"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 God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16,17
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“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31,32)
But I’m Not Sick!
Modern medicine has developed some amazing medicines to keep us from dying from deadly diseases. But, if your doctor wrote you a prescription for a disease you did not know you had, you probably would not be interested in getting it filled. Many consider God’s message of salvation to be a cure they do not really need. If you walked up to a person who was not a Christian and asked them if they were saved, they might reply, “saved from what?” The Bible message of salvation has little meaning or appeal to one who has never come to understand the reality of sin in their life. It is common for a person to have a deadly disease and not even know it, until it is too late. In the same way, many people are heading into the final judgment covered in sin and unaware of the potential danger.How You Became A Sinner:
Being a “good” person does not mean you have not sinned. All the faithful characters of the Bible were also sinners, even the Apostle Paul (1 Tim 1:15). The Bible defines sin as “a transgression of God’s law” (1 John 3:4). The word “sin” means to “miss the mark”, to offend or to be at fault. Adam and Eve choose to ignore their Creator’s direction for living in the world He had created for them. Their ignoring God’s instruction resulted in a broken relationship with God and losing the privilege of living in close fellowship with the Creator. By getting put out of God’s presence (garden of Eden), they also caused all mankind to be born into a world outside of a close fellowship with God. We do not inherit Adam’s guilt, but we inherit a world that has isolated itself from God. In a world isolated from God, each individual also commits sin against God. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" (Rom 3:10-11). Every person who is old enough (babies have no sin) to be accountable for their decisions has sinned against God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:Two ways that everyone eventually sins against God:
First, one may sin by knowing the will of God and making a personal decision to ignore and disobey their Creator. Another way one may sin is to do that which is wrong in God’s eyes without knowing that it is wrong. Either way, we are ignoring the God who created us. Knowingly or unknowingly, the results are the same. The God who created us is rejected and ignored. We sin by doing what is wrong and we sin by not seeking to do what is right in God’s eyes. "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:15-17). In other words, it is a sin to think that you do not need to know God or submit yourself to His will. You became a sinner by rejecting God’s right to direct your life or you became a sinner by failing to seek His will, ignoring the Almighty.The Wages Of Sin Is Spiritual Death:
The problem we all have is that, from the beginning, the promised penalty for sin has been death (Gen 2:17). By being separated from the “tree of life” in the garden, Adam brought physical death to us all. But, the Bible also speaks of a spiritual death that we experience when we personally sin against God. Paul reminded the church in Ephesus that they had been “dead” in their trespasses and sins, but had been made alive in Christ (Eph 2:1-5). He also reminds the church in Rome of the spiritually deadly consequences of sin: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 6:23). As we have seen, our sins separate us from God (Isa 59:2) and bring about our spiritual death. We have also noted that through Jesus, God can make us alive again and prepare us for eternal life with Him.Only One Way To Salvation:
We have answered the question: “Saved from what?” Now that you better understand the question, it is important that you know that Jesus is the only way a lost sinner can be restored to a right relationship with God. God sent His Son Jesus into the world as He had planned from the beginning (Eph 1:3-5). "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 3:16). Jesus came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus came to establish a new covenant between God and man (Hebrews 8). Through Jesus, God established a new and the only way for people to be saved from the consequences of their sins (eternal separation from God). In a world of many beliefs and religions, the most important fact you will ever learn is that God’s plan to save us through Jesus is the ONLY one that will work. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).What are the implications of Jesus’ Words? They are simple. No religious person will find true salvation in any religion that does not submit to what the Bible says about Jesus. That means that no practicing Muslim, Buddhist or Jew has any basis of hope for they all reject God’s plan of salvation through Jesus. Even those who claim to believe in Jesus, but have invented their own traditions and doctrines about Him have not submitted themselves to the revealed will of God. This lack of respect for the Word will go with them into the judgment. "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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Mat 7:21-23). There is just one way to the “pearly gates” and it must pass through the blood of Jesus Christ. Do you believe this?
What Must You Do To Be Saved?
You can easily find different answers to this question in the religious world. Anything from "you will be saved by doing good deeds" to "there is nothing you can do to be saved." I will not attempt to explain the error of these two extremes here. What we do want to know is what God says a person must do to be saved. The answer is really quite easy to find in the Bible. All one has to do is examine the accounts of conversion revealed in the scriptures. But, before we begin, note that God has already planned and brought about the only means of salvation. Nothing we do can change or alter that plan. But the plan that God made available must be accepted and received according to the terms He has made known. We cannot save ourselves, but there are some things we must do to accept the salvation God has provided.You Must Hear the Truth:
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17).You Must Believe:
To be saved, you must accept the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, the one God sent to save the world by His sacrifice for sins on the cross. "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 8:24). But recognizing, even acknowledging the true identity of Jesus does not save you alone (Even the demons acknowledged God and the identity of Jesus, James 2:19; Matt 8:29).You Must Repent:
Once you believe who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross, it should not be difficult to believe that He said you must repent (turn away from) of your past sins to be saved. "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). To repent is to make a decision to give up our old lives and to live new lives guided by the truth revealed to us by the Spirit of God in the scriptures.You Must Be Willing To Confess:
This means we must be willing to announce our faith and take our stand with Jesus. Faith in Jesus is not something that we can keep secret (Luke 12:8,9). The Bible tells us of some who believed in Jesus, but were not willing to make public their belief . "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43).You Must Be Baptized For The Remission of Sins:
But you may say, I have heard that you do not have to be baptized to be saved. If that is so, you did not hear it from God’s Word and therefore it is not the faith of the Bible. God has made baptism the point of faith in which He washes away sins and puts us into the body of Christ. Have your “saved without baptism” friends show you in the Bible where baptism is not for the remission of sins. I will now show you what the Bible says happens when you submit yourself to God in true faith by being baptized (immersed in water)."And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16)
"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. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:38-41)
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom 6:3-4)
Conclusion:
Are you ready to be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins? You must demonstrate your faith as the Bible has revealed above. What is keeping you from being saved?"Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." (Acts 8:35-38)
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