In this area we will answer questions on the subject of salvation.  The following questions are answered below:

Questions/Answers

Question:  I have been watching several religious programs on television.  Each preacher seems to have her/his own version of how to be saved.  I'm confused!  What does the Bible say about how one is saved? 

Answer:  

You have good reason to be confused.  The answers you get from individual preachers and churches differ radically.  However, the Bible is clear about how one is saved.  If you use the concordance to your Bible, you will find verses that emphasize different parts of salvation.  The following is a list of verses from the English Standard Version Bible answering the question:

2 Timothy 1:9 

(God) who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Acts 4:10-12 

then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. [11] He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' [12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Acts 2:40 

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

Acts 11:14 

He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'

Acts 2:21 

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Acts 22:16 

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. [2] By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Ephesians 2:5 

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.

Acts 16:31 

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

Romans 10:10

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

1 Peter 3:21 

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Romans 6:3-5 

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  [5] If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Romans 8:24 

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

As you notice from looking at the above scriptures, there are multiple answers to the question, "How are we saved?"  The answers include that we are saved by:

What often happens when preachers or churches talk about being saved is that they emphasize one or more of the above-mentioned components.  Thus you may hear one preacher say, "You are saved by faith."  Another might say, "You are saved by grace."  Another may emphasize another facet of salvation.  While each of these answers is true, each is  incomplete.  It takes all of the above to bring one to a state of being saved.

This may be illustrated by asking the question, "What does it take to have a successful marriage?"  Answers could include: a commitment, marriage license, trust, vows, taking care of each other's needs, and several other things.  However, most of us would realize that each of these answers are accurate, but incomplete by themselves.  So also, many preachers and teachers on the radio and television and in churches often give what should be considered accurate, but incomplete answers when they talk about faith alone, grace alone, etc.  It is important to listen to the whole of God's message when we want to get accurate answers.

Question: Based on the statements you make on the web site, you seem to place a lot of emphasis on baptism as a part of salvation.  Why is this?

Answer:  

In the answer to the question above, we showed that there are several answers to the question of "How are we saved?"  To say that one is saved by faith would be correct.  But not faith alone.  To say that one is saved by grace would be correct.  But not by grace alone.  To say one is saved by baptism would be correct.  But not by baptism alone.  We could continue to make the point using each of the eleven factors that the Bible connects with being saved.  To give full credit to any one of the answers would be wrong.  To take away any of the answers would be wrong.

It is interesting, given the emphasis that the Scriptures place on baptism, that many want to discredit it as a part of being saved.  

For example, Jesus stated, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).  He added, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).  Before he ascended back to heaven, he told his disciples, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).

The apostles made baptism a definite part of salvation.  The first sermon that was preached after Jesus ascended into heaven found those who were convicted that they had killed the Son of God asking, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37).  Peter's response?  "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).  For other examples see Acts 8:12-13, Acts 8:26-39, and Acts 16:23-34.

When the apostle Paul told about his conversion experience, he related that after he had been informed that God had a great work for him to do, that he was asked, "And now why do you wait? rise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on his name" (Acts 22:16).  He was concerned enough about baptism to have a dozen men re-baptized when he found that they had not been baptized properly before (Acts 19:1-7).

The significance of baptism is explained by the apostle Paul in Romans 6.  After being as clear as he could be that salvation is on the basis of believing, not works (Romans 3:21-28), he reminds the believers of what they had done earlier, that is be baptized.  He explains that it is a burial (thus immersion) in water (Romans 6:3) of an individual who had died to sin (Romans 6:2) and a resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:4). It was in Christ's death that he shed his blood, thus it is in baptism that we reach that blood.

Another factor in baptism is that it is the way that we get "into Christ" (Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27).  The Scriptures indicate that there are several blessings that come with being "in Christ."  They include:

With all this being true, why would anyone not want to obey the command to be baptized?

Question:  What happens to the soul when one dies?

We have included this question as it was asked so that you can understand why it is answered the way it is:

In Ezekiel 18:20 states that "the soul that sinneth dies...." and also in Rev 16:3 states "...and every living soul died in the sea." but in the case of Lazarus and the richman which are both died, we found them talking to another, and again our Lord Jesus on HIS hour on the cross with the thieves He promised to the repentant theif that on this day he shall be with out Lord.

Does soul dies or not? If the soul do not die, where it goes? and what is the scriptural basis we can refer to if soul do not die?

Thank you so much and God Bless your ministry.

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First, I must apologize to you that it has taken so long for me to answer your question.  The reason for this is that many are using our site and we are having trouble keeping up with all the correspondence.  That is a wonderful problem to have, but it does slow down our response time.

You have asked an interesting question.  I will attempt to give you an overview of what the Scriptures have to say about it.

The scriptures state that there are three parts to each human being: the body, soul and spirit.  I Thessalonians 5:23 states, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ecclesiastes 12:7 states, "...and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."  The dust that is mentioned is the physical body (see Genesis 2:7 and Psalm 103:14).  The spirit departing the body and going back to God brings an end to physical life and may be described as "death" in the common use of the term. However, the scriptures are clear that this is not the end but rather a transition. Jesus described the place where we transition to as "Hades" (see Matthew 11:23, Luke 10:15 and Luke 16:23). Both New and Old Testament writers referred to Hades as the realm of the dead (see Acts 2:27 and 31, Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13).

You mentioned the case of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Clearly, both of these men were in Hades or the realm of the dead. As can be seen in this situation described by Jesus, there is a place of comfort (Luke 16:22) and a place of suffering in this realm of the dead (Luke 16:24). This place called "Hades" or realm of the dead is a place where dead people wait until the end of time.

The scriptures describe an event that will take place sometime in the future. After his resurrection, Jesus spent approximately forty days with his disciples (see Acts 1:3). At the end of that time, he ascended into heaven (see Acts 1:9). When this happened, two angels appeared to his disciples promising, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). This is speaking of the second coming of Christ.

When Christ appears a second time, all of the dead will be resurrected and all of the people who are alive will be changed from a body that is flesh and blood into an imperishable body (see I Corinthians 15:42-55). Imperishable means that the new body will last forever. Exactly what that body will be like, we do not know. The apostle John said, "Beloved, we are God’s children now and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:1). At that time, the judgment will take place. The judgment is described in many passages including:

It is this second death that Ezekiel refers to in Ezekiel 18:20 when he says, "the soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

So, to summarize:

With these thoughts in mind, the thing that is most important is that we are ready for that day when judgment will take place. The apostle Paul said, "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others" (II Corinthians 5:11) and reminds us "…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (II Thessalonians 1:7-8). Therefore, it behooves us to do everything we can to prepare for that day!