Bible Briefs

J O H N   W.   M O O R E A SALVATION CRISIS I’ve never felt much like eating during a crisis situation. That nauseous, sick feeling down deep in your gut can tie you up in knots when you are concerned about something or when you have to make a difficult decision. The apostle Paul once faced a crisis situation of his own. As a zealous Jew he was faced with the difficult decision about whether or not to become a Christian. Having been confronted by the risen Savior on the road to Damascus, everything he once believed and did was called into question. Had his zeal for God been misplaced? Could he come to grips with the reality of his having been responsible for the death of a preacher? Was he really responsible for destroying the true faith of God? His crisis caused him to refrain from eating or drinking for three days while he struggled with making a decision. To accept the reality of the Lord’s resurrection meant having to believe on Jesus, admit sin, be baptized, and begin preaching the faith he had sought to destroy. Having profited in the Jew’s religion (Gal. 1:14) there was a lot to give up. He was truly in a salvation crisis as he tarried in his decision (Acts 22:16). On his knees, he wrestled with the cost, but at last he arose and washed away his sins by being baptized (Acts 9, 22, 26.) Baptism was the turning point in Paul’s crisis: there his sins were washed away. Afterwards, he broke his fast and he himself began teaching others about the blood of Jesus and water baptism (Rom. 6:3f; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27). Similar to Paul, Peter taught sinners at Pentecost to repent and be baptized “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Jesus also taught hearers of the gospel to believe and be baptized (Mark 16:16). Have your sins been washed away? Are you in a salvation crisis of your own? Why do you tarry? Follow the example of Paul. End your crisis. Let the blood of Jesus wash away your sins by being baptized.