Objectives:
I. What Did The Apostles in the First Century Teach That One Must Do To Be Saved?
II. Forgiveness of Sins after Becoming a Christian
III. Discipleship
Lesson:
I. What did the Apostles in the First Century Teach That One Must Do To Be Saved?
The Conversions in the book of Acts Confirm God’s Way of Saving Us
What chapters in the book of Acts contain a conversion account?
1. Acts 2:21-47
Notice Peter begins his sermon by quoting Joel 2:28-32 in order to explain why the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Apostles.
Joel had spoken of the following:
- The outpouring of the Spirit
- The judgment on Jerusalem and the Jews
- An encouragement for all to “call on the name of the Lord” in order to be saved
It is the last point (Acts 2:21) that Peter uses as a springboard for the rest of his sermon. Since one must call on the name of the Lord in order to be saved, Peter must first establish that Jesus is the Lord. In verses 22-36, Peter offers a number of proofs to confirm this fact.
Notice verse 37. Why would these people ask Peter what they must do?
Has not Peter already told them to “call on the name of the Lord”? The problem is that the phrase, “call on the name of the Lord,” is not specific enough for a person to know how to go about calling on the Lord’s name. In the Greek language this phrase would literally mean, “invoke the power of the Lord and you will be saved”. Well, how does one go about doing that? This is the question being asked.
Verse 38 is the answer to the question of what must be done in order to be saved.
What does Peter says is necessary to do in order to have “forgiveness of your sins”?
How is this different from what religious leaders teach today?
Should religious leaders today be teaching something different than the Apostle Peter?
Remission is the same as forgiveness and forgiveness is based on the blood of Christ, that is, the death of Christ on the cross for our sins. Receiving forgiveness of sins from the Lords it the same as receiving grace from the Lord. God’s grace is applied to us when we repent and are baptized for the purpose of our sins being forgiven. Matthew 26:28 uses the same phrase, “for remission of sins,” and tells us Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins. Therefore, Peter is telling us how to receive the grace of God.
Notice verse 41.
How long did these people wait before they were baptized? Why was baptism so urgent?
Compare this verse with verse 47.
What did the Lord do when they were baptized?
2. Acts 4:1-4
Notice that Luke only counts male believers and that the number has now come to be about 5000.
Why doesn’t Luke mention baptism in this verse?
If many who heard the Word “believed,” do you think these people did anything different than the people we read about in Acts 2?
Luke uses the word “believe” to include or encompass all that the Lord required of a person to have his sins forgiven. This would include an acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and a belief in His promises. It would include repenting, confessing Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized. In the New Testament, to be a believer means you have done, and are doing, all the things required by the Lord to be considered His disciple.
3. Acts 8:5-13
What did these people do in order to become Christians?
Were any babies or children baptized? Why or why not?
4. Acts 8:26-40
Notice that Philip “preached Jesus” to the eunuch. Since after hearing Jesus preached, the eunuch asked to be baptized, what must be included in “preaching Jesus”?
What did the Philip say the eunuch had to do before he could be baptized?
Based on this, who is not a candidate for baptism?
5. Acts 9:1-19; 22:14-16
In order to know the full story of the conversion of Saul, it is necessary to also read Acts 22 where Saul (Paul) repeats his conversion story and reveals some other details about his conversion.
Most religious leaders today say that Saul was saved on the road to Damascus.
After reading Acts 22:16, is that true?
When were Saul’s sins washed away?
Notice also that Saul had (1) seen the Lord, (2) heard the Lord’s voice, (3) been blinded by the Lord, (4) fasted three days and nights, (5) prayed for three days, and (6) was healed of the blindness by the Lord.
And yet, after all this, Saul did not yet have his sins forgiven.
Most churches today accept people on the basis of simply saying they believe. If that is so, why does the Lord require Saul to “arise and be baptized and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord”?
6. Acts 10:44-48
Cornelius was the first Gentile convert. Since Jews did not have dealings with Gentiles, it was necessary for God to give Peter four miraculous events in Acts 10 in order to convince him that God had authorized that He wanted Peter to accept these Gentiles.
