"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). These words were among the last ever uttered by Jesus Christ while still on this earth.
The lost are told to believe and be baptized. But what are they to believe? Note what Christ said, "Go . . . preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth . . ." Believes what? The gospel. "But he that believeth not . . .": believeth not what? The gospel, of course. But what is the gospel that must be believed?
Paul tells us what the gospel is, listen carefully to his words. "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:1-4). Paul preached the gospel and the Corinthians believed it. By their belief of it, they were saved. But note what they believed. They believed Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. That is the very heart of the gospel.
Again, note the words of Paul: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3-4). Verse 17 says: "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you." What was that doctrine? Christ died, was buried, and rose again. What was "that form" of doctrine? They died to sin, were buried with him in baptism into the benefits of his death where the blood was shed, and they were raised to walk in newness of life. Then we read in verse 18: "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." When is then? When they obeyed that form of doctrine. They were made free from sin when they were baptized and not before.
The question: What must one believe in order to be saved?
Answer: He must believe the gospel. He must repent of his sins (Luke 13:3). He must confess that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 8:37). He must be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, Gal. 3:27). That begins a new life (II Cor. 5:17), a life of faithful service to Christ until his time is no more (Rev. 2:10).
"If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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