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God's Plan Of Salvation

Most people have heard such terms as being born again, converted, or saved. There are even many people who have had a personal experience of salvation through Jesus Christ. However, there are still multitudes of people who never have accepted this free gift from God. Often people do not understand the purpose of salvation or how it can be obtained. Hopefully the following will help answer some of the most commonly asked questions about salvation.

What is salvation?

Salvation is the free gift of eternal life that is made possible only through Jesus Christ. John 3:16-17 KJV states, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 KJV, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Salvation is not limited to any denomination, race, gender, or age, but it is available for everyone. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 KJV).

Why do you need salvation?

Mankind needs salvation because it is the only way to get to Heaven. Jesus said in John 3:3 KJV, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Everyone will stand before God after death has occurred. "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27 KJV). Those who have not been saved will spend eternity in God's place of judgment, that is hell. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15 KJV). The penalty of sin that is passed on to all of mankind is death. Jesus Christ became the atonement for all sin. He took our place and died on a cross. Those who accept this plan, which is made possible only by Jesus, will receive forgiveness for their sins and obtain salvation.

How do you obtain salvation?

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The Gospel accoprding to the Apostle Paul for the church is recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and the place where the errors occur is connected with the passage "according to the scriptures". This is where the in-fighting begins and the doctrinal divisions occur because some folks don't apply "according to the scriptures," either by adding to the gospel (a good works salvation) or emitting from the scriptures ( the shed blood of Jesus Christ )
A good place to start to witness before going straight to the "Roman's Road" is Revelation 20:15 asking the question, Is your name written in the book of life? Their response can be used to determine the flow of the conversation. In order to be saved you must first realise that you are a sinner and that you cannot make it to heaven on your own good merit. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10 KJV). "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 KJV).
Secondly, you must recognize that salvation is made possible only by the grace of God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV).

Romans 3:25 - Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Col 1:14 - In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:20 - And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Rev 1:5 - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Finally, you must believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins and that he was raised from the dead. In Romans 10:9-10 KJV, Paul gives specific instructions for salvation. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." In the sixteenth chapter of Acts, the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas what he must do in order to be saved. Their response to him still applies today. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31 KJV).

Every Person Must Know That...

I.  ...HE IS LOST & IS A SINNER.

Romans 3:10 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
I John 1:8 -  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Isaish 64:6 -  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 - For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 5:12 -  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

II.  ...HE IS UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD BECAUSE OF HIS SIN 
& THAT THE PRICE OF SIN IS JUDGMENT, 
WRATH AND HELL.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Revelation 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
John 3:36 -  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Romans 1:18 -  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Ezekiel 18:4b -  the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

III.  ...HE CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF

Titus 3;5,6 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Ephesians 2:8,9 -  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 11:6 - And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Galatians 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I John 5:11 -  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

IV.  ...ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN SAVE HIM

Hebrews 2:9 -  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
I Timothy 2:5 -  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Hebrews 7:25 - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 10:10 - By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:19 -  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
I John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
John 10:9 -  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 12:46 -  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
John 8:24 -  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 6:51 -  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

V.  ...HE IS SAVED BY FAITH IN JESUS

Acts 16:31 - And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:18 - He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Galatians 3:26 -  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Romans 10:9 -  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 3:28 - Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

...this is the witness of God
which he hath testified of his Son.

He that believeth on the Son of God
hath the witness in himself:
he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;
because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

And this is the record,
that God hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.

He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
I John 5:9b-13

If you have not seen the simplicity in Christ in the above verses by now, I must tell you that you are trying to make your salvation much more difficult than you need to.  There are no works such as baptism, church membership, sacraments, walking 'clean', wearing the right clothes, talking the right talk, giving money or thinking clean that will open the door of heaven.