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God's Plan of Salvation


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"BAPTISM...THE CLEANSING AGENT"

No person washes dirty clothes without applying a cleansing agent to make the clothes they are washing clean! Dirty clothes can go into clean water and come up dirty! You need that cleansing agent in the water to get your dirty clothes cleansed. (Marshall Keeble)

If you have not have not been buried with Christ in Baptism so that you can rise to walk in newness of life...  there is NO WAY you can hold to God's unchanging hand nor have fellowship with God! There is absolutely no way you can obtain salvation! There is no way you can receive any of the spiritual blessings that are in Christ Jesus!

A person living in sin is DIRTY!
God has provided a cleansing agent to make that dirty person clean so that the person who is dirty can have fellowship with Him.
To apply that cleansing agent, certain other steps are required and MUST be initiated BEFORE the dirty person can apply the cleansing agent in order to become clean.

The steps that must initiated first are
1) You must hear the gospel,
2) You must believe the gospel,
3) You must repent of your sins,
4) You must confess your faint in Christ
Steps to get, receive or obtain the thing you desire.
Once those four steps are initiated according to the requirements of Almighty God (not man), you have reached the point where you MUST apply the agent that will make you clean.
5) You MUST be baptized (buried) in water for the remission (removal, forgiveness) of your sins.

When you initiate the FIVE steps mentioned and go down into the water to be baptized, the cleaning agent which is the blood of Jesus Christ is in the water and it is that which cleanses the obedient person who has submitted himself or herself to the requirements of God.

There are millions of folks around the world who were baptized but are STILL DIRTY because their Baptism isn't according to due order or due process), not according to God's requirements).
In Acts 19:1-5 we find twelve men who were baptized and were STILL DIRTY, 
(they were still in their sins, still unsaved, still outside of Christ).
After the Apostle Paul met them, questioned them, taught them correctly and baptized them correctly they were cleansed from their DIRTY state. Read it for yourself!

No one can obey the Mormon's doctrine and be cleansed from their DIRTY state!
No one can obey the Adventist doctrine and be cleansed from their DIRTY state!
No one can obey the Catholic doctrine and be cleansed from their DIRTY state!
No one can obey the Jehovah's Witness doctrine and be cleansed from their DIRTY state!
No one can obey the Pentecostal doctrine and be cleansed from their DIRTY state!

Unless you obey the doctrine of Jesus Christ and go down into the watery grave of Baptism where you'll meet the cleansing agent (the blood of Jesus), you are still dirty in your sins!

What Baptism Do?
It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior.
Baptism saves, 1 Peter 3:21
Baptism washes or cleanse you, Acts 22:16
Baptism is a burial, Rom.6:3-5
Baptism puts you into Christ, Gal.3:27.

You ought to know however, that not every baptized person is cleansed or saved. Those who have obeyed false teachings aren't saved or cleansed.
Babies must not and should not be baptized because...
1) they are innocent!
2) they commit no sin!
3) they cannot understand anything!
4) they cannot confess Christ!
A  person MUST be able to hear, believe, repent of sins, and confess with His or her mouth that Jesus Christ is the son of God in order to be baptized.
The Adventist doctrine does not teach this! The Mormon's doctrine does not teach this! The Catholic doctrine does not teach this!
The Jehovah's Witness doctrine does not teach this!
The Pentecostal doctrine does not teach this!

There is only one way to be purged, or cleansed, or get clean from sin and that is to obey the gospel (doctrine, teaching) of Jesus Christ, John 12:48.

Saul of Tarsus was religious but still dirty until he obeyed the gospel of Christ, Acts 9&23.
The Ethiopian Eunuch was religious but still DIRTY until he obeyed the gospel of Christ, Acts 8:26-39.
Lydia was religious but still DIRTY until he obeyed the gospel of Christ, Acts 16:13-15.
Cornelius was religious but still DIRTY until Peter brought him the gospel, Acts chapter 10.
The twelve disciples were religious but still DIRTY until Paul met them and pointed them to the right way, Acts 19:1-5.
In Jerusalem there we find 3000 souls who were all religious but still DIRTY until the obeyed the gospel Peter preached, Acts chapter 2:37-47.

If you have obeyed any other doctrine apart from the doctrine of Jesus Christ and His apostles, you too are DIRTY and need to be cleansed from your sins!
If you are living worldly and ungodly and have not obeyed the gospel of Christ, you too are DIRTY and must submit to the will of God by obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ and apply that cleansing agent through Baptism whereby you can be cleansed.

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“BAPTISM AND FORGIVENESS”
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ “Gal. 3:26-27.
Baptism is necessary: The Bible presents this requirement very clearly. Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” Mark 16:16. If we accept Jesus as Lord, we will gladly follow His instructions. There are many who motivated by allegiance to human system of thought do not hesitate to rewrite this statement of Jesus. Jesus did NOT say, “He who believes is saved already, and let him be baptized because he is saved.” One who believes will be baptized as Jesus instructed. One who disbelieves will not follow the Lord’s instruction.
Jesus told His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you … “Matt. 28:19-20.
For forgiveness: In Jerusalem the apostles presented evidence for Jesus as the Christ. Those who heard said, “… what shall we do?” They were told, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins …” Acts 2:37-38. At the point of repentance toward God (changing the mind about sins) and acceptance of Jesus as Savior, one should be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The word translated “for” means “in order to obtain” the forgiveness of sins.

