LESSON 7: What must I do to be Saved?
WHAT WE COVERED IN LESSON 6: Faith and Obedience.
WHAT WE WANT TO COVER IN LESSON 7:
PROPER WAY TO STUDY THIS LESSON.
THE PROBLEM IS - SIN SEPERATES US FROM GOD.
Romans 3:22-24 "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 5:6-8 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
THE SOLUTION IS - BAPTISM WASHES AWAY SINS.
Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."
1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
From the beginning, God commanded sacrifices as a way of forgiving wrongs. When the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, the children of Israel were commanded to sacrifice a spotless lamb. The blood was placed around their door to keep them safe from death Exodus 12:7-23. Today, we escape eternal death by washing ourselves of sin through baptism, with the blood of Christ Eph 1:7, 1Pet 3:21, Heb 9:22.
The Jews also had a special day each year called the Day of Atonement. An animal was chosen and used as a "scapegoat" as commanded by God. The sins of the people were symbolically transferred onto the animal and the animal was then left out in the desert. The people understood this removed their sins from them Lev 16:7-22, 1 Pet :24. Jesus is our "scapegoat" and sacrifice today John 1:29, Rom 3:25, 1 Pet 1:18,19. These animal sacrifices were only a temporary solution to a permanent problem. God would send his son, Jesus, as the final sacrifice Gal 3:22-25, 4:4,5, Heb 10:3,4, Heb 9:26, Matt 26:28, Rev 5:9, Eph 1:7, 5:25, Mk 10:45, Acts 20:28, 1 Cor 6:19,20 .
GOD GAVE US EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW
IS BAPTISM ACTUALLY COMMANDED? YES OR NO
Acts 22:15,16 "You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name."
IS BAPTISM REALLY NECESSARY? YES or NO
John 3:3-5 "In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."
Romans 6:3-7 "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
ARE THERE BAPTISMS THAT ARE NOT VALID? YES or NO
HOW WAS A BAPTISM IN THE BIBLE PERFORMED?
Acts 8:38-39 "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing."
Romans 6:1-6 "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin..."
Colossians 2:11,12 "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead."
WILL SOME RELIGIOUS PEOPLE BE LOST? YES or NO
MUST YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING IN THE BIBLE BEFORE BEING BAPTIZED? YES or NO
We've covered a lot! Please reread and study these scripture and others. It's very important that the decisions you make concerning your salvation are made based on truth. Phil 2:12 "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."
Questions? Call me. My phone number is 972-279-6186, or you can reach me via E-mail at rbuch@meadowview.org
God bless.