III.  Third, how can we have our sins forgiven and receive salvation?

In order to receive salvation, the Bible teaches that we must obey five principles.  Jesus did His part on the cross, now we must do our part by obeying God's plan of salvation.

1.  First, to receive salvation, we must believe in God.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24).

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: �The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).

a.  How do we learn about God?

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

Our faith in God comes from reading the Bible.  The Bible teaches us everything we need to know about God and His will for our lives.

To obtain salvation, we must believe with all of our hearts that there is a God and that He is the God of the Bible.  We must believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

b.  How can we know that there is a God?

The existence of God is:

Supported by direct affirmation (Ex. 3:14-15; Isa. 43:10) Supported by His work (Gen. 1:1; 1 Kings 18:24-39; Ps. 100:3) Supported by Human Intuition (Rom. 2:14-15; 1:19-20; Ecc. 3:11) Supported by Nature (Acts 14:15-17; Ps. 19:1-6; Job 12:7) Supported by His people (Isa. 40:9-11; 1 Jn. 4:7-8)

c.  Do you believe in God?

Is believing in Jesus or accepting the only necessary step in being saved?

We must do more than just mentally believe in God, for we must obey His commandments and teachings as well.

�Not everyone who says to me, �Lord, Lord,� will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says, �I know Him,� but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys His word, God�s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did" (1 John. 2:3-6).  (See also 1 John 5:3; John 14:23).

"Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him�" (Hebrews 5:8, 9).

"This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome" (1 Jn. 5:3).

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (Jn. 14:23).

When Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul believed in the Lord (Acts 9:3-6). At that point, was he saved just because he believed? No, because Jesus sent Ananias to teach Saul what he needed to do in order to be saved (Acts 22:12-16). "Be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name" (v. 16). Saul was saved, not just because he believed, but because he obeyed the Lord's will and was baptized for the remission of his sins.

The Demons believe in Jesus, however, they will not be saved (Mk. 1:24; Jam. 2:19).

"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are�the Holy One of God" (Mk. 1:24).

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that�and shudder" (Jam. 2:19).

Faith without works is dead (Mt. 25:31f).

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (Jam. 2:17).

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (Jam. 2:26).

Belief in the Lord is essential to salvation. However, it is just the beginning of the salvation process. We must be willing to obey and be faithful to the Lord as well.

2.  Second, to receive salvation, we must repent of our sins.

"I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:3).

"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" (Acts 3:19).

�But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.  None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.  Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:21-23).

a.  What does "repentance" mean?

The Greek root word for "repentance" metanoeo {met-an-o-eh�-o} (appears 34 times in the Greek NT) means "to change one's mind or purpose." It is a change of mind that results in a change of life. It is forsaking evil and following righteousness.

b.  Here is the biblical process of repentance:

True Repentance Involves:

(1) Admitting that we have sinned against God.

"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you" (Luke 15:18).

"Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD" (2 Samuel 12:13).

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

The first step to repentance is admitting that we have sinned against God. We must admit that we are sinners and are in need of God's forgiveness.

(2) Feeling remorse for what we have done.

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (2 Corinthians 7:10).

"Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:8-10).

After admitting that we have sinned against God, we should feel remorse. Our mourning should move us to turn away from our sins and start living better Christ-centered lives.

(3) Turning away from sin and striving to live righteous lives.

"No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him" (1 Jn. 3:6).

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God" (Hebrews 10:26-27).

We cannot truly repent, if all we do is admit our sins, and feel sorry about them. We must forsake our sins as well. We must turn away from them! We should love the Lord so much that we should want to turn away from our sins.

(4) Making restitution to people we have wronged only when it is possible (Numbers 5:5-7).

Repentance is an important part of becoming a Christian. It lets God know that we are serious about living Christian lives. If we really love God and want to spend eternity with Him in heaven, then we will turn away from sin and follow His commands.

It is important to understand that we do not have to be perfect in order to give our lives to the Lord. We only have to be willing to make the necessary changes and strive to live godly lives.

We need God working in our lives first to help us make the changes necessary to live the Christian life. We cannot do it on our own power; we need God's assistance.

ILLUSTRATION:

When I became a Christian, I had many changes to make. In fact, I had to change my entire life style. Before I was a Christian, my lifestyle consisted of drinking, cussing, and the rest is none of your business. The point is my entire purpose in life was to have a good time and fulfill my own desires. If I had waited to be perfect, I still would not be a Christian today. But once I became a Christian, changing my lifestyle was easy because I had the help of God and the desire to follow His ways. For example, I haven't had a drink of alcohol in almost ten years. I no longer have the desire to live the lifestyle I use to live. Being a Christian has been the best and happiest time of my life. I could not have changed my life without having God in my life; and you need God to help you as well.

3.  Third, to receive salvation, we must confess faith in Jesus Christ.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32, 33).

Confessing faith in Jesus means that we acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. We believe He is who He claimed to be. Then, we will always look for opportunities to share Jesus with others.

