Some say...
5. Salvation, how do you take it?
(By Emerson Blythe)
Just believe Lay hand on Radio
Pray through
Call on the name of the Lord The Bible says you need to Obey the gospel.
1. What is wrong with just believeing? (John 3:14-18 KJV) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: {15} That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. {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. {17} For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. {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."
BELIEVING IS GOOD, BUT IT INCLUDES OBEDIENCE:
(James 2:14-24 KJV) "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? {15} If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, {16} And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? {17} Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. {18} Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. {19} Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. {20} But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? {21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? {22} Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? {23} And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. {24} Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
THE BIBLE REQUIRES OBEDIENCE:
(Heb 5:8-9 KJV) "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; {9} And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
SOME PEOPLE SEE THE BOOK OF ROMANS AS TEACHING SALVATION BY FAITH ONLY. (Rom 5:1 KJV) "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
BUT IT IS A FAITH THAT OBEYS:
(Rom 1:5 KJV) "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:"
(Rom 16:26 KJV) "But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:"
(Rom 10:16 KJV) "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?"
(2 Th 1:7-9 KJV) "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, {8} In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: {9} Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"
(Acts 6:7 KJV) "And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."
WHAT IS WRONG WITH PRAYING THROUGH?
It is always good to seek the Lord. I don't want to discourage anyone from seeking the Lord.
But pleading with the Lord for salvation leaves the impression that we have to try to persuade the Lord to save us. But the truth of the matter is that He is ready and eager to save us, but the next move is up to us!
RATHER THAN PRAYING FOR GOD TO SAVE, PAUL PRAYED THE PEOPLE TO ACCEPT SALVATION:
(2 Cor 5:20 KJV) "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
(2 Pet 3:9 KJV) "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
(1 Tim 2:4 NRSV) "(God) desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
BUT DOES NOT THE BIBLE SAY SALVATION IS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD? (Yes.)
(Acts 2:21 KJV) "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
BUT THERE IS MORE TO CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD THAN CRYING, LORD, LORD!
(Mat 7:21 KJV) "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
BUT HOW DO WE REALLY CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD FOR SALVATION?
SAUL OF TARSUS HAD BEEN PRAYING AND FASTING FOR THREE DAYS, BUT ANANIAS THE MAN OF GOD CAME TO HIM AND ASKED: (Acts 22:16 KJV) "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
It is in the process of baptism that we are calling on the name of the Lord for salvation.
SO, HOW DO WE ACCEPT THE SALVATION THAT JESUS OFFERS?
The Bible declares that it is "by grace through faith."
The fact that it is by grace means that it cannot be earned or merited. Grace means unmerited favor. If we try to earn a home in heaven by our own good works, or achieve our own righteousness through our own goodness, we will never make it.
(Eph 2:8-10 KJV) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
The fact that it is "through faith" means that we trust in the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ to make us right with God. Through faith we believe that he died in our place, thus paying our debt of sin, and through our faith in that can claim it as our own righteousness with God.
(Rom 3:23-27 KJV) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; {24} Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: {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; {26} To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. {27} Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
This is hard for a lot of people to understand. If a person cannot be saved by his own merit, then why try to live right; why try to be good?
This was an attitude the apostle Paul encountered, and he made this argument against it: (Rom 6:1-2 KJV) "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? {2} God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
(Rom 6:15-18 KJV) "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. {16} Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? {17} But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. {18} Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
Though we cannot merit or achieve our own salvation, we cannot be saved without cooperating with God.
Think of it this way. Suppose a man falls overboard in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean. Is there any way he can save himself? Can he swim hundreds of miles to the shore? Of course not. But suppose a helicopter comes to pick him up. He cannot save himself, but he still needs to be cooperative. By the same token, God is not going to save us against our will. As Jesus put it to the people of His day. (Luke 13:34 KJV) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
1. We, then, accept the Lord's salvation by faith. If you do not believe that Jesus died in your stead, or if you do not believe He is the Son of God, you have a great problem standing between you and salvation. (Heb 11:6 KJV) "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (John 8:24 KJV) "...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
2. We accept it by repentance. As long as we like it in sin, and like to do wrong, we will never see deliverance. Only when we are ready to denounce sin for the ugliness it really is are we ready to receive the Lord's salvation. (Luke 13:1-5 KJV) "There were present at that season some that told him (Jesus) of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. {2} And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? {3} I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. {4} Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? {5} I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
The apostle Peter said, (Acts 3:19 KJV) "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;"
3. We accept the Lord's salvation by confessing Jesus Christ as our Lord. Jesus said, (Mat 10:32-33 KJV) "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. {33} But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Or, as the Apostle Paul put it: (Rom 10:8-10 KJV) "...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; {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. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
4. Then, having believed and confessed, we accept the Lord's salvation in baptism. Jesus said, (Mark 16:16 KJV) "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
The Apostle Peter said, (Acts 2:38 KJV) "...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. 39 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."
And again, (1 Pet 3:20-21 NRSV) "...God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. {21} And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,"
So, in the words of Ananias: (Acts 22:16 NRSV) "And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.'"
Of the Philippian jailor: (Acts 16:30-34 NRSV) "Then he brought them (Paul & Silas) outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" {31} They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." {32} They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. {33} At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. {34} He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God."
Do you have this salvation... Can you rejoice along with him???
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