GOOD NEWS FOR ALL

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVES?

HEAR– “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

BELIEVE– “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6; John 3:16; 20:30–31). When the Bible speaks of believers being saved, it means obedient believers and not disobedient ones (Acts 16:34; 2:44; Galatians 5:6). Faith alone will not save (James 2:24).

REPENT– “I tell you, no: but unless you repent, ye will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3; 24:46–47; Acts 17:30–31). To repent means to change one's mind and conduct (Matthew 21:28–29).

CONFESS– “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32–33; Romans 10:9–10; Acts 8:37). One is not to confess that he is taking Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, or that God, for Christ's sake, has pardoned his sins, but that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God (Acts 8:37).

BE BAPTIZED– “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ ” (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:15–16; I Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:27).

BAPTISM IS A BURIAL IN WATER– “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4; 6:17; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:37–39).
What Must I Do To Stay Saved?

FOLLOW AFTER THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT— “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the the Spirit” (Romans 8:1; 8:13; Galatians 5:19, 23; I Corinthians 9:27).

LIVE A GODLY LIFE— “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12; Colossians 3:5, 12; Revelation 21:8; 21:27).

FAITHFULLY FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST TO THE END OF LIFE— “And you shall be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22; Revelation 2:10; I Corinthians 10:1, 12). When one departs from the commands of Christ, it is worse than if he had never known them (II Peter 2:20, 22; Hebrews 6:4, 6; 10:26, 29).

ADD THE CHRISTIAN GRACES AND BEAR SPIRITUAL FRUIT— “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 1:5–8, 10; John 15:1-6).

REPENT, CONFESS, AND PRAY— When we sin we must repent of it, confess it, and pray to God that we may be forgiven. “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22; I John 1:8, 10; James 5: 16, 19).
What Church Must I Join?

NONE— Nowhere in the New Testament can you read of men joining a church. The New Testament church is the spiritual family of God, and men are born into it (I Timothy 3:15; John 3:5).

THE LORD ADDS THE SAVED TO HIS CHURCH— “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41). “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47; I Corinthians 12:18). Thus, it is impossible to become a Christian or be saved and stay out of the Lord's Church.

THE LORD HAS BUT ONE CHURCH— “...I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Nowhere in the New Testament can we read of any church except the Lord's (Ephesians 5:23, 27).

THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST— “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18).

THERE IS BUT ONE BODY— “There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4; I Corinthians 12:12, 20). This one body is the Lord's one Church which is the one spiritual family of God into which all men are born when they become Christians. No one should ever have any desire to be a member of any other church. Division is condemned in the Bible (I Corinthians 1:10, 13; John 17:20–21).
How Must I Worship So As To Please God?

REGULARLY— “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some; but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42). God is not pleased when we let weeks go by without worshipping him.

GIVING GLORY TO GOD IN THE CHURCH THROUGH CHRIST— “to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21). All worship must be directed to God through Christ and in His name [by His authority] (Ephesians 2:18; Colossians 3:17).

IN SPIRIT— “God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). To worship in spirit means to worship sincerely and earnestly. Our worship must be free from all hypocrisy and pretension (Matthew 6:1–6; 15:8).

IN TRUTH— To worship in truth means to worship according to the teaching of God's word (John 17:17; John 4:24; Matthew 15:9).

GOD'S WORD COMMANDS—
1. Prayer: I Timothy 2:8; Romans 12:12.
2. Lord's Supper: Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 11:23, 27.
3. Bible Study: II Timothy 2:15; Acