00A.14 CHAPTER XI.—Christ Saves the Believer, Or What Does It Mean to Believe in Christ?

CHAPTER XI CHRIST SAVES THE BELIEVERS- OR WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST?

Sir?, What must I do to be saved? And they said, Beiieve on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. This language is found in Acts 16:30-31, and it expresses the subject for the sermon tonight. We may call this the text if you like, but we shall discuss several texts before we take this one up for special notice. But ,we may observe before we read other passages that this .text predicates salvation upon belief. Believe and be saved, is the plain teaching of this text. If we ask, What does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus? the answer is: Itmeans salvation. This text states that.

What does it mean to believe, according to other texts? It means eternal life. Jesus said:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. (John 5:24.) Again, It means to be born or begotten of God.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. (1 John 5:1.) Also, It means that you shall have remissions of sins: To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43.) And it means justification: Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unfx you remission of sins: and by him every one that believeth is justified rom all things from which ye could net be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38-39.)

Thus we see that if we believe we shall be saved, we shall have eternal life, we shall be born of God, we shall have remission of sins and we shall be justified. All these terms mean the same thing, or refer to the same transaction, but these different ways of expressing the thought will certainly make us see that God promises to save a man on the condition that he believe. No one who believes the word of God can question that. The texts that have been cited prove the point, but it would be easy to quote a hundred passages that state the same great truth.

Now, with that point settled, our next duty is to ascertain what the word believe means. What does a man do when he believes?

Many people think that the word believe simply means to credit certain statements or to give mental assent to certain facts. They think that is all the word means in the texts we have quoted. Hence they teach that in complying with the requirements of these scriptures you only become convinced of or give assent to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of men, and then you are saved. They claim that the whole process is mental or inward and that when you reach a certain state of mind or heart in reference to Jesus you will on that instant be saved—forgiven of all your sins and born of God, without any outward action or physical obedience or overt expression whatever. They quote the passages that you have heard tonight to prove that a man is saved before and without obeying the gospel. Before he does anything, complies with any condition except to believe in his heart—to reach a certain mental attitude. But now, friends, if that is what the word believe means—if that is a correct understanding of those texts— then how shall we understand those passages that plainly state that one must obey the gospel in order to be saved? Those passages that name other steps that a sinner must take in order to be saved? Passages that name other conditions like repentance and baptism?

Let us hear some of those passages:

Paul says,

Tho He was a son, yet learned He obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation. (Hebrews 5:8-9.) He is the author of eternal salvation to those who obey him. But hear Peter: For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17.)

Again:

Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently. (1 Peter 1:22.)

You see that Peter clearly states that we must obey the gospel, and that our souls are purified or our sins forgiven when we obey the truth. But hear Paul again: When Christ shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire with his mighty angels, then shall he take vengeance upon all them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of his Son; punishing them with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and the glory of his power. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.) We can not misunderstand that passage. It says we must obey the gospel or be lost forever. But again: But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered: and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17.)

Here Paul declares that these Roman Christians had been made free from sin by obeying, or when they obeyed a form of doctrine. There was something more than a mental assent in their conversion. Now, these passages prove beyond a doubt that one must obey the gospel in order to be saved: that one is purified or made free from sin when one obeys the truth or a form of doctrine. But they do not state just the conditions that one complies with. They do not name the specific acts of this obedience. Other passages tell us this, however.

Let us see upon what conditions the Author of our salvation promised to save us. He is the Savior; he has the right to name the terms. Hear him: But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you; and lo, I ai with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:16-20.)

Again: And afterward he was manifested unto the eleven themselves as they sat at meat; ind he upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, 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 16:14-16.) Or as Luke reports this same commission:

Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures; ind he said unto them, Thus it is written, thar the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should tie preached in his name unto all the nations beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47.)

According to these reports Jesus named belief, repentance and baptism as conditions of salvation. And then on the day of Pentecost, when the apostles began to execute this commission—when they began to preach repentance and remission at Jerusalem—when people heard the gospel and were pricked in their hearts and cried out for help or salvation, saying to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do ?” Then Peter told them to “repent and to be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Now, how can these passages of Scripture ever be harmonized with those that promise salvation to a man who believes ? In Acts 2:38 Peter tells people to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and in Acts 10:43 he says whosoever believes shall receive remission of sins. How shall we understand this? Here is the explanation:

Believe is a comprehensive term and includes all the conditions of salvation. It has a generic meaning and also a specific meaning. Sometimes it is used to name only one condition of salvation and other conditions are added or named in connection with it. At other times it is used to include all the conditions and salvation is offered to those who do what is embraced in that one word.

Let us see both uses of this word in the New Testament. First, we will study THE SPECIFIC MEANING OF THE WORD BELIEVE.

Many of them that believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds. (Acts 19:18.)

