Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

Man’s need for salvation is clearly established. He is guilty of sin and doomed to the eternal punishment for sin — damnation in hell. However, God acted in his grace and mercy toward mankind to save man from his sin. His grace is displayed in the gift of Jesus Christ who shed his precious blood on Calvary for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). What must man do to be saved by the grace of God as manifested in Christ Jesus?

Conditional Salvation

Salvation is either conditional or unconditional. In the event that salvation is unconditional, then salvation is universal. All men will be saved inasmuch as the grace of God has been manifested toward all men (Tit. 2:11). In that event, no one has any reason to fear eternal damnation for all will be saved. And if the grace of God is given unconditionally but is not universal, there is nothing one can do about his being saved or being lost because salvation occurs by the predetermined and unconditional act of the will of God. This is the teaching of Calvinism. That is, when man is created, he is created as one of the elect or one of the damned without regard to how he lives and nothing that he does can change his eternal destiny.

The Scriptures teach that God’s grace is offered to every man (Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; 1 John 2:1-2), but that it is received conditionally. There is something that man must do to be saved from the consequences of his sin. With the exception of a few hyper-Calvinists, most in the Christian religion believe that salvation is offered to every man but conditionally received, although there is important disagreement about the conditions for salvation.

This article will examine the conditions for salvation through the grace of God which is made available to us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. By by teaching that there are conditions for receiving the grace of God, one is not affirming that he can earn his salvation through works (Eph. 2:8-9). 

The Great Commission

The Great Commission is a good place to begin in studying the conditions for salvation through the shed blood of Christ. When Jesus sent his apostles to preach the gospel to all the world, he told them what men must do to be  saved by grace. There are three accounts given of the Great Commission in the synoptic gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke. By looking at the sum total of what each says, one can learn the conditions for salvation.

1. Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20). This passage affirms that one must hear the gospel preached and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in order to be saved from sin. When one does these things, he has Christ with him (i.e., he enters into a fellowship with Christ).

2. Mark 16:15-16. In Mark’s account of the Great Commission, Jesus said, “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 passages affirm that one must hear the gospel preached, believe it, and be baptized in order to saved from his sins.

3. Luke 24:46-47. Luke’s account contains these words from Jesus: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” In this context, Jesus stated that one must hear the preaching of Christ and repent of his sins in order to receive the remission of his sins.

The teaching of the Great Commission is charted on the next page.
    
From the Great Commission, one can see what Jesus taught the Apostles to preach in order for man to be saved by the grace of God. God’s grace is manifested in the gift of Jesus Christ whose shed blood makes forgiveness available to every man. Those who hear the saving gospel, believe it with all of their heart, repent of their sins, and are baptized will be saved from their past sins by the grace of God.

The Cases of Conversion

The book of Acts records the activities of the Apostles as they discharged their responsibilities under the Great Commission. A study of the cases of conversion in the book of Acts helps us to see how they understood the Great Commission and what man has to do to be saved by Christ. The cases of conversion recorded in the book of Acts are briefly discussed below:

1. Those on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The first gospel sermon was preached on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. On that occasion, Peter preached the gospel that Jesus commissioned him to preach. His purpose was to tell those assembled to observe the Feast of Pentecost how they can be saved by calling upon the name of the Lord (2:21). Beginning at that point, Peter preached Jesus to the assembly (2:22-36). The conclusion of his sermon is stated in Acts 2:36 — “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Those in the audience who believed responded by saying, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter understood that they were asking what to do to be saved from sin. He replied, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). The conditions for salvation are these: hear the gospel, believe it with all of one’s heart, repent of one’s sin, and be baptized in water.

2. The Samaritans (Acts 8:4-25). The second case of conversion recorded in detail in Acts is that of the Samaritans, a mixed race of people who were half-Jew and half-Gentile. As a result of persecution, the disciples scattered from Jerusalem. An evangelist named Philip traveled to Samaria where he preached the saving gospel to the Samaritan race. The text says, “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: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done” (Acts 8:12-13). The conditions for salvation are these: hear the gospel, believe it with all of one’s heart, repent of one’s sins, and be baptized in water.