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THE SINNER’S PRAYER
Recently, I heard a preacher tell the story of his visit to a hospital where a man with a terminal disease was saved through prayer. Many call this “the sinner’s prayer.” It might be prayed anywhere, such as the bedroom, corn field, driving along in a car, a church service, as well as a sick bed in a hospital. Friends, in all candor, we do not read in the word of God about an alien sinner being saved by prayer. In fact, the expression “the sinner’s prayer,” is not found one time in the Bible. Such is the figment of a man’s imagination. 
In the world-wide commission of Jesus, given after His resurrection, He never said anything about prayer. He said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16), and that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations” (Luke 24:47). 
In all the cases of conversion recorded in the book of Acts, not one time was an alien sinner told to pray. On Pentecost, the inspired apostle Peter told the Jews, after they had asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” to “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Nothing about praying, here. When Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch the first thing the eunuch asked was, “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Philip, after hearing that he believed that Jesus is the Son of God, baptized him, Acts 8:35-38. No prayer, here. This harmonizes with what Jesus said in Mark 16:16. In the conversion of Lydia, Acts 16:14-15 and the Philippian jailer, Acts 16:30-33, we do not read of them being told to pray. However, they were baptized after faith and repentance. The Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized, Acts 18:8. All of them did what Jesus said to do in the great commission, and for the same purpose Peter stated in Acts 2:38 -- for the remission of sins. 
Saul of Tarsus, who was praying, was told by Ananias to “arise. and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Here was an alien sinner who was told to quit praying, get up, be baptized, and wash away his sins. “Calling on the name of the Lord” is an expression that means “appealing to the name of the Lord,” or “appealing to the authority of the Lord.” This is what a person DOES, rather than just what he SAYS. The word “call” is the same word translated “appeal;” in Acts 25:11 where Paul said, “I appeal to Caesar.” In other words, Paul is saying, “I will call upon Caesar.” He has the power as emperor to exonerate me. To be saved, we need to appeal to Jesus, obeying Him. 
The blind man who had been healed by Jesus rightly said, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth” (John 9:31). This comports with Proverbs 28:9, “He that turneth his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.” Yet, preachers say than an alien sinner can pray for the forgiveness of sins, and God will forgive, while at the same time he ignores water baptism, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, and the plain teaching set forth in the examples of conversions in the book of Acts. 
--Weldon E. Warnock, Truth Magazine

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“FAITH”
The faith that saves is not the mere assent of the mind which says “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” The kind of faith that saves is the kind that takes God at His word and does not question it but does exactly what God say to do and, in the way, that God said to do it. As example of saving faith, note the following:
We read in Acts 16:15 regarding Lydia, “And when she was baptized, and her husband, she brought us saying, if ye had judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come abode there.” It is very apparent that her faithfulness to the Lord was judged by what she had done. What had she done? She had been baptized. Then in the case of the jailor in this the same chapter 16th of Acts, we read beginning verse 32: “And they spoke the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and wash their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.” When had the Jailor believed in God? He believed when he took God at his word and was baptized.
We must always realize that kind of faith saves is the active, obedience faith. We learn in Heb. 11:8: “By faith Abraham when was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” This was obedient on the part of Abraham and it is the kind of faith that God demands of you and me.

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Proverbs 14:12 said... "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Now - If men and women and people of the world choose to go or follow after the way that seems right to them and LEAVE the SURE WAY that God has provided for all mankind and for all generations of people, what do you think will happen?

In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Since Jesus is the way, why not follow and obey Him? Note carefully what He says... "No one comes to the Father EXCEPT through me." The son of God who was sent from God to POINT us to the way that we must go has spoken and He said to us in John 10:9-20... "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Do you want the ABUNDANT LIFE that Jesus have to give? If so, you must give up your ways and your former lifestyle and submit to the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

According to the scriptures this is what you must do...
👉🏿You must realize that you are in a lost state, Rom.3:23
👉🏿You must Hear the Gospel of Christ, Acts 15:7, Romans 10:17.
👉🏿You must Believe the Gospel of Christ, Mark 16:15-16, Hebrews 11:6.
👉🏿You must Repent of your sins, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30.
👉🏿You must Confess your faith in Christ, Acts 8:37, Rom.10:9-10
👉🏿You must Be Baptized in water for the remission of your sins, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21.

When you do these things⤴️ the Lord ADD you to the church, Acts 2:47!👈🏿
👉🏿Then you must live or remain Faithful unto death, 2 Peter 1:5-11, Revelation 2:10

