A Word That Sets The Church Apart, Makes It Unique (2)

In the Part One, we revealed that there is a specific word or message which people must hear to be made children of God in Christ Jesus. This word is centered on the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul, the apostle, referred to this word as the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, in his letter to believers in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:13). It was a message the apostle preached for the Ephesians to hear, leading them to believe in Jesus Christ before they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, in the book of Acts, we read about how an angel told Cornelius that Peter would declare to him a message by which he and his household would be saved.

“And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you A MESSAGE BY WHICH YOU WILL BE SAVED, you and all your household” (Acts 11:13-14).

Clearly, Peter preached the message about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to Cornelius, leading to the salvation of his household.

Yes, there is a message that ministers must boldly and clearly preach and teach for people to hear and be saved. It is a message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is called the Word of truth, the gospel of salvation.

People who attend church meetings must hear this word with their ears, understand and receive it with their hearts and make a confession of it with their mouths for their eternal salvation.

The Philippian jailer also became a Christian as recorded in Acts chapter 16 after hearing the same word about Jesus Christ.

“And the jailer called for lights and rushed, trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?’ And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:29- 31).

The jailer had seen the mighty power of the Lord and wanted to become a Christian, so he asked the apostles what he must do. The apostles told him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for him to be saved.

But there was something the apostles first did to the jailer before he could believe in Jesus and confess Him his Lord and Saviour. He was made to hear the Word of truth, the gospel of salvation so he could believe in Jesus and be saved.

“And they SPOKE THE WORD OF THE LORD to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family” (Acts 16: 32- 33).

If you read Acts 16:30-33 carefully you can see that the jailer took the apostles to his house for hours of deeper discussions the same night. It was obvious that the jailer asked about how to become a child of God through Christ Jesus.

And after the apostles had told him to believe in Jesus, they preached the Word of the Lord to him and his family. The preaching of the word was necessary to build his faith in Christ.

The word the apostles preached was the word of truth, the gospel of salvation. This is how a sinner becomes a Christian, and grows thereby.

By James Quansah