3. The Ethiopian Nobleman (Acts 8:26-40). The Holy Spirit commanded Philip to leave Samaria to go elsewhere to preach the gospel. Philip left, not knowing where he was going. As he traveled, he met an Ethiopian Jew who was returning from worshiping in Jerusalem. As he was traveling in his chariot, he was reading from Isaiah 53. The Holy Spirit instructed Philip to teach the man. After Philip was invited by the man to travel with him, Philip began from that Scripture (Isa. 53) to preach Jesus. The text reads: “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 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” (Acts 8:35-38). This man heard the gospel preached, believed it with all of his heart, confessed his faith in Christ and was baptized in order to be saved by Jesus Christ. His “going down into” and “coming up out of” the water indicates that the baptism of the Great Commission is water baptism, an immersion in water. The Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing because he had received salvation through Christ (Acts 8:40).

4. Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9, 22, 26). The next case of conversion recorded in Acts is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the ringleader of Jewish persecution who became the well-known Apostle Paul following his conversion. The account is recorded three times in Acts, the first as told by Luke and the last two accounts as told by Paul himself. By combining these three accounts, here is what we learn that Saul did for salvation. Saul was persecuting Christians. He received authority to go from Jerusalem to Damascus to arrest Christians in that city and bring them back to Jerusalem. On the way to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul in a vision. When Saul saw the man in the vision, he asked, “Who art thou?” The man responded, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.” Saul asked what the Lord wanted him to do. The Lord did not immediately tell Saul what to do to be saved; instead, he told him to go to Damascus and there it would be told him what he must do (Acts 9:6). The vision left Saul blind. His traveling companions led him into the city where he did not eat or drink for three days; rather, he was giving himself to prayer (Acts 9:11). God sent an evangelist named Ananias to Saul. When he arrived, he told Saul that Jesus had sent him to Saul and healed Saul’s blindness, thus confirming that he was the one sent to Saul by God. But still Saul’s sins had not been washed away. Ananias said to 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). Saul of Tarsus heard the gospel preached, believed it with all of his heart, and was baptized in order to have his sins washed away by the blood of Christ.

5. Cornelius (Acts 10-11). Cornelius was the first Gentile convert to the gospel. He was a morally upright man, being described by the Holy Spirit as follows: “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway” (Acts 10:1-2). Despite these moral attributes, Cornelius was still a lost man because he was a sinner. An angel appeared to him, giving him instruction to send to Joppa for Peter who “shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved ” (Acts 11:14). When Peter arrived, he had learned that the same gospel that saves Jews and Samaritans is sent to Gentiles as well. He said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35). Cornelius had assembled his family and friends together to hear what Peter had to say. Peter preached Jesus to them. As he was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on the house of Cornelius to convince the Jewish brethren who came with Peter that Gentiles could be saved through faith in Christ. When this happened, Peter said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days” (Acts 10:47-48). Later when Jewish brethren challenged what Peter had done, he told them what had happened. They replied, “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). The Gentiles heard the gospel preached, believed it (Acts 15:7), repented of their sins, and were baptized in water to be saved by the grace of God.

6. The Household of Lydia (Acts 16:14-15). The first European convert recorded in Scripture is a woman named Lydia. The Scripture tells of her conversion at Philippi as follows: “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.” This woman heard the gospel preached and was baptized.

7. The Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:25-34). Paul labored in Philippi for some time. After healing a demon-possessed woman, her masters had Paul and Silas thrown into jail. They were beaten and put in stocks. At midnight they were singing and praying to God when an earthquake came that loosed the bonds of the prisoners and opened the prison doors. The jailer ran out and, thinking that the prisoners for whom he was responsible with his life had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself. Paul told him not to harm himself for all the prisoners were there. This man said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). Inasmuch as this jailer did not know Jesus, he took Paul and Silas into his house where they taught him the gospel. The Scripture continues, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway” (Acts 16:32-33). The jailer heard the gospel, believed it with all of his heart, and was baptized in water.

8. The Corinthians (Acts 18:8). Later in Paul’s missionary journey, he preached in Corinth. The Scriptures  simply say, “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). The Corinthians heard the gospel preached, believed it, and were baptized.

