GOD AND MAN---SALVATION?

GOD AND MAN---SALVATION?

There are two things involved in the salvation of mankind.  What God provides and man's responsibility.

WHAT DOES GOD PROVIDE?

GOD PROVIDES GRACE.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

All men who hear the gospel have the opportunity to accept God's grace.

Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Grace is God's mercy. Men do not work in order to receive mercy. Mercy is an unmerited favor.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

It is because of God's grace that men have the possibility to receive the  gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We receive the gift of salvation because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are not saved because of our good works or keeping the Law of Moses.

GOD PROVIDES A SAVIOR.

1 John 4:9-10 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

GOD PROVIDES THE MEANS BY WHICH MEN MAY HEAR THE GOSPEL.

Romans 10:13-15 14...And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent.....
Matthew 28:18-20 ....19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations......20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...

GOD PROVIDED HIS WRITTEN WORD, THE BIBLE, SO THAT WE MAY BELIEVE AND HAVE LIFE.

John 20:30-31....31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

---God provides grace, a Savior, preachers of the gospel, and the Bible---

WHAT IS MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY?

Man responsibility is to be obedient to the gospel.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-9....8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus......

Obedience is required. Good works and following the Law of Moses are not equivalent to being obedient to the gospel.

Hebrews 5:8-9.....9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the sourced of eternal salvation,

Obedience is man's responsibility in order to receive salvation.

Mark 16:16 He who has believed  and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

You need to believe and be baptized in water in order to be saved.

Romans 10:13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

Whoever calls on Jehovah God will be saved. Calling on false Gods cannot save anyone.

Acts 22:16 Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name!

Saul was told to be baptized and call on the name of the Lord to have his sins washed away. Saul had already believed in Jesus and repented, while on the road to Damascus,  three day prior.
(Paul was not saved by faith only)

Saul's responsibilities were to believe in Jesus, repent (turn from sin and turn toward God), be baptized in water, and call on the name of the Lord.

When you confess Jesus, you are calling on the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Men must confess Jesus as Lord and savior and believe in His resurrection from the dead in order to be saved. (Men are not saved by grace alone)

Acts 8:27-38...35 Then Phillip open his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said. "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" 37 [And Phillip said, :If you believe with all your heart , you may."And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Phillip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

The eunuch believed in Jesus, he repented, he confessed Jesus  as the Christ and as the Son of God. He was baptized in water. The eunuch fulfilled his responsibilities for salvation.

On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and proclaimed Him Lord and Christ. When the 3000 believed Peter's sermon, they asked what they should do? (Acts 2:22-38.....38 Peter said to them, Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)

Acts 2:40-41 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

Notice: Peter said be saved, future tense. After they believed and were baptized, then they were saved and added to the church. The three thousand souls were only added after they believed and were baptized.

The Lord only adds the saved to His church. Acts 2:47 ...And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

What was the responsibility of the 3000?
1. To believe in the resurrected Jesus.
2. To believe that Jesus was the Christ and accept Him as Lord. 3. To repent (repent means to make the commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God).
4. They had to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

SALVATION?

God provides: 1. Grace. 2. The Savior. 3. Preachers of the gospel. 4. His written word, the Bible.

Man's responsibilities: BE OBEDIENT 1. Listen to the gospel. 2. Believe the gospel. 3. Confess Jesus as Lord, the Christ, and God's only Son. 4. Believe that God resurrected Jesus from the dead. 5.Repent (make the commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God). 6. Be baptized in water.

FAITH is for the forgiveness of sins.
CONFESSION is for the forgiveness of sins.
REPENTANCE is for the forgiveness of sins.
WATER BAPTISM is for the forgiveness of sins.

Men can be saved in two hours  more or less. No work, no good deeds, and no law keeping is required---Then remain faithful until death. (Matthew 10:22)

(All Scripture quotes from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)