Re: What Must I Do?
 

Except the text does not say the called on the Lord...In fact Peter said to call on Yahweh..he was quoting the OT and did not yet talk about calling on Jesus

The first thing they said after Peter finished speaking was

Act 2:37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

*it was only upon hearing ALL Peter said that they made this statement
*They were cut to the heart. Does that imply they had been free of a guilty conscious? No
*It was the fact that they were pained in the heart upon hearing all this that they asked what must they do
*If a person is saved, do the need to repent? If a Person is saved don't the already have the Holy Ghost? If they were already saved before asking this then Peter's response is off

If Peter was not talking about being saved then Luke is confused
Act 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Act 2:39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
Act 2:40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation."

Given that it's hard to see where you get they were saved during Peter's speech, before he finished

Re: What Must I Do?
 

Wrong mentality. It isn't that we are being punished for NOT DOING something. You see... that's the mindset that legalism builds. Those who go to Hell are being punished for SIN. What they have done. If you murder someone, you don't go to prison because you didn't let them live. You go to prison because you broke the law and killed them. We were in Adam's loins. When Adam sinned... we were ALL alienated from God. We all therefore were disconnected from all that is holy. Thus we are sinful by nature. The very condition of being lost is rooted in sin. By one man's sin... all fell into condemnation. And today, by one man's obedience (Christ's)... all men who believe and come out of condemnation into fellowship.

Yes. Think of it this way. Every court judge is a law abiding citizen (or should be). He asks nothing less of all who enter his or her courtroom. Those who enter into the court to be judged... are deemed to have broken a law. Now, what would you think of a judge who didn't punish criminals? Murderers, rapists, abusers, drug dealers, and repeat offenders in all areas... he or she just let's them walk. A judge MUST judge infranctions.

Now... let's look at assult. Let's say a man assults a guy outside of a local bar. He'll be convicted of assult if charges are pressed, a Misdoemeanor. However, let's say the same guy assults the President of the United States. Ummmm... thats a felony.

The nature of the offended determines the seriousness of the crime. God is infinitely holy. Therefore any infraction against His holiness demands infinite penalty.

Re: What Must I Do?
 

So true. I think if we just browsed the Ten Commandments we'd find that many of us are obeying them quite well without much thought. And these ten commandents can be categorized under two headings: Love God... Love Your Neighbor as yourself.

Re: What Must I Do?
 

The most clear scripture on Biblical salvation in the whole New Testament!

Acts 16:27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.


Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.


Acts 16:29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,


Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?


Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.


Acts 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.


Acts 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed [their] stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.


WHY ADD TO THE BIBLE?

Re: What Must I Do?
 

Amen.

Re: What Must I Do?
 

Excellent.

I do not know why people fight this. Sounds to me like they are trying to get away from full obedience to the scriptures. Why do that?

Amen. Peter would not have to say that if they were already saved. Let's not go backwards, folks! People who once saw this are thinking for some odd reason it is works, when Peter commanded it, and are letting these things drop away. Let's go forward! These things were preached the day the church was born, for goodness' sake! :thumbsup

People are still asking what to do. If the question has not changed, why change the answer?

Re: What Must I Do?
 

A man cannot be saved unless God first draws him. He can come to the altar knowing intellectually that he must be saved, and repent of sin intellectually, ... but he will never receive the Holy Ghost or be fully converted with regards to his spirit unless the Father has already opened the eyes of his spirit and drawn him to Christ through the Holy Ghost. One cannot just barge into the throne room of the King of Kings. He must be bidden to come.

Now, that being said...

One of the great debates between Calvinists and Arminians is... Can a man refuse the Father's drawing and be lost after his eyes have been truly opened to the Gospel? The Arminians say that he can resist God's drawing and be lost. The Calvinist says that he can try to resist God's drawing... but God's irresistible grace will overcome his rebellion... no matter what it takes.

For example...

Let's say Joe is a sinner alienated from God, spiritually dead. God's will from eternity is to save Joe and call him to missions work in South America that will result in thousands of souls being saved. So God's Spirit moves upon Joe and awakens his spirit to the need of a Saviour through the preached Word.

The Arminian would say that Joe can resist God's drawing and become a reprobate. This presents several problems. First, it was God's will to save Joe from all eternity. Joe's human will just trumped God's will. Second, now thousands of souls that God had willed to be saved will be lost, having never heard the Gospel as a result of Joe's ministry. God's will for them has been trumped by Joe's human will. Those souls will be lost unless God has a "plan B" and calls John to do the same. And... what if John resists?

The Calvinist would say that Joe can run... but he can't hide. He can resist all he wishes. So Joe resists (big no no). Now, God's irresistible grace will be brought to bear upon him, God knows exactly what must be done to break Joe's stubborn will and drag him to Christ. Suddenly... Joe looses his job. Joe's wife separates from him and takes the kids to Toronto. Joe comes down with appendicitis and is now bed ridden in Cleveland Ohio. Joe's car is reposessed. Laying in the hospital recovering from his appendectomy Joe is flipping through stations agonizing in his soul about his circumstances. What can he do??? Joe turns the television off and looks for something to read. On the night stand is a few Better Home and Gardens magazines and a book. Out of curiosity Joe picks up the book... a Bible. Suddenly the Holy Spirit reminds Joe of the Gospel he resisted. Humbled and broken, Joe begins to weep. With tears streaming down his face Joe begins to pray that God help him and calls his Christian friend. After Joe gets out of the hospital his Christian friend takes Joe back to church. With deep godly sorrow Joe repents of his rebellion against God and gives his life to Christ and begins to rebuild his life, allowing the Lord to lead and guide him. Four years later Joe is graduating from Bible College and gets an invitation to assist a missionary to South America. Joe accepts and boards a plan to Rio de Janeiro... right on time. After three days in Rio... Joe meets the first of thousands of souls that will be led to Christ as a result of his service to Christ.

Which is more biblical?

Re: What Must I Do?
 

No one is saying that upon regeneration one is "saved". They still must be converted. As a result of conversion they are justified, adopted, and sanctified. Regeneration is just the first thing that God does to awaken the lost soul to it's spiritually dead condition and reveal to the soul it's need for a Saviour.

Re: What Must I Do?
 

Only those pricked in their hearts (awakened by the Holy Spirit) will even ask what to do. The rest will roll their eyes at you and go drink beer and watch football, continuing on in their state of spiritual death.

Re: What Must I Do?
 

You are right, the Bible doesn't say they called on Yahweh, but it also doesn't say that the people asked Peter, 'What do we have to do to be saved?' I am taking it based on what I see and undertand when I read it. I believe that when he preached that did repent and ask him what to do now.