Here we have people who believe—one step; and con-fessed—another step; and declared their deeds—a third step. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number that believed turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:21.)

Here again we have people who believed and then did something else, showing that the word believe just named one of the things they did.

Jesus said, “He that believeth”—one step—“and is baptized”—another step—“shall be saved” (Mark 16:15). But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12.) That is the report of Philip’s work at Samaria. Those people believed. That is only one thing they did, and the record tells the rest. They were baptized. Here again the word believe is used in its specific sense. In the same chapter we have a report of Simon’s conversion. What steps did he take? Here is the report:

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized; he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. (Acts 8:13.) Simon believed—that is one thing he did. But that was not all. The other steps are named.

Concerning the Corinthians we read:

Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized. (Acts 18:8.)

What did diese people do? They first heard—one step; and next, believed—a second step, and were baptized—a third step.

These passages ought to be sufficient to convince any one that the word believe is sometimes used to name only one step or one condition of salvation. But all these quotations tell of people who not only believed, but who also took the other necessary steps-—complied with the other conditions. Now let us hear of some who believed in this specific sense, but who did not take the other steps and therefore were not saved.

Hear this:

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they ’.oved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12 42.) The original text of this sermon stated plainly, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” But here are some men who believed and were not saved. What is the explanation? Of course it is in the two senses in which the word believe is used. But hear this:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19.) Here are some others who believed and were not saved.

Now, as we have sufficiently illustrated the specific use of the word believe, let us take up some passages that illustrate The GENERAL OR COMPREHENSIVE MEANING OF THE WORD BELIEVE

First, let us recall the Golden Text of the Bible. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:14-17.) In this well-known text the word believe is used twice and whosoever believeth is promised eternal life. No other condition named. But hear this also: And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ve might have life through his name. (John 20:30.) Believe—the only condition of salvation named. Another passage: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16.) Believe and be saved. There it is again. But once more: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26.)

Now, as we saw some conversions reported in which reports the word believe just named one step in the process, let us examine some other cases in which the whole process is included in that one word. Right in the beginning of the gospel, when the apostles were preaching in Jerusalem and thousands were being converted, we have the report of those conversions given in this language:

Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. (Acts 4:4.) That means that those people became Christians. What did they do in becoming Christians? They believed. The conversion of Sergius Paulis, the governor of Cyprus, is reported thus:

Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. (Acts 13:12.) What did Sergius Paulus do in becoming a Christian ? He believed. The report of the conversion of the Gentiles at Antioch, in Pisidia, is in the same language. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as are ordained to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48.) The result of Paul’s preaching at Athens is told by this same one word:

Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed, among the which was Dionysius the Are- opagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. (Acts 17:34.) The conversion of the people at Thessalonica is expressed in the one word also:

Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men not a few. (Acts 17:12.) The best way in the world to preach is to just to let the Bible do the preaching. That is what we are listening to tonight. We are allowing the Bible to explain itself. We have found that in becoming Christians some people believed and then did something else. We have found other cases where it is said they believed and did not report anything else that they did. Following this same plan of allowing the Bible to interpret itself, we shall see that the word believe in these last-mentioned cases does include all the steps or conditions of the gospel and that those who believed did obey the gospel. THE WORD BELIEVE INCLUDES OBEDIENCE The first passage that we cite in proof of the statement is quoted from the Revised Version. It is the language of our Lord. Hear him:

He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him. (John 3:36) You see “believeth” and “obeyeth” are here used as synonymous terms. But let us take a few more passages. In Romans 13:11 Paul says: And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Here Paul looks back to the time when these Romans became Christians and says, “Now is our salvation nearer than when” we first started: than when we were first converted—than when we first became Christians. But what term does he use to designate what they did in becoming Christians? The word believe. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Then these people became Christians by believing. Shall we conclude, therefore, that they did not obey the gospel? To do so would be to pervert God’s word. For in this same letter just a few chapters back—and Paul did not divide this letter into chapters—Paul had alluded to this same time when these Romans became Christians or "believed” and ceased to be servants of sin, and here is the way he speaks of the time when they "believed” in this reference: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17.)

Thus the apostle tells us that these people obeyed from the heart a form of doctrine at the time they became Christians, and then without dipping his pen in the ink, he tells us that when they became Christians they believed. Therefore he used the word believe to include that obedience. But there is more yet. When Paul looks back to the conversion of these Romans he speaks of it as the time when they believed, in the thirteenth chapter. But in the first part of the sixth chapter he looks back to this same time and reminds these Romans that they at that time died to sin and were buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. Therefore he uses the term believe to embrace the whole process, including a burial in baptism. But we will find that the word is used that way in all places except where it is specific and other conditions are mentioned with it. Notice this: And it cam to pass that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, «re did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. (Acts 19:1-2.)

