The object of this message will be to establish from God's Word that from the standpoint of human responsibility there are only two essentials to salvation. These essentials are REPENTANCE AND FAITH. They are vital, indispensable and absolutely necessary. As far as human responsibility goes REPENTANCE AND FAITH ARE THE ONLY ESSENTIALS IN SALVATION.

As we have already established, only those who had repented and believed were baptized, this chapter will establish that repentance and faith are the only two essentials to salvation. The conclusion is obvious --- Only those who were saved were baptized.

Let us take two texts.

"And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL." -Mark 1:15.

"Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." -Acts 20:21.

Notice these expressions . . . "REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"... REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."

Repentance and faith are the only essentials to salvation. The Bible teaches that when a sinner repents of his sin and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ he is saved. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE NECESSARY. Let us establish this fact.

REPENTANCE

The Word of God calls for sinners to repent.

"And they went out and preached THAT MEN SHOULD REPENT." -Mark 1:15. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; BUT NOW COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERY WHERE TO REPENT."-Acts 17:30.

". . . for I am not come to call the righteous, but SINNERS TO REPENTANCE." -Matt. 9:13.

In our text the command is, "REPENT YE, and believe the Gospel."

Beginning with John the Baptist the gospel message has called sinners to repentance. The preachers of the New Testament, "went out and preached that men should repent." Jesus Christ said, "I came ... to call ... sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32).

God commands all men to repent.

It is easily established that the Word of God plainly teaches that sinners should repent.

REPENTANCE IS AN ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL

The Bible teaches that if the sinner does not repent he is lost. Regardless of what else he does HE MUST REPENT. THE SINNER CANNOT BE SAVED WITHOUT REPENTANCE.

"I tell you, Nay: but, EXCEPT YE REPENT, YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH." -Luke 13:3, 5.

The phrase, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish., " establishes the fact that repentance is essential to salvation. It is an absolute necessity.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE." -11 Peter 3:9.

This verse plainly teaches that to fail to come to repentance would be to perish, that is, to be eternally lost. Again it is revealed that repentance is absolutely essential to Salvation.

"For godly sorrow worketh REPENTANCE TO SALVATION not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."-II Cor. 7:10.

The phrase ""repentance to salvation" reveals that repentance is essential to salvation.

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE CALLS SINNERS TO REPENTANCE. WITHOUT REPENTANCE THERE CAN BE NO SALVATION.

Now let us look at the other essential to salvation.

FAITH

The word of God calls for sinners to believe.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16.

"Whosoever believeth" ... this is the gospel invitation.

"HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned . . ." -John 3:18.

"He that believeth" . . . this is the gospel requirement.

"He that BELIEVETH ON THE SON hath everlasting life:" ... -John 3:36.

To have everlasting life is to have salvation and this is a present reality to all that believe.

"He that heareth my word AND BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT SENT ME hath everlasting life. . .-"-John 5:24.

In answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?" the Bible answers ,

"And they said, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." -Acts 16:31.

From these Scriptures, and hundreds like them, it is easily established that the Bible invites men to believe and be saved. THE CALL IS ALWAYS TO FAITH.

FAITH IS AN ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION

The Bible teaches that if a sinner does not believe he is lost. THE SINNER CANNOT BE SAVED WITHOUT FAITH. HE MUST BELIEVE.

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD." -John 3:18.

"‘He that believeth not is condemned." To fail to believe is to be eternally condemned. It is to be lost ... forever. BELIEVING IS AN ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

The reason for condemnation is also given in this verse in the phrase, "because he hath not believed." A sinner is lost "because he hath not believed."

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: AND HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE: BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM," -John 3:36.

Let the Bible say what it obviously intended to say. "He that believeth not the Son shall not See life." The only way that an individual can see life, that is, be saved, is to believe. There can be no eternal life without faith.

"THAT THEY ALL MIGHT BE DAMNED WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH..." -Il Thess. 2:12.

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE CALLS MEN TO BELIEVE. WITHOUT FAITH THERE IS NO SALVATION.

"Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." As has now been established, repentance and faith are essential to salvation. Repentance and faith are the human responsibility in salvation. They are inseparable. True repentance cannot exist apart from faith, nor can there be faith without repentance.

In repentance the sinner turns from sin and in faith he turns to God. They are both parts of the same move. TRUE REPENTANCE INVOLVES FAITH AND TRUE FAITH INVOLVES REPENTANCE.

As pertaining to salvation the terms, repentance and faith, are used almost interchangeably.

When it is said that Christ came to call sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:13) it is certainly understood that those sinners were also called to believe.

When it is said, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," the repentance involves faith because he also said, "he that believeth not is condemned."

When it is said that God would have all men to come to repentance it certainly includes faith.

In some instances faith, by itself, is pictured as the means of salvation.

He that believeth on him is not condemned . . ."-John 3:18.

In other instances repentance, by itself, is pictured as the means of salvation.

"I came ... to call . sinners to repentance."---- Luke 5:32.

IT HAS TO BE ACCEPTED THAT REPENTANCE AND FAITH ARE ESSENTIALS TO SALVATION.

REPENTANCE AND FAITH ARE THE ONLY ESSENTIALS TO SALVATION.

BAPTISM IS NOT AN ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

It is not stated in the Bible in a single verse that unless you are baptized you will be lost. It is never stated that if you are baptized you will be saved.

Every time that baptism is spoken of in relation to salvation it is always with the acceptance of the fact that there already has been repentance and faith.

Let us look at a couple of examples.

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." -Mark 16:16.

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Many have hung their immortal souls upon a false interpretation of this one verse by believing that it makes baptism essential to salvation.

As has already been established believing is essential to salvation. "He that believeth on him is not condemned." Accepting this fact shows that the believing brought the salvation, not baptism. It could truthfully be said, "He that believeth and has red hair shall be saved." As believing brings salvation every redheaded person who has believed is saved. This doesn't make being red headed an essential to salvation.

It can also be truthfully said, "He that believeth and is not baptized shall be saved."

That it is the believing and not the baptizing that brings salvation is established in this verse. It says, "he that believeth not shall be damned." THIS REVEALS THAT FAITH AND NOT BAPTISM WAS THE ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

Probably one of the most misused verses in the Bible is Acts 2:38.

It has been used to try and prove the false idea that it is necessary to be baptized in order to be saved. Let us look at it.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'‘ -Acts 2:38.

As we have established, repentance and faith are essential to salvation. WE HAVE STATED THAT EVERY TIME BAPTISM IS SPOKEN OF IN RELATION TO SALVATION IT IS ALWAYS WITH THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FACT THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN REPENTANCE AND FAITH. It is so here.

Peter said, "REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED." If they had genuinely repented their repentance involved faith and they were saved ... before they were baptized. THIS SAME PASSAGE BEARS THIS OUT. It tells us who were baptized.

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized." -Acts 2:41

Who was baptized on the day of Pentecost? Those who had repented and gladly received his word. There you have the essentials to salvation, repentance and faith. These folks were saved and then baptized.

NOT ONE SINGLE TIME IS THE WORD "BAPTIZED" USED BY ITSELF AS AN ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION. REPENTANCE IS USED THIS WAY. FAITH IS USED THIS WAY. BUT NOT BAPTISM.

Never does it say, ‘"'except ye be baptized ye shall perish." Never does it say, "be baptized and be saved."

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID OF BAPTISM CAN BE SAID OF THE LORD'S SUPPER, CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, REFORMATION, OBEDIENCE, LAW KEEPING, ETC. None of them are essentials to salvation.

The Gospel message to lost sinners is "REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL."