Searching The Scriptures
Jesus challenged the Jews of His day to “search the Scriptures.” He said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). The Jews took great pride in having the Old Testament Scriptures, but they failed to see that the Scriptures they treasured predicted the coming of Jesus. They loved the Scriptures, but they rejected what the Scriptures taught about Jesus.
The challenge to “search the Scriptures” is one that we should be willing to accept today. If the Scriptures are the Word of God, then we should accept what they teach and reject any doctrine that is not found in the Scriptures.
When you search the Scriptures, can you find the Church to which you belong? In order for a Church to be Scriptural, that Church would have to be in the Scriptures. Surely, everyone can see that a Church that is not found in the Bible cannot be Biblical. The Bible claims that it reveals all we need to know in order to be saved (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, any Church that is not mentioned in the Bible has nothing to do with salvation. However, Christ’s church is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible because it “is” necessary for salvation (Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 2:47; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). This means that a Church not found in the Bible is not Jesus’ church.
When you search the Scriptures, can you find the baptism to which you submitted? Bible baptism is a burial in water and it is for the remission of sins (Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38; 22:16). The Scriptures do not teach that baptism can be administered by sprinkling or pouring, nor does the Bible teach that baptism is something that one does to show he has already been saved. Baptism “precedes” salvation (Mark 16:16; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21).
When you search the Scriptures, can you find “The Sinner’s Prayer?” The truth is that no person on this side of the cross was ever told to say a prayer in order to be saved. No person was ever told to “accept Jesus as your personal Savior” in order to be saved. In the New Testament, those who were saved “obeyed” the Gospel of Christ (Romans 6:3-4, 17-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; Mark 16:15-16). Obeying the Gospel is not the same thing as saying “The Sinner’s Prayer.” Obeying the Gospel is necessary in order to be saved. Saying a prayer to be saved is a doctrine added by men, and it is not a part of God’s plan of salvation.
Friend, please “search the Scriptures” given in this article, knowing that the author cares deeply for your soul. It is not my intention to make anyone angry; it is my intention to encourage all who read this article to “search the Scriptures.”
