Because we are at the beginning of a new year, I believe that it is worth-while to present some basics things about obeying the Gospel. I mean by that expression what Paul wrote to the Corinthians and to the Romans. The basic elements of the Gospel refer to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Romans 6:3-4.)

"But God be thanked that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness." (Rom. 6:17.)

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin with us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17.)

A lot of information is given to us in Luke’s account of the early spread of Christianity in Acts. We have several full accounts of people obeying the Gospel to make it clear what it means to obey the Gospel of Christ. It does not mean, I am trying to do what the Bible teaches. That is good, but something more basic is being emphasized by Paul and Peter. It refers to one’s initial response to the Gospel in becoming a Christian.

Here are the major accounts in Acts: a) Acts 2---three thousand Jews obeyed the Gospel when the apostles preached in Jerusalem. b) Acts 8---Samaria received the Word from Philip, James and John; and the Ethiopian eunuch, the treasurer of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia, was converted. c) Acts 9, 22, 26---Saul of Tarsus was converted. d) Acts 10---Cornelius and his family. e) Acts 18:8---the Corinthians. f) Acts 19---twelve men at Ephesus.

I want to pick out something special from each of the six accounts of conversions named above for our study.

Pricked in their hearts (Acts 2)

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37, KJV.) The NIV says, "They were cut to the heart."

No one can be converted to God without their hearts being pricked or moved by the Gospel. A common expression used by religious people over the years is "that a person is under conviction by the Spirit of God." However it is said, this is a central part of the conversion of every person. They should obey from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered them. In Acts 2, it means that the people felt guilt over their participation in killing Jesus Christ. They had rejected him and allowed a murderer to go free. They said, We have no king but Caesar. They said, Let his blood be upon us and our children. Now, they had learned that God had raised that same Jesus from the grave and made him Lord and Christ.

We were not present when Jesus was crucified. We did not yell, Crucify him, crucify him. Yet, we too are guilty of sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. Our flesh and sins cry out to crucify Jesus rather than to crucify our flesh. Jesus bore our sin and shame to the cross so that we might go free.

Paul wrote, "For godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world works death." (2 Cor. 7:10.)

Ivan Stewart, Go Ye Means Go Me, wrote that this task of creating godly sorrow was shunned in his early work as a personal evangelist. He thought this work should not be in the hands of earthen vessels, mere human beings. He came to the conclusion that what creates godly sorrow is: hearing about the goodness of God, hearing about the terror of the Lord, singing, writing letters, telling stories like Nathan’s to David (third personing), and realizing that one’s own sins put Jesus on the cross. (Stewart, 328.) Preaching, singing, teaching people personally are all involved, but other things are important as well. The conscience of the sinner convicts the person of wrong doing, the Spirit of God is involved in every conversion, and the desire of the person to do what is right all help to produce godly sorrow. This is a significant and indispensable element in any conversion experience.

The Samaritans believed the Gospel (Acts 8)

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also. . . ." (Acts 8:12-13.)

Some people do not obey the Gospel because they simply do not believe it. Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:16.) "But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:6.) "For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Heb. 4:2.) Luke wrote concerning the Corinthians, "Many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized." (Acts 18:8.)

Some people struggle with believing the Gospel more than others. We must be honest with the reasons for rejecting the Gospel. Are they valid reasons? William James, a philosopher, wrote about "the will to believe." Some do not want to believe. Jesus said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17.)

The Treasurer was immersed (Acts 8)

From the conversion account of the Ethiopian treasurer, we learn that he was immersed in water.

"And he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip." (Acts 8:38-39.)

If baptism could be accomplished by pouring water or sprinkling it on someone, Philip and the eunuch would not have gone into the water. The word for baptism means immersion. Other words in the Greek, as in the English, say sprinkling and pouring. But baptism means immersion. Paul said, "Therefore we are buried with him in baptism." (Rom. 6:4.) He called what we do in obeying the Gospel a form of what Jesus did. (Rom. 6:17.)

Saul: Baptism washes your sins away (Acts 9, 22, 26)

Saul was probably the least likely candidate for conversion to Jesus Christ in the first century. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, a legalist, and one ready to kill anyone rejecting the Law of Moses. When Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he asked the Lord what he wanted him to do. He was told to go into the city and it would be told him.

Ananias the preacher told Saul, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16.) We knew earlier from Peter’s answer to the Jews in Jerusalem that repentance and baptism were for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38.) So, whatever theological explanation religious people make today to explain away the connection between baptism and salvation, it is false! The water symbolizes a washing or cleansing. If a person is saved by faith before baptism, then Saul would not have any sins to wash away. Peter wrote clearly, "That eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us." (1 Peter 3:20-21.) Faith saves us according to Jesus. (Mark 16:16.) So does repentance. (Acts 2:38.) All that we do in responding to the Gospel leads us toward the forgiveness of sins and being united in Jesus Christ.

We should understand that baptism was rejected as having anything to do with salvation in the controversy over faith and works. Baptism, though never called a work in Scripture, was so classified by those emphasizing faith only. (Faith is called a work of God in John 6:29.) Ever since then, it has been maintained by many that baptism has nothing to do with salvation. This stands in bold contrast to what you can read in these conversion accounts. If baptism has nothing to do whatsoever with salvation, why not reject it altogether? It is interesting that those who declare it non-essential are not willing to go before the Lord in judgment without having been baptized. Does not that betray their position?

No Respecter of Persons---Gentiles converted (Acts 10)

The conversion of Cornelius and his family shows that God is not a respector of person, and that the Gospel was not just for the Jew.

"Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also." (Rom. 3:29.) "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of person, but in every nation he that fears him and works righteousness is accepted with him." (Acts 10:34-35.)

It is worth noting that Cornelius was a wonderful man. We would call him a good man. He was a devout believer in God, but not yet a believer in Jesus Christ. This is the reason why he was lost and needed to be united with Jesus in baptism. He prayed regularly to God and gave alms to the poor. It seems that he had his household in order. He was the patriarch leading his family spiritually.

If Cornelius was all these things, what did Peter need to preach to him and his family? He preached that God raised up Jesus and ordained him to be the judge of the living and the dead.

"And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts 10:42-43.) "Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." (10:47-48.)

"And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:11-12.)

This same message about Jesus needs to be preached to every person today whether they are "good" people or whether they are very sinful! One outside of Jesus Christ is lost, no matter how religiously devout they may be. If one is in Christ Jesus, that person is saved.

Next Sunday night, I will discuss Acts 19 where twelve men at Ephesus were baptized a second time. When should a person be baptized again? The Bible says that there is one baptism. Why should anyone have two or more?

Acts 18 tells about the conversion of the Corinthians. In very brief language, Luke recorded that "many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized." (Acts 18:8.)