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Church Marques
The outdoor signs, which many churches have in front of their buildings, reveal much about their beliefs and practices. One I passed the other day said, "By The Authority Of God's Word, I Am A Blood Bought Child Of The King". If I understand the meaning, they are saying that what they did to become a child of the King is authorized by God in His word. That is, indeed, a wonderful and beautiful statement; IF IT IS TRUE!
Being familiar with the denomination which made this statement, here is what they practice in the matter of becoming a child of the King: "The repentance which the Gospel requires includes a deep conviction, a penitential sorrow, an open confession, a decided hatred, and an entire forsaking of all sin. This repentance God has enjoined on all men; and without it in this life the sinner must perish eternally. THE FREE WILL BAPTIST TREATISE, Chapter IX, Article 106,107. "All men are required to believe in Christ, and those who yield obedience to this requirement become the children of God by faith." Ibid, Chapter X, Article 114. Thus, their belief and practice is to be saved by repentance and faith.
Indeed, the Scriptures teach repentance and faith as a part of becoming a child of the King. Peter told those in Acts 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel, KNOW ASSUREDLY that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Believing or knowing assuredly that Jesus was, indeed, "Lord and Christ", they replied in verse 37,"Men and brethren, what shall we do?". To which Peter replied in verse 38, "Repent". Thus far we see and have "authority of God's word" for repenting and believing in order to become a child of the King. This is what the church, which had the marque, believes and practices: repentance and faith to become a child of the King.
However, is faith and repentance all that Peter told them to do? Let's read verse 38 again: "Then Peter said unto them, 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." In this statement, Peter is telling those who believe that Jesus is Lord and Christ to "repent, AND be baptized" for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. Whatever relationship repentance has to the "remission of sins", so does baptism.
It's the same thing expressed by Jesus in Mark 16:16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Whatever relationship "believeth" has to being saved, so does being "baptized". Thus we have Jesus and Peter joining baptism to faith and repentance. In order to be "saved"and to have "remission of sins", God's word teaches faith and repentance and baptism are necessary.
You cannot be saved before believing. Neither can you be saved before baptism. Belief and baptism come BEFORE a person is saved (Mark 16:16). You cannot have the remission (forgiveness) of sins before repenting. Neither can you have remission (forgiveness) of sins before baptism. Repentance and baptism come BEFORE the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
Therefore, we are not a child of the King before we believe, repent, and are baptized. For anyone to teach that a person can become a child of the King by JUST believing on Christ and repenting of their sins is not teaching by the authority of God's word. God's word nowhere teaches that sins are forgiven by just believing and repenting.
No one, since the resurrection of Christ, has become a child of the King without: (1) HEARING God's word. For "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17); (2) FAITH in Christ. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6); (3)REPENTING of sins. "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."(Luke 13:3) (Also, Acts 2:38, quoted above.); (4)CONFESSING Christ to be God's Son. "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:37); and (5) being BAPTIZED for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38, already quoted).
Therefore, by the authority of God's word, we must sincerely declare those who believe they are children of the King by repenting and believing are not His children. The reason why this must be said? They are unwilling to take ALL that God has said on the subject. Therefore, they are without authority from God.
---E.R. Hall, Jr

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" WHAT SAVES A LOST SOUL?

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).

In Exodus chapters one and two we read of baby Moses being saved by his mother, his sister and pharaoh’s daughter. Different people and different things helped to save his life. Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt had decreed that all male Israelite babies were to be destroyed, but Moses’ life was spared because his mother made a plan to save his life, his sister watched him when he was hidden, and Pharaoh’s daughter found him and had compassion on him. Love, wisdom and mercy played a part in it. Moses was not saved by one thing alone but by many things working together. Each was necessary in that each contributed to the saving of his life.

In parallel to this, the alien sinner is saved by many things working together. The absence of any one would mean no saving takes place. And it can be said that each of these elements saves him. In this rescue effort there is both a divine side and a human side--what God does and what man does.

THE DIVINE SIDE

1.      God saves. “For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe” (I Timothy 4:10; Romans 8:33).
2.      Jesus saves. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief (I Timothy 1:15; Luke 19:10).
3.      The Holy Spirit saves. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:11).
4.      Grace saves. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the figt of god” (Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11).
5.      The Word of God saves. “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21; Acts 11:14).
6.      The blood of Christ saves. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18,19).

THE HUMAN SIDE

1.      Faith saves. “therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8,9).
2.      Repentance saves. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).
3.      Confession saves. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).
4.      Baptism saves. “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us” (I Peter 3:21).
5.      We save ourselves. “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40).
6.      We save others. “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).
7.      We are saved by works. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). We are not saved by meritorious works (Titus 3:5), nor by the works of the law of Moses (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). But we are saved by works in that we must exert an effort to do the will of God. Without this there is no forgiveness.

One is not saved by any one of these alone. One isn’t saved by faith alone any more than he is saved by baptism alone. Nor is one saved by the blood of Christ to the exclusion of faith or water baptism. Both the divine and the human side are necessary. God provides the way through Christ. The sinner must accept it by complying with the conditions necessary to receive the pardon God offers.

THE GREAT COMMISSION

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15,16).

GREAT INVITATIONS

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)

“Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelations 22:17).

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Bible Authority For All Religious Practices? 
By: Gary Colley 

 

Many think and state publicly that all religious practices when done with good feelings are authorized by God.  For instance, they say it does not matter what one does in worship, but the Bible makes it clear that the doctrines of men make our worship vain, empty, and worthless (Matthew 15:9).  What a strange doctrine!  Christians understand that "in Christ" we are dead to the practices of the Law of Moses as well as humanly devised commands (Romans 7:1-4, 
Colossians 2:14-22).  Some say "one can prove anything by the Bible."  That is a strong and false charge!  No one would want another to accuse him of speaking in a manner that anything could be proved by him, regardless of what he says.  That would be to call him a liar and hypocrite!  We must have Bible authority for what we believe, teach, and practice, or else we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6, Romans 10:17).  To illustrate that all doctrines cannot be proven by the Bible, we invite all to search for and give Scriptural authority for the following. 
  1.  Mechanical instruments of music in New Testament worship? 
  2.  Choirs, solos, or quartets in New Testament worship approved of God? 
  3.  "Christ built more than one church"? 
  4.  "One can be saved outside the Lord's Church"? 
  5.  Being a member of a denomination?  (These did not exist in the New Testament.) 
  6.  Women preachers? 
  7.  Salvation by "faith only?" 
  8.  Partaking of the Lord's Supper anytime except the first day of every week?
  9.  More than one Scriptural cause for divorce and remarriage? 
10.  Forsaking the assembling of the Church with God's approval?
11.  All are going to Heaven regardless of their sins? 
12.  One can have the spiritual blessings out of Christ?
13.  Baptism is not immersion in water for, in order to, the forgiveness of sins? 
We are commanded to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good (I Thessalonians 5:21)."  We hope that all will honestly investigate and do only that which is authorized (Matthew 28:18-20).

