WHO DID JESUS SAY “SHALL BE SAVED”?

By Bob Myhan

nd he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

ere, in Mark’s account of the Great Commission, Jesus identifies those who “shall be saved” and those who “shall be damned.” While there is only one condition for damnation, there are two conditions for salvation.

he two conditions for salvation stand or fall together. If one cannot be saved without believing, he cannot be saved without being baptized. On the other hand, if one can be saved without being baptized, he can also be saved without believing. If this is not the case, why is it not?

ome argue that, if Jesus had meant to make baptism a condition of salvation, He would have said, "He that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned." However, if Jesus had said this, He would have made both not believing and not being baptized essential to damnation. Those who believed but were not baptized [or were baptized but did not believe] would not have met both conditions for being saved, and would not have met both conditions for being damned. This would result in some people being neither saved nor damned, which is impossible.

s the statement stands, however, all unbelievers "shall be damned," but only baptized believers "shall be saved." The believer who refuses to be baptized simply does not trust Jesus and has no promise of salvation. On the other hand, the alien sinner who trusts Jesus for salvation would not hesitate to be baptized, knowing that Jesus requires it of him.

his writer recently asked a person the following question. Would your pastor be more likely to say “He that believes and prays shall be saved” or “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved”? The person replied that her pastor would definitely say, “He that believes and prays shall be saved.” This person’s pastor does not agree with the words of Jesus. &

TRUE DEVOTION TO THE LORD

By Bill Walton

ome Christians in the first century were so devoted to the Lord that they were willing to die for Him. The apostle John tells us they "loved not their lives even unto death" (Rev 12:11). Stephen died a terrible death by stoning. James was beheaded. And many suffered even more horrifying deaths. "All the world knows of the Christians who were flung to the lions or burned at the stake; but these were kindly deaths. Nero wrapped the Chris­tians in pitch and set them alight, and used them as living torches to light his gardens. He sewed them in the skins of wild animals and set his hunting dogs upon them to tear them to death. They were tortured on the rack; they were scraped with pincers; molten lead was poured hissing upon them; red hot brass plates were affixed to the tenderest parts of their bodies; eyes were torn out; parts of their bodies were cut off and roasted before their eyes; their hands and feet were burned while cold water was poured over them to lengthen the agony. These things are not pleasant to think about, but these are the things a man had to be prepared for, if he took his stand with Christ" (from Wm Barclay's com­mentary on Matthew, pg 112).

ome were so devoted to the Lord that they actually rejoiced when they were persecuted for the sake of Christ. Peter and John were jailed and beaten for healing a lame man in the name of Jesus, and they were warned with threats not to preach anymore in His name. But Luke tells us “they departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name... and they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:41-42).

ater, in Philippi, Paul and Silas were publicly stripped, beaten, and imprisoned for healing a slave girl possessed with an evil spirit. But their fellow prisoners did not see Paul and Silas shrink into sullenness or despondency because of the unjust treatment they had suf­fered; nor did they hear them rail and curse at their persecutors. Instead, they listened as Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25). Many Christians living in that terrible time were able to practice Jesus' teaching about persecution: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Matt 5:11-12). Some were so de­voted to the Lord that they were able to do just that.

ome Christians were so devoted to the Lord that they joyfully accepted the seizure of their property. Christians living in that time worked at least as hard to provide for themselves and their families as we do. And many of them had to work much harder. But when their belongings and property were taken from them in retaliation for their faith, they accepted their mistreatment in a way that amazed and shamed their accusing neighbors. When Paul wrote his epistle to the Jewish Christians he praised them for this very thing. He said "...you had compassion on me in my chains, and joy­fully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven" (Heb. 10:34).

ome Christians were so devoted to the Lord that they sold lands and houses and other property in order to help their brethren in need. It's one thing to give to someone from the cash you're carrying in your pocket, or to write a check and deduct it from your checking account balance, but it's an-other thing entirely to sell a house, a car or a piece of land in order to help Christians in need. Many in the early church at Jerusalem had that kind of devotion to the Lord and to their brethren (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37).

ome Christians were so devoted to the Lord that they devoted them­selves to serving their brothers and sisters in the church. At Corinth, the household of Stephanas had "devoted themselves to the service of the saints" (1 Cor. 16:15, NIV). At Cenchrea, Phoebe was "a servant of the church" and "a helper of many" (Rom. 16:1-2). And Gaius was so hospitable toward the brethren that Paul refers to him as "my host and the host of the whole church" (Rom 16:23, cf NIV). Those early Christians were taught to “…by love serve one another" (Gal 5:13). And some took the teaching to heart.

 know that not all Christians in the first century were so truly devoted to the Lord. Without a doubt, in every congregation there were some who were lukewarm and half-hearted in their service to the Lord. But they weren't the Lord's true disciples. True disciples are just as devoted as those I've talked about in this article. If you have any doubt about that, read what Jesus said in Luke 14:25-33.

ow what about you? Are you that devoted to the Lord? Are you the Lord's true disciple? &