About Salvation

I. The Need for Salvation

"for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

II. The Means of Salvation

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (John 14:6)

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (II Corinthians 5:21)

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit." (I Peter 3:18)

III. The Steps of Salvation

A. Realize the God wishes to have fellowship with you.

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." (John 1:14a)

"I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 15:11)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." (John 14:27)

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." (John 15:11)

B. Recognize that sin stands in the way of that fellowship.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

C. Repent of your sins.

"Repent therefore and return that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

D. Receive Christ into your life.

"that if you confess with mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved, for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 9:9,10)

IV. The Stages of Salvation

A. Regeneration is instantaneous. It frees us from the penalty of sin.

"Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (II Corinthians 5:17)

B. Sanctification is a process. It frees us from the power of sin.

"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

C. Glorification is the completion of our salvation. It frees us from the presence of sin.

"For our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:20,21)

Living The Christian Lifestyle

Bible as our sole authority.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16,17)

Autonomy of each local church.

"He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything." (Colossians 1:18)

Priesthood of every believer.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" (I Peter 2:9)

Tithing

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." (Malachi 3:10)

Immersion

"having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4)

Spirit-led living

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Telling others about Christ

"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" (I Peter 3:15)

(Most of the above has been borrowed from the "Our Lifestyle Statement" of Saddleback Community Church. We borrow it because it does address our basic beliefs in a short and concise manner. By choice we use the NASV for our biblical text.)