PLAN OF SALVATION
ON BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
THE GOOD NEWS!
If you were to die this
very day would you go to Heaven? The great news is that you CAN
know with certainty that this will be the case. But these are
written (the Bible) ..that ye might KNOW that ye have eternal life. (1
John 5:13) It did not say, might have, but Have. The most memorized
Bible verse of all, John 3:16 ends by telling us that "if we believe in
Him we will HAVE eternal Life", not hope so or think so, but HAVE.
The Bible says that we are
saved by FAITH. (Ephesians 2:8) Faith is one of those terms which has
become so broad in its use that it has all but lost its meaning. Faith
involves two elements- understanding and action. In other words there
are certain concepts that you must understand and believe, and you must
act in response to those truths.
Faith itself does not save
you but rather what it is based on does. For example you go to the
medicine cabinet in the night and take what in good faith you believe
to be aspirin but in the darkness you take instead what is actually
fatal to you. You had perfectly good faith but it was based on the
wrong thing.
The source in saving faith
is the Bible. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have
eternal life. John 5:39 (the Bible) is written that "ye might know that
ye have eternal life." The issue is not what your church teaches, or
what science posits, or what you in your intelligence or intuition
conclude. What does the Bible say?
ESSENTIALS TO UNDERSTAND
FIRST you must understand
that you are a sinner. This may be difficult to admit but it is so. If
a person does not believe this there is no point in going any further,
I am a sinner! We may marginalize this and call it human frailty or
say, we have all made mistakes or none of us are perfect, but all of
these expressions falls short of the truth. We are all sinners. Romans
3:23 says For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All
of us. Romans 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no
not one. We have broken God's law and fallen short of His perfect
standard.
SECOND we must realize
that because we are sinners we are under penalty. We are separated from
God now and condemned already. John 3:18 "The wages of sin is death"
the Bible says. (Romans 6:23) Ezekiel 18:4, "the soul that sinneth it
shall die."
THIRD we must realize
that there is nothing that we can do of ourselves to secure our own
salvation. I AM THE PROBLEM NOT THE SOLUTION. If I could do anything of
my own merit a savior would not be needed. Titus 3:5 says that
salvation is not "by works of righteousness which WE have done."
Ephesians 2:8,9 says that we are saved by faith and that NOT OF
OURSELVES Galatians 2:16 adds, "by the works of the flesh (anything
that I could possible do to effect my own salvation) shall no flesh be
justified." WHY? Because there is nothing that I could do which is good
enough to pay the penalty for the guilt of my sin. Isaiah 64:6says that
the very best that I could ever do won't do. But we are all as an
unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
FOURTH is the good news
that there is a savior. Jesus Christ and he alone was qualified and
willing to take my punishment. He is God and Man. As God he himself was
not under the same penalty as I am and able to pay my debt. As a
sinless representative of the human race he was able to act in my
behalf. 11 Corinthians 5:21 He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 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. But God commendeth (showed) his love for us in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus died in my place for the punishment of my sins. The debt is paid. Which leads us to acting on these essential truths.
HOW DO I APPROPRIATE THIS TO ME?
HOW DO I BECOME A
CHRISTIAN? FIRST I MUST REPENT. Jesus repeated over and over Except ye
repent ye shall all likewise perish. The word means to do an about
face; to see things as God sees them. You turn your back on your sins.
It does not mean that you will not ever sin again. Repentance happens
when you turn your back on them once for all. If you were trying to get
back to God by your own efforts, repentance means you do an about face
and turn to Christ who did it for you. If you were relying on some
other religion or technique you need to repent and turn to Christ
alone. "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the
Father but by me." John 14:6 Speaking of Jesus the Bible says, Neither
is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under
heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12
WE MUST RECEIVE This is
the action part of faith. The GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our lord. Romans 6:23 Salvation is a gift but we must accept
that gift. God can hold his inviting arms out to us and say, "this is
for you" forever but until you accept and receive it it remains just an
intellectual and theological proposition. You do not earn a gift you
accept it. Until you do so it remains the property of the giver.
You can become a
born-again Christian this very hour. As you understand and believe what
the Bible says you could pray a simple prayer in your own words- Lord I
admit that I am a sinner and I know that I cannot save myself. I know
that you took my punishment when you died on the cross in my place. I
repent of my sin and ask you to save me from my sin. I accept the gift
of salvation you purchased for me,
IF YOU HAVE BEEN TOUCHED
BY THIS please let us know. If you have become a Christian through this
please let us know that we can rejoice with you. We would like to also
help you on the road to Christian growth. If you have any questions or
would like to have personal counseling please contact us.
God bless you.
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