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Today's lesson (The Power of the Gospel for You)

The Churches of Christ greet you (Romans 16:16)

We encourage you to study with your Bible.

"For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST:  for it is the POWER of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).  In our previous post we have noticed several examples of the great power of the Gospel of Christ. I hope and pray that you have studied them carefully in the light of God's holy Word. Today, let's bring it a little closer to home.

WHAT IS YOUR CONDITION? 
The Bible says, "For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Friends. The apostle John says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" and "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (I John 1:8, 10). 

My friend, the personal application of this is simply this, you and I are both included in the "all have sinned" and we must "all" come to understand that our sins "have made a separation between you and your God and your sins have hid His face from you" (Isaiah 59:2). To be separated from God and to have His face hid from us is eternal death in hell forever and ever (Matthew 25:46)! All this is the bad news. The good news is, there is hope for us all through Christ!

WE ALL NEED TO HEAR THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST TAUGHT.
 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they HAVE NOT HEARD? and how shall they hear without a preacher" (Romans 10:13-14).  "But without FAITH it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must BELIEVE that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).  

Friend, the plain Gospel Truth is before any of us can be saved from our sins, we must HEAR the Word of God, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ because ONLY the Gospel of Christ can produce faith that "cometh by hearing, and hearing BY THE WORD OF GOD" (Romans 10:17).

WE ALL NEED THE SAVING POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16).  The apostle Peter preached the Gospel of Christ on the day of Pentecost and said, "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" (Acts 2:38).  

Paul said to the Corinthians "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain" (I Corinthians 15:1-2).

MY FRIEND. WHERE DO YOU STAND? 
Why not believe and confess Jesus as the Christ, repent of your sins, and be baptized for the forgiveness of every sin TODAY?  Jesus is calling YOU.    May we help YOU today to be saved? Amen.

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If you are not a member of the 'church of Christ' - this post is especially for you.

GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION FOR YOUR REDEMPTION BROKEN DOWN IN SIMPLE TERMS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND OBEDIENCE.

   "What Must I Do To Be Saved?" 
 
"What must I do to be saved?" This is the most important of all questions. It's a question that has implications both here and now, and on into eternity. A million years after you die, the answer to this question will still matter.

But, as important as this question is, wrong answers are given to it on a daily basis. You could ask five different people this question and you might get five different answers. Now, if we were talking about a less important subject that would be alright.

If I were to ask, "Which football team is the greatest football team ever," and I received five different answers, well, that would be okay.

Or, if I asked, "What is the best fast food restaurant," and I received five different answers, that would be acceptable, and maybe even expected.

But dear friends, there is no room for error on the question of this our present discussion. Because the difference between a wrong answer and a right answer is the difference between heaven and hell. And so, what I want to do is to go to the Bible for the answer. That's what we have to do. The Bible is the only source where we can find the right answer to this question.

I might pick up the telephone and call a local denomination and ask their preacher, "What must I do to be saved?" And the answer he may give me is, "Say the 'sinner's prayer'."

My friends, you would be surprised to learn that the "sinner's prayer" is not found anywhere in the pages of the Bible! And, would you be further surprised if I told you that of all of the conversion accounts in the Bible, not one person was ever saved by prayer. There is no record of a prayer like that in the Bible. And, if I'm going to be saved today, it is going to have to be the same way that they were saved in the Bible. Because you see, God's plan that saves people has not changed.

And so, the question is, "What did God require people to do in New Testament times in order to be saved from their sins?"

When we read the New Testament, and particularly the Book of Acts which is the book of conversions, we see absolute consistency. From Acts, chapter 2, which is the day the church began, and going forward, all people were saved the same way. They all went through the same steps.

Now, sometimes we summarize those steps this way. We say that a person must...
1) Hear the gospel, Romans 10:17
3) Believe the gospel, Romans 10:9-10
3) Repent of sins, Luke 13:3-5
4) Confess Christ, Acts 8:37, Matt.10:32
5) Be baptized for remission of sins, Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 22:16
6) be faithful unto death, Rev.2:10

Every human person who have been saved, went through those steps. But you know, if I were to simply leave it at that, just stating the five steps, I would be doing you a great disservice. Because obviously, more explanation is needed.

And so, what I want to do for the next several minutes is to see what a person really needs to do to become a Christian, and to be saved from his or her sins, and to explain these from the Bible.

Now, the first thing, as stated a moment ago, the first thing a person must do to have his/her sins forgiven and to become a Christian, is to hear the Gospel. No person can be saved if he/she does not hear the Gospel.

In Romans 10:13, the text says ... "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard...?"

Now, this is very important. 
The text says three things which are very important. 
1) it is necessary to "call" in order to be "saved"
2) It is necessary to "believe" in order to "call," and 
3) it is necessary to "hear" in order to "believe."

And so, the conclusion is that, "If a man never 'hears' the Gospel, he cannot be 'saved' eternally." And that's why the verse goes on to say: "...And how shall they hear without a preacher?"

