At my age, I’ve seen people continue to resist the truth for decades, some for over fifty years. Most are religious and change churches from time to time. I’ve perceived that their choice of salvation doctrine is not based on a desire to know the truth but on a preferred lifestyle, involving little or no surrender. The strait (Notice the spelling.) gate and narrow way are non-inviting to them despite the promise of life that lies at the end of the road. The wide gate and broad way are much more accommodating to a soul interested mainly in hanging on to what this world has to offer.
All this reminds me of a verse in Proverbs.
Proverbs 20:24 ASV
Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
This verse from Solomon’s wisdom can be easily spiritualized to illustrate the inevitable disappointment of a false Gospel to which people so adamantly, but foolishly, cling. False salvation doctrine is the trick of the devil to keep people from true Gospel hope only attainable through obedience to Acts 2:38, the singular plan of salvation announced on the Day of Pentecost for the entire Christian era (v.39).
Referring to those I’ve observed again, falsehood is sweet to their taste because it makes the same promise of heaven without the high price tag of full surrender to Christ and His truth (John 8:31-32).
Beneath their obstinate denial of Christ’s covenantal mercy (the gracious and liberating salvation of Acts 2:38), is a longing to have relationship with Him. And attempts to craft relationship apart from covenant terms carry on for a lifetime. Hence, they learn, but never come to the knowledge of the truth (2Timothy 3:7). They claim to know Christ, but He doesn’t know them (Matthew 7:21-23). In reading their Bibles, they often encounter true salvation but have not obeyed it, and so have built their spiritual houses on sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
Hardly is a sadder fate possible than the wages of clinging stubbornly to a false hope (Hebrews 2:3). It can only be classified as willful ignorance when the possibility of knowing the truth lay all around them (2Peter 3:5).
The truth may be opposed for a lifetime but, eventually, all must face the irresistible light of its knowledge (1Timothy 2:4). It cannot be evaded forever. Currently, for those who don’t want to fully surrender to the truth, false doctrine provides some comfort, but it’s a temporary luxury. It offers peace of mind in which souls can rest— for now, even though there is no true Scriptural basis for it (Jeremiah 6:14). False doctrine bears no eternal fruit, except the bitter fruit of sorrow. In the pure, untarnished world ahead, truth prevails.
False doctrine was designed by the devil to ultimately deal a crushing blow to its adherents, but the tenets of Acts 2:38 will never disappoint. Remission of sins through baptism in Jesus’ name and the regenerating Spirit of Christ are authored by God and underwritten by Calvary’s blood to be the remedy for mankind’s fall. They ought to be earnestly sought and embraced by every member of Adam’s race. They procure admission into the kingdom of heaven, provided a person continues to walk in the light and lives a separated and holy life (Hebrews 12:14). There is not even the hint of another way in the New Testament.
On one occasion, when Jesus was making a point to be followed up upon, He said, “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:17). The admonition applies supremely to Acts 2:38, which is a forceful imperative about salvation. It’s wise to build one’s house on this rock. It will stand the final storm of judgment. And no fulfilled Scripture will be of greater consequence or bring more joy.