Feeding the Sheep or Amusing the Goats

"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved".

Not "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and commit upfront to a lifetime of discipleship and be saved"

 

Paul told the Philippian Jailer to believe on the LORD Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). I ask you, What does it mean to believe on Jesus as Lord?

 

1. Saving faith involves a trust and commitment to follow Jesus as Lord, but I don't believe it is a trust or commitment that involves something like: This is what you need to do to begin with.

2. Rather, I see it as a surrender of self to Jesus as Savior and Lord.

 

Exactly - the gaoler was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not that obedience to this glorious Master was a prerequisite of his salvation, but once saved, out of love for his new Master, the gaoler would want to serve Christ. Ephesians 2.10:

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.​

And with Saul/Paul himself, it was only after the Lord had met him on the Damascus road that he asked, "Lord, what do You want me to do?"