What Must a Person Do To Obey the Gospel?
There is no clearer truth set forth in the New Testament
than the fact that people must obey the gospel of Christ in
order to be saved. Listen to the words of Paul in 2 Thess. 1:
7-9 – “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord
Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (8)
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9) Who shall
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord, and from the glory of his power;” For the person who is
not at all concerned with spiritual matters and his eternal
soul, these verses mean very little, if anything at all. But, to
the spiritually minded person who is concerned with his/her
soul, these verses are penetrating and sobering indeed.
These verses set forth the consequences of not obeying the
gospel. The question is, “What must a person do to obey the
gospel?” We must go to other scriptures to learn the answer.
The New Testament teaches that all who obeyed the
gospel of Christ and became Christians heard and learned
God’s truth. This is the logical beginning place, for how
would one know what God requires of them unless they learn
it. John 6:44-45 and Rom. 10:14, 17 all teach the
essentiality of learning the gospel.
Upon learning the gospel, people accepted it through
belief and faith. After those on Pentecost heard the
preaching of the gospel, Acts 2:37 tells us that they were
“pricked in their heart.” In other words, they believed and
had faith in the message they heard.
Repentance is also involved in obeying the gospel. See
Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38, and 17:30.
Confession is also necessary. This confession involves
confessing Jesus as God’s Son. The Eunuch made this
confession in Acts 8:37. See also Matt. 10:32-33 and Rom.
10:9-10.
The New Testament teaches the essentiality of water
baptism. Jesus stated in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be
damned.” Other scriptures that teach the necessity of
baptism are Acts 2:38, 22:16, Gal. 3:27, and I Pet. 3:21.
This is the plan of salvation as revealed in the New
Testament. Have you obeyed the gospel of Christ?