When Jesus finished teaching the multitudes on the mountain, "the people were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:28,29). The teaching of Jesus was simple and plain to understand. Mark 12:37 tells us the "common people heard Him gladly." The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day taught their own doctrines and laid burdens upon the people not according to God's will. However, the plea of the Son of God was to hear the word spoken and obey it. He said, "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

Today, men are burdened with many doctrines and teachings that are according to the will of man and not the will of the Father. The word of God is not a book impossible to understand. If it is, our heavenly Father has given us an impossible task. The message of salvation is not kept in a dark corner somewhere to be revealed by scholarly men. Certainly, if the Creator of this world cannot put together a book whereby man can read and understand the plan of salvation, then the Creator of this world is not very great.

The common people understood the words of Jesus when He spoke to them two thousand years ago. These words are written down so that we may read and understand what man must do to be saved. The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:3-4, "How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)." You and I can read—you and I can understand—you and I can know the answer to salvation.

The Father gives the plan of salvation. In order to come to God, one must believe that He is (Heb. 11:6). Our faith is the result of two things—the evidence of the invisible attributes of God clearly seen (Rom. 1:20) and a measure of the word of God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). The heart is turned toward God to believe in those things that are revealed to man. Belief is not merely an action of the mind and heart but the soul devoting itself to the will of God—whatever the will of the Father might be.

Belief is necessary to understand the need to change a life of sin to a life of victory. Repentance demands a change in thinking, a change in action, a change in purpose and a change in will. The will is no longer governed by the intents of the heart, but by the commands of God. Peter told those gathered in Acts 2 to repent! Jesus emphasized that without repentance, salvation was impossible(Luke 13:3). Upon this threshold of humility, a willingness to confess the name of Jesus Christ pours from the lips of the undeserving. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10).

The final act of cleansing takes place in the waters of baptism. Here belief is tested; here faith is established; it is here the action of repentance takes flight to move one to disregard the tenets of man and seek full salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ. With the words of confession fresh upon the lips of the dying sinner, the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all sins in water (Acts 22:16). "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned ... Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit ... Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life ... were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3,4; 1 Peter 3:20-21).

"But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)!