RECEIVING GOD'S GIFT OF GRACE

As we have seen in the previous lesson, we have all sinned in every way there is to sin. There is nothing we can do to work off our sin debt against God. So Jesus came to take away our sins by paying the price for us. Understanding those Bible truths, the next question is how does one show faith in Jesus Christ and accept the Gift of Salvation God has offered us?

A. Remember what we learned at the end of the last lesson, God's gift is extended to all but to benefit from the gift we need to accept it. What do these Scriptures say about that?

1. Romans 3:21-26 Those who have faith and believe.
   
2. John 1:12 Those who receive Him and believe have the right "to become" children of God. [Citizens in the U.S.A. have the right to vote, but having the right doesn't make them voters. A voter is one who has exercised that right and voted.]
   
3. John 3:16-18 Those who believe in His name.
   
4. John 3:3-5 To enter God's Kingdom one must be "born again" of water and the Spirit.

B. What does it mean to have "faith" or "believe"?

1. "Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it." [Hebrews 11:1, New Century Version]

C. Is "faith" simply mental acceptance of an idea or is there more to it?

1. James 1:21-25 = We are to "do" what the Word says, not simply listen.
   
2. James 2:14-26 = One whose profession of faith does not produce positive and concrete action has a dead faith, not a living, vibrant faith. Even the demons believe in God, but their belief does not save them.

D. Where are the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice to be found?

1. Romans 8:1 = Those IN Christ are not judged guilty now.
   
2. Romans 8:38-39 = The love of God is experienced IN Christ Jesus.
   
3. Colossians 1:13-14 = Forgiveness is found IN Christ.
   
4. 2Timothy 2:10 = Salvation is had IN Christ.

E. Since freedom from guilt, the love of God, forgiveness, and salvation are all found IN Christ, the next logical question is how does one get into Christ? Another way to ask this same question comes from John 1:12--how do we who have believed in Jesus exercise our right to become children of God?

1. James 1:21 = Receive the implanted (like a seed) word which is able to save your soul.
   
2. Luke 12:8-9 = Confess Christ before others or be denied by Him before God.
   
3. Luke 13:5 = Repent (the word means to change) or perish.
   
4. Romans 10:8-17 = Hear the Gospel (Good News), believe it, confess Christ, call upon the Lord.

F. While we've read of hearing, believing, confessing and repenting, have we read anything in these passages that says we are IN Christ if we've done these things? So there must be more to "calling" on the name of the Lord than the four things we have just seen. What else could there be?

1. Acts 22:16 = "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
   
2. Acts 2:22-37 = Peter preached to these people the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and told them it was their "lawless hands" that put Him to death.
   
3. Acts 2:37 = The people were convicted in their hearts and wanted to know what they should do in response to the message and the charge.
   
4. Acts 2:38-42 = Note that Peter didn't tell them to "say this prayer with me, asking Jesus to come into you hearts." In fact, if you search your Bible you will not find a reference to anyone praying a special prayer asking Jesus into their hearts to get saved. In response to their heart convicted question--"what shall we do"--the Apostle told them to "repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." He implored them to be saved. Those who gladly received his word were baptized, resulting in 3000 souls being added to Jesus' followers. Read this passage again. Let it say what is says. Think about it. Pray about it. Believe it. Follow it.

G. What does the Bible teach concerning baptism?

1. Acts 2:38,41 = We've already seen that the decision to be baptized comes after one has received the word and repented (made a conscious decision to change from a God displeasing life to a God pleasing life). We are told that repentance and baptism is for the remission of sins.
   
2. Acts 8:12 = Philip preached Christ to these people (verse 5). The "men and women" who believed the message were baptized in response to it. Consider for a moment. The Bible specifically says men and women who believed were baptized. Should we baptize infants?
3. Acts 8:35-39 = Part of "preaching Jesus" is teaching about baptism (how else would the man know about it?). Notice that they stopped by a body of water and they both went down into the water together and came up out of it. Why didn't they just use the water from the veteran desert traveler's water skin to sprinkle him?
   
4. Acts 9:1-6,17-18 = "You will be told what you must do." What Saul did was get baptized.
   
5. Acts 10:47-48. Peter ordered Cornelius and the others who believed to be baptized in water.
   
6. Acts 16:29-34 = The Jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?". Paul did three things in response to that question: 1) He said believe on Jesus; 2) He spoke the word of the Lord to them; 3) He baptized them.
   
7. Acts 18:8 = Crispus and others heard the message, believed it, and were baptized.
   
8. Acts 22:12-16 = Again, this is part of what Paul was told he must do (Acts 9:6,17-18). Baptism is an act of trust/faith, calling on the Lord to wash our sins away.

H. There is more about baptism:

1. Romans 6:1-8 = Those who have been buried with Christ in baptism have "died" and been freed from sin. If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be resurrected as He was.
   
2. 1Peter 3:20-21 = Baptism's Old Testament parallel is the Flood of Noah that covered the earth with water to rid the world of sin. Noah and his family were saved through the water. This passage plainly and straightforwardly says, "in like manner, baptism now saves us."
   
3. Galatians 3:26-27 = We "put on" Christ in baptism. We are "baptized INTO Christ." So when are we "in" Christ where all those blessing we mentioned earlier are found? When we have been baptized into Christ then we are in Christ.
   
4. John 3:3-5 = Unless one is born again of water and the Spirit one cannot inherit God's kingdom.

I. Let's summarize what we've learned up to this point concerning accepting God's gift of salvation. To accept God's gift requires faith (belief and trust) in God and in His son Jesus. This faith is not simply a mental or verbal acceptance, it produces obedience and right actions {Hebrews 5:9}. The blessings coming from Jesus' sacrifice--being guilt free, the love of God, forgiveness, salvation--are all to found IN Christ. How do we exercise the right to become God's children and get into Christ? We must hear the message about Jesus. We must believe the message. We must confess our belief in Christ before others. We must repent (change, turn around) of our sinful lives. To put on Christ we must be baptized into Christ. Baptism is for those who have heard, believed, confessed and repented. Baptism involves the use of water. Baptism is commanded. It is described as a burial in which the person goes down into and then comes up out of the water. It is compared to the flood which totally covered the earth. The word itself means to immerse or submerge in the Greek language in which the New Testament was written. Sprinkling or pouring do not fit the definition or description of New Testament baptism. They are inventions of men. Baptism is a new birth, a new beginning in which we rise to walk and live in a new way.

J. Understand that it is not the water, but the blood of Jesus that cancels and washes away sin {Matthew 26:28; Revelation 1:5}. However, it is through baptism in water that we come into contact with the sacrifice of Christ and his blood {Romans 6:1-8; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16}. At that time the Holy Spirit washes us and makes us clean {Titus 3:3-7}. Having heard all this from the Scriptures, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins? Do you want to be washed free of your sins? Are you willing to obey what the Scriptures teach regarding how to do that?

K. Jesus said count the costs, weigh the pro's and con's before making a decision to be His follower {Luke 14:25-35}. To help you do that, the next lesson provides an overview of what it means to be a follower of Christ, we call it "Life After Birth." Read Romans 6 and Colossians 3 ahead of time.