In other words, those of us who are already Christians MUST get the Word of God out to the people everywhere ... including you, or else people who don't know the gospel or the truth will be lost.

What about people who havee never heard the Gospel? Will they still be condemned even though they are ignorant of the truth? Listen to what the Bible says in Acts 17:30. The text says..."Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world..." Now, what's the point?

My friends, the point is... "Ignorance is not an excuse!" In other words, not knowing what to do is not an excuse!

Now, if somebody says, "Are you telling me, then, that people are going to be lost because of ignorance?"

No, I am not telling you that. But, I am telling you that people are going to be lost because of sin! And ignorance cannot wash away my sins, your sins, nor anyone's  sins. You see, only the blood of Jesus Christ can do that. And so, I have to hear about how this works. I have to hear about what to do to have my sins washed away. Because you see, if a man doesn't hear the gospel, he may go through his whole life never knowing that he has sins that are going to cause him to be eternally lost.

Romans 6:23 says.. "For the wages of sin is death (that's eternal death), but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord."

A man may never know that he is destined for eternity in hell. And not knowing, he's certainly not going to do anything about it. And so, he has to hear about the problem. But then, once he has heard about the problem, he must certainly hear about the remedy. It's not going to do me any good to know that I'm lost in sin unless I know what to do about it. And so, I have to hear about the remedy.

When God created man in the Garden of Eden, man was sinless and in perfect fellowship with God. But, as time passed, man sinned. And this caused a very serious problem. Because, inherent in the nature of God, is justice. Psalm 89:14 says..."Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne..."

You know, perhaps one of the greatest misunderstandings that people have of God, is that God can simply choose to overlook sin if He so desires. In fact, sometimes I hear people say, "Well, you know, a lost person in the jungles of South America who has never heard the gospel, surely, God will not let that person be lost. Surely, God will save that person anyway."

I must let you know that #God #cannot #simply #choose #to #overlook #sin. The fact is that if God were to ignore even one single sin, He would, at that point, cease to be a just God. He would no longer be a God of righteousness and perfection.

In the book of Leviticus 24:17-20, the Bible lays down the "Principle of Justice." It is "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a breach for a breach, and a life for a life." And so, justice requires a life for a life.

My friends, the very nature of God demands this. This is not an optional matter. Justice had to be served. The penalty for sin had to be paid. Now, God could have allowed man to pay the penalty himself, and to die and be lost eternally. But you see, God's love for us longed for another way. But you see, there was only one other way. And that was for God, Himself, to pay the penalty.

And so, God arranged a plan to pay it for you and for me. He sent Jesus Christ, a member of the God Head Himself, to become a human being, to be born of a virgin, to live a perfect life, and to die in my place.

Isaiah 53:5, says... "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

Friends, men and women must hear about this. They have to hear about this. Every person who became a Christian in the Bible, first heard the gospel. That's the first step - you must hear the Gospel.

The second step is "Believing the Gospel." Upon hearing the gospel, a man must believe it as well. Now, somebody says, "Well, what do you mean? What is it that I must believe?"

This relates back to step number one and that is hearing the gospel. A man must believe that which he has heard. In Mark 16:15-16, the Bible says... "And He said to them (that is Jesus said to them), 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel (the good news) to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.'"

Now, what does that entail? What is it that a man must believe?
First, a man must believe, he must understand, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. John 8:24, Jesus said.. "if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

That is, a man must understand that Jesus Christ is deity, a member of the God Head. John 1:14 says... "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

And so, a man must believe in the deity of Christ. He must also believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "...and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Romans 5:8. Then He arose, defeating death, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55. Romans 10:9 says... "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

And so, a man must believe in the deity of Christ. He must believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. And it is also crucial that a man believe in, and understand, the body of Christ. The Bible teaches that salvation is found only in the body of Christ. 2 Timothy 2:10 says that... "Salvation is 'in Christ.'"

1 John 5:11... "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."
Sometimes, I've met people that have been baptized into Christ, but they seem to still have the idea that one church is just as good as another. That one body is just as good as another. And sometimes, people will come out of the watery grave of baptism and they will be offended at the idea that denominationalism is sinful.

Denominationalism is the idea that there are many different churches and each is pleasing to God. They have the idea that many churches exist and that that's fine.

The Bible teaches that salvation is found only in the one body of Christ, Ephesians 4:4. And it's crucial that every person understand this in order to be saved. How can a man be saved in the one body of Christ if he's never been taught about that one body?

In Acts chapter 8, Philip went down into the city of Samaria and he taught the people there the gospel. And verse 12 says... "But when they believed (now what did they believe?) but 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."

Now, I want to emphasize the fact that Philip taught them about the kingdom of God. You see, the kingdom is the one church of the Bible. Philip taught them about that. And when they believed it, they were baptized.

Now, as a side note, the text says..."Men and women were baptized."

Never do you read about little children being baptized in the Bible. Indeed, they don't need to be. Only those who are accountable in the eyes of God, who have reached a certain level of mental development, need to be baptized. And these are folks who are old enough to believe.

Okay, back to the point. There's one church. There's one body. And a person needs to understand and believe that. Listen to this, 1 Corinthians 12:12... "For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body..."

My fiend, this passage teaches that there is one body. Ephesians 1:22-23 says that the body is the church. And so, there's one body which is the one church. We are therefore baptized into the one body of Christ, the one church of Christ. How could you teach a person the Gospel without teaching this truth?

