Salvation – BT1

 

 

 

 

5 Simple Obedient Steps of Trusting-Relying-Faith

 

 

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  • Understand that Jesus is God, your Savior (a) and Lord (b).  If you want to get the really Big-Picture Plan of God and how Jesus fits into it, read the  Master Plan of God in History page.  If you want to know what early Christians believed in, read the Creeds page.  Christ came to earth as a man named “Jesus” in order to live the sinless life that we cannot live.  He died in our place, so that we would not have to pay the penalty we deserve.  God wants to give the greatest grace-gift of all to us – His own life through the death of Himself in the God-become-man named Yeshua or Jesus.”  Regarding Jesus, the Apostle John wrote:  “In the beginning was the Logos Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory – the glory of the only Son from the Father . . . For the Law was given through Moses; The Unconditional-Favor-of-Grace and The Truth was begotten/came-into-existence through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is at the Father’s side, He (the Father) has made Him (the Son) known” (c). <Notes> a) “Messiah” in Hebrew or “Christ” in Greek, b) Owner-Master of your life, c) John 1:1-18.

 

  • Confess your past life of sin– acknowledge that you have lived for yourself and haven’t obeyed God. Recognize that you need the Savior because your sins are destroying your life and keeping you from the zoe genuine-life that is found only in the company of God, here and for eternity, “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” as the Apostle Paul realized (a).  Jesus is the only human who has ever lived without sin.  The Apostle John says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just [through Christ’s sacrifice] to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”  – see Surrender Control. <Notes> a) Romans 3:23.

 

  • Only Jesus could pay for our sin, standing in our place to satisfy both The Unconditional-Love of an all-merciful God and the JUSTICE of an absolutely righteous and holy God who created nomos or torah laws/instruction for mankind to live by.  God’s ways have been revealed to our consciences but more explicitly through the OT’s Law of Moses.  However, “God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God by Him” (a). Because God could only accept a perfect, sinless sacrifice in exchange for our utter sinfulness – this being called “propitiation” – and because He knew that we could not possibly accomplish that, He sent His Son to die for us and pay the eternal price for our freedom from sin and its consequences. “For God so unconditionally-loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever has trusting-relying-faith in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (b). <Notes> a) 2 Corinthians 5:21, b) John 3:16.

 

  • Admit/Confess (c) you are ready to have trusting-relying-faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord/Owner-Master.  Confession is proof that you have “repented” or “turned away from being the Lord or Master of your own life and surrendered-control of this to Jesus.”  Be as humble/teachable as a little child who trusts and relies on their Heavenly Father to take care of you.  Sincerely pray-ask Jesus to come into your heart, take up His residence there, and begin living in you by His Holy Spirit.  “Without trusting-relying-faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to Him must have trusting-relying-faith that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (a).  The Apostle Paul promises that, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and have trusting-relying-faith in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (b). <Notes> a) Hebrews 11:6, b) Romans 10:9, c) see Surrender Control.

 

  • Water-baptism:  This is when you actually participate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ so that your old self can die with Him and you can be “born again by water and Spirit” and be “born from above” (e) to be raised to new life with Christ as a new creation and receive the promised grace-gift of the Holy Spirit.  This first act of discipleship in the “obedience of faith” of publicly “confessing” Christ is seen throughout the history of the early Church (a) and described throughout the NT – see Surrender Control.  The Apostle Paul says that this is when you spiritually join with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (b).  The Apostle Peter says, “Water-baptism now saves you likewise (c) – not as a removal of dirt from the body but as [intensely desirous, craving] appeal/pledge/profession to God for a [clean, pure] good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (d).  This is when your OLD innately sinful “inner man” dies and is buried with Christ and completely different-in-kind NEW “inner man” is created within you by the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.  This is how you become a disciple or follower of Christ, and so water-baptism was a key part of Christ’s final marching orders in “The Great Commission” to His apostles (e). <Notes> a) Read the Book of Acts, starting with the first Christians in Acts 2:38-39, b) Romans 6:3-14; Colossians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27, c) like the Ark saved Noah’s family from God’s judgment against a sinful world, d) 1 Peter 3:21, e) Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:16-17, e) “Water” is often linked/coupled to “Spirit” for salvation because the “living water” is the Holy Spirit – see Salvation – BT8.

 

A sample prayer:  “Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from You.  I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You.  Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.  Like a little child, I have trusting-relying-faith in You that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and now hears my prayer.  I invite You, Jesus, to become the Owner-Master of my life, to rule in my heart from this day forward.  Please send me the promise of your Holy Spirit to give me the enabling-power and your Spirit’s grace-gifts to do Your will for the rest of my life.  In Jesus’ name of all authority, I pray,  Amen.”

 

I encourage you now to find a local church where you can encourage and be encouraged to grow in your brand new life, to build one another up toward the mature-stature of Christ.  You can also find ways there to share your new life with others.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord, I praise Your name that Your New Covenant Way is simple enough for little children and “the least among us” to simply obey so that You show no partiality or favoritism, especially not to the so-called “wise and understanding ones!”

 

 

 

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Categories: Salvation