What Must I Do To Be Saved From My Sins?
I.Mk 8:36
A.The precious soul that God has placed in each person is more valuable than all
of the things in this world.
B.Thus, if a person loses his soul, it is a tragedy!
C.What can cause a person to lose his soul?
II.Man’s problem from the beginning has been his sin.
A.1 Jn 3:4 – Sin is violating God’s law.
B.James 4:17 – We sin when we know to do good and do not do it.
C.Isa 59:1,2 – Our sins separate us from God.
D.Jn 8:21-24 – If we die in our sins, we will not go to Heaven where Jesus went.
We will die in our sins if we do not believe that Jesus was who He claimed to
be.
III.Thankfully, God loves us so much that He made it possible for us to be forgiven of our
sins.
A.Jn 3:16 – God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus for us.
If we choose to believe in Jesus, we should not perish but have everlasting life.
B.Rom 5:6-11
1.God has demonstrated His love for us.
2.His love and Jesus’ love were shown by Jesus dying for us in spite of
the fact that we were ungodly, sinners, and powerless to save ourselves.
3.We can be justified (declared innocent) through Jesus’ blood.
4.We can be saved from the wrath of God through Jesus.
5.In spite of the fact that we made ourselves enemies of God by our sins, we can be reconciled to God through the death of His Son.
6.The fact that we can be reconciled to God through Jesus’ death gives us great joy!
IV.Jesus’ blood is the only thing powerful enough to wash our sins away.
A.As we saw in Rom 5:6-11, we can be declared innocent through that powerful
blood.
B.Thus, we want to know how we can contact the benefits of Jesus’ blood.
C.Eph 1:3 - God tells us that EVERY spiritual blessing is IN CHRIST.
D.Eph 1:7 – Notice several of the spiritual blessings that are in Christ.
1.First, if we are in Him, we have redemption. That is, we have been
bought back from the slavery to sin.
2.Second, if we are in Christ, we have the forgiveness of sins.
3.Third, those wonderful blessings were made possible through God’s
grace and JESUS’ BLOOD!
E.Thus, we must learn from God how we can be placed in Christ and contact the
benefits of His soul-cleansing blood.
V.Please notice what God says you and I must do to be placed in Christ and receive the
forgiveness of our past sins.
A.Rom 10:17 – We must hear God’s word, because that is the way that faith is
created.
B.Heb 11:6 – We must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who
diligently seek Him.
C.Jn 8:21-24 – As we saw earlier, we must believe that Jesus is who He claimed
to be. That is, He is the Christ (Messiah) and the only begotten Son of God.
D.2 Cor 7:10
1.We must have a godly sorrow for our past sins.
2.That sorrow must lead us to repent.
3.That means we will change our mind and turn from serving sin to serving
God.
4.This godly sorrow and repentance are unto salvation!
E.Rom 10:9,10
1.We must confess with our mouth that we believe in Jesus.
2.That confession will lead unto salvation!
F.Acts 2:36-38
1.Peter convicted that crowd of the sin of crucifying Jesus.
2.Yet, God the Father had made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
3.Some in that audience were pierced in their hearts by that powerful
message.
4.That motivated them to ask the apostles what they had to do.
5.Clearly, they knew that they were guilty of sin and were asking what they needed to do to be forgiven of their sins.
6.Obviously, they believed in Jesus and had accepted the fact that He
was their Savior.
7.According to many denominational preachers today, these people were
saved from their sins at that point.
8.But that is not what the Holy Spirit moved the apostle Peter to tell them!
9.Notice what Peter told these sorrowful believers who believed in Jesus
and had accepted the fact that He is the Savior.
10.He told them that they still needed to repent.
11.But that wasn’t all he told them.
12.The inspired apostle told those people that they must be baptized, that
is, immersed in water.
13.And why did they have to repent and be immersed?
14.It was so they could receive the REMISSION OF THEIR PAST SINS!
15.Clearly then, baptism, immersion in water, is the point at which a person
first contacts the cleansing blood of Jesus!
G.Acts 22:16
1.Acts 9:6 - Jesus had told Saul (who later became the apostle Paul) that
he needed to go into the city of Damascus where he would be told what
he must do.
