The New Testament is as clear on this point as it can be: there are five commands that a sinner must obey in order to be saved and thus added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:40-47).
- Sinners must hear the word of God (Acts 2:22).
- Sinners must believe in Jesus Christ (John 8:24).
- Sinners must repent of all sin (Acts 17:30,31).
- Sinners must confess their faith in Christ (Romans 10:9,10).
- Sinners must be baptized to have sins washed away (Acts 22:16).
THE WORD IS ABLE TO BUILD YOU UP (Acts 20:32) “So now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up…”
In the above passage from Acts 20, Paul was stressing to the Ephesian elders that they could not do their work as elders properly unless they used the word of God properly. If they would use the “word of His grace” properly, it was able to build them up.
Included in this element of the ability of the Bible are such things as the following:
- The Bible can build us up by helping us to grow stronger spiritually (in thought, in word, and in deed; Psalm 19:14; 1 Peter 3:15; James 1:22-27).
- The Bible can build us up by helping us to teach the lost (Mark 16;15,16; Acts 5:42).
- The Bible can build us up by helping us to learn how good it is to help the needy (James 1:27; Galatians 6:10).
- The Bible can build us up by helping us to encourage other Christians (Hebrews 3:12,13; 10:23-25).
THE WORD IS ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN INHERITANCE (Acts 20:32)… “and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” You will note that
this is the last part of the verse we studied in the section above. The word of God is able to do everything we need it to do in this life—which includes the fact that it promises us the next life: A HEAVENLY INHERITANCE.
That inheritance is in heaven, it is undefiled, it can never fade away, and it is reserved for all who are faithful in following the ways of Jesus by following the Bible until the end of life (1 Peter 1:3-9). That inheritance is good, glorious, and worth whatever we must obey and endure in order to get there (Revelation 4, 5, 21, 22).
That inheritance is a place that will be populated by the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all faithful heavenly beings, and all of the faithful since the beginning of time (Hebrews 12:1,22,23).
Why not decide right now to give the Bible a chance to make a difference for good in your life? Why not decide right now to learn and to do all of the commands of Jesus Christ because you want to prove your love for Him (John 14:15)?
For part 1 of this epistle, check out The Word of God is Able (Part 1 of 2)