1. "You have just won a million dollars!"

1. Have you ever called up the company that sent you this letter and demanded to receive your million dollars?
2. The reason why you did not is because you realized that you had not won a million dollars, as the reading of the rest of the letter clearly indicates.

2. Yet when it comes to the Bible, we often cast aside all logic and common sense.

 
1. "Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved"
2. "Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved"
3. "You do not have to be baptized to be saved"

3. Are we really saved when do these things or do we need to examine the context that these verses are found to determine if we actually are saved?

 
4. Do we realize that our souls depend upon our correctly understanding the Scriptures that God has given us (II Peter 3:16)?

 
5. With that in may mind, may we allow the Bible speak about the importance of context.

1. CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD AND YOU WILL BE SAVED (THAT IS IF WE SAY A PRAYER ACCEPTING CHRIST INTO OUR LIVES WE WILL BE SAVED)

1. Acts 2:21, "And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved."

1. The verse says that if we call on the Lord we will be saved and often man has isolated this verse from its context to teach this; but will this teaching hold up when study in light of it’s context.
2. The context considered.

1. In verse 37 the people to whom Peter is preaching to ask, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" If all they had to do be saved was call on the name of the Lord, then why would they need to ask, "What shall we do?"
2. In verse 38 Peter tells the people that must repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. If all they had to do to be saved was call on the name of the Lord, then why were they told to repent and be baptized.

2. Romans 10:13, "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

1. The verse says that if we call on the name of the Lord we will be saved and often man has isolated this verse from its context to teach this; but will this teaching hold up in light of its context.

 
2. The context considered.

1. In verses 9 and 10, 17 Paul stresses the importance of believing and confessing (that is what the calling is cf. Acts 8:37). If all one had to do is call on the name of the Lord, then why would one need to believe and confess (it should be noted that this confession or calling is a step in the direction of salvation, but does not in and of itself saves (Romans 10:10)
2. In verse 14 Paul stresses the importance of hearing the Gospel. If all one had to do be saved is call on the name of the Lord, then why would one need to hear the Gospel.
3. In verse 16 Paul stress the importance of obeying the Gospel. If all one had to be saved is call on the name of the Lord, then why would he need to be obedient to the Gospel.

3. Further contextual (overall) consideration on prayer.

1. Nowhere does the Bible teach that God hears the prayers of those who are outside a covenant relationship with Him. However the Bible does teach that prayer is a privilege given by God to those who are in a covenant relationship with Him.

 
2. John 9:31, "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him."

 
3. I Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."

 
4. I John 3:22, "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."

2. BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED.

1. Acts 16:31, "So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

1. The verse says that if we believe on Jesus we will be saved and often times man isolates this verse to teach this; but will this teaching hold up in light of its context.

 
2. The context considered.

1. In verse 32 Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to the Philippian jailer and his household. If all they had to do was believe in Jesus, then why would Paul and Silas need to preach the Gospel to them.
2. In verse 33 we read of the repentance (implied) by the jailer and his household. If all they had to do was believe, then why would they need to repent.
3. In verse 33 we read of the baptism of the jailer and his household. If they had to do was believe, then why were they baptized.

2. Further contextual consideration (overall) concerning belief.

1. Romans 10:10, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness…" Belief is step in the direction of being righteous, but belief in and of itself does not make us righteous.
2. Luke 6:46, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" Believing in Christ will cause us to do what Christ has said.

 

3. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE BAPTIZED TO BE SAVED.

1. Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

1. The latter part of this verse does not mention baptism and is used by man to show that baptism is non-essential to one’s salvation; but will this teaching hold up in light of its context.
2. The context considered.

1. This verse does teach the essentialness of baptism to one’s salvation, "He who believes and is baptism will be saved."

1. Jesus joins belief and baptism as essential to one’s salvation by the use of the word "and."
2. Just as you would understand if I told you, "I would give you a hundred dollars if you washed and waxed my car" that you would have to actually do these two things to receive the money.
3. Jesus wants us to understand that we have to "believe and be baptized" if we are to enjoy salvation.

2. Understanding, "but he who does not believe he will be condemned"

1. If one does not believe in Jesus, then he will not see the importance or the need to be baptized.
2. Luke 6:46, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?"

• "Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved"
• "Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved"
• "You do not have to be baptized to be saved"

1. These teachings are clearly from the mind of man and not from God and thus must be rejected (Proverbs 14:12; Matthew 15:9).
2. The question left for you to ask is this, "Are you studying the scriptures correctly, seeking God’s approval and thus the saving of your soul or are you studying the scriptures incorrectly (twisting the scriptures) for God’s disapproval and thus to damning of your soul?"