THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINCERITY AND SALVATION. SALVATION QUESTION # 7 If Acts 2: 38 is the plan of Salvation, What about good-hearted and sincere people? You are not insinuating that they will not go to Heaven are you? First of all, let me say that I do not ever insinuate who is or is not going to be saved. We have One Righteous Judge, and He will have mercy upon whom He chooses (See Romans 9:15). For any human to pronounce judgment on anybody else would be totally out of place. Our only commission as believers is to preach the gospel to every creature. God does the saving, and God does the judging. With that said, let me make a few points in defense of the Salvation plan of the Bible. Please remember that it was Jesus that said that a person must believe and be baptized (John 3: 16; Mark 16: 16), repent (Luke 13: 3), be born again (John 3: 3), and unashamedly follow Him in order to be saved (Mark 8: 34 – 38). Therefore not any single scripture (taken out of context), or any philosophy or emotion of man, can change the foundation laid by Jesus Christ. Keep in mind that what some refer to as “good” and “sincere”, others may share a very different opinion about. For example, have you ever judged someone to be a great man, only to find out that others think he is a jerk? Maybe you know him from afar, and others have inside knowledge. Goodness and sincerity can be, in some cases, a matter of opinion. Only God knows the true intent of our hearts. We have already learned that we cannot be saved by works, so that does away with the theory of a person “earning” their Salvation because they have done so much good in their life. (Ephesians 2: 8 – 9) And we know for a fact that there are good people all over the world, in all religions of the world. However, it was Jesus that said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. (John 14:6) In Acts 10, we read about the Salvation of a man named Cornelius: This guy was as good-hearted and sincere as they come. He was religious; he was a giver of his finances; he prayed much; and he fasted much. According to most modern day philosophies, Cornelius had his one-way ticket punched and ready to enter Heaven’s gates. But according to the Bible, you MUST be born again, and it became apparent that Cornelius was still not ready to meet The Lord. His very own testimony in the next chapter lets us know that he was NOT yet saved (Acts 11: 13, 14). However, it was his sincerity to serve, and his faith, that prompted God to send Peter to bring the gospel of Salvation to Cornelius. The sincerity of those that fear The Lord will lead them to cross paths with a person who will present them with the plan of Salvation. When Peter began to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family, something beautiful took place: Acts 10: 44 - 48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. This honest, good-hearted, sincere, and religious man went from a state of being “unsaved” to a state of being “saved” - Not by giving more alms to the poor - Not by praying or fasting more. He became saved when he went down in the waters of baptism in the name of the one who was crucified for him, and when he received the gift of The Holy Ghost. He and his entire household received the gift of The Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and then were immediately commanded to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This is Acts 2:38 happening all over again. This good-hearted and sincere believer in God was now born again of water and of the Spirit. (See John 3: 3 - 5) So can we do away with the Acts 2:38 message just because a person is good and sincere? I personally would not want to take my chances on being saved any other way. It just could be that the very fact that you are reading this Bible study is a testament of your sincerity and desire to be saved. This Bible study just might be the instrument that God has placed you in contact with to honor your search for Truth. @Back on Track Bible Studies - Rick Flores From Withstanding The Winds
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 20:20:55 +0000