In Exodus 12, there is the story of the first Passover. It is a simple, and very powerful story. After Moses had tried in vain to convince Pharaoh of the need to let the people of God go, and after having sent 9 different plagues on the Egyptians, Jehovah pronounced a new curse on the people of Pharaoh. “I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.” He then tells the people of God how they may escape this terrible fate: they are to take the blood of a special sacrificial lamb and sprinkle it on the two side posts and the upper door of their dwellings, assuring them that “...the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you...” You know the rest of the story. The Lord sent a terrible disaster upon the Egyptians: “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the first born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first born of cattle.” The children of Israel did as they were told and they were spared the intrusion of the death angel. The faith of the children of Israel saved them from this terrible fate. But a question is in order:

What was it that caused the salvation at the first Passover? Could it have happened if they had not done what they were told?

In Numbers 21, there is an intriguing story. The children of Israel had a seeming propensity for murmuring against Jehovah, in spite of the constant miracles attesting to His presence among them. As they journeyed by Hor, by the Red Sea toward Edom, they began once again to charge the Lord with not providing for them. Jehovah, enraged by their discontent, sent fiery serpents among them, “...and they bit the people and much people died.” The people went immediately to their leader Moses and said, “we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray for us that he take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed, Jehovah heard, and gave him the solution to the problem: “Make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” They obeyed the Lord and we are told that “if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” The faith of the children of Israel saved them from this terrible fate. But a question is in order:

What was it that caused the salvation of the children of Israel on this occasion? Could it have happened had they not done what they were told?

In II Kings 5, there is a story of a young Israelite captive who was put into the service of the Syrians. It happened that Naaman, a captain and favorite of the king of Syria, “a great man with his master, and honorable,” had contracted leprosy. The little maid, who served Naaman’s wife, and who was apparently impressed with the people she served, informed Naaman that there was in Israel a man who could cure his terrible disease. When the king of Syria heard that information, he sent a letter to the king of Israel, along with several lavish gifts, and asked that the king heal Naaman. The king, astonished, and unable to see how it could be done, decided that the King of Syria, “seeketh a quarrel against me.” When Elisha the prophet heard about the situation, he told the king to have him come to him and he would take care of the matter. Naaman did as he was told. Fetching out Elisha’s residence, he sent for him. Elisha didn’t even come out himself, but sent a servant, who told him to dip seven times in the Jordan. Naaman was incensed at the fact that Elisha sent a servant out to him instead of coming himself, and further, at the suggestion that he dip seven times in the Jordan; he retorted that there were several cleaner rivers in his country. The servants came to him and said, “...if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” Seeing the sense of the suggestion, he did what he was told and when he dipped the seventh time and came up from the water, “...his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child and he was clean.” Naaman’s faith in the sayings of the man of God saved him from his leprosy. But a question is in order:

What was it that caused Naaman’s salvation? Could it have happened had he not done what he was told?

In Acts chapter 2, there is the record of the first gospel sermon preached after Jesus told His disciples to “go ye therefore and teach all nations.” It was Pentecost. Thousands of Jews were at Jerusalem. The apostles of Jesus, now endowed with the Holy Spirit, began to preach Jesus to the people in various foreign languages– languages in which they obviously were not educated. “How hear we everyman in his own language?” they asked. When this was “noised abroad” it caused a huge crowd to gather. Peter, and the others began with unanswerable arguments, showing that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and affirming at the same time the fact of His resurrection from the dead. As he brought the sermon to a close, he stormed the will of his hearings with a startling conclusion: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” The people, being cut to the heart by the preaching, asked, “Men and brethren what shall we do?” “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” “They that gladly received the word, were baptized.” The people’s faith in what they were told saved them from their sins. But a question is in order:

What was it that caused salvation for the Pentecostians? Could they have had such without doing what they were told?

The case is made. It is irrefutable. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoso cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

By the way–do you think a person has to be baptized to be saved?

---Dee Bowman