Salvation and the church on the Rock

"The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47).

I. Introduction

A. Christ built His church on the Rock. God's firm foundation shall stand forever. The church of the living God is the pillar and ground of the truth.

B. The city with foundations also has gates and walls. "We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in" (Isaiah 26:1,2).
1. The walls of Zion are 'salvation.'

2. The walls of ancient cities provided protection: within the walls there was safety.

3. This means that Zion is the city of the saved.

4. When John was shown "the bride, the Lamb's wife" ... "the great city, the holy Jerusalem" (Rev. 21) he saw that "she had a great and high wall". "Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:14).


a. Why are the names of the twelve apostles on the foundations of the walls?
b. Remember that Zion's walls are salvation and that Jesus said to His apostles (after He told them: "Receive the Holy Spirit"): "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23).
c. The gospel which the apostles preached and which has come to us in the New Testament determines who may enter the city and be saved within the walls.

II. The church is the assembly of the saved.

A. The church came into being on the Day of Pentecost, when the Apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, proclaimed God's message of Salvation.
1. After the recorded portion of Peter's sermon we read: "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.' Then those who gladly received his word were baptised; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts 2:40,41).

2. "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47).

B. By definition then, the church of Christ consists of those who are saved.

1. Christ "is the Saviour of the body," the church (Eph. 5:23b).

2. The Ephesian elders were told "to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

III. Let us examine these great, high walls of salvation more closely.

A. "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9).
1. "Our God is the God of salvation" (Ps. 68:20).

2. "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation" (Ps. 95:1).

3. "I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no saviour" (Is. 43:11).

B. Through the ages, men of faith have looked to God for their salvation.

1. In the depths of despair Job still could say: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." ... "He also shall be my salvation" (Job 13:15a, 16a).

2. Shortly before his death, Jacob said: "I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!" (Gen. 49:18).

3. Hannah said in prayer: "I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation" (2 Sam. 2:1).

4. David looked to God for salvation.


a. "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation" (Ps. 25:5).
b. "The LORD is my light and my salvation" (Ps. 27:1).
c. "Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation" (Ps. 62:1,2).

5. Isaiah wrote: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Is. 61:10a).

6. Jeremiah said: "'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I hope in Him!' The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (Lamentations 3:24-26).

7. Micah said: "Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).

8. And hear the beautiful prayer of Habakkuk: "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls -- yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab. 3:17,18).

C. The Old Testament prophets told of the coming Messiah who would bring salvation, not only to Israel, but to the whole world.

1. There are many such passages in Isaiah.

a. "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation'" (Is. 25:8,9).
b. "Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are faint-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you'" (Is. 35:3,4).
c. "But Israel shall be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever" (Is. 45:17).
d. "And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other" (Is. 45:21b-22).
e. "I will bring my righteousness near; it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory" (Is. 46:13).
f. Notice in the next passage, that the Messiah will be the Saviour for ALL nations: "indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth'" (Is. 49:6).
g. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Is. 52:7).
h. "Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise" (Is. 60:18).

2. Jeremiah also spoke of God's coming salvation. "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS'" (Jer. 33:14-16).

3. And from the book of Ezekiel: "therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them -- My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd" (Ez. 34:22,23).

4. Joel wrote: "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. ... And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls" (Joel 2:28,29,32).

5. In Zephaniah we read: "In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: 'Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing'" (Zephaniah 3:16,17).

6. And from Zechariah.


a. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9).
b. "The LORD their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land -- for how great is their goodness and how great their beauty!" (Zechariah 9:16,17a).

7. Peter refers to prophecies such as these: "Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow" (1 Peter 1:10,11).

D. God's promised salvation has come. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.

1. Joseph was told in a dream regarding Mary: "And she will bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Mat. 1:21).

2. After Jesus was born, an angel proclaimed to shepherds nearby: "I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10b,11).

3. John the Baptist testified when he saw Jesus: "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

4. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

5. Believers at Sychar in Samaria, after hearing Jesus preach for two days, said: "we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42).

6. To the Jewish leaders Peter said of Jesus: "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:11,12). "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:30,31).

E. Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24).

1. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

2. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

3. "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

4. Because of our sins, we deserve to die, but "the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Is. 53:6).

IV. What about the gates of Zion? A walled city can be entered only through the gates.

A. Is it easy to enter Zion?
1. Jesus was asked: "'Lord, are there few who are saved?' And He said to them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able'" (Luke 13:23,24).

2. "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Mat. 7:13,14).

B. Once when Jesus spoke of the difficulty of entering God's kingdom, His disciples replied: "Who then can be saved?" (Mat. 19:25). A good question.

1. Man is saved by the grace of God. He cannot save himself.

a. To the question, 'Who then can be saved?' Jesus replied: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Mat. 19:26).
b. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9).
c. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:11-14).

2. Who then can be saved? Only noble hearts.


a. Jesus said: "I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37).
b. "He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers" (John 10:2-5).
c. In explanation of the parable of the sower, Jesus said: "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).
d. "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:18). "He will beautify the humble with salvation" (Ps. 149:4b).

