John 3:16

1 John 3:1

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.Behold what manner

of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

The Salvation Puzzle

Ephesians 2:1-9;Titus 3:4-7

(1) You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, (2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, (3) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

(7) that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Romans 5:8-10

(8) God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) ...Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

1 Cor. 15:1-5;

1 Cor. 1:18

Romans 1:16

(1) I declare to you the gospel ... (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast ...—unless you believed in vain....

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes....

Titus 3:3-7

(5) ... According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Matthew 5:3-6;

James 4:6-10

2 Thess. 2:10

The beatitudes: Humility, meekness, sorrow for sin, the desire for pure things, etc.

… They did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Hebrews 11:1-6

(6) Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

... If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

John 8:24

Mark 16:16

Acts 17:30

Romans 10:9-10

Repentance (that is, a change of mind toward sin)

Confession of your faith

He who believes and is baptized, will be saved…

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked,

but now commands all men everywhere to repent

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him

from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Plan of SalvationIs Like a Jig-Saw Puzzle

Nothing/No One Else

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we

must be saved.

Paul prayed for three days, but still had sins to wash away! (Acts 9:11-12; 22:16)

Remember Naaman? He was told to

“...Go and wash in the Jordan seven times...”

Remember his anger? Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the

name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’

“Are not ... the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?

Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

Remember the wise counsel? “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great,

would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you,

‘Wash, and be clean’?”

Remember his humility and obedience? So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God;

and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

The Plan of SalvationIs Like a Jig-Saw Puzzle

Nothing/No One Else

Nothing Less

The Plan of SalvationIs Like a Jig-Saw Puzzle

Nothing/No One Else

Nothing Less

Nothing “Only”

Faith only?: James 2:22 – (Speaking of Abraham) Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

And, 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Faith without works IS DEAD (3X in James).Repentance without baptism...

is a DEAD MAN WALKING.Baptism without faith... is simply not Biblical.

Confession only?: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but

he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

The Plan of Salvation

God•Love, Kindness, Grace, Mercy

Jesus Christ•Life and Death (i.e., the Gospel)

The Holy Spirit•Renewing

The Person•Attitude, Faith, Obedience

Nothing/No One Else

Nothing Less

Nothing “Only”

Learn the pattern...

From the Gospel Accounts:

Hearing Believing Repenting ConfessingBeing

Baptized

Matt. 7:24John 3:16John 20:30-31

Luke 3:7-8Luke 13:3

Matthew 10:32-33Matthew 16:16John 18:36-37

Matt. 28:18-20Mark 16:16John 3:5

Learn the pattern...

From the Letters to Churches and Christians:Hear Believe Repent Confess Be Baptized

Rom. 10:14Eph. 2:8

Heb. 11:6

2 Cor.

7:10

Gal. 2:20;

Gal. 5:24

2 Peter 3:9

Rom.

10:9-10

1 Tim.

6:13

Romans 6:3-4

Galatians 3:27

Ephesians 4:5; 5:26

Col. 2:11-13

1 Peter 3:21

Titus 3:5

Baptized into His death; rise to ... newness of life

Baptized into Christ

One baptism; Washing of water by the word

The circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism

Baptism now saves you

(NASB; RSV)

Washing of regeneration

Learn the pattern...From 10 examples in Acts.

Notice that the thief on the cross lived TOO EARLY to be an example for us. He lived BEFORE ...

•Jesus even died, •Jesus was raised, •Jesus told His apostles to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved...”•Jesus ascended, and •The apostles preached the first gospel sermon after the Holy Spirit was poured out.

Heard the gospel

Believed

Repented

Confessed

WereBaptize

d

3000 Jews, 2:1-

47:37 :38 :38

Samaritans,

8:5-12:12 :12

Simon, 8:13 :13 (:14) :13

Ethiopian,

8:26-40:37 :37 :38

Saul, 9 & 22 9:6 9:9 (:20) 9:18; 22:16

Cornelius, 10 &

1110:43 10:47-48

Lydia, 16:14-15 :14 :15

Jailer, 16:25-34 :31 :33 :33

Corinthians,

18:8:8 :8

Ephesians,

19:1-7:4 :5

YOU, Today ? ? ? ?

What comes AFTER salvation?

• Joy (Ethiopian; jailer)

• Fellowship and association (Pentecost; Simon; Cornelius; Lydia; jailer)

• Work (Ongoing repentance of the Corinthians; preaching of Paul)

“I don’t think I need to be baptized.”

• That IS true... if you’ve never done anything to separate yourself from God.

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.2 But your iniquities have separated you from your

God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)

What Condemns a Person?

Do evil.

1 John 3:4 – ... Sin is lawlessness.

Genesis 4:7 – If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

Do something doubting that it is right.

Romans 14:23 – He who doubts is condemned..., because he does not [act] from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Fail to do what is right.

James 4:17 – To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

We sin when we . . .

“I don’t think I need to be baptized.”

• That IS true... if you’ve never done anything to separate yourself from God.

• That would be true... IF baptism had nothing to do with salvation.

“In the days of Noah... eight souls, were saved through water.

21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism....”

(1 Peter 3:20-21)

“I don’t think I need to be baptized”

• If the command were “light a candle to show you want God’s light so you can escape the darkness,” would you do it?

• Rather, it IS, be “buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

What does it take to obey?

• Know you’re lost; know the Way back

• Love the truth

• Gladly receive the truth

• Humble yourself and obey (Jesus did so “to the point of death” – Philippians 2:8)

• Commit to become Jesus’ disciple (follower; learner); “Take the plunge”