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The Correct Path To Salvation

A. The Facts of Life (Ps. 90: 10)

  1. Toil
    1. To toil for education (Eccl 8: 16)
    2. To toil for livelihood (Gen 3: 17-19)
    3. To toil for desires (Lk 12: 15-21)
  2. Anxiety
    1. Anxiety over education (Eccl 1: 18)
    2. Anxiety over livelihood (Mt 13: 22)
    3. Anxiety over desires (Eccl 6: 7)
  3. Short
    1. As short as a breath (Ps 144: 4)
    2. Men are but like strangers exile on the earth (Heb 11:13-15
    3. No one knows when one’s life will come to an end (James 4: 13-15)
  4. Vanity
    1. Status is vanity (Ps 49: 1 2; Is 40: 6-8)
    2. Wealth is vanity (Ps 49:16-17; 1 Tim 6: 6-8)
    3. Man can never be satisfied (Eccl 5: 10-11; 2: 10- 11)

B. What will come after death?

  1. There will be Judgment (Heb 9: 27)
    1. Sinners will be punished (Rom 2: 8-9; Ezek 18: 4)
    2. The righteous will be re­warded (Rom 2: 10-11; Gal 6: 9)
    3. of reward and punish­ment in this life (Judg 9:53-57; Acts 10: 4, 34; 44-47).
  2. Two Destinations (Mt 7: 13-14 )
    1. On the Last Day God will exercise judgment (Ps 98: 9; Rev 22: 12)
    2. Those who are saved will enter into the heavenly king­dom (Mt 25: 34; 2 Tim 4:7-8)
    3. Those who are condemned will enter into hell (Mt 25: 41;Rev21:8)
  3. The Importance of Salvation (Acts 16: 30)
    1. If one is not saved there is no purpose in one’s life (Mt 16: 26; Eph 2: 12)
    2. No one can obtain salvation by relying on himself (Ps 49: 6-9; Eph 2: 8-9)
    3. Only Jesus is our Savior (Acts 4: 12; Jn 14: 6).

C. Believe in Lord Jesus (Acts 16:31)

  1. He is the Creator
    1. All things are created by Him (Jn 1: 1 -3; Mt 8: 23-27)
    2. All lives are in His hands (Jn 11: 25; Lk 7: 11-15)
    3. He and the Father are one (Jn 10: 30; Ps 9: 6)
  2. He is the Redeemer
    1. He is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim 3: 16; Jn 1:1-2,14)
    2. He died for all mankind (Heb 10: 1-4; Rom 5: 6-8
    3. He resurrected and returned to Heaven (1 Pet 3: 21 -22; 1 Cor 15: 1-3).
  3. He is the Lord of Judgment
    1. Both reward and punish­ment come from Him (Rev 22: 12; 2 Cor 5: 10)
    2. His word will judge the whole world (Jn 12: 48; Mt 24: 35)
    3. Believe in Jesus to avoid the punishment (Jn 3: 16- 18; Rom 5: 9)

D. Accept the Baptism of Regeneration (Tit 3: 5)

  1. The Effects of Baptism
    1. Forgiveness of sins (Acts 2: 38; 22: 16)
    2. Regeneration (Tit 3: 5; Jn 3: 5)
    3. Baptized into Christ (Gal 3: 27; Rev 5: 9-10)
  2. The Mode of Baptism
    1. the name of Lord Jesus (Acts 2: 38; 19: 5; 1 0: 43, 48)
    2. With face downwards (Rom 6: 4-5; Jn 19: 30; Ps 40: 12) whole body immersed (Jn 3: 23; Acts 8: 38; Col 2: 12)
  3. The three requisitions of one who is receiving baptism
    1. He must believe (Mk 16: 16; Acts 4: 12)
    2. He must repent (Acts 2: 38; Lk 3: 7-14)
    3. He must be determined to lead a new life (Lk 14: 25- 33; Acts 14: 22)

E. Strive for the Renewal in Holy Spirit (Tit 3: 5)

  1. Receiving of the Holy Spirit in relation to Salvation
    1. It is the condition for one to enter the heavenly kingdom (Jn 3: 5; Tit 3: 5)
    2. It is the guarantee of the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom (Eph 1: 13-14; Rom 8: 14-17)
    3. Without the Holy Spirit one does not belong to Christ (Rom 8: 9; Mt 25: 1-13)
  2. The signs of receiving the Holy Spirit
    1. One does not automatically receive the Holy Spirit when he believes in the Lord or receives baptism (Acts 19:1-2; 8: 15-16)
    2. When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, the person will speak in tongue (Acts 10: 44-46; 19: 6-7)
    3. The body will also be moved (Acts 2: 33; 13; 1 Cor. 14: 23)
  3. Rely on the Holy Spirit to renew oneself
    1. Man cannot change himself (Rom 7: 14-24; Jer 13: 23)
    2. The Holy Spirit helps to sanctify a person (Ezek 36:26-27; 2 Thess 2:13
    3. Relying on the Holy Spirit to change oneself into the likeness of Christ
      (2 Cor 3: 17-18; Eph 4: 20-24)

F. Practise the great teaching of loving God and loving man (Mt 22: 36-40)

  1. We must love God with all our might
    1. Worship Him in truth and sincerity (Rev 4: 8-11; Jn 4: 23)
    2. Obey Him completely (Jn 14: 1 5; Phil 2: 5-8)
    3. Offer everything (Gen 22: 1 -2; 16-18; Rom 12: 1)
  2. We must love others as we love ourselves
    1. Help those who are in dif­ficulties (Jas 2: 15-16; Lk 10: 30-37)
    2. Save the souls of mankind (2 Cor 1 2: 1 5; 1 Cor 9: 19, 23)
    3. Forgive the faults of others (Prov 19: 11; Gen 50: 15-21)
  3. We must practice these teachings when there is still time to do so
    1. We must worship God when we are still young (Eccl 12: 1; 2 Tim 3: 15)
    2. We must love God and man whenever we have the opportunity (Lk 23: 50; 24: 3;Gal 6:10)
    3. We must do our best to work when we are still alive (Eccles 9: 10; Lk 16: 19-31).

Conclusion

Man must:

  1. realize the vanity of life
  2. understand that there is judgment after death
  3. determine to believe in the Lord Jesus
  4. accept the baptism for for­giveness of sins
  5. manifest the likeness of Christ
  6. practice the teachings of loving God and loving man so as to complete the work of salvation.

In this way when one has completed his journey in this world he will definitely return to the heavenly king­dom in full glory.