C. What is the message of salvation to which these noble hearts gladly respond?

1. "He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).

a. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: "'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Then 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 stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptised. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household" (Acts 16:30-34).
b. Paul said: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith'" (Rom. 1:16,17).

2. This faith in Christ must also be confessed.


a. Jesus said: "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Mat. 10:32,33).
b. In Romans Paul explains that this confession of faith is in fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy. "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?' So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:8-17).

i. Preachers must be sent out with the good news of salvation in Christ.
ii. The word of God must be heard and believed.
iii. Believers must confess their faith and obey the gospel.

3. Repentance is also required for salvation.


a. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance (Mat. 9:13).
b. When He sent out the twelve, they preached that people should repent (Mark 6:12).
c. Jesus told His hearers: "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
d. Before His ascension, He told His disciples "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations" (Luke 24:47).
e. "Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation" (2 Cor. 7:10).
f. The day the church came into being, Peter proclaimed: "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

4. It is through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit that God saves the penitent believer who has confessed his faith.


a. "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7).
b. As Jesus told Nicodemus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
c. This is why Ananias told the penitent Paul, after he had fasted three days and nights: "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptised and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
d. In the ark, eight souls were saved through water. Peter explains that this was a figure: "There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely 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" (1 Peter 3:21).
e. "For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13).
f. The humble, with noble and good hearts, who believe in Christ, who confess Him and repent of their sins, listen to the voice of the Master when He says: "He who believes and is baptised will be saved" (Mark 16:16).
g. "Having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Heb. 5:9).
h. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:26,27).

D. Who may enter the city of the saved?

1. "Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in" (Isaiah 26:1,2).

2. "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).

3. It is still true, as it was 2000 years ago, that the Lord adds to their number day by day those who are being saved (Acts 2:47).

V. The walls of Zion are great and high. One must enter by the gates. These walls cannot be scaled.

A. Yet, in our time as in all ages, there are thieves and robbers who think they can climb over the walls with their wobbly ladders of false doctrine.

B. Some think their own goodness -- or lack of extreme evil -- is sufficient to assure them a place in heaven. They are mistaken, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). We cannot be saved by "works of righteousness" (Titus 3:5) but only by the grace of God.

C. Some think they will be saved if only they are sincere in some religion. They are mistaken, for there is no salvation except in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10-12).

D. Some turn the grace of our God into licentiousness (Jude 4) and teach that people can be saved through grace by faith only without obedience. They are mistaken, for Jesus "became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Heb. 5:9). When Christ returns He will be revealed "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

E. Some believe they do not have to be baptised by immersion as the first Christians were, but that sprinkling or pouring will do. They are mistaken, for one must be buried with Christ "through baptism into death" to walk in newness of life with Him (Rom. 6:3-8).

F. Some think that anyone who is immersed with the intention of obeying Christ has been properly baptised, even if he was not baptised for the forgiveness of sins and thought we was already saved before baptism. They are mistaken, for Peter said: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).

1. Such people fail to observe the important distinction between baptism with the intention of obeying God and baptism in obedience to God. To say that someone was baptised to obey God refers only to his intentions. Nothing is said about the accomplishment of true obedience.

2. When Catholics have their baby sprinkled to obey God, that baptism is invalid. It was not done in obedience to God. Although they may have intended to obey God they were obeying commandments of men. According to Christ such worship is worthless: "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Mat. 15:9).

3. When someone is immersed to obey God thinking that he was saved by faith only and that his sins are already forgiven, that baptism is invalid. His baptism was not in obedience to Christ. The word of Christ commands everyone to be baptised for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). He did not obey that command. His baptism was in obedience to commands of men and is worthless.

4. The form must, of course, be correct. Baptism is a burial (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12). But much more is required than correct form.

5. Baptism in obedience to Christ is an appeal to God for a clear conscience (1 Pet. 3:21). This is why Paul was told: "Rise and be baptised, and wash away your sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13). In obedience to Christ we call on the name of the Lord for salvation when we are baptised. Baptism IS an appeal to God for a clear conscience. This is how baptism saves us (1 Pet. 3:21).

6. The immersion of someone who thinks he is already saved cannot possibly be an appeal to God for a clear conscience. He is NOT being baptised for the remission of sins. He is NOT being baptised to wash away his sins. He is NOT calling on the name of the Lord for salvation. Such a baptism does not even RESEMBLE the baptism Christ commanded.

G. They who wish to enter the beautiful heavenly city of Zion, the city of peace, the city of eternal rest, must enter by the gates.

1. No one can earn his way to heaven. "For by grace you have been saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8).

2. This goodness of God must lead to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

3. One must confess Christ with his mouth and call on the name of the Lord for salvation at baptism before ones sins are washed away (Acts 22:16; Rom. 10:8-13).

4. The promise of Christ, who gave His life that we might live, rings down through the ages: "He who believes and is baptised will be saved" (Mark 16:16).

VI. Do you wish to enter the heavenly city? There is only one way, Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. Turn away from your sins, repent, and believe the good news of salvation through Christ. Confess His name and be baptised into His body, the church. The church which is built on the Rock. The church which will reign with Christ in heaven in all eternity.

Roy Davison