disciple of Jesus.
The Psalmist admonished, "Ps 81:13 "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!" Without listening to learn God's ways, one cannot walk in them.
When Jesus started to teach in a parable, He said in Mark 4:3, "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." Jesus also condemned some for not understanding because they were not listening.
"Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word" (Jn. 8:43).
If people are not willing to genuinely hear, then they cannot understand. Faith is established only through an ear that is willing to hear (Rom. 10:17).
Believe?
The truth is something that is worthy to be heard and believed.
Jesus asked in John 8:46, "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?"
John stated, "And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe" (Jn. 19:35).
It is imperative to accept the truth when we discover it. We are not entitled to have another chance to receive it. Paul said of the Ephesians, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13, emp. mine, SJW). Rejecting the truth about Jesus is dangerous to the soul and will cause one to die in their sins (Jn. 8:24).
Repentance?
The road that progresses to discipleship runs through a repentant heart. Repentance toward God is having a change of mind that leads to a change of action to please Him.
Repentance is seen in our actions. For example, Paul describes such when he taught that the thief was to steal no more and work with his hands what is good while having a willingness to share with one in need (see Eph. 4:28). It is important to see that this repentant thief doesn't simply stop stealing, but now he adds honest work and a benevolent heart toward others.
The one who repents will begin to speak differently. He stops speaking corrupt words and replaces those with words that edify (Eph. 4:29).
How essential is it for sinners to repent? Paul explained to some in Athens:
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30, 31).
Men everywhere, from the Jews who heard the apostles to the Gentiles, have been urged to repent (Acts 2:38; Acts 20:21; Rev. 9:20, 21). None are excluded.
To be continued…
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