12/2/2023 [Book of Acts 37] 
Salvation Is a Result of Accepting God’s Word, Or Accepting the Holy Spirit? <Ac 8:14-17>

Introduction:

* The issue of soteriology

* Is a person saved by accepting God’s word or accepting the Holy Spirit?

Read <Ac 8:14-17>

* <v16> Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

* <Ac 2:38> Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

** Two key questions **

（1）For a person to be saved (become a Christian), must he go through one or two steps?

（2）Is the experience of the Samaritans a common experience that all saints should have, or is it an exceptional experience that cannot be repeated?

1. Polarized denominations which believe in 2-step salvation

1）Catholicism’s belief on salvation

2）Pentecostalism’s belief on salvation

2. Biblical teachings about salvation are consistently one-step (stage)

* <Ac 2:38> Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

* <1 Co 12:3>: … no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

* <Ep 1:13>: … When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.

** Based on the above verses, a person’s salvation is a one-stage experience.

** The laying of hands is only meant to give people assurance, but it does not give people the Holy Spirit.

3. Accepting the word of God is accepting the Spirit of God

1）Accepting the word of God means already believed and turned to the Lord.

<Ac 2:41>: Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

<Ac 11:1>: The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2. To believe and be saved is a result of the Holy Spirit’s work.

<1 Co 12:3>: … no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4. Why was the 2-step salvation experience of the Samaritans an exception?

1）This was the first encounter of the Samaritans being born again and saved through the finished work of Christ on the cross.

<Ac 1:8>: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

* John Stott: The salvation of the Samaritans was like the halfway stop between the salvation of the Jews and the gentiles.

* Calvin: The salvation of the Samaritans symbolises the firstfruits in the process of the disciples evangelising to the gentiles.

2）It was unusual for Peter and John to go Samaria to explore.

<Ac 11:1-18>: Peter explained his act of preaching the gospel to the entire family of Cornelius (gentiles).

<Ac 11:20-24>: Barnabas was sent to Antioch to verify the salvation of the Greeks.

3）The longstanding enmity between the Samaritans and the Jews was an obstacle to the Jews’ acceptance of the salvation of the Samaritans.

* Thus, if there was no validation of the apostles (the clear evidence of the Holy Spirit coming after the laying of hands), it would be very hard for the Jews to change their view.

* The apostles seemed to become “gospel inspectors” among these important people groups.

5. Why can’t we separate salvation from the accepting of the Holy Spirit?

1）It will weaken regenerated believers’ assurance of the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.

2）It will weaken believers’ reliance on the Holy Spirit.