Okay, that's the second step in the plan of salvation. A man must first hear the gospel, then he must believe it, he believes in the deity of Christ: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and the one body wherein is salvation.

And so, a man must hear and he must believe.

Thirdly, he much repent of his sins. A man must repent. In Acts chapter 2, the people who were present on the day of Pentecost, wanted to know the answer to the very question that we're discussing today. That is: "What must I do to be saved?"

Acts 2:37, they cried out.. "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Verse 38, Peter answered... "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." And so, a man must repent.

Now, we need to understand what repentance is. Repentance includes three things.
First, repentance is a change of mind. It's a change of thinking. In Matthew 21:28, Jesus illustrated this in this way. He said... "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he repented... (now some versions say he regretted) but afterward he repented and he went."

Now, you see the point? He changed his mind. He said, "I'm not going to go," but then he changed his mind. That's the first thing involved in repentance. It is a change of thinking.

Sometimes I hear people define repentance as "to stop sinning." That's not really a good definition. Because, you see, a man could stop sinning without really repenting.

Now, that brings us to the second part of repentance.
First, repentance is a change of mind.
Secondly, repentance involves godly sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10, says... "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
Thirdly, repentance involves a change of life.

Sometimes this is called "fruit of repentance." In other words, if I have repented up here, then you should see it out here. If I've repented in my mind, you should see it in my life. For example, if godly sorrow has caused me to repent of stealing, then I'm not going to be stealing anymore. If I've changed my mind about that, I'm not going to practice it. I have had a change of life.

So, repentance then is... A change of mind, produced by godly sorrow, resulting in a change of life. Acts 17:30 says... "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent."

Now to step number four:
A person must hear the gospel, must believe it, must repent of his sins, and then he must confess.

Romans 10:10, clearly tells us that.. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

In Acts chapter 8, as Philip was teaching the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch said; "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"
And Philip responded..."If you believe with all of your heart, you may."
And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'" Acts chapter 8:37. This is the concession!

With his mouth, the Eunuch made that good confession. And that is the confession that we are talking about. It is a confession of what you believe. It is a confession of what you have heard.

You know, sometimes, people think that they have to make a confession of their sins when they become a Christian. No way! God IS NOT interested in your sins! He already knows that you have sinned and He knows everything you've done. Just imagine a man is becoming a Christian for the very first time at forty years old and he is going to confess his sins... That would be a whole lot of sins. And that would be a whole lot of confessions. It's impossible, no one could do that, and that's not what God require.

These steps are a very natural progression. Again,  you have to hear,
then you have to believe what you've heard which causes you to change your mind or to repent. Then you confess  that you believe what you've heard.
Sometimes when talking about confession, people go to Matthew 10:32:33, were Jesus said "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

And then they'll say, "See, this verse teaches that we have to make that confession." Well, I suppose the principle is there; but, I don't think this verse is really talking about this "good confession." This was said to the apostles on what we call the 'limited commission' and was said to encourage them. And I suppose could be applied, maybe, in a broader sense; but it is not really the point.

"What must I do to be saved?"
Hear - Believe - Repent -Confess...
And finally, a man MUST be baptized. In order to have my sins washed away, I need to be baptized.

Ananias said to Saul, in Acts 22:16... "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

I can't be saved UNTIL my sins have been washed away. And this verse teaches that my sins are washed away in baptism.

Now, my friend, that means that I can not be saved first and baptize later as is commonly taught by many. In Acts 2:38, Peter said..."Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..."

I can not have my sins remitted/ removed or wash away before I am baptized. Therefore, I can not be saved until I am baptized. A man can not be saved until he has applied to himself the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. That cleansing blood is down in the water and it is applied during the process of baptism.

So, the question is... "What is it that washes away sins?" The answer is... "The blood of Jesus."

We sing a song, sometimes, "What can wash away my sins?" And the answer is - "Nothing but the blood of Jesus."
In Matthew 26:28, Jesus said... "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

Jesus' blood was shed for the remission of sins. Revelation 1:5 says... Jesus Christ loved us and washed us from our sins with his own blood..."
So, when a person obey the teachings of Christ and are baptized base on Christ's teachings his sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus.

Someone says then, "Where does baptism come into play?" You see, baptism is where I contact the blood of Jesus. Jesus shed His blood in His death, and it is in death that I contact that blood. Listen to this; Romans 6:3-4... "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with Him through baptism into death..."

Now, Jesus shed His blood in His death, I am buried into His death. Through baptism into His death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." And so, when i am buried in the watery grave of baptism into death. I contact the blood of Christ and I am raised to walk in newness of life.

Why? Why do I have newness of life when I come out of the waters of baptism? Because in baptism, I contacted the blood of Christ. In baptism I was washed, and I was cleansed, and now I am a new creature. In baptism I contact the cleansing blood of the Savior.

As a matter of fact, when someone suggests that a person can be saved without baptism, in reality that person is suggesting that a man can be saved without the blood of Christ; because, baptism is where I contact the blood of Jesus. And friend, every person that I read about being saved in the Bible and becoming a Christian, was baptized in order to do so. And, in many passages, it is specifically stated.

In Acts 2:38, Peter preached..."Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." Acts 2:41 says... "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized..."

In Acts chapter 8, we read of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. In Acts 8:36, the eunuch said... "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Verse 38 says... "And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him."

Also in Acts chapter 8, we read of the people of Samaria. Verse 5 says..."Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preach Christ unto them." Verse 12 says..."But 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."