We chart these cases of conversion — see previous page.

From these cases of conversion that are recorded in Acts, one can learn what he must do to be saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus. He must hear the gospel, believe it with all of his heart, repent of his sins, confess his faith in Christ, and be baptized (immersed) in water for the remission of his sins. These are the conditions for man to be saved from his sins by the blood of Christ.

Conclusion

If you have believed the gospel and resolved to turn away from your sins, one thing stands between you and salvation — water baptism for the remission of your sins. Have you obeyed the gospel? What good reason can you think of for postponing obedience to the gospel? The Philippian jailer was baptized the “same hour of the night” when he heard the gospel (Acts 16:33); the eunuch stopped the chariot as he and Philip traveled in order that he could be baptized immediately (Acts 8:38). Saul was so full of guilt for his sins that he neither ate a bite nor drank a drop between the time he learned what he needed to do to be saved and his obedience (Acts 9:9). These people saw their need to be baptized in water so that their souls could be saved from the punishment of sin. 

One who has not obeyed the gospel to receive the forgiveness of his sins needs to do so immediately. Have you been baptized? If not, what are you waiting for? Why not obey the gospel now?

6567 Kings Ct., Avon, Indiana 46123 mikewillis1@compuserve.com

By Irvin Himmel

Christians are not expected to be loners. First, we need the help of, and constant communion with, the Lord. “For none of us liveth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:7-8). Second, we need each other.

Please consider the emphasis which the New Testament places on togetherness. 

Gathering Together

Jesus taught, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). The presence of Jesus is not contingent on the size of the gathering, but rather that the gathering is “in His name.” The Hebrew writer admonished, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another. . .” (Heb. 10:25).

Mutual edification strengthens and fortifies. God wants us to come together. Deliberately staying away from the meetings of the church is a symptom of selfishness and self-centeredness. Our presence is needed, not to boost a preacher’s ego or to swell the attendance merely to have larger numbers, but for our own good. 

Worshiping Together

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them” (Acts 20:7). The first-century disciples did not partake of the Lord’s supper in solitariness; they came together to break bread. When Peter was released from prison, “he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:12). Although one may pray in privacy, as other examples clearly show, it is appropriate that we pray together. The fact that we are to teach and admonish one another in singing indicates our coming together to sing (Col. 3:16).

Our attitude toward worshiping together should be that expressed by the psalmist, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Ps. 34:3). There is beauty and inspiration in our blending our voices in praise and being of one heart in expressing homage and adoration to God.

Striving Together

Paul taught the saints at Philippi to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1 :27). Too often Christians are found striving one against another. A spirit of divisiveness hinders our efforts. Some who are quick to label others as having a “party spirit” are themselves quite partisan in certain views which they champion. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133:1).

Striving together means working and fighting shoulder to shoulder against the common foe. It means contending together for the faith “once delivered” to the saints (Jude 3). For this to be a reality we must “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). It is to be regretted that petty squabbles and personal clashes prevent our closing ranks in the battle against wickedness. Some had rather sit on the sidelines and take potshots here and there than to work together with courageous brethren in striving for the faith of the gospel.

Following Together

Certain people follow one religious standard and others follow another. There is always confusion in a congregation when some adhere to one rule and others give attention to a conflicting concept. Paul said to the Philippians, “. . . Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Phil. 3:16-17). To be “followers together” of Paul means imitating the same model. To follow Paul is to follow Christ, for the apostle insisted, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

Followers together of Paul are not ashamed of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). Followers together of Paul come not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring the testimony of God (1 Cor. 2:1). Followers together of Paul learn, in whatever state, to be content (Phil. 4:11). Followers together of Paul endure persecutions and afflictions (2 Tim. 3:10-12). Followers together of Paul fight a good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Followers together of Paul do not covet anyone’s silver, gold, or apparel (Acts 20:33).

Being Caught Up Together

The faithful in Christ who are living on earth when he returns will have no advantage over the dead in Christ, because “the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Think of it! The dead in Christ are raised up, and they, along with the living in Christ, are caught up together to meet the Lord and be with him forevermore.

