UNION GROVE CHURCH OF CHRIST, CLEVELAND TN.

The Bible speaks about "the salvation of God" (Acts 28:28) and refers to the Creator as "the God of our salvation" (Psalm 68:19). The point? Salvation is from God. God provides salvation through His Son Jesus, Who came into this world "to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). God uses the gospel, His power unto salvation (Romans 1:16), to deliver lost people from sin. Make no mistake about it, God wants every person to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

What about those people that have not yet obeyed the gospel? Can they be saved from sin without obeying the gospel? First, let us consider what it means "to obey the gospel." In some religious groups, the expression "obey the gospel" is seldom, if ever, used. Does the Bible use such terminology? It does, indeed: "But they have not all obeyed the gospel" (Romans 10:16; cf. 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8). So, there is such a thing as obeying the gospel. But what does it mean?

If the gospel can be obeyed, then that means that the gospel includes commands that can be carried out. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. Those are three facts of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Facts can be believed, but facts cannot be obeyed. Again, the idea of obedience points us to commands/instructions that can be obeyed.

In the Bible we read about "the word of the truth of the gospel" (Colossians 1:5). "The truth" is God’s word (John 17:17). "The truth" and "the gospel" are one and the same. Thus, when one obeys the truth, he obeys the gospel, and vice versa. Consider a case of conversion. The saints in Rome to whom Paul wrote had done something that resulted in them being delivered from sin. What did they do? "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 6:17,18). What does the Bible say that they had done to be set free? They had "obeyed from the heart" the form of doctrine that they had heard and learned. What is the doctrine that can save a person’s soul? The gospel of the Christ (Romans 1:16), or the truth (Romans 2:8). In the context of Romans 6, what specific act of obedience is noted? Those to whom Paul wrote had been "baptized into Christ" (6:3). Baptism, then, is the final action that one must take as part of the process of obeying the gospel in order to receive the remission of sins for the first time in his/her life.

Are there other commands that precede baptism and are also part of obeying the gospel? Yes. It is a command to believe in Jesus (Acts 16:30,31), and belief in Him as God’s Son must precede baptism (Mark 16:16). Repentance is a command that must be obeyed (Acts 2:38), and confession of faith in God’s Son is also part of God’s instruction for lost people (Acts 8:36,37). Baptism is that which puts one into the Christ (Galatians 3:27), but belief in Jesus, repentance, and confession of faith are also necessary. We have examples throughout the Book of Acts that demonstrate just what a lost person had to do in order to become a saved person. The expression "obey the gospel" is not found in the Book of Acts, but commands were given and obeyed that resulted in man’s salvation (Acts 2:36-41; 8:5-13; 8:25-38; 16:30-34; 18:5-8).

But what if one has not obeyed the gospel, can he/she be saved in such a condition? The Bible teaches that redemption or salvation is in the Christ. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24; cf. 2 Timothy 2:10). If one can be saved outside of the Lord Jesus, then why does the Bible specifically say that salvation is in Him? Remember, the way to get into the Christ is to be baptized (Romans 6:3). One that has not yet obeyed the gospel has not yet entered into the realm of salvation.

Further, the Bible says that redemption or forgiveness of sins is available "through his [Jesus’, rdc] blood" (Ephesians 1:7). If one can be saved without contacting the blood of Jesus, then why does the Bible indicate that men are "justified by his blood?" (Romans 5:9). If men can be saved without Jesus’ blood, then wouldn’t that mean that His death and outpouring of His blood were not really necessary after all?

Jesus proclaimed that He is "the way, the truth, and the life," and it is only through Him that people can come to the Father (John 14:6). But, if someone could be saved without obeying the gospel, then that would mean that there is more than one way to be saved and be reconciled with God. If that be the case, then Jesus’ statement about Himself would be false. Remember, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Whose name is being considered in this case? Answer: "the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (4:10). Once more, the message is plain. Salvation is available for sinful man only through Jesus.

Does the Lord offer salvation to man? Sure, He does. By the grace of God Jesus tasted of death for every man (Hebrews 2:9), making God’s salvation available to all people (Titus 2:11). And, the Bible calls Jesus the author of eternal salvation. But for whom does He provide such salvation? Listen to the Bible’s answer: "And being made perfect, he [Jesus, rdc] became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). Saved people are the people that obey Jesus. Put another way, saved people are those that have obeyed the gospel and have continued to live faithfully by walking in God’s light (1 John 1:7).

Some may cry "unfair" when they learn that the only way of salvation is through Jesus. Others may cry "unfair" when they hear the Bible’s message that salvation is available only to those that obey Jesus. God’s wisdom is higher than man’s (Isaiah 55:8,9). God, and God alone, has the wisdom and authority to designate what the conditions of salvation should be.

Can a person that has not obeyed the gospel be saved? Not unless he/she can by-pass Jesus, by-pass His saving blood, and by-pass the necessity of obeying Him! The God of heaven has spoken: salvation from sin is available only in His Son, only through His blood, and only to those that obey Him. Any message that contradicts these truths is from men, and not from the Lord God.

Please carefully consider one final passage that sheds light on this subject: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

-- Roger D. Campbell

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Last modified: September 27, 2008