Sirs, What Must I Do To Be Saved? - by Bishop Sherrod C. Johnson

"This was the question of the Philippian Jailer. No

doubt this man was religious and had professed to have

known God. But when he faced the apostles who had the

only gospel, he found himself unsaved. Like many today,

when their religious experience is brought up against the

standard of the word of God, they find themselves unsaved.

I am sure that there are many people today who

have been in churches for years – no doubt have been great

church workers – may have been preachers, deacons, trustees,

missionaries, etc., and with all of that there is an unrest and

dissatisfaction until they are asking themselves the question,

“Am I really saved? And what proof have I, that I can know

of a truth, that I have a Bible Salvation? And if Jesus should

come would I be ready to meet Him, or am I deceived?”

Dear reader, the only way to know we’re saved is to

know according to God’s Eternal Word. I’ve heard many

times of ministers converting people and saying they were

saved without any Bible proof, telling people to bow their

heads and raise their hands, and accept Jesus right where they

are. And when they do that they say so many get saved

through our ministry. I want to say to you in the name of Jesus

Christ, and according to God’s Eternal Word that is just as far

from the truth and being saved as the East is from the West.

They never mention repentance or Baptism to the People,

didn’t mention receiving the Holy Ghost, yet say they are

saved.

Dear reader, let us now turn to the word of God, and

see what the word has to say about it. Romans 3:4 says: “Let

God be true and every man a liar.” Now we will hear outlined

the plan of salvation according to the word of God. John said:

“He indeed baptized with water unto repentance but Jesus

would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire.” John

didn’t tell them to raise their hands right where they were and

accept Christ. Jesus, who is our example came to John and

was baptized, and He received the Holy Ghost (Matt. 3:16).

Jesus said to Nicodemus, except a man be born again of water

and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (St. John

3:5). Jesus said in Mark 16:16 “he that believeth and is

baptized shall be saved, and these signs shall follow them that

believe….in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall

speak with new tongues”. I heard an awful statement that

there was no such thing in the Bible as speaking in tongues.

But Isaiah prophesied seven hundred and twelve years before

Jesus came: “For with stammering lips and another tongue

will he speak to this people” (Isaiah 28:11); Jesus spoke in

tongues, when He raised Jairus’ daughter. He took the damsel

by the hand and said unto her “Talitha cumi.” (Mark 5:41).

On the day of Pentecost when the foundation of the

Church was laid with and by them that walked and talked with

Jesus, and watched Him go up into the heavens, they also

spoke in tongues as the spirit gave them utterance (Read Acts

2:1-13). When the multitude heard the gospel preached by Peter

on the day of Pentecost, they were pricked in their

hearts. They said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles,

“What shall we do?” Peter didn’t say to them to raise your

hands and accept Christ as your personal Saviour, as it is told

to the people today. Neither did he say join the church but he

said unto them, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in

the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall

receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts2:38). And three

thousand obeyed. (Acts 2:41).

When Phillip preached to the city of Samaria, he

didn’t tell the people to sit right where they were, and they

didn’t need to be emotional. And when the people believed

the preaching of Phillip, they were baptized in Jesus’ name,

and received the Holy Ghost. Read Acts the 8th Chapter,

verse five to the twenty-second. When Peter preached the

same gospel to the Gentiles in Caesarea that he preached to

the Jews on the day of Pentecost, they received the Holy

Ghost, and spake with other tongues, and were baptized in

Jesus’ Name (Acts 10:44-48). Let us turn again to the word of

God Acts 19:5). When the Apostle Paul met John’s disciples

who had not received salvation under this dispensation, he

said unto them, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you

believed?” I want to say here, dear reader, there are thousands

of people who have some kind of belief but except they

believe as the scriptures have said (St. John 7:38), their belief

is in vain. They said unto Paul, we have not so much as heard

whether there be any Holy Ghost. Paul then said unto them,

“Unto what then were you baptized?” He goes on to explain

the truth unto them as I am explaining it unto you.

They obeyed and were baptized in Jesus’ name, and were filled with

the Holy Ghost and spoke in other tongues (Acts 19:1-6).

Now, dear reader, if you will take the word of God

for it, you will see plainly that the Apostles did not use the

methods men are using today, to get people saved. Nowhere

can it be found in all the Bible, that any of God’s ministers

told the people to bow their heads and raise their hands and

receive Jesus right where they are, without mentioning

repentance, baptism or receiving the Holy Ghost. The Apostle

Paul said: “If an angel from heaven preached any other gospel

except that which they have preached, let him be accursed.”

(Galatians 1:8-9).

I want to say in my conclusion to you, nobody is

saved regardless who he or she may be without having the

water, spirit and the blood. These three agree in one (1st

John 5:8). If you have the spirit and refuse the water you yet

aren’t saved. You can’t have the blood and refuse the water

and the spirit. The Bible says one Lord, one Faith and one

Baptism (Ephesians 4:5).

Dear reader, if you haven’t got it like the Scriptures

have outlined here, you too, need to cry out in the language of

the jailer: “What must I do to be saved?” May God open your

understanding that you may understand the Scriptures, is my

prayer ..."