Simplicity In Christ
Jack Critchfield

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 11:3, states, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." God, in revealing His plan and purpose for man's life, was not trying to confuse man. He wanted (and still wants today) man to hear, understand and obey. Therefore, the gospel was couched in terms that were simple and clear. Satan will always try to confuse us, so in various ways he tries to complicate the massage. That is why Paul wrote, "in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes," but "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Cor 2:11; 4:4). Where God wants us to hear and learn, and come to Him (Jn. 6:45), Satan tries to confuse and bewilder all those who would listen to God.

God has clearly revealed how men are to be made free from sin. To this end, God gave His only begotten Son and approved Him with these words; "...This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Matt. 17:5). God spoke under the Old Covenant through the prophets, but now speaks His will for our lives through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-2). Surely no one would contend that He is unable to speak clearly what He wants us to understand, or that Christ is unable to convey the Father's message. God made man (Gen. 1:26-27), surely He knows our intelligence and ability to comprehend. Why, then, are there those who affirm that we cannot be sure we know the will of God?

Before Jesus left this earth, He gave instructed His disciples to evangelize the world. At the same time, He gave the means by which men would be saved from sin, "And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mk. 16:15-16). That bit of information is so simple and plain that a person must have a lot of help to misunderstand it. If this passage is not clear to you, ask a ten year old school child to explain what it means. Jesus was not trying to confuse the apostles, nor you and I. He gave simple terms for salvation which they understood and preached, and which we can understand and obey.

When the apostles went forth in compliance with the instructions of Jesus, they preached the gospel in simple words. The people who heard them had no difficulty in understanding what to believe and what to do. Many found it hard to accept, but none found it hard to understand. When Peter preached the first gospel sermon (Acts 2:14-36), people believed and asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The Lord's reply, through Peter, was simple, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins," (Acts 2:38). There was no question about their ability to understand because, "those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them," (Acts 2:41). They understood what to do and did it - 3000 of them. What could be simpler or plainer?

Why were 3000 baptized that day? The Bible says, they "received his word." The converse could be stated, as those who did not receive his word were not baptized. That is still true today. Those who gladly receive the word of the Lord will do what the word says3/4 no excuses, no arguments.

In Jn. 8:24, Jesus said, "if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." The reason for His many miracles is clearly revealed: "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:30-31). Later, Paul would write of the gospel, "it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes," (Rom. 1:16). He further explained in Rom. 5:1, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Without faith we cannot be pleasing to God (Heb. 11:6), but it must be a "faith working through love," (Gal. 5:6). Faith without works is no faith at all (Jas. 2:20).

Faith must lead us to turn from our former way of living. Jesus said, "unless you repent you will all likewise parish," (Lk. 13:3). Jesus did not come to earth and die on the cross that we might continue to live according to our own will. 2 Cor 5:15 states it this way, "and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." Jesus came to save people from their sins, not to save people in their sins. If we would be saved, we must be willing to turn from our sins to live as He directs us. If we are determined to live for ourselves, to live in sin, we cannot be saved. The requirement is simple: we must repent

On the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, 3000 people believed (v. 37), repented (v. 38) and were baptized (v. 41). A pattern of conversion was set that was repeated over and over. Philip went to the city of Samaria and "preached Christ to them," (Acts 8:5). "When they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized," (Acts 8:12). Notice, when they believed, they were baptized. Just like the people on Pentecost. Just as Jesus had said in Mark 16. Philip was directed by an angel of the Lord to go to the road that led to Gaza where he met an Ethiopian and "preached Jesus to him" (Acts 8:26-35). As they continued on their way, they came to water and the Ethiopian asked, "Here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" (v. 36). Told he must believe, he stated, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," (v. 37), and "both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him," (v. 38). Wasn't that simple? Why complicate it? Just do what Jesus said. That is what the Samaritans did, that is what the eunuch did. Why confuse the matter?

When the gospel began to be preached to the Gentile world, we see the exact same pattern emerge. The apostle Paul preached in Philippi, was arrested and thrown into prison. As he and Silas sang praises to God, an earthquake freed all the prisoners. The jailer brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). They told him, "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 baptized," (Acts 16:31-33). Just as with the other examples, this man trusted Jesus, repented of his sins, and was immediately baptized. When Paul preached in Corinth, "many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized," (Acts 18:8). God's message was simple enough that people who heard it for the first time could respond to it. They understood it. They might not have known what was expected of them after that, but they knew what God said for them to do. Why shouldn't it be that simple today?