What Shall we do?

In Acts 2 we have a record of the first time the Gospel was preached.  It began with the Holy Spirit giving the apostles the ability [gift] to speak in other languages [tongues], and culminated in 3000 people being baptized and the Lord "adding to the church those who were being saved" [Acts 2:47].  We also read of a man in Philippi who came to Paul and Silas and said "What must I do to be saved?"  That's a pretty good question isn't it?  I mean after you learn that you are separated from God by your sin, that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone" but that it is possible to be saved from that, "What do I need to do?" is a really good [and natural] question.  This blog is about how to answer that question, for ourselves and those we teach.

In studying Apologetics, the defense of Christianity, we are told to be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks us a reason of the hope that is in us.  We are also told in scripture to preach the gospel to everyone, those who believe and are baptized will be saved.  Matthew records that Jesus calls us to make disciples by 1. baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and 2. teaching them to obey all things Christ commanded.

So what is it, exactly, that we should be telling people?  We've learned that the Gospel is the good news that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was resurrected 3 days later [fulfilling prophesy] and that in doing so He defeated death and became a 'propitiation' [an acceptable sacrifice] to God and that His shed blood can wash us clean from our sins [1Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:7]  Jesus' blood for your soul.

When you teach someone this, when they are convicted of their sin and want to receive forgiveness in Jesus, what do you tell them to do?  Ask Jesus into their heart?  Pray a prayer telling Jesus you believe in Him?  Confess your sins to a priest? Speak in tongues?  Take a vow of poverty, or celibacy? Ask God to forgive you?  Go on a mission trip to a malaria infested swamp country?  Be baptized?  Give all your possessions to the poor?  Begin hating your family?  Build a cross and carry it along I-35?  There is no end to what we might come up with, but to be faithful to God, it seems obvious to me that whatever we tell them should come from the Bible right?

The thing is, there are many many things we find in the Bible that have to do with Salvation.  Jesus' blood saves us [Ephesians 1:7].  Paul told the Romans "With the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with your  mouth, confession is made unto salvation" [Romans 10, 9-10], but just later he says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" [Romans 10:17].  Peter says "baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the body, but the appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."  Jesus himself said "If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father in heaven" [Matthew 10:32], and Peter, actually told the listeners in Acts 2 to "Save yourselves".  Many different aspects of our righteous standing with God are explained throughout scripture, but what I'm really interested in here is what, if anything, should we tell people God wants them to do?

What shall we do was the question asked by those who heard the first gospel sermon in Jerusalem [Acts 2:37].  So, when someone asks you "What should I do?" What would God have you tell them?  I believe one way to know the answer to that question is to look in the book of Acts, which is an historical account of the evangelism of [primarily] the apostles when the church was started.  So, this is a short blog today because, instead of giving you something to think about, I want you to do something different today.

Look in the book of Acts, read about the times people were taught the gospel, and write down what [if anything] they were told to do by the preacher, and what they did.  It will be instructive if they are often told "there is nothing for you to do, Jesus did it all", or if they are told "You must speak in angelic languages", or you must believe, repent, confess, be baptized, etc. 

I think you will see some common themes and maybe be able to determine what was the answer of the apostles to that question and I challenge you to read for yourself, think about it yourself, prepare for yourself to give the answer that the apostles gave to people who ask you this question.

So, where do you start?  Here is a list of several places in Acts where people were taught the gospel and what they were told to do.  Read them, in their context, and see if you can find any others, and write a paper recording what they were told to do, and what they did in each instance.

Acts 2:36-41
Acts 4:3-4
Acts 8:9-13
Acts 8:30-39
Acts 9:3-18; Acts 22:3-16 [The Apostle Paul's conversion]
Acts 10:37-48
Acts 16:25-34