2.Jesus sent a man named Ananias to tell Saul what he needed to do.
3.Acts 9:9 – Saul went three days without eating or drinking. Clearly, he
believed in Jesus, accepted the fact that He is the Savior, was sorry for
his sins, and had repented of those sins.
4.Again, many denominational preachers would say that Saul had done
what he needed to do to be saved from his sins.
5.But that is not what Ananias, the man sent from God told Saul!
6.He asked Saul why he was waiting.
7.And Ananias told Saul to arise and be baptized.
8.Why did Saul need to do that?
9.Because he was still in his sins!
10.And he needed to be immersed in water to, “WASH AWAY” those sins!
11.Again, God makes it clear that immersion in water is the first place that a
person contacts the benefits of the powerful blood of Jesus to wash away sins!
H.Rom 6:3,4
1.As we study these verses, please remember something very important
that we studied earlier.
2.All spiritual blessings, including redemption and forgiveness of sins, are
IN CHRIST.
3.Thus, we said that we needed to learn what God says we must do to be
placed IN CHRIST.
4.In these verses, God clearly says that we are BAPTIZED into Christ!
5.Therefore, according to God, baptism is the only way a person can be
placed in Jesus.
6.And when we are baptized into Christ, we are baptized into His DEATH.
7.Why is that important?
8.Because Jesus allowed His precious BLOOD to be shed in His death!
9.Thus, we first contact the benefits of that blood when we are baptized
into Jesus!
10.In addition, we rise up out of those waters of baptism to walk in
NEWNESS OF LIFE.
11.Clearly then, we are born again in the waters of baptism!
12.And please notice this, beloved.
13.We are BURIED with Christ in baptism.
14.When you bury someone, do you sprinkle a little dirt on them?
15.Do you take a bucket and pour some dirt on them?
16.No! You cover their body totally under the dirt.
17.Thus, God is making it clear that the one true baptism is a BURIAL in
water, an immersion, not sprinkling or pouring!
I.Gal 3:26,27
1.We can become children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
2.When does that happen?
3.When our faith motivates us to be BAPTIZED!
4.So, when we are immersed in water for the forgiveness of our past sins,
we become children of God.
5.But that is not all that God tells us here.
6.Again, He makes it clear that we are BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST!
7.That is just what we learned in Rom 6:3,4.
J.Acts 2:47
1.We have seen that there are several things that we must do to be saved
from our past sins.
2.We must hear God’s word; believe in Him and Jesus as His Son; have a
godly sorrow that motivates us to repent; confess our belief in Jesus with
our mouth; and be immersed in water to receive the remission of our
past sins, have those sins washed away, be placed in Christ, and
become a child of God.
3.When we are saved in that way, GOD will add us to the one true church
that Jesus purchased with His soul-cleansing blood!
K.Rev 2:10
1.After we are saved in that way and God adds us to the church, we must
remain faithful unto death.
2.We must do that to receive the crown of eternal life!
3.Remaining faithful to Jesus includes worshipping God in spirit and truth
(Jn 4:23,24); cleansing ourselves of all defilement of the flesh and spirit,
thus perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor 7:1); denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world (Titus 2:11,12).
L.According to Eph 4:5, there is only ONE baptism which is acceptable to God
today.
1.It is for the purpose or results listed above.
2.Acts 8:37
It is in water.
3.Acts 8:38,39
It involves a going down into the water and a coming up out of
the water, that is, immersion.
4.Rom 6:3,4; Col 2:12
It is a burial in water (immersion)
5.Therefore, baptism by sprinkling or pouring is NOT authorized by God
and is NOT acceptable to Him!
6.What about infant baptism?
a.There is not one Bible example of baptism of infants.
b.Mk 16:16
Babies can’t believe before they are baptized.
c.Acts 2:38
Babies can’t repent before they are baptized.
d.Rom 10:9,10; Acts 8:36,37
Babies can’t confess Jesus with their mouth before they are baptized..
e.Therefore, infant baptism is NOT authorized by God and is NOT
acceptable to Him. If you were baptized as an infant, God does
not accept that baptism!
7.If we can help you in any way, including obeying the Lord by being
immersed in water for the forgiveness of your past sins and to be added
to His one true church, please do not hesitate to contact us!