Beth-El Baptist Church

10/18/2009

Greg Tomlinson


Are men saved by obeying certain laws and ordinances of the Gospel?


The Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) have as one of their articles of faith that “all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” and that the primary “laws and ordinances” consist of faith, repentance, baptism, laying on of hands. It is assumed that the baptism referenced here is water baptism. To summarize this question asks “what must I do to be saved?” .


  1. What is required of me in order to be saved?

Acts 2:21-24; 16:30-32 Romans 10:8-11

Hebrews 11:6 Psalm 80:3, 7, 19

Jeremiah 17:14 Matthew 19:24-26

John 10:7-10 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

John 16:7-11


In order to be saved, it is necessary to have faith in Jesus Christ. We are to believe God, and believe in God. We recognized that we need His help and that we can do nothing apart from Him. Salvation is only available as a work of God as the Holy Spirit. The faith we are to have is not a mental assent as to who Christ is and what He has done, but it is a conviction of the heart that Jesus is Lord.


  1. What duties, services, or actions must I do in order to be saved?

Mark 16:15-16 cmp Matthew 28:18-20 Acts 15:10-11

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 Romans 4:3-5; 10:3-4

Titus 3:3-7 Ephesians 2:8-10

James 2:14-26 Isaiah 64:6

John 4:2 1 Corinthians 1:17-18

Acts 10:44-48 Luke 23:39-43

Matthew 3:14-15


Our own efforts and works accomplish nothing for salvation. If salvation were a function of our own efforts, then God would be indebted or obligated to save us. God is under no such obligation. Salvation is completely the work of God. It is important to note that John specifically stated that Jesus did not baptize and Paul was not sent to baptize. If neither of these men focused on baptism as being essential for salvation, then clearly it is not. Also note that the Holy Spirit comes upon people without the laying on of hands, so that is not required.


  1. What must I believe in order to be saved?

Romans 5:8-11 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

John 5:30-40; 8:23-27; 10:17-18 Luke 24:25-27

Ephesians 2:1-5


We need to understand that Jesus Christ died for our sins. This requires us to first understand the reality of our own sinfulness. It is a sinfulness about which we can do nothing. We are powerless to save ourselves and so we need to have a savior who will save us. That one and only savior is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who willingly offered up His own life to be the appeasing sacrifice toward God on our behalf. The sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient and complete because He is the one and only God in flesh. We need to believe that all of scripture communicates the necessity of Jesus Christ as well as His identity. Some people proclaim that you can believe in Jesus without accepting Him as the one and only God, yet Jesus stated that 'unless you believe I am he, you are dead in your sins'. The identity of Jesus Christ is crucial to salvation.


  1. What does it take in order to have saving faith?

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 John 1:12-13; 6:28-29, 44-45; 16:7-11

Ezekiel 11:18-20; 36:24-27 Romans 10:12-18

1 Corinthians 2:14 Luke 9:23-24; 24:46-47


In order to have saving faith, it requires a work of God. Salvation is neither the idea of man nor the results of the workings of man. It is the work of God. By nature, there is no man who is interested in the things of God and as a result he is incapable of believing the scriptures and of entering into a faith based relationship with God. Salvation is from start to finish the work of God. For this to occur, we must be in the Word of God. That means preaching, reading, and studying the word of God. The more we get the word of God in us, the more likely it is that we will be able to function more like God and live out a life of saving faith.