In Acts 10, told of the conversion of Cornelius. Acts 10:47, Peter asked..."Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized..."

In Acts 16, we read of the conversion of Lydia. Verse 15 says..."And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying..."

Also, in Acts 16, we read of the conversion of Philippian jailer. Acts 16:33 says... "And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all of his family were baptized."

Then in Acts 22, we see the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. In verse 16 Ananias said to Saul..."And now why are you waiting? Arise in be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Now, I know that there are people in the world who say that baptism is not necessary. That a man is saved prior to baptism. And that baptism has nothing to do with salvation... That is lie!
The Bible still says... "There is also an antitype which now saves us 'baptism' is (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God)" 1 Peter 3:21.

You know, it is interesting when discussing the plan of salvation with people, because many people will admit to the necessity of hearing the gospel. Most people will acknowledge that a man must believe the gospel. Many will accept repentance... I suppose most will accept repentance. And, you'll get very few arguments over the need for confession. But, when it comes to baptism, many people will deny that it's necessary.

I want you to notice this chart with me. It is a conversion chart. It has a number of conversions from the Book of Acts. As a matter fact, I have listed nine different accounts of people who obeyed the gospel, who became Christians. I want you to notice that each of the steps of the plan of salvation is not specifically mentioned every time. I want you to notice that even though confession is commanded by God in order to be saved, more often than not, it is not specifically mentioned in every passage, but it is essentially of importance.

We could also say the same thing about repentance. Few people would question the necessity of repentance and certainly the Bible commands it. But, it is not always specifically referenced in each and every conversion account though it is of importance. But I want you to notice baptism. In each of these nine accounts presented above, baptism is specifically mentioned.

Now, to help you to appreciate the necessity and the importance of baptism, I want you to envision in your mind a circle. Just picture a circle. And I want you to label over the circle "the Body of Christ." Do you see it? A circle and then it says "the Body of Christ."
Next to the circle I want you to envision a stick man. And so, you have a circle that says "the Body of Christ" and you also have a stick man.

Now, I want you to think about this; 2 Timothy 2:10, says... "Salvation is in Christ." And so, this circle represents the body of Christ. Salvation is in Christ; and  inside the circle I want you to write "salvation." Now, 1 John 5:11 says... "eternal life is in Christ." So, write the words "eternal life" inside the circle. 

Now, here comes the question of the utmost importance: "If salvation is inside that circle, and eternal life is inside that circle, how do I get inside that circle? How do I get into the circle?"

My friend, the answer is found in Galatians 3:27. The Bible says... "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
You see, baptism is the doorway. It is what moves the man from OUTSIDE of the circle to INSIDE of the circle. It takes the man on the outside and puts him into the body wherein salvation is.

Now, I want to make one more very important point. Whenever I study the gospel with someone, something that I always like to cover is the cost of becoming a Christian. What is involved in being a Christian?
hy do I say this? Why do I ask this?
Because many times over the years, I have seen a person who was baptized into Christ on Sunday morning, and then he doesn't come back for worship services on Sunday night. And then, he is not back on Wednesday night or whatever other time the church assembles.

You see, at the point of baptism, a person is washed from his/her sins and he/she is saved. Acts 2:47 says that the Lord add the saved to the church. But what about after that?

My friends, the Bible teaches that a person must hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized in order that he/she can have his/her sins removed and that puts the person INTO a saved relationship with God... But... he/she MUST "live faithfully."

When a person becomes a Christian, he is just beginning the Christian journey. He is giving his life, he is giving his all to the Lord. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 14:27-33... "And whoever does not bear his cross..." (That is, died to self. When a man would take up his cross, he was going to die.) "...And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish?' So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

Becoming a Christian is an absolute commitment. It is a commitment...
To attend the church services faithfully- 
To give as you have been prospered-
To worship God-
To study the Word of God; 
To be edified; 
To give your all.

Until a person is ready to give his/her all, he/she is not ready to become a Christian!

"What must I do to be saved?" It is the most important question of all questions.

The answer is...
Hear the gospel
Believe the gospel
Repent of your sins
Confess Christ; and, 
Be Baptized in water for remission of your sins.

At that point, the Bible says, you will be added to the Lord's church, Acts 2:47. But then, you must live faithfully for the rest of your life, and you will find a home eternally, in heaven. Revelation 2:10

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Christians are only found in one place, in the Lord's church, Acts 2:47. 

If the Lord did not ADD you to the church which is His body (Eph.1:22-23, Col.1:18), you are not a Christian! Only those who obeyed the gospel are ADDED to the church, Acts 2:47. The church is the body of Christ, Col.1:18 and they are called Christians, Acts 11:26.

If you want to become a Christian you must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ by...
Hear the Gospel – Rom.10:14,17; 1 Thess 2:13
Understand the Gospel – Matt.15:10; Acts 8:30,31
Believe that Jesus is the Christ – John 8:24; Mark 16:16
Repent of your sins – Acts 17:30; Acts 8:22
Confess that Jesus is the Christ – Rom 10:10; Acts 8:36,37
Baptized (Immersed) into Christ – Acts 22:16; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:27

This is the point where the Lord add you to the church and then you must be Faithful to the Gospel till death – Rev. 2:10; Rev 3:11

The Baptist did not do these things. 
The Anglicans did not do these things. 
The Adventist did not do these things.
The Catholic did not do these things.
The Jehovah's witness did not do these things.
If they had done these things, they would not be called Adventist and Baptist and Jehovah's witnesses and Catholics and all those other names... they would be called Christians!

