Acts 16:31 -- And they said, “
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household”
Romans 10:9 -- because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
John 3:16: For God so love the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever
believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Notice that these 3 verses did NOT say that we have to repent in order to be saved. Is belief without repentance sufficient? If someone believes that Jesus is the Son of God who was resurrected and seated at God's right hand now, does it mean he is redeemed -- even if he doesn't repent? If he ignore. context, he can insist he is correct.
About the words ,
being called by God [Jude], "chosen people" or "Chosen by God" [Peter] .
During biblical times, people wouldn't say that they chose to believe God; instead they said that God chose them or they are being called. It was a humble way of speaking. Back then, people were much more subservient to God, and it would be arrogant or inappropriate for them to say they chose Him. it does not mean that God called Jason or Susan to be saved ie NOT individual predestination. As time change, languages change too; today, we don't speak this way anymore. We tend to misinterpret words (such as chosen and predestined) at surface level or literally, which contribute to the confusion that God literally handpick people.
Lets address this shall we?
John Gill addresses Acts 16:31:
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Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,.... Not with a bare historical faith, as only to believe that he was the Son of God, and the Messiah, and that he was come in the flesh, and had suffered, and died, and rose again, and was now in heaven at the right hand of God, and would come again to judge both quick and dead, for there may be such a faith and no salvation; but so as to look unto him alone for life and salvation, to rely upon him, and trust in him; to commit himself, and the care of his immortal soul unto him, and to expect peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life from him; the answer is much the same our Lord returned to the Jews, when they asked, though not with the same affection and sincerity as this man, what they must do to work the works of God,
John 6:28.
And thou shalt be saved; from sin, and all its miserable effects and consequences; from the curses of the law, from the power of Satan, from the evil of the world, from the wrath of God, hell and damnation: this is to be understood of a spiritual and eternal salvation; for it is said, after that the jailer was inquiring about it, being terrified in his conscience with a sense of sin and wrath; and between believing in Christ, and being saved with an everlasting salvation, there is a strict and inseparable connection,
Mark 16:16 though not faith, but Christ is the cause and author of salvation; faith spies salvation in Christ, goes to him for it, receives it from him, and believes unto it:
and thy house; or family, provided they believe in Christ also, as they did,
Acts 16:34 or otherwise there can be no salvation, for he that believeth not shall be damned."
While it is not specifically said, it is implied because Gill mentions: "but so as to look unto him alone for life and salvation, to rely upon him, and trust in him; to commit himself, and the care of his immortal soul unto him, and to expect peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life from him;". Many people are fooled because they believe, but haven't repented.
John the Baptist preached repentance.
Jesus preached repentance.
Without repentance, there is no salvation.
In Romans 10:9, although it is a simple version, you must also remember, to whom Paul was addressing. Roman "Christians", not Roman unbelievers.
John Gill also comments:
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Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,.... That is, if a man shall make a good, sincere, and hearty confession to God, before the church and people of God, and before the world, that Christ is his Lord and Saviour, whom he desires to serve, and to be saved by; and this as arising from a comfortable experience of the grace of God in his soul, and from a true faith in Christ in his heart, wherefore it follows,
and shall believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved; for this article of Christ's resurrection includes the several other articles of faith: it supposes his death, and that supposes his life, and the obedience of it; and his life implies his being here on earth, and that his coming down from heaven to do the will of his Father; and this is the rather mentioned, which is here ascribed to God the Father, though not to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit, because that Christ is risen again for our justification, with which true faith is principally concerned; for such a faith is intended, not which lies in a mere assent to the truth of this, or any other article of the Christian religion; but which is concerned with Christ for righteousness, life, and glory; and with such a faith salvation is certainly and inseparably connected."
John 3:16 is one of the most beautiful verses in the scriptures, and also one of the most misused.
If taken "as is" this verse can be misunderstood as a call for "universalism". And this is most often seen and taken by those of the Arminian faith in the word "whosoever". And that is a fact.
There are several things that also must be considered. This was said before the Holy Spirit arrived to continue Christ's work. If it means what you want it to mean, Jesus was wrong in His rebuke of the Pharisees, Sadduces, Scribes, and lawyers.
What did Jesus say to them?
In their clinging tot he scriptures, Jesus rebuked them saying:
"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." -Jn. 5:39-40 (KJV)
They would not renounce their reliance on the Torah, to have faith in Him.
"Fundamentally, repentance involves renouncing a former way of life in favor of a new way of life." -David Platt
Jesus told His disciples:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," -Jn. 15:16 (KJV)
The same principle applies to us.
We don't choose God, left to our own devices, we'd stay in sin. But God chose us, called us. This principle is very clearly seen in Acts 13:48.
Sorry, its just not the way you want it to be.
God Bless
Till all are one.
