Salvation

TOPIC: SALVATION

Text: Luke 15:11-32

Definition: To effect successfully the full delivery of someone or something from impending danger.

1. WHY SALVATION?

A. ALL MEN IN THEIR NATURAL STATE ARE SINNERS:

You are a sinner not just because of what you do, but because you were born so.

Psalm 51:5: I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Ecclesiastes 7:20: For there is not a just man upon earth, that … sinneth not
Isaiah 64:6: All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags
Romans 3:10: There is no one who is righteous
James 2:10: Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all
1 John 1:8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves
Ephesians 2:2-3,12: Ye were children of disobedience, children of wrath, aliens and strangers without Christ

B. ALL SINNERS (MEN IN THEIR NATURAL STATE) ARE DEAD SPIRITUALLY, DYING PHYSICALLY, UNDER GOD’S JUDGMENT, THE ATTACK OF THE DEVIL AND SHALL END IN HELL.

Man in his natural state may not be as bad as he can be (like Adolf Hitler), but he is nevertheless as bad off as he can be. Man is both dead (spiritually), and dying (physically). (See Gen. 2:17.) This can be likened to a condemned criminal in death row awaiting the electric chair and suffering from terminal cancer.

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death
John 3:36: He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him
1 John 5:19: We are certain that we come from God and that the rest of the world is under the power of the devil
Genesis 2:17: You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day
2 Corinthians 4:4: The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light
Romans 8:8-9: They that are in the flesh cannot please God… Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him
Proverbs 4:19: The lifestyle of the wicked is like total darkness
John 8:34: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin
Isaiah 59:1-2: The LORD hasn’t lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers. Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face
John 3:19: People who do evil things are judged guilty
John 3:3: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God

2. SALVATION IS BY GRACE (UNDESERVED MERCY OF GOD), NOT BY OUR GOOD WORKS OR OBEYING THE LAWS OF GOD

Ephesians 2:8-9: For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it
Mark 10:25 – 27: Who can be saved? With men it is impossible
Romans 3:20: God doesn’t accept people simply because they obey the Law
Romans 11:6: And if by grace, then is it no more of works
Galatians 2:16: We know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires
2 Timothy 1:9: He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace
Titus 3:5: He saved us because of his mercy, and not because of any good things that we have done

3. WHAT CANNOT SAVE MEN

i. EDUCATION

1 Timothy 6:20: Avoid the profane talk and foolish arguments of what some people wrongly call “Knowledge.”
2 Timothy 3:7: Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth

ii. GOOD WORKS

Ephesians 2:8: For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.

iii. BAPTISM

1 Corinthians 1:17: Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the Good News, and to tell it without using the language of human wisdom, in order to make sure that Christ’s death on the cross is not robbed of its power.

iv. KEEPING THE LAW

Galatians 2:16: No one can please God by simply obeying the Law

v. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, RELIGIOUS CONFIRMATION, LIVING THE GOLDEN RULE, SINCERITY, TITHING

4. SALVATION IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST ALONE

Acts 4:12: Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone
1 Timothy 2:5: Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God
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 3:36: Whoever believes in the Son (Jesus) has eternal life
John 8:24: If you don’t have faith in me for who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven
John 14:6: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me
1 John 5:12: Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life

5. BENEFITS OF SALVATION

REDEMPTION FROM ALL SINS

1 John 1:7: the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin

ETERNAL LIFE

John 3:16: Whosoever believeth in him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life
John 3:36: He who believes on the Son has everlasting life
Romans 6:23: The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

ADOPTION AS GOD’S CHILDREN

Ephesians 1:5: God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children
John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God
Romans 8:15: For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!”

FRIENDSHIP, FELLOWSHIP AND PEACE WITH GOD

2 Corinthians 5:20: All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends
Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

ABUNDANT LIFE

John 10:10: I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.
Romans 5:17: For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ

ACCESS TO SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS

Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ

GOOD HEALTH AND HEALING

3 John 1:2: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth
Isaiah 53:4-5: Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; …He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.
Matthew 8:17: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
1 Peter 2:24: By whose stripes ye were healed.

INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 1:13: And you also became God’s people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.
Romans 8:9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Galatians 4:6: To show that you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts
1 Corinthians 6:19: Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God
2 Corinthians 6:16: For we are the temple of the living God
Ephesians 2:22: In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.

YOU CAN HEAR GOD’S VOICE

John 10: 27-28: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

PROSPERITY

Job 36:11: If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

DELIVERANCE

1 John 3:8: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

ANSWERED PRAYERS

Jeremiah 33:3: Call unto me, and I will answer thee

6. WHO CAN BE SAVED?

ANYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

Romans 10:13: whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved
Joel 2:32: And it shall be, whoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be saved
2 Peter 3:9: The Lord … does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.

7. HOW TO BE SAVED

1. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE A SINNER

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

2. BELIEVE ON JESUS

John 3:16: Whosoever believeth in him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life
John 11:25-26: Those who believe in me (Jesus) will live
Acts 16:31: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved
Romans 10:9-10: If thou shalt … believe in thine heart … thou shalt be saved
1 John 5:1: Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is a child of God

3. CONFESS YOUR SINS AND REPENT

Repentance is an act of godly sorrow to regret of and to have the decision of a change of mind towards sin or evil behaviours. Admit that you are sinner or what you are doing is not good and you feel sorrowful and make a turnaround with the decision not to go back into your sins again.

Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out
Isaiah 55:7: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
1 John 1:9: But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing
Romans 10:10: It is by our confession that we are saved

4. RECEIVE JESUS

Revelation 3:20: If any man … open the door, I will come in to him
John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God

5. BELIEVE THAT THE NEW BIRTH HAS TAKEN PLACE

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Matthew 21:22: If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer

You can enjoy all the benefits of salvation truly, only if you are ready to surrender your life to Christ. Are you born again? Are you a child of God? Are you ready to give Him chance in your life? If you are ready, please say this prayer:

“Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. (Confess all sins you can remember). Please forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for saving me. Now I know I am born again!”

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