“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/

“What Must We Do To Be Saved?” 

(Part #1 – Salvation)

THE most important question that anyone can ask is the question posed by the keeper of the prison in Acts 16:30… “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”.

The answer to this question is more valuable than gold, silver and all the wealth this world has to offer. This answer will reveal to us the path that leads to the forgiveness of our sins, the receipt of the indwelling Holy Spirit, fellowship with the Only True and Living Creator, and eternity in paradise with God Himself. Our very spiritual life and eternal destiny rely upon finding the answer to this question.

This question is of such importance we will be taking several blog entries to carefully answer this question…

Blog Entry #1 Salvation; Blog Entry #2 Repentance; Blog Entry #3 Faith / Belief; Blog Entry #4 What about good works?; Blog Entry #5 What about baptism?; Blog Entry #6 What about the Lord’s Supper? Blog Entry #7 What about church membership?

We now begin our study with blog entry #1…. Salvation….

The Biblical concept of “salvation” carries with it the ideas of deliverance, wholeness, safety and security. When we talk about a person’s “salvation” we are talking about that person being delivered from sin, being made whole and safe in Christ, all the while being made eternally secure…

We are all a part of fallen mankind…

Rom 3:23 (KJV) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

The Bible is filled with references that declare the fallen, sinful nature that is found in all men… (Gen 8:21, Eccl 7:20, Rom 3:9, Rom 5:12, etc etc etc)

As fallen mankind, we are found guilty by God for the sin in our lives… 

Rom 3:19 (KJV) “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Just as the sinfulness of man is clearly declared within the Scriptures, so too, the guilt and condemnation of man is made plain as well… (Rom 2:1-2, Gal 3:10, Gal 3:22, etc etc etc)

Because of our sin and guilt we are separated from God and facing eternal punishment for our sins…

Isa 59:1-3 (KJV) Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Our sin has separated us from God in this world, and will separate us from God in the world to come. (Prov 15:29, Isa 1:15, John 3:19-21) Our sin has placed us under the judgment of our Almighty God. It is this judgment that we will face throughout eternity. (Jer 5:25, John 3:36, Rom 1:18, Rom 2:3-5, Rev 20:12-15)

This is the most important aspect of our need of salvation… it is deliverance from our sins and their results.

Titus 2:11-14 (KJV) “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Here, in our Titus passage, we find the three-fold salvation that the Lord freely offers to us…

Firstly, deliverance from the punishment of our sin, by Christ making the payment which satisfied the just demands of His Father…“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity:” (John 10:15, Gals 1:3-5, Gals 3:13, Eph 5:2, etc etc etc)

Secondly, deliverance from the power of sin in this world…“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” & “purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Rom 6:4-19, 1 Cor 6:9-11, Eph 1:4, 1 Thess 4:7 etc etc etc)

Thirdly, secure an eternity with Him, separated from the presence of sin…“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Rom 8:30-39, John 6:37-40, Heb 10:14-18, etc) This principle is clearly seen by the terms “everlasting life” and “eternal life” … it is a type of life that cannot be lost nor come to an end. (1 Tim:1-16, John 3:15-16, John 10:27-29, etc etc etc)

Just as the Bible is clear about the importance and universal need of salvation by all mankind, so too, the Bible declares the only way of salvation.

The way of salvation is only through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ…This is why in the Titus passage He is given the title “Our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ”

This principle is emphasized in Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (1 Cor 3:11, 1 Tim 2:4-6, Heb 7:25-28, 1 John 5:11, etc)

So who can receive this salvation? Both Jew and Gentile have access to this grace of God…

John 4:21-24 (KJV) – “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

Acts 28:28 (KJV) – Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and [that] they will hear it.

As demonstrated in the above verses, the salvation that God graciously offers to man is not limited to Jew nor Gentile. ANYONE can receive salvation from the hands of Almighty God. (John 3:16, 2 Cor 5:19-21, 1 Tim 1:15-16)

In this blog entry we have seen the very basic principles of the importance and mankind’s need of salvation… In the following blog entries we will be studying, in detail, the answer to the question “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Brother Rob’s web site:    www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com 

P.S. (from bruce) Here are 2  links that will provide everything a sinner needs to know, once God has drawn them in (John 6:44)…to become a Christian in God’s eyes… http://www.800followme.com/182.html    &    http://www.800followme.com/