Together, God’s people worship, work, struggle, weep, rejoice, suffer, and go home to eternal glory. Together, we shall praise him for ever and ever!

2820 Hunterwood Dr. SE, Decatur, Alabama 35603-5638

By Ron Halbrook

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” which separates us from God (Rom. 3:23). Our only hope for reconciliation to God is through “the precious blood of Christ” who died as the perfect sacrifice for sin (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Until we turn to Christ, we remain “dead in trespasses and sins,” destined to face God’s wrath in eternal torment (Eph. 2:1-3). The man who thinks he can draw closer to God while living in sin deceives himself.

Spiritual growth begins with a spiritual rebirth. Sinners are “born again” and purify their souls “in obeying the truth” (1 Pet. 1:22-23). This happens when they believe in Christ, repent of their sins, confess the deity of Christ, and submit to immersion in water. Since we reach the atoning blood of Christ when we are baptized, the Bible says that “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21). At that moment, we become new creatures in Christ and begin to grow spiritually “as newborn babes” (1 Pet. 2:2).

Spiritual growth is an ongoing process. Those who “grow in the grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 3:18; 1:4). Such growth is a struggle requiring dedication and sacrifice — “giving all diligence.” Faith in Christ is the foundation for growth in the character traits listed below (2 Pet. 1:5-7).

Virtue is moral courage, the determination to do what is right at all costs. Knowledge is the true knowledge of God and his will which we learn from his Word and incorporate into our lives. Temperance is self-control, self-discipline, and self-sacrifice, bringing our will into submission to God’s will. Patience is endurance, staying power, sticking-with-it. Godliness is an active reverence toward God, a life of reverential obedience to him in all things. Brotherly kindness is the genuine, warm concern, courtesy, and consideration shared in a family — in this case, the family of God. Charity is an active love which seeks the welfare and good of others, rather than being wholly absorbed with self.

Spiritual growth requires resisting the sinful desires of the flesh. We must learn to live “as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance” and we must “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pet. 1:14; 2:11). As partakers of the holiness of God, God’s people do not participate in such things as sexual immorality, profanity, pornography, gambling, alcohol, dishonesty, malice, spousal abuse, immodest dress, dancing, and lying.

Spiritual growth requires resisting false doctrine. God often warned of “false prophets” and “false teachers” who promise greater “liberty” but lead men into bondage to sin (2 Pet. 2). Many souls are misled by evolution and modernism which deny the Bible account of creation and other Bible miracles. Moral relativism denies the moral absolutes of Scripture, making every man a law unto himself. Multitudes are deceived by the liberal philosophy that allows men to replace Bible teaching with their own theories on feminism, homosexuals, and unscriptural divorce and remarriage. Denominationalism deludes men with human doctrines and practices (names like Methodist and Mormon, sprinkling for baptism, instrumental music in worship, etc.).

Those who grow in Christ will receive “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). 

3505 Horse Run Ct., Shepherdsville, Kentucky 40165-6954

By Johnie Edwards

The Will of Christ is the New Testament. His will is identified as the “second,” in that “. . . he taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb. 10:9). Many have not learned that the first covenant was replaced by the will of Christ. Even some of our own brethren teach that there is a continuous covenant from Abraham through today. A careful examination of the Scriptures will not allow such. It is the purpose of this article to examine some requirements of a will and a will-maker to help us have greater appreciation for the Will of Christ.

The Basis For This Study

The Hebrew writer gives us the basis for a study of the Will of Christ when he said, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Heb. 9:16-17).

The word “testament” in this passage carries basically the same idea as covenant, will, law and is often used interchangeably. Thus, the New Testament is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ.

The First and the Second

The Holy Spirit revealed, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:9-10).

It is evident that the Will of Christ is the will of God — the will Christ came to earth to do. This will involved taking “away the first.” The “first” was the first covenant or the law of Moses. The apostle Paul identified the first covenant as “our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). Paul further affirms that, “after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:25). These passages affirm that the law was the schoolmaster and since faith, which is the gospel has come (Gal. 1:23; 2:2), we are no longer under the law of Moses. It is as the Hebrew writer penned, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Heb. 8:7). The first covenant gave way to the will of Christ. “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13).