Paul did not ask these people if they had received the Holy Spirit when they repented. No, that is not the word. He did not say, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when you were baptized? No, that is not the word either. “Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed?” That is the word he used. 

They said, “Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given.”

Now, hear Paul: And he said, "Into what then were ye baptized?" And they said, "Into John’s baptism." And Paul said,

John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people thai they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them ; and they spjvkc with tongues, and prophesied. And they were in all about twelve men. (Acts 19:3-7.) Do you get the idea? Have you received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? Answer, No. Into what then were you baptized? For of course if you believed you were baptized. Don’t you see that the word believe in his first question included the whole process?

Here is a case that is even clearer than that.

Paul came to Corinth and preached in the synagogues and as a result Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, was converted. But in reporting his conversion only one word is used. Luke says he believed. Here is the way it reads: And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. (Acts 18:8.)

What did Crispus do in becoming a Christian? He believed. That is all that is said; no mention of anything else. Do you suppose he repented of his sins?. There is no mention of it. Was he baptized? If so, it is all reported in the one word, believe. There is nothing else said in the whole book of Acts about the conversion of Crispus. Luke just tells us that he believed.

Now, if we can show you that Crispus was baptized at the time he believed you will know certainly that the word believe in this instance embraced baptism.

Well, this was at Corinth you know, and Crispus believed and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized. Later Paul wrote a letter to these disciples and reproved them for wearing the names of men. He did not want them to say “I am of Paul.” He was thankful that he had not baptized many of them lest they should claim that they were baptized in the name of Paul. However, he did baptize a few of them and he tells us the names of those whom he had baptized. Hear him: Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized nto the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius; lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. (1 Corinthians 1:13-14.)

There we have it clearly stated that Paul baptized Crispus with his own hands. But in Acts his conversion is reported by the one word believe. If that does not prove that the word believe embraces the whole process of conversion, including baptism, I would not know how to prove anything. After every one of these points we could consistently write Q. E. D.

We will now, as the last case, return to the original text of the sermon. This is the story of the conversion of the Philippian jailor. You remember Paul and Silas had been beaten with rods because they, had cast the demon out of the poor slave girl who told fortunes by the power of this evil spirit. People then were not any more intelligent than some people are now, and they paid this girl money to tell their fortunes. Her masters took this money from her and in that way they had a source of income. When they saw that the girl was healed and could not any longer bring in money through her fortune telling, they had Paul and Silas arrested and arraigned before the city authorities. They made false accusations against them and as a result Paul and Silas were beaten —had many stripes laid upon them. Then they were turned over to the jailor and he was charged to keep them safely. In order to do that he put them into an inner dungeon and made their feet fast in the stocks.  But at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the other prisoners were all listening to them. The music of those songs not only went out into the cells and corridors of that prison, but it was wafted up past the stars and into the ears of Jehovah. He heard and regarded this worship offered unto him by these suffering but faithful disciples. He sent an earthquake and released these prisoners. The foundations of the house were shaken and that caused the walls to waver and drop out of “plumb”. That of course broke the locks or the hinges and threw the doors open. The stocks must have been made to the wall or the floor and the warping and creaking broke the stocks off of the prisoners’ feet. All the prisoners must have connected this earthquake in some way with Paul and Silas and gathered round them, otherwise Paul would not have known that they were all there. The jailor was awakened by this earthquake and when he saw the prison doors open he naturally supposed that all the prisoners had escaped and as that meant death for him he decided to kill himself there on the spot. He was out in the light where he could be seen while the prisoners were back in the darkness. They could see him but he could not see them. When Paul saw that he was going to kill himself he shouted to him and prevented the mad act. But let us hear the rest of it in Luke’s own words: But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. (Acts 16:28-31.) The man was full of fear and trembling, falling down on his face and anxious to know what to do to be saved. He was told to believe. That is the 31st verse.

Now, let us read the 34th verse: And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.

There is quite a difference in this man now. He is no longer falling down and trembling and crying out for salvation. He is calm and full of joy and rejoicing. What has caused this change? Why, this verse tells us. He has believed in God. In verse 31 he was told to believe and be saved. In verse 34 he has believed and is saved. Now if we will read verses 32 and 33 we will see what he did in believing or when he believed. Hear it: And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.

There is the whole story. He believed and was saved. But in believing he was baptized the same hour of the night, and it was midnight. So you see, beloved, that the word believe, even in this famous passage, includes the whole process of conversion—repentance, baptism and everything’ else that has any part in the great transaction.

Don’t let anybody make you believe that the Bible promises salvation to you upon a faith that is wholly mental and inward and that does not express itself in overt obedience. Salvation is by faith truly, and every one who believes shall be saved. But faith is not complete, or real, until it is expressed and actualized by a whole-hearted surrender and a submissive obedience to the will of the Lord. Do you wish to be saved tonight? “Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

Now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. If you hear his voice, harden not your heart.