Posted on 02/15/2004 9:04:48 PM PST by xzins
A great old salvation truth.
Come inside the ark!
Choose Jesus now.
The Bible provides a clear answer. Here are the logical steps from God's Word, the Bible, that all must take to be saved.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SIN
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
First, see yourself for what you are . . . a sinner. Sin is tragic, vile . . . it blights, degrades, destroys. It has dire consequences: 'The soul who sins is the one who will die." (Ezekiel 18:4) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eernal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
REPENT OF YOUR SIN
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out . . . (Acts 3:19)
You must also repent. Repentance is not making a resolution to do better. It is not just conviction of sin, for a person may be convinced that he is wrong and still not repent. D.L. Moody liked to describe repentance this way: "Man is born with his back toward God. When he truly reprents, he turns right around and faces God. Repentance is a change of mind, a change of heart, and it results in a change of action."
As the Bible says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him turn unto the Lord . . . for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) You must change your mind about sin and want God to end its mastery over you. After all, sin is so bad it took Christ's death to make forgiveness possible for you.
BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Believe in the completed work Christ accomplished on the cross. You must believe that Christ substituted Himself for you, that He died for your sins (though He never sinned), and that He was resurrected from death. "The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." (Isaiah 53:5) Our sins nailed Him to the cross, and "by His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31)
MAKE YOUR DECISION
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and beleive in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
You must believe in Christ and receive Him personally into your life by faith if you are to be saved from the power of sin and its consequences. "To all who received Him, to those who believed on His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)
Will you pray to God something like this? "God, I'm convinced I am a sinner, and that Christ alone can save me. I willingly repent of my sinful life and believe Jesus Christ died for me. I want to receive Him as my personal Savior."
1.Desire ( Zaccheus)
2.Humility (Publican/Pharisee)
3.Awareness of Exile/repentance (Prodigal Son)
4.Hope in our Savior (Last Judgement)
"When we hear Him call the blessed of His Father into the Kingdom, but send the sinners to their punishment, who shall endure His fearful condemnation? But Saviour who alone lovest mankind, before the end comes, turn me back through repentance and have mercy on me."
Hmmm. I suppose every time someone preaches a sermon at your church you run it by the Council of Dort to make sure it is not heretical, huh? Rather than glean truth from a sermon, you look under every syllable for heresy. Sad.
The sermon posted here is a simple one. What must I do to be saved? It is what the Phillipian Jailer asked Paul. Did Paul rebuke him and tell him that there was nothing he could do to be saved? No, Paul told him he must believe on Jesus. That's it. Simple Gospel message. What is amazing is that such a simple Gospel message could be anathema to a person who claims to be a Christian.
It is sad that someone could read this sermon and not learn something by it. It is sad that you look for heresy rather than look for a chance for someone to respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. There are lurkers around here. There are those who might read these words and actually take them to heart. The Holy Spirit might just use this thread to call some lost soul to Christ. Do you care? Or are you more interested in people getting their systematic theology correct rather than getting their lives on the path to salvation?
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