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God's Plan Of Salvation
Most people have heard
such terms as being born again, converted, or saved. There are even many
people who have had a personal experience of salvation through Jesus Christ.
However, there are still multitudes of people who never have accepted this
free gift from God. Often people do not understand the purpose of salvation
or how it can be obtained. Hopefully the following will help answer some of
the most commonly asked questions about
salvation.
What is salvation?
Salvation is the free
gift of eternal life that is made possible only through Jesus Christ. John
3:16-17 KJV states,
"For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
The apostle Paul
tells us in Romans 6:23 KJV,
"For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation is not limited
to any denomination, race, gender, or age, but it is available for
everyone.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved"
(Romans 10:13 KJV).
Why do you need salvation?
Mankind needs salvation
because it is the only way to get to Heaven. Jesus said in John 3:3 KJV,
"Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God."
Everyone will stand before God after death has occurred.
"And as it is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"
(Hebrews 9:27 KJV). Those who have not been saved will spend eternity
separated from God.
"And whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
(Revelation 20:15 KJV).
The penalty of sin that is passed on to all of mankind is death. Jesus
Christ became the atonement for all sin. He took our place and died on a
cross. Those who accept this plan, which is made possible
only
by Jesus, will
receive forgiveness for their sins and obtain salvation.
How do you obtain salvation?
In order to be saved you
must first realise that you are a sinner and that you cannot make it to
heaven on your own good merit.
"As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one"
(Romans 3:10 KJV).
"For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:23 KJV). Secondly, you must recognize that salvation is made possible only
by the grace of God. "For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast"
(Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV). Finally, you must believe in your heart that Jesus
Christ died for your sins and that he was raised from the dead. In Romans
10:9-10 KJV, Paul gives specific instructions for salvation.
"That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation."
In the sixteenth chapter
of Acts, the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas what he must do in order
to be saved. Their response to him still applies today.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"
(Acts 16:31 KJV).
Every Person Must Know That...
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I.
...HE IS LOST & IS A SINNER.
Romans
3:10 -
As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23
- For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God;
I John 1:8
- If
we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us.
Isaish 64:6
-
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like
the wind, have taken us away.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
- For
there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 5:12
-
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: |
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II.
...HE IS UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD BECAUSE OF
HIS SIN
& THAT THE PRICE OF SIN IS JUDGMENT,
WRATH AND HELL.
Romans
6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Revelation 20:14 -
And death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.
John 3:36 -
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him.
Romans 1:18 -
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth
in unrighteousness;
Ezekiel 18:4b
-
the soul that sinneth, it shall die. |
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III.
...HE CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF
Titus 3;5,6
- Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of
the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ
our Saviour;
Romans 3:20
- Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Ephesians 2:8,9
- For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 11:6
- And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no
more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise
work is no more work.
Galatians 2:16
- Knowing that a man is
not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by
the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified.
Romans 6:23
- For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I John 5:11
- And this is the record,
that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. |
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IV.
...ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN SAVE HIM
Hebrews
2:9 - But
we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the
grace of God should taste death for every man.
John 14:6
- Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
I Timothy 2:5
- For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus;
Acts 4:12
- Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Hebrews 7:25
- Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 10:10
- By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:19
- Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus,
I John 1:7
- But if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
John 10:9
- I am the door: by me if any man enter
in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 12:46
- I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness.
John 8:24
- I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if
ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 6:51
- I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat
of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. |
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V.
...HE IS SAVED BY FAITH IN JESUS
Acts 16:31
- And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house.
John 3:16
- For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:18
- He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36
- He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth
on him.
Galatians 3:26
- For ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus.
John 1:12
- But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name:
Romans 10:9 -
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.
Romans 3:28 -
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the
deeds of the law. |
...this is the witness of God
which he hath testified of his Son.
He that believeth on the
Son of God
hath the witness in himself:
he that believeth not God hath made him
a liar;
because he believeth not the record that
God gave of his Son.
And this is the record,
that God hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath
life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath
not life.
These things have I
written unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of
God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal
life,
and that ye may believe on the name of
the Son of God.
I John 5:9b-13
If you
have not seen the simplicity in Christ in the above verses by now, I must
tell you that you are trying to make your salvation much more difficult than
you need to. There are no works such as baptism, church membership,
sacraments, walking 'clean', wearing the right clothes, talking the right
talk, giving money or thinking clean that will open the door of heaven.
Pastor Mike Paulson
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