The Plan of Salvation
What must I do to be saved?
That is one of the most important questions one can ask.
This is the question that every man and woman must answer in their lives if they hope to spend eternity with God in Heaven. The apostle Paul says, in Philippians 2:12, to those of the church in Philippi:
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
It is therefore our own responsibility to answer the question: "What we must do to be saved?" No one else can answer that question for us, nor can we trust others with this, most important decision. We must seek our answer from God and His Word.
So, what does the Bible say about salvation?
We cannot be saved by the creeds or manuals of men.
In Matthew 15:9, Jesus says: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for a doctrine the commandments of men."
In Galatians 1:6-9, the Apostle Paul says:"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
God is against any teaching that is not directly from Him. Thus, we must turn to the Word of God to determine what we must do to be saved.
Again, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
First, we must HEAR the word of God.
In John 5:24-25 Jesus says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgement, but hath passed out of death into life."
We learn that hearing produces FAITH.
Romans 10:17 says: "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."
Here we learn that we cannot have faith if we do not know what the word of God has to say. Many believe they have faith, and that it is independent of what the Bible says. But according to the Bible, men and women can only attain faith through hearing the word of God.
Secondly, we must BELIEVE the Gospel
Hebrews 11:9 But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is and He is a reward of those who diligently seek Him.
Thirdly, we must REPENT
In Luke 13:3, Jesus says: "Unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
In Acts 2, Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, in which he explains to everyone who Jesus is and the horrific crime they had committed in putting Him to death.
We can pick up the story in verse 37: "Now when the heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles 'men and brethren what shall we do?' Then Peter said unto them, Repent..."
Again, in Acts 3:19 Peter says: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"
To repent is to change our mind and make the decision that we will change our life (actions) to begin serving the Lord as He desires us to serve Him. We should then desire to change to please Him. This means, that an immoral person must become moral and upright in lifestyle.
If we are in the denominational world, belonging to a church that has a creed or doctrine other than the Bible and/or in addition to the Bible, then we must turn away from such a religion and find a congregation of people that believe in the Bible and only the Bible.
Fourth, we must CONFESS our faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:8-10 says:"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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."
Then, we must be BAPTIZED...
The person who is a repentant, confessing believer is a person ready to be baptized. To many in the world, baptism is a controversial issue. As simple as the process is and as often as it is commanded in the New Testament, many in the religious world just cannot accept it as the Bible teaches it.
Let's see what the Bible says about baptism. Remember Peter's first Gospel sermon in Acts 2? We looked at it earlier in the section on repentance. Let's take a look at the rest of that passage now.
Acts 2:36-39 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Finally, we must live our lives in faithful and loyal service to our Lord Jesus Christ as God has directed (Revelation 2:10). We must find a congregation that believes and practices as the New Testament directs... following the Word of God... speaking where the Bible speaks, living by His Word and His Word alone. Trusting in God to save us as He has promised those who would be faithful to Him.
God then adds us to the church (Acts 2:47). Not by vote or the decisions of men, but God alone adds us to His Church.
If you have not obeyed the Bible's plan of salvation, you can change. You can make your life right with God. No matter how old you may be, it is not too late to make your life right by obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If you are sincerely desiring to serve the Lord, then He can certainly help you in your pursuit of righteousness. Please contact us if you would like to correspond or speak with someone concerning the Bible's plan of salvation.