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Bible Will I Find: What Inspired Preachers Preached About Salvation? By: Gary Colley
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Bible Will I Find: What Inspired Preachers Preached About Salvation? By: Gary Colley
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What preachers preach today, must be regulated by what inspired preachers preached in the first century. Inspired preachers of the past did not speak from their “study” (II Tim.2:15), but rather spoke as the Holy Spirit “gave them utterance” directly (Acts 2:4). Unlike preachers today, they were able to “take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matt.10:19-20). Uninspired Timothy was told by inspired Paul, “Study” (II Tim.2:15); “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (II Tim.2:2). No man today is guided “into all truth” as were the Holy Spirit baptized apostles (Matt.3:11; Jn.14:26; 15:26-27; 16:13). Nor are we gifted in the same way that those who had the apostle’s hands laid on them (Acts 8:12-25). What did these apostles preach that men must do in order to be saved? Some preachers today would tell inquiring lost man, “There is absolutely nothing you can do to be saved…Jesus has paid it all.” But Paul said Jesus “became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb.5:8-9). Though there are some who would attempt to remove the words “must” and “do” from the Bible today, let us remind all, that the word “must” is used 115 times in the New Testament, and the word “do” 576 times!! If these two words “must” and “do” were removed from the Bible, it would fall apart in our hands!! Let no one be so dishonest with the text of the Bible (Jas.2:24). “What must I do to be saved” is a most important question, which must be answered by every individual before the great Judgment Day. Peter preached that a lost soul must “know assuredly (believe) that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). He preached to the lost that they must “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). He knew that this obedience would purify men’s souls (I Pet.1:22-23), and bring folks into the church of Christ (I Pet.1:18-19; 2:9), where they could be saved by God (I Pet.1:13-16). Likewise the inspired preacher Paul preached that upon men’s faith they were to be baptized into Christ or His church (Gal.3:26-27; Rom.6:3-4). He preached that this obedience would bring men into the hope of Heaven (Tit.2:11-12; Rom.12:1-2). If your preacher will not preach what inspired men preached in the first century, you should find one who will.–Gary Colley