Faith: Next Steps

RESOURCES:

God’s Plan for Salvation

God is holy and perfect. He created us to love Him, glorify Him, and enjoy Him forever.

What Is God’s Standard?

The Bible says that the standard for being on His team is to:

  • Be holy.
    1 Peter 1:16 – for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

  • Be perfect.
    Matthew 5:48 – Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

What Is God’s Plan?

God created us to:

  • Love Him.
    Matthew 22:37 – Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

  • Glorify and honor Him.
    Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

  • Enjoy Him forever.
    John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Man’s Problem

Why is it that we cannot live up to God’s standards of holiness and perfection?

Man is sinful and separated from God.

  • What is sin?
    Sin means missing the mark—falling short of God’s standard. It is not only doing wrong and failing to do what God wants, such as lying, gossiping, losing our temper, lustful thoughts, etc. It’s also an attitude of ignoring or rejecting God, which stems from our sinful nature.
    Psalm 51:5 – Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

  • Who has sinned?
    Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

  • What are the results of sin?

    • Separation from God.
      Isaiah 59:2 – But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

    • Death.
      Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    • Judgment.
      Hebrews 9:27 – Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

God is holy, and we are sinful and separated from Him.

Man continually tries to reach God through his own efforts—being good, religious activities, philosophy, etc.—but these fall short of God’s perfect standard.

Isaiah 64:6 – All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Who Is Jesus Christ?

  • He is God.
    John 10:30 – I and the Father are one.

  • He is man.
    John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

What Has Jesus Done?

  • He died as our substitute.
    Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

  • He rose from the dead.
    1 Corinthians 15:3-6 – For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
    that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
    and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
    After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

  • He is the only way to God.
    John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

God has bridged the gap between Himself and man by sending Jesus Christ to die in our place. Jesus defeated sin and death and rose from the grave.

Yet it isn’t enough just to know these facts—true salvation requires total commitment by faith in Him.

Faith Is Not…

  • Just knowing the facts.
    James 2:19 – You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

  • Just an emotional experience (such as raising your hand or repeating a prayer).
    These are not enough.

Faith Is…

  • Repenting – turning to God from sin.
    2 Corinthians 7:10 – Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

  • Receiving Jesus Christ – trusting in Christ alone for salvation.
    John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
    John 5:24 – “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

Salvation Requires…

  • Realizing God is holy and perfect—and that we are sinners who cannot save ourselves.

  • Recognizing who Jesus is and what He has done as our substitute.

  • Repenting by turning to God from sin.

  • Receiving Jesus Christ by faith as our Lord and Savior.

  • Responding to Jesus Christ with a life of obedience.
    Luke 9:23 – Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

The Prayer of Salvation

Below is a suggested prayer of salvation that invites Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior. The words are not nearly as important as the attitude of your heart:

“Lord Jesus, I need you. I realize I’m a sinner and I can’t save myself. I need your mercy. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I repent of my sins and put my faith in you as Savior and Lord. Take control of my life and help me to follow you in obedience.”

Romans 10:9-13 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,

for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Your New Life in Christ

  • You are a new creation in Christ.
    2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

  • You have everything you need for life and godliness.
    2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
    Ephesians 1:3 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

  • You are a witness and His workmanship created for good works.
    Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…
    Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

  • You are loved and accepted completely in Christ.
    Ephesians 1:6 – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
    Romans 8:39 – neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
    1 Corinthians 6:19 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…
    1 John 4:4 – the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

  • You are forgiven and free from condemnation.
    1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
    Romans 8:1-2 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…

  • You have eternal life in Christ.
    John 5:24 – …whoever hears my word and believes…has eternal life and will not be judged…
    1 John 5:11-13 – …God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son… I write these things… so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Have confidence in your new faith.

1 John 5:13 – I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

7 Things You Can Do Each Day to Grow in Your Faith

  • Daily die to self. Yield complete control of your life to Jesus Christ.
    1 Corinthians 15:31 – I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Daily obedience to Christ. Commit to obeying God and His Word.
    Luke 9:23 – “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

  • Daily Bible reading. Spend time in God’s Word.
    Acts 17:11 – …they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day…

  • Daily prayer. Talk to God regularly.
    Matthew 6:11 – Give us today our daily bread.

  • Daily fellowship. Be part of a local church and grow with other believers.
    Hebrews 3:13 – But encourage one another daily…

  • Daily witnessing. Share your faith through words and actions.
    Acts 5:42 – Day after day… they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news…

  • Daily praise. Praise God for who He is and what He has done.
    Psalm 119:164 – Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.