By the Which Will

The phrase, “by the which will” is critical to this study. The word “will” in this text does not mean what one plans to do, but has reference to the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. It is then stated, “By the which will,” or testament, “we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). It is by the will of Christ or the New Testament that one is set apart to be ready to serve God (Rom. 6:22). Thus, it can be seen that it is by the will of Christ and not the law of Moses that one is fitted as a sanctified person.

Requirements of a Will

A will requires a qualified testator. It is evident that Jesus Christ is the testator as John stated, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). It is indispensable that a testator be of lawful age, and of a sound mind at the time his will is being made. Did Jesus fulfill these requirements? Luke records, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age . . .” (Luke 3:23). Don’t you think that Jesus met the age requirement? Jesus had knowledge as John said, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:25).

A will is to be subscribed. God said concerning his Son, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5). At the baptism of Jesus “a voice from heaven, said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). If he pleased God, Jesus is well subscribed!

A will is witnessed. Jesus affirmed, “There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true” (John 5:32). Then Jesus proclaimed, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father  hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me” (John 5:36­-37).

A will is published. The will of Christ, which is the gospel, was a published message as Mark published. “And the gospel must first be published among all nations” (Mark 13:10). The witnessed works of Jesus were published as a man, out of whom the devils were departed, “went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him” (Luke 8:38-39).

A will-maker has to die. Jesus “died” was the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-3). The Hebrews were told that Jesus should “taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Paul wrote the Romans, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Now back to our basic text. “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Heb. 9:16-17).

A legacy. A will contains something to be left or things to bequeath. Luke tells us, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The Lord bequeaths salvation on the souls of men and women. In his commission to the apostles, the language of Jesus was, “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).

Heirs. In a will there must be those called heirs or those who inherit. The Bible is plain and clear on this as Paul wrote the Romans, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:17).

Conditions. A will may or may not be conditional. It’s up to the testator to decide. If a will contains conditions, those conditions must be met before one is a legal inheritor.

To illustrate, suppose a million dollars is left to you in a persons’s will. A will usually stipulates the conditions simply and plainly. Conditions are: You have to be 21-years old, married, and hold a B.A. degree from Indiana University. This language is clear and definite. It just so happens that the Lord has conditions in his will, if one is to inherit the benefits of the will. God requires that one hear the gospel (Matt. 17:5); have faith (John 8:24; Rom. 10:17); repent of sins (Acts 17:30); confess faith that Jesus is the Son of God (Matt. 10:32, Rom. 10:9-10, Acts 8:36-38); and be baptized into Christ (Mark 16:16; Gal. 3:27); with this baptism being a burial (Rom. 6:3-4). Meeting these conditions pardons one’s past sins and adds him to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47). There are conditions of being, “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Being “. . . faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10) if one expects to be an heir of God.

Executors: Jesus chose men known as apostles to be executors of his will. Jesus gave the apostles binding and loosing power; that is, they were to bind what had already been bound and loose what had already been loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). The Psalmist said, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Ps. 119:89). The apostles were “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20). Paul declared that, as he made “known the mystery of the gospel,” he was an “ambassador in bonds” (Eph. 6:20). Jesus sent the apostles out to execute his will when he said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). Just prior to executing the will, Christ informed the executors, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8) Jesus returned to his Father and the apostles began to execute his will. Acts 2 find the apostles in the city of Jerusalem waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth, as they had been promised (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in the manifestation of Holy Spirit baptism, enabling them to speak in languages they had never studied or learned (Acts 2:1 -11). Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled as the executors, for the first-time revealed the terms of the Will of Christ (Joel 2:28-29; Isa. 2:2-4). They made know the conditions of the will and men met the will’s conditions as    “they that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). And, for the first time, “. . . the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). As the book of Acts is read and studied, one can see the terms of the will being executed and men and women in line to inherit.

