Ephesians 2:8 is a favorite passage of mine. It tells me that I do not have to earn a salvation that is beyond my ability to earn. God’s grace saves me. Grace is not giving something for nothing; it is giving something unearned. Naaman did not earn his cure, but if he had ignored Elisha’s commands, he would have died a leper. In the same way, we must obey the teachings of Jesus to be saved since He is the “way, truth, and life” (John 14:6).
Most agree that faith is essential to salvation (Hebrews 11:6), but faith does not happen without human participation (Romans 10:17). That does not mean that we have earned salvation, but rather, we are saved because of God’s plan of grace. Most agree that one must obey the Gospel of Christ or a person will not be saved (Romans 10:18-21). Jesus said that repentance is essential to avoid perishing (Luke 13:3-5). Further, Jesus Himself made it clear that souls will be rejected who do not confess His name before men (Matthew 10:32-33). All of these are necessary acts of faith that do not negate God’s grace, but they place us in line with His grace.
The same Bible that tells us to hear God’s Word so that we can build our faith and to repent of our sinful lives and confess His name also says that baptism saves us (1 Peter 3:21). There are no instances of salvation in Acts about which we can read that do not include baptism. Each mention of baptism precedes salvation or the remission of sins.
If we are saved by faith only, no act by the individual, then why does it take work (hearing) to develop faith? If faith only means that we need to do nothing, then why does Romans 10:13 say we must call upon the name of the Lord? Further, how do we define “calling on the name of the Lord,” and from where do we draw this definition? If we let the Bible define its own terms, then Acts 22:16 defines “calling on His name” pretty well. “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (NKJV).
Following a plan does not mean we earn salvation; no man can do that. What it means is that Jesus reserves the right to determine who is saved. He has given us a plan to follow so that the decision is not arbitrary. What we need to do is to find where He draws the line and go that far at least. I submit that He requires that our faith lead us to hear His word, believe it, repent of our sins, confess His name and have our sins washed away in baptism. Why come up short on this?
