OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

THE GREAT COMMISSION (3)

Mark 16:15-16

The Conditions

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Our theme for OceanSide this year is:  “We Will Go…I Will Go.”

 

B.      This theme stems from the Great Commission found in all three of the synoptic gospels:  Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

 

C.     Today is our “Kick-Off” Sunday. 

1.        We want to focus on our theme.

2.       We want to encourage us to take our theme seriously in 2020.

3.       We will have three lessons centering on the words found in Mark 16:15-16.

 

D.    In this lesson, we will begin by looking at “The Conditions” (Mark 16:16).

 

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 

I.             WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY:  “SALVATION IS CONDITIONAL”?

 

A.    The root word for “conditional” is conditions.  Thus, the word is defined as “imposing, containing, subject to, or depending upon certain conditions.”

 

B.      Condition:  something that limits or restricts something else.

 

C.     We are all aware of conditions that are imposed.

1.        No shirt, no shoes, no service.

2.       If paid by the 3rd of the month, there are no interest charges.

3.       You must have certain symptoms for at least seven days before meds are prescribed.

 

D.    God has often imposed conditions upon individuals.

1.        God would save Noah from the flood as long as he followed certain conditions, and he did (Gen. 6:22).

 

Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

 

2.       The city of Jericho would be destroyed under certain conditions given to the Israelites.  They, too, followed the conditions (Heb. 11:30).

 

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

 

3.       Naaman had conditions imposed upon him in order to be cleansed of his leprosy.  When he followed the conditions, he was cleansed (II Kings 5:14).

 

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God:  and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

 

4.       Jesus conditionally healed a blind man on one occasion.  He was told to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:7).

 

And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)  He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

 

E.      In all of the examples that we have given conditions are not looked upon as evil.  However, the moment we mention conditions of salvation from sin, individuals get their dander up and look upon us with suspicion.

 

F.      Conditions are not evil things.

1.        They are expressions of faith.

2.       They are expressions of love.

3.       They are simple acts of obedience to the commands of God.

 

II.           THE CONDITIONS MENTIONED BY JESUS

 

A.    In the Great Commission recorded by Mark, Jesus mentions two conditions of salvation.

1.        He that believeth.

a.       Jesus reveals that a man must have faith.

b.      Faith is simply hearing what God says and believing it (Rom. 10:17).

 

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

c.       Faith is the beginning of everything.

Faith is one of the motivating factors in living for God.

Without faith, nothing spiritual will happen in one’s life.

2.       And is baptized

a.       Baptism is defined as “immersion, submersion, whelming, overwhelming, to dip, to plunge, to wash

b.      Paul refers to baptism as a burial (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12)

 

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

 

c.       This baptism has one element, water (Acts 8:36; 10:47)

 

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water:  and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

 

B.      Notice that Jesus matter-of-factly says:  “…shall be saved.”

1.        Belief is essential to salvation.

2.       Baptism is essential to salvation.

3.       There is no salvation without these two things.

 

C.     What about the other conditions of salvation.

1.        Jesus began with the foundational condition and ended with the final condition.

2.       No one verse, however, reveals all of the conditions to us.

3.       We know that in order to believe, one must first hear (Rom. 10:17).

4.       A study of Luke’s gospel will show that repentance is a part of the Great Commission (Luke 24:47).

 

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

 

5.       The only other initial condition is confession of the name of Christ.  Jesus plainly taught this in Matthew 10:32.

 

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven.

 

 

 

III.         REFUTING FAITH ONLY

 

A.    There are many today who are convinced that faith is the only condition of salvation.

 

B.      When it comes to Mark 16:16, they focus upon the last part of the verse.

 

...but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 

1.        The argument:  Jesus only mentions not believing as a reason to be damned.  He did not say that if one is not baptized he will be damned.

2.       Two answers:

a.       Answer #1:

1)       Illustration:  If you come to my house and give me five dollars you will get a book, but if you do not come you will go without.  Question:  If you just come to my house, will you get a book?  Absolutely not.  The fact that I omitted saying: “and do not give me five dollars” in the second part of the statement does not negate the need to give me five dollars for the book. 

2)      Common sense:  If a person does not believe, it only talks a little common sense to understand that he will not be baptized either.

b.      Brother E.L. Whitaker used to ask a simple question about Mark 16:16.  “What does Jesus say a man must do in order to be saved?”  The answer is obvious.  He must believe and be baptized.

 

IV.        DO CONDITIONS EARN SALVATION?

 

A.    Some argue that if we attach conditions other than faith to salvation that we are teaching salvation by works.  They tell us that we are trying to earn our salvation.

 

B.      We looked at several examples in the first point of our lesson of people who had to submit to conditions set forth by God in order to receive the promise God offered to them.

1.        Noah built an ark.

2.       The Israelites encircled Jericho, blew the trumpets, and shouted.

3.       Naaman dipped seven times in the Jordan.

4.       The blind man washed in the pool of Siloam.

 

C.     Conditions do not take away from the concept of salvation’s being a free gift.  Submitting to conditions in no way earns one’s salvation.

 

D.    This argument is Satan’s way of blinding the minds of those who are lost.  He will allow them to believe and think they are saved rather than believe and be baptized and be saved in harmony with the words of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Dear brethren,

1.        We have a charge to go into all the world

2.       We have a communication that needs to be made, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3.       We must stress the conditions of salvation so man can be truly saved.

 

B.      Perhaps you have heard and have never obeyed the conditions.  We exhort you to do that today.  Do as Jesus said:  Believe and be baptized in order to be saved.