4.  Fourth, to receive salvation, we must be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins.

"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).

"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" (Acts 2:38).

"�and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also�not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21).

"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16).

a.  What are we to be baptized?

(1) To receive forgiveness of our sins.

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" (Acts 2:38).

"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16).

When we are baptized, we come into contact with the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from our sins.

"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Rom. 6:3, 4).

After we are baptized, every sin that we have ever committed will be wiped away and remembered no more. No matter what we have done in our past, God will forgive us. We become a new creation.

"as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12).

ILLUSTRATION:

In a forgiving God in an Unforgiving World, Ron Lee Davis retells the true story of a minister in the Philippines, a much-loved man of God who carried the burden of a secret sin he had committed many years before. He had repented but still had no peace, no sense of God's forgiveness In his congregation was a woman who deeply loved God and who claimed to have visions in which she spoke with God and He with her. The minister, however, was skeptical. To test her he said, "The next time you speak with God, I want you to ask him what sin your minister committed while he was in seminary." The woman agreed. A few days later the minister asked, "Well, did God visit you in your dreams?" "Yes, he did," she replied. "And did you ask him what sin I committed in seminary?" "Yes." "Well, what did he say?" "He said, I don't remember."

When God forgives, He forgets. Through the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7), we can have all of our sins washed away and remembered no more.

b.  Is baptism necessary for salvation?

(1) The Bible teaches it is (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21)

c.  In the New Testament, there was no such thing as an unbaptized Christian.

Examples of Baptisms:

Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:16).

The people at Pentecost were baptized (Acts 2:38, 41).

Simon in Samaria was baptized (Acts 8:12, 13).

Ethiopian Eunuch was baptized (Acts 8:38).

Paul was baptized (Acts 9:18; 22:16).

Cornelius and his household were baptized (Acts 10:48).

Lydia and her household were baptized (Acts 16:15).

The Jailer and his family believed (Acts 16:31) and were baptized (Acts 16:33).

d.  How are we baptized?  Are we sprinkled or immersed in water?

(1) Being immersed in water is the only biblical baptism.

Examples of water baptisms:

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water (Matthew 3:16).

Philip and the Eunuch "went down into the water and Philip baptized him" (Acts 8:38).

Water is linked to baptism in (1 Peter 3:21).

Baptism is a burial (Romans 6:4).

In fact, according to the "Greek English Lexicon" by Arndt & Gingrich, the Greek word for baptism (baptizo) means immerse, dip, dip oneself, wash. It does not mean to sprinkle.

(2)  Even the founders of denominations agree that baptism should be by immersion.

Martin Luther�"I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word imports and the mystery signifies."

John Calvin�"The word 'baptize' signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church."

John Wesley�"Buried with Him, alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church."

e.  Is infant baptism a valid baptism?  No

The Bible does not record a single occurrence of an infant being baptized. On the contrary, every mention of baptism involves people old enough to hear and receive the baptism.

Jesus (Matthew 3:16).

Crispus (Acts 18:8).

The Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:30-33).

Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. A child is not born a sinner. In fact, God says in (Genesis 8:21) that sin begins sometime in childhood.

"The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done" (Genesis 8:21).

We do not inherit the sins our fathers.

"The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him" (Ezekiel 18:20).

f.  If I did not receive a biblical baptism, should I get re-baptized?

In (Acts 19:1-7), twelve men who had previously been baptized by John the Baptist were re-baptized after finding out about Jesus' baptism.

If you feel that your first baptism was not biblical, then you should be re-baptized for the right reasons. We do have a biblical example of re-baptism.

g.  When should I get baptized?

Once you believe in the Lord, and are willing to repent of your sins, and confess faith in Jesus, then you should be baptized right away (Acts 2:41; 8:35-38). There is no reason to delay. As soon as you realize that you want to give your life to the Lord, you should be baptized. If you wait until you are "perfect", you'll never feel "good enough"!

5.  Fifth, to receive salvation, we must live faithful godly lives to the end.

"Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).

"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22).

The Greek word for "faithful" pistos {pis-tos�} (appears 67 times in the Greek NT) means "faithful, reliable, trustworthy, dependable."

Christians exhibit faithfulness by:

Worshipping God (Jn. 4:23-24)

Obeying the Scriptures (Jn. 14:23)

Serving (1 Cor. 15:58)

Sharing Christ with others (Mt. 10:32; 28:19-20)

Attending church services regularly (Heb. 10:25)

Staying away from sin (1 Jn. 3:6)

Loving one another (1 Jn. 4:7; 3:11; Jn. 15:12)

If we want to go to heaven, we must remain faithful to the very end.

Once we obey the gospel, by believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins, we must remain faithful to the Lord. We should be so in love with the Lord that we want to serve and follow Him on a daily basis. We should study the Bible daily, pray, do good to all people, and attend church faithfully. Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment.

