2. EPHESIANS 1:1-2
“1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. EPHESIANS 1:3
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4. EPHESIANS 1:4
“4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5. EPHESIANS 1:5-6
“5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

6. EPHESIANS 1:7
“7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

8. INTRODUCTION Good Morning. We thank God…
Please repeat after me: “And she shall bring forth a son – and thou shalt call his name JESUS – for he shall save his people – from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)
We are thankful for this congregation and the visitors we have each week.

9. The five steps to salvation
PART 2

10. review
In review, we learned there are five STEPS revealed in the New Testament that every accountable soul must acknowledge and obey if he or she has the desire to be saved and one day go to Heaven to be with Christ - our Father - the Godhead.

11. review
We noticed that the first STEP an alien (lost) sinner must take is to HEAR the Word of God (Romans 10:17; 1 Cor. 15:1-4).
He then must take the second STEP, which is to believe what he has heard (John 8:24).

12. review
The third STEP is of equal importance; he must REPENT of sins. That means to change your mind about the evil things you are doing or have done in the past and turn to God with only good works (Luke 13:3).

13. Step 4: confess christ
The 39 books of the Old Testament, Genesis through Malachi say, “Christ is coming.” The 4 Gospels, Matthew through John say, “Christ has come.” The 23 New Testament letters, Acts through Revelation say, “Christ is coming again.”

14. Step 4: confess christ
Since God now speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1; cf. Deuteronomy 18:18- 19), to obey God is to obey Christ. To obey Christ is to confess Christ.

15. Step 4: confess christ
“Confession” means to declare openly by way of speaking out freely.

16. Step 4: confess christ
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

17. Step 4: confess christ
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).

18. Step 4: confess christ
Since Jesus Christ is the Son of God, there is no salvation in any other name under Heaven (Acts 4:12; John 20:30-31).

19. Step 4: confess christ
First, there must be the confession of faith in Jesus when one places himself under the obligation to accept the terms of salvation which have been set forth by the Christ.

20. Step 4: confess christ
Part of one’s obedience to the Gospel is the public acknowledgement of his belief in Jesus as the Son of God (1 John 4:15; Matthew 16:13-16).

21. Step 4: confess christ
Among the chief rulers there were “many who believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43).

22. Step 4: confess christ
Likewise today, when one comes to be a disciple there must be a willingness to abide in the teaching of Christ and a confessing of Jesus as the Christ (Acts 8:26- 39).

23. Step 4: confess christ
Second, the one who has made the initial confession with the mouth – that “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” and has rendered obedience to the Gospel of Christ, must also add to that initial confession another kind of confession.

24. Step 4: confess christ
He must confess that he belongs to Jesus by the way he lives, as long as he lives (cf. 2 Timothy 2:19; Nahum 1:7).

25. Step 4: what must we confess?
John 11:27… We must confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

26. Step 4: how must we confess christ?
Matthew 10:32… We must confess Him before men.
Romans 10:9-10… We must confess Him with our mouth.

27. Step 4: what will happen if we confess christ?
Luke 12:8… If we confess Jesus, Christ will confess us before the angels of God.
Matthew 10:32… If we confess Jesus, Christ will confess us before His Father in Heaven.

28. Step 4: what will happen if we deny christ?
Matthew 10:33; Luke 12:9; 2 Timothy 2:12… If we deny Jesus, Christ will deny us before His Father in Heaven.
1 John 2:23… If we deny Jesus, we will not even have the Father.

29. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
One cannot preach the Gospel of Christ without preaching baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 16:15-16). In fact, water baptism is always a part of preaching Christ (Acts 8:5, 12, 35-39).

30. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
Jesus began His personal ministry by being baptized by His cousin, John (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 1:36), and He ended His earthly stay by commanding baptism (Matthew 28:18-20).

31. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
As we said earlier, the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus for our sins are the facts of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1- 4; Romans 6:3-4, 17).

32. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
If we do not obey the Gospel, we will be eternally lost (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

33. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
The command to be baptized was a part of the first Gospel sermon (Acts 2:37-38), because the process of water baptism beautifully portrays the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for our sins (Rom. 6:1-4).

34. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
How many baptisms does the Bible demand? "There is…one Lord, one faith, ONE baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

35. Step 5: be baptized by immersion in water
What is the action? “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are raised with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12).

36. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
Baptism remits or forgives our sins by the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28; Acts 2:38).
Baptism brings us into Christ (Galatians 3:27) where all spiritual blessings are found (Ephesians 1:3).

37. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
These Spiritual blessing include but are not limited to forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), salvation (2 Timothy 2:10), the indwelling Spirit of God as an earnest and intercessor (Ephesians 1:13-14; Rom. 8:26), and eternal life (1 John 5:11).

38. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
The only scriptural candidate for water baptism is a taught penitent believer.

39. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
If one does NOT realize that by being baptized into the death of Jesus (Romans 6:3) his sins are washed away by the blood of Christ (Revelation1:5), he is NOT a scriptural candidate for baptism.

40. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
If one does NOT realize that he is saved at the point of water baptism and added to the ONE body of Christ by the Lord Himself (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13), he is NOT a scriptural candidate for baptism.

41. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
Concerning denominational baptism, if a person was baptized, but was ignorant of the significance of baptism to his salvation, he was NOT baptized scripturally.

42. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
In other words, if you were taught or thought you were saved before being baptized, you were NOT baptized scripturally. You simply got wet.

43. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
You are now being taught right and if you have an honest and good heart you can now be baptized right (Example - Acts 19:1- 5).

44. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
Since baptism is a burial in water (Romans 6:4), a person who simply had a little water sprinkled on him as an infant or poured over his head or body as an adult was NOT scripturally baptized.

45. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
Again we stress that if you have NOT been immersed in water with the proper understanding that it is for the forgiveness of your sins, you have NOT been baptized scripturally.

46. Step 5: what DOES the one baptism DO?
You need to repent of that error and be immersed with the ONE baptism commanded by Jesus (Matthew 28:19).

47. Step 5: why are we baptized?
Acts 22:16… We are baptized to wash away our sins.
Revelation 1:5… We are baptized to wash away our sins by the blood of Jesus.

48. Step 5: why are we baptized?
1 Peter 3:21… We are baptized to be saved NOW.
John 3:3, 5… We are baptized to be born again.

49. Step 5: why are we baptized?
Romans 6:4… We are baptized to walk in newness of life.
Acts 2:41, 47… We are baptized to be added to the church that Jesus built, the body or church of Christ (Matt. 16:18; Col. 1:18, 24).

50. Step 5: how are we baptized?
Acts 8:38-39… We are baptized by going down into the water and coming back up out of the water.
Colossians 2:12… We are baptized by being buried in the water.

51. Step 5: into what are we baptized?
Galatians 3:27… We are baptized into Christ.
Romans 6:3… We are baptized into Christ’s death where He shed His blood (John 19:33- 34).

52. Step 5: into what are we baptized?
1 Corinthians 12:13… We are baptized into one body (the church).

53. Step 5: what will we receive when baptized?
Acts 2:38… We will receive forgiveness of sins (by the blood of Jesus) and the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is the eternal life GIFT of God given to those who obey Him (Romans 6:23; Acts 5:32).

54. Preaching Jesus
Jesus is truly the Son of God (Matthew 27:54). Deity came to earth in the form of lowly man (Matthew 1:21-23; Philippians 2:6-7). He dwelt on this earth in the flesh about 33 years (cf. Luke 3:23).

55. Preaching Jesus
As He completed the work the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4), He went to the cross and died for the sins of the world (Romans 5:8). He died to cleanse your sins and mine by His blood (Matthew 26:28; Rev. 1:5).

56. Preaching Jesus
Jesus was buried in a grave (like any dead man should be - cf. Romans 6:1-7), but on the third day He rose from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) never to die again (Acts 13:34).

57. Preaching Jesus
The resurrected Lord appeared too many people (1 Corinthians 15:5-8).

58. Preaching Jesus
Before His ascension, He told His followers to GO INTO THE WHOLE WORLD preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and baptizing the taught for the remission of sins (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48).

59. Preaching Jesus
He then ascended on high (Acts 1:9) to the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34). There, He reigns over His kingdom [His church] (Matt. 16:18-19) as Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev. 11:15; 17:14; 19:16).

60. Preaching Jesus
He's coming again! (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Acts 1:11). When He comes, He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31; Revelation 19:11).

61. Preaching Jesus
When He comes, His people will be taken home to glory (Rom. 8:18; cf. Matt. 25:34, 46). When He comes, the unrepentant souls will perish (Luke 13:3) – they will be ushered into eternal destruction (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

62. Preaching Jesus
God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). So, God uses the evangelist and all His people to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2) and tell others the Good News about Jesus.

63. Preaching Jesus
We are to tell the lost how to get INTO Jesus so their sins can be forgiven (Matt. 26:28)...so they can be added to the one body, the church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4; Matthew 16:18)....

64. Preaching Jesus
So they can receive the spiritual blessing of salvation (2 Timothy 2:10) and the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16-17).

65. summary
To become a Christian a person must believe and obey Jesus (cf. Hebrews 5:9; Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). Our belief comes by hearing the Word of God - the Bible (Romans 10:17; John 14:15).

66. summary
To become a Christian a person must hear and believe from his heart that Jesus died for his sins, was buried and rose again on the third day (Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1- 4; John 3:16; 8:24).

67. summary
This heart felt belief in Jesus will cause a person who is honest with the word of God (Luke 8:15) to confess Him (Romans 10:9- 10), repent of his sins (change his mind about doing wrong – cf. Matt. 21:28-32)…

68. summary
And submit his body to be immersed (buried in water – Colossians 2:12) into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).

69. summary
Coming up out of that grave of water, the person is born again (John 3:3-5). He is forgiven and washed clean from his past sins through the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

70. summary
He is saved (1 Peter 3:21; Mark 16:16) and added to the church which Jesus built (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:41, 47). He receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as an earnest of his salvation (Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:9-11).

71. invitation
Loved ones, Jesus is the Author of eternal salvation to only those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).
You now have heard the Word of God! Do you believe what you have heard?

72. invitation Have you changed your mind about, or repented of your sins?
Are you willing now to confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God?

73. invitation
Jesus asked, “And why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say?” (Luke 6:46).

74. invitation
Are you ready now to do what He commands? If so, you are ready to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

75. invitation
Won’t you please trust and commit your life to Him who can save you? We are here to assist you in obeying the Lord and becoming “Just a Christian.”

76. invitation
“7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

77. invitation
“9 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

78. invitation
May God bless you to obey from the heart the things you now understand (Romans 6:17).

79. invitation
Christian, you too can come repenting of your neglect to follow the Lord all the way. You can come identifying with this congregation and returning to the work that God has given you to do.