When you do as did the 3000 souls on the day of Pentecost, in Jerusalem, in AD33, in Acts chapter two, the Lord will add you to the church and you will become a Christian... a follower of Jesus Christ!

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THINGS ONE CANNOT DO
The Bible affirms that we, “Can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13). That is, anything that doesn’t violate God’s will and the laws of logic. Since all of God’s combined attributes make Him perfect, then certain things follow. Notice the following! 
One cannot:

Serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

Be cold and hot at the same time (Revelation 3:15-16).

Be saved apart from baptism (I Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 
Romans 6:3-6).

Be saved apart from the church (Acts 2:47;Ephesians 5:23).

Do the works of the flesh and the Spirit (Gal. 5:19-26).

Be saved by morality only (Acts 10:1-2; II Thessalonians 1:7-9).

Be saved by praying through (John 9:31).

Be saved without works (Philippians 2:12).

Be a friend of the world and love God (James 4:4).

Be a gossiper and practice pure religion (James 1:26).

Refuse to forgive and obtain forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15).

Worship as you please and obey/please God (John 4:23-24).

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. . . . . . . . . . “Accepting Jesus as your personal saviour”
Jesus is most certainly “The Saviour of the world” (Joh 4:42, 1Jn 4:14). The catch phrase “Accept Jesus as your personal saviour” has caught on and is widely used throughout several denominations. This phrase is found nowhere in the Bible and is therefore not biblical. The word “accept” occurs only one time in the New Testament in the address of Tertullus as he accused Paul before Felix, and Jesus is not mentioned in that context.
Act 24:2  And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, 
Act 24:3  we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness
 The word “personal” is not a Bible word, and occurs nowhere within its pages. The closest we can come to this word is “persons” when the Bible says “God is no respecter of persons” (Act 10:34, Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9, Col 3:25, Jas 2:1, Jas 2:9, 1Pe 1:17) which is in itself opposed to the “personal saviour” idea. 
Jas 2:9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin,
God is not going to consider one person differently than any other. Another hindrance to the “accepting Jesus as your personal saviour” phrase is; we do not choose HIM, HE chooses us.
Jesus said this to his disciples:
Joh 15:16  You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you. 
Have you noticed how man usually “gets it backwards” when left to our own strategies in religion? This is one more example of that! Many are now teaching that to be saved one must simply “accept Jesus as your personal saviour”, and “recite the sinners prayer”. None of that is found in the Bible and will leave souls in jeopardy. Jesus said hear, believe, repent, confess Christ and be baptized for the remission of sins.

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POST by Sheila Cole

 

"New Testament Baptism"

By: Dave Hart 

 

The subject of baptism has always been controversial. Such controversy is not due to a lack of information in God’s word.  

 

For God has ". . .given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. . ." (2 Pet. 1:3). 

 

Nor is it because men cannot understand the truth, for Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

 

People do not arrive at truth for a variety of reasons: 

 

1) Some don’t believe the Bible is inspired and without error.  

 

2) Some don’t believe one can understand God’s word.  

 

3) Others believe that they are too sinful to even study the Bible. 

 

4) Many love the world more than God and His word and so they aren’t interested in studying the Bible. 

 

5) Some think they have already arrived at truth and will not even begin to study anything that interferes with their religious beliefs. 

 

6) Some are too lazy to put forth the effort necessary to diligently study God’s word.

 

If one wishes to arrive at truth, they must have a greater love for God and His word than any person including relatives and friends (Matthew 10:37-39; 22:37). 

 

Paul makes it clear if one will not receive the truth, he will perish: 

 

10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

 

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

 

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

 

As with all Biblical subjects, the truth is set forth in God’s word and not in the councils of men! 

 

An often asked question (even among many brethren) is, "What does the church of Christ teach about. . .?" 

 

The truth of the matter is the church doesn’t legislate anything of itself, but only teaches that which is revealed in God’s word. 

 

There is no such thing as the "Church of Christ position!" 

 

Rather, the position on any given subject is set forth by Christ and His inspired writers as recorded in holy Scripture.   

 

So the question regarding baptism is, "What does the Bible teach about baptism?"

 

The Bible makes it clear that baptism is a command: 

 

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). 

 

Many have argued since Jesus did not say, "He that is not baptized shall be damned," that baptism is not essential for one’s salvation. 

 

Friends, it wasn’t necessary for Jesus to have made such a statement. If one does not believe, baptism would be of no benefit at all! 

 

However, Jesus stated that the believer had to be baptized or else he would lose his soul. The following illustration completely puts to flight this ridiculous argument. 

 

He that eateth his food and digesteth it shall live; but he that eateth not shall die. One must eat and digest his food to live. But he that does not eat will surely die.  

 

Regarding Cornelius and his household, Peter said: "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. . ." (Acts 10:48).   

 

Note also verse 33 where Cornelius said they were present "to hear all things that we have been commanded thee of the Lord." Thus, in order for them to be saved they had to obey the command to be baptized! 

 

Hence, if Cornelius had neglected this command, he would have lost his soul! 

 

Of His commandments Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). 

 

Further evidence is given as to the importance of keeping God’s commandments in I John 3:5, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 

 

And in Revelation 22:14, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

 

My friend, have you obeyed the command to be baptized? 

 

If not, why not? 

 

Why not do as Christ commanded in order for your sins to be washed away in His blood (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4)?

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  • RETIREDFAN1 changed the title to God's Plan of Salvation

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