When turbulent times come, we must remain faithful. When stress at work has us down, we must remain faithful. When illnesses creep into our lives, we must remain faithful. God never promised that life would be without problems, however, He did promise that if we remain faithful to Him, we will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

ILLUSTRATION:

In June of 1955, Winston Churchhill, who was then near the end of his life, was asked to give a commencement address at a British university. At the time of the commencement, he was so physically infirm that he had to be helped to the podium. Then he held on to the podium for what seemed a great amount of time. He stood with his head down, but then finally raised his voice and said, "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." With that, Churchill turned and went back to his seat.

Regardless of what happens to us in our lives, we must never give up. We must stand firm in our faith to the end.

Why should we give our lives to Jesus by believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, and living faithfully to the end?

Jesus promises us salvation (eternal life)

"The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God�s wrath remains on him" (John 3:35-36).

If we are obedient to the will of God, we can spend eternity in heaven.

Here are the benefits of heaven:

We will be with God and Christ (Rev. 21:3; Jn. 14:3; Isa. 60:19-20).

We will be separated from evildoers (Rev. 22:14-15).

There will be no more sorrow (Rev. 21:4).

There will be no more hunger or thirst (Rev. 7:16-17).

There will be no more pain or death (Rev. 21:4).

ILLUSTRATION:

Years ago, Andre Kole, the talented illusionist who traveled all over the world as a representative of a Christian youth organization, wrote about the death of his wife Aljeana. She had an incurable brain tumor, and for two years, she endured incredible suffering. She gradually lost the use of her arms and legs and couldn't move her head or body. She became totally blind. Day after day she could do nothing but lie helplessly in bed. Kole wrote, "While Aljeana was still able to do some speaking, she always shared a poem that ended with these lines: 'We should not long for heaven, if earth held only joy.'" Heaven is a place, designed by the greatest architect, and it is promised that there we will receive our glorious inheritance.

Jesus provides us with an abundant life here and now.

"I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

Jesus not only promises us life after death, but He offers us an abundant, richer, and fuller life right now. There is joy in being a Christian.

Jesus provides us with peace

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:16-17).

The world and the things in the world cannot provide us with authentic peace. Money, alcohol, fame and fortune cannot provide us with genuine peace. True peace can only come from God through Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATION:

A hurricane is a storm with cyclonic winds that exceed 74 m.p.h. Rain, thunder, and lightning usually accompany the winds. Hurricanes can be very fierce storms with relentless pounding winds that continue hour after hour. But a fascinating thing about a hurricane is its "eye" -- a place of perfect calm in its center. Though the winds blow and rage all around it, there are none in the eye.

With the Lord as our center, there is calm and peace, even in the darkest of life's storms. If you would like this type of peace in your life, then the only way to get it is through Jesus Christ. When you become a Christian and live your life for Jesus, He provides you with eternal life in heaven, an abundant life here and now, and peace.

What Have We Learned From Point # 3

To receive salvation, we must:

(1) Believe in God

(2) Repent of our sins

(3) Confess faith in Jesus

(4) Be baptized for the forgiveness of sins

(5) Remain faithful to the Lord

When we become Christians, the Lord provides us  with many blessings.

(1)  We receive salvation

(2)  We receive an abundant life here and now

(3)  We receive genuine peace

CONCLUSION:

Would you like to have your sins forgiven and receive salvation today?

If you believe in God, and are willing to turn away from your sins, and confess faith in Jesus, then you are ready to become a Christian. You are ready to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.

"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16).

"Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day" (Acts 2:41).

There is only one way to enter into the Kingdom of heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. We cannot hope our way in, sneak our way in or buy our way in. Salvation does not come through a preacher, priest, or family members. It only comes through the Lord.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

ILLUSTRATION:

In January 1985, a large suitcase, unmarked and unclaimed, was discovered at the customs office at Los Angeles International Airport. When U.S. Customs agents opened the suitcase, they found the curled-up body of an unidentified young woman. She had been dead for a few days, according to the county coroner. As the investigation continued, it was learned that the woman was the wife of a young Iranian living in the U.S. Unable to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. and join her husband, she took matters into her own hands and attempted to smuggle herself into America via an airplane's cargo bay. While her plan seemed to her simple though risky, officials were hard pressed to understand how such an attempt could ever succeed. Even if she survived the journey in the cargo bay, she would remain an illegal alien, having entered through improper channels.

Some people believe they'll enter the kingdom of God on their own since they've been reasonably good citizens. But entry plans of our own design prove not only foolish but also fatal.

Today, you have an important decision to make.  You can choose to reject the Lord and the salvation He offers or you can choose to accept the Lord and the salvation that He offers.

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24;15).

What will your decision be? Spiritual life in heaven or spiritual death in hell?  I pray that you choose spiritual life in heaven!

I hope and pray that this study on salvation has helped you in your decision to become a Christian.  If I can assist you with anything, please e-mail me Keith.  Thanks for taking the time to read this message.  God bless you.

Page 3 of 3