I started this series by talking about doubts that are wrestle worthy, but I’ve decided I want to change the title and talk about absolute essentials of faith. This makes sense, especially because I’ve already said that everything is wrestle-worthy. Surprisingly, when it comes to faith, there are very few absolute essentials.
What do I mean by absolute essentials? When people talk about theological doctrines, they often call such doctrines “essentials” or “fundamentals” or some such name by which they identify a certain set of truths as bottom line when it comes to being a part of their particular community of faith. Generally they teach that you have to believe all of their doctrines in order to become a member of their church. But most evangelical Christians, at least, have a lot lower threshold when it comes to understanding what it means to become a Believer. What is it that the Bible says? “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”
It is a very interesting verse, this one in Acts 16:31. Surely Luke is being cryptic in describing what Paul and Silas were saying to the jailer in this story. Or is he? Because when the jailer, who has just had his jail shaken by an earthquake, asks Paul and Silas, his prisoners, what he has to do to be saved, all that Luke records is this one sentence. Luke does go on to say that these two prisoners expounded the word of the Lord to the jailer right then and there.
But it couldn’t have been very long, not like the time that other guy fell asleep and fell out of a window because Paul preached so long. No, for Luke says that it wasn’t long before the jailer and his entire household were being baptized in water, meaning they had already come to believe in Jesus, just by what little Paul and Silas had already shared with them.
I have a feeling that whatever else Paul and Silas said that night, most of it was a blur to these new believers. Like the guy who was healed by Jesus and some religious leaders tried to mess with his head and the guy finally said, “Look all I know is that I was blind and now I see.” Here’s the jailer saying, “I believe Jesus has the ability to help me out tonight.”
Some people point to other passages where it says that we are to believe and be baptized and then we will be saved. So which is it? Just believe or believe and be baptized? Taking Paul and Silas at their word here, the only thing needed to be saved is believing. Believing what? Believing in Jesus. Believing what about Jesus? That he can save you. What do we need saving from? Apparently the jailer knew, because that is how he phrased his question.
An earthquake had just torn apart his jail. If any prisoners escaped he was in a heap of trouble, so he might as well take his own life right then and there. But Paul and Silas stopped him and said that everything was all right as no one had escaped. So the question the jailer asked wasn’t necessarily related to “how can I get to heaven” or have eternal life. It really had to do with “how do I get out of this mess I am in right now.” Nothing more. And Paul and Silas said that all he had to do was believe in Jesus, that Jesus would get him out of this mess.
So what is saving faith? If we take an honest look at this jailer’s experience, all that matters is that the man trust that Jesus has the ability to get him out of the mess he is in. And after he believes that much, more things will start to make sense.
When it comes to absolute essentials, there aren’t very many.
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