Posted on by wrote in General, Theology and Doctrinal Questions.

Question:

Is it possible after a few moments of Bible study and a profound prayer to be accepted by God?  I am asking this question because here in Cameroon I have sometimes seen and heard evangelists preaching that if you confess Jesus with your mouth and if you believe that Jesus is the Lord, then it is sufficient.  Is this right?  It seems that if this is so, then repentance and baptism are for nothing–that this is a false doctrine.

Answer:
If the teaching is that we are saved by merely stating the words that Jesus is Lord and mere intellectual assent to the fact Jesus is the Lord, then clearly such words and such belief are not sufficient to save.  Jesus said to his hearers in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent, we will all, likewise perish.  When asked to respond to the question, "Brothers, what shall we do" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized 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).  Clearly, without repentance and baptism, no one is saved by the blood of Jesus.
Now, in principle, if a person said the words above with the correct definition, then conceivably it could be a correct teaching.  In other words, if it is taught that anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord of their lives and truly means it, with all the implications for discipleship, then I believe I can make a case that this implies repentance.  Similarly, if anyone truly believes that Jesus is Lord–not just an intellectual acknowledgement of the fact that he is Lord, but actually makes him Lord, then we can assume that this person will obey the command to be baptized!  We could argue that if these statements are properly defined, they imply repentance and baptism.
However, you and I both know that the vast majority who make these statements mean much less than this.  Perhaps the most common false teaching about the basics of Christianity is that for salvation one must merely believe in Jesus and ask for forgiveness.  This is a patently false teaching and ought to be opposed vigorously.
John Oakes

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