Once Peter was convinced, what did he command Cornelius and his household to do?
7. Acts 16:11-15
What did Lydia and her household do to be saved?
8. Acts 16:25-34
What did Paul tell the jailor to do in verse 31?
Unfortunately, many religious leaders today will have you stop after this verse and not read the rest of the story. When you read verse 32, what also did Paul tell the jailor?
How urgent was it for the jailor and his household to be baptized?
When does Luke tell us that the jailor rejoiced, before or after baptism?
When does Luke tell us that the jailor “had believed,” before or after baptism?
9. Acts 18:8
What did the Corinthians do to become Christians?
Read 1 Corinthians 2:2, and notice that Paul said he had determined not to teach them anything other than “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Since this was Paul’s determination, baptism must be a part of preaching Jesus and Him crucified.
10. Acts 19:1-5
“John’s baptism” was exactly the same as Christ’s baptism as far as the action of immersion was concerned. But with John’s baptism there was a different belief since it was only valid prior to the death of Christ.
Since both baptisms look the same, why was it necessary for these men to be baptized a second time?
What role would “faith” (that is, what they believed about baptism and its purpose) have in their baptism?
11. Read Colossians 2:11-12
Look carefully at verse 11. Who is the “surgeon” in this verse?
What is He cutting off?
Would you say this was a salvation by grace since it is made “without hands”?
According to verse 12, when does the Lord cut off our sins?
In other words, what must we do to get on the “surgery table”?
What part does faith have in this “surgery”?
Based on this verse, would you say that baptism was man’s work or a work of God that we must submit to?
Part II – How Do I Have My Sins Forgiven After Becoming a Christian?
Read 1 John 1:5-2:5
You will notice in this text that there are a number of contrasts. In 1:6, we cannot “walk in darkness” and still be in fellowship with God, but in verse 7, if we “walk in the light,” we will have fellowship with Him and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us of all sins.
Remember, John is writing to Christians. Christians are not allowed to walk in darkness (live a sinful lifestyle), but instead must walk in the light (live a righteous lifestyle).
But notice also that Christians do sin, even Christians who “walk in the light”. Walking in the light is not perfection, else the Lord would not need to “cleanse us of our sins”.
Notice verses 8-10 present another contrast. This is a contrast between one who denies that he sins (and therefore cannot be forgiven), and one who admits he sins and is forgiven. This Christian, who walks in the light and admits when he sins to God through Christ, will be forgiven.
Finally, notice 2:1-5. Though we will not live perfectly, we must keep His commandments if we expect to have fellowship with Him.
Part III – Discipleship
Discipleship is following Jesus, which is learning from Him, obeying Him and molding your life to be like Him.
We have previously learned in our study of the Bible what one must do to be saved and the Lord adds those to the church (body of Christ).
We have also previously learned that the church is the vessel of salvation under the New Testament (as compared to the vessel of salvation that Noah created to save people from the flood). You have to be in the vessel of salvation in order to obtain salvation.
After one has done what the Lord requires of them to be saved they must continue to “walk in the light” being disciples of Jesus. This is absolutely necessary in order to stay in the vessel of salvation, the church (body of Christ).
Matthew 16:24 says: If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 19:28-30 says: You who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne…And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
Matthew 10:24-42 (more of Jesus’ teaching on discipleship)
Luke 9:23 (1) deny self (2) take up your cross (3) daily (4) follow Me
Have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ in the same manner as the first century Christians? Remember these Christians were taught by the Apostles who were given the Holy Spirit by Jesus to guide them into all truth (John 16:13).
It is not wise to put one’s confidence into the words of men today that would teach that one can be saved in a different manner than those Christians were saved in the first century.
And if you have obeyed the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this manner are you living as a true disciple of Jesus? Do you know the teachings of Jesus and are you striving to abide in them? Are you striving in your daily life to walk by the Spirit and grow into the image of Jesus?