There are many out there who think that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you are saved. Is this true? All you have to do is believe in your heart and you are saved, right? That’s what the word does say but is there more to this? Is there an action that is required to this? Is it really all about saying a prayer and that’s it? Well I want to show you a couple of examples in the Bible that where an action is required, The first one I knew about but I asked Holy Spirit for a second as the word says that where two or three every word is established.
The first one, which I knew about, is in Acts 16. The jailer asks the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas answered like we have all been taught, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” This falls in line with what is said in Romans 10:9. So Paul and Silas should have the jailer and his family say the sinners prayer and they will be saved right? But that’s not what happened. There is no where in the Bible that says you are to say a prayer and you will go to Heaven. This is a tradition of men which makes the word of God of no effect. Lets look at what Paul and Silas did after they told the jailer to believe on the Lord Jesus. Acts 16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. So it’s not about saying a prayer but to baptize them which is in line with what Jesus said.
At this point I asked Holy Spirit, “where else is this in the Bible?” His response was AMAZING!! He told me, “What were the two of the greatest questions ever asked?’ I knew what He meant. The two were asked in the day of Pentecost. The two questions are “What does this mean,” and “What must I do?” When the question was asked “What must i do,” Peter here should have led all the people in a sinners prayer, right? But of course he didn’t. What did he say? Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
All of this might sound foreign to you but it’s the Bible. There are many others things that people are taught which is contrary to the Word which is now excepted. Don’t you ever wonder why the first church had such great success and yet the church today doesn’t? My Father is no respecter of persons.