With many ideas prevalent about how to be saved in the Christian era, the most important question about a claimed means of salvation becomes: How is it or how is it not the plan of salvation? There is only one plan of salvation. Therefore, there must a formidable biblical means to know it and prove it to others. And the same means must refute any other claim. There are six criteria by which every claimed means of salvation can be correctly judged. None is valid that does not satisfy all of them.
Intro
For sake of understanding, it’s necessary to realize that Jesus prescribed the tenets of Christian salvation and also determined the person who would first announce them. That is quite a lot to know. It comprises half of the six-point proof of the plan of salvation. The last half of the proof consists of the fulfillment of Jesus’ words as witnessed in Acts.
🔻Points 1-3, as per Jesus (Hebrews 5:9)
1/ The exclusivity of John 3:5
Jesus made an absolute statement regarding Christian salvation in John 3:5. He said it would necessarily involve the elements of water and Spirit. This statement preemptively dismisses any other means of salvation in the Christian era. It is easy to know what the water and Spirit refer to because this verse finds its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost. That is certain because, in John 3:5, Jesus was referring to the coming Christian salvation experience and the Christian era began of the Day of Pentecost with the clear elements of water and Spirit baptism. That fact is chronologically sound. There is no other possible beginning point for John 3:5 to be fulfilled. Jesus made interpretation of John 3:5 that simple. The rest of the examples of salvation in Acts bear out that fact as well.
2/ The Great Commission
The Great Commission was Jesus’ post-resurrection instruction to His Apostles who would be teaching and spreading Christianity around the world. It took place through a series of occurrences over a six-week period of time leading up to His ascension. If you study the Great Commission in its entirety, you will find that Jesus presented three tenets of salvation for the Christian era, namely, repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. (See lesson 10, Water Baptism And The Great Commission, on the Various Bible Lessons page.
3/ Christ’s selection of Peter as the spokesman on the Day of Pentecost (Matthew 16:19).
In Matthew 16:19, Peter was granted the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. That assignment would give him first use of the Christian plan of salvation. It would eliminate confusion as to who should be the spokesman on the Day of Pentecost when salvation would need to be proclaimed. It is remarkable to read the account of that first day in Christian history and see how orderly the events, involving many people, were conducted. On cue, Peter answered the question of the spectators regarding the outpouring of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:12) and led them to understand that Jesus, Whom they crucified, was their Messiah. After Peter proved from prophecy that God had raised Him from the dead and that He was ascended to heaven until His enemies should be made His footstool, the Jews asked their second question, “What shall we do?”, to which Peter responded with the Christ-prescribed tenets of salvation (Acts 2:38).
Christ’s choice of Peter is critical because it reveals him as the person by whom the Kingdom of heaven would be opened for all mankind to enter. It literally pinpoints the first use of Christian salvation doctrine by which people could enter the Kingdom, as Jesus mentioned in John 3:5. Jesus marking Peter in this way gave us one of the greatest assurances of identifying the true plan of salvation. Acts chapter 2 is the only possible fulfillment of this unique passage.
🔻Points 4-6, as per biblical fulfillment of the words of Christ
4/ The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)
The Day of Pentecost proves the plan of salvation simply because it is the commencement of salvation in the Christian era. It is logical and necessary that whatever Christian salvation consists of, it has to be evident on the first day it was preached and experienced. Therefore, the Day of Pentecost must reveal it because it alone provides this unique dynamic context. Acts 2:38 is the only means of salvation presented on that momentous day. And Peter revealed it as the only means of salvation throughout the Church age (Acts 2:39).
There have been many claims of Christian salvation throughout Church history and there still are today. But nothing has been, or is now, valid as the plan of salvation that wasn’t first announced by Peter on the Day of Pentecost.
5/ The first inquiry of salvation in the Christian era (Acts 2:37-39)
Acts 2:37-39 provides a powerful micro context within the context of the Day of Pentecost. That’s because verse 37 contains the first inquiry of salvation in the Christian era when the convicted Jews asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”. That means verse 38 must necessarily contain the plan of salvation. Peter responded with, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. Therefore, whatever a person believes to be the plan of salvation for the Christian era, he must be able to see it in Acts 2:38. That is where it would have necessarily shown up.
6/ Examples of Christian salvation (Acts 2,8,9,10,19,22:16)
Examples of salvation are among the most powerful evidences of the truth. That’s because of the theological fact that, within any given covenant dispensation, salvation for one is salvation for all. The book of Acts provides all the examples of Christian salvation and they are all consistent with what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost. They involve the first generation of Christians. They each and together refute every other claim of salvation doctrine.
Conclusion
The Author of salvation has made its tenets formidable both to prove itself and refute error. Consider the profundity of each of the six points.
Point #1 rules out any other plan of salvation but that which comes by water and Spirit.
Point #2 rules out anything but the tenets revealed in the Great Commission.
Point #3 rules out anything except what was not initiated by Peter.
Point #4 rules out anything that wasn’t initiated by Peter on the Day of Pentecost.
Point #5 rules out anything that wasn’t revealed by Peter in Acts 2:38.
Point #6 rules out anything that wasn’t according to the examples of salvation in Acts 2,8,9,10,19,22:16.
Evident in these simple and clear proofs of salvation doctrine is the fact that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace (1Corinthians 14:33). The tenets of His great salvation are radiant in His gracious Word (2Corinthians 4:3-4).