The Disinherited

Even though one has been included as an heir in a will,  by his conduct or a failure to continue to meet the will’s conditions he may be dis-inherited. Jude penned, “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” (Jude 5). God has a divine blotter as Moses brought up in the sinning of God’s Old Testament people, Israel. Moses said, as Israel made a god out of a golden calf, “Ye have sinned a great sin. . . . Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me I pay thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book” (Exod. 32:19-33). If one expects to inherit the blessings of God, as John wrote, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before the Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:4). The believer can become an unbeliever and lose his reward. This is the reason the Holy Spirit urged, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).

The Inheritance

The future blessings of God are in the form of an inheritance. A judgment scene finds the testator of the new will saying, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). The eternal inheritance is in the form of hope and promise. Paul wrote Titus, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Tit. 1:2). John penned, “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25). The Hebrew Christians were told concerning those of the Old Testament, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15). We have not inherited eternal life yet, but if we are in Christ, we have the hope of  it as John wrote, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). To be in line to inherit eternal life, we must have been baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:27) and have kept the conditions of his will. The will of Christ has in store a most wonderful inheritance for those whose names are included. Peter affirmed, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4); “. . . salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5); or, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1:9).

Cannot Have Two Wills In Effect At Same Time

Jesus was fully aware of the binding of the first covenant while he lived. Jesus lived and died under the law of Moses. Thus, he said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets (Matt. 5:17). This accounts for Jesus keeping the Sabbath day and other parts of the law of Moses. He observed the Passover (Matt. 26:17-26). Paul used the marriage of a man and women to illustrate the binding nature of one testament at a time. He wrote, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man” (Rom. 7:1-3). Ever wonder why the Holy Spirit said this? Read the next verse to see the application. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ: that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4). Jesus knew, and we must learn that we cannot be under two testaments or laws at the same time, no more than a woman can be married to two men at the same time without being guilty of adultery. To be married to two men at the same time is to commit physical adultery and to try to be under two covenants or testaments at the same time is to be guilty of spiritual adultery. One is as bad as the other. This is the reason Jesus, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Col. 2:14). This accounts for Paul recording, “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Eph. 2:15). Jesus knowing these truths “taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb. 10:9).Before the Death of Christ
Before the death of Christ, he could and did dispense his blessings on various conditions. Remember Hebrews 9:16-17: “For where a testament is, there must also be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” Understanding this principle accounts for the fact that Jesus said to the man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matt. 9:1-8). Jesus had the power to forgive sins and so acted since his last will and testament was not in force! A reading of Luke 7:36-39 will show Jesus acting before his will was in force saying, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven.” Jesus granted salvation to Zacchaeus before his testament  was of force. Many who try to circumvent being baptized to be saved will bring up the thief on the cross and say he was saved and he was not baptized (Luke 23:39-43). In the first place, you do not know whether or not the thief on the cross was baptized. The Bible does not say. The truth of the matter is Jesus said to the thief, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” 53 days before the last will and testament was of force. It is in the will of Christ that men are taught, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). You cannot hold a man responsible for obeying a law that goes into effect 53 days after he has died! The thief on the cross is not a model case of New Testament conversion and to use it for such is but to misuse it. Find as many cases of Jesus granting salvation before his death as you like and you have just found Jesus acting under the Jewish law before he, the testator died.

After the Death of Christ

The death of Christ put the New Testament or will into force. Read any case of conversion or the granting of remission of sins and you will not find one example or case of anyone being saved without meeting the conditions of the will of Christ. The cases of conversion can be found by reading Acts 2-19 and there are no exceptions to this rule. Someone says, “I found some.” Where? We are told that Saul of Tarsus was saved on the road to Damascus before and without being baptized. Saul was told to, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6). Whatever he was told to do was a “must.” Notice what he must do. Ananias told him of the must when he said, “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash way thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Then there would be those who think they have a case with Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, because the Acts 18:8 says that he “believed on the Lord with all his house;” but says nothing about his being baptized. Ever read what Paul told the Corinthians, “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius” (1 Cor. 1:14). Case closed!

The Lord’s Will Must Be Obeyed

If the New Testament teaches anything at all, it teaches that one must obey the Lord’s will to be saved. Jesus, the testator of the new will said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). To further emphasize the point, Jesus said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). The book that says so much about the will of Christ being in force says, “he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8-9). The final book dealing with final things tells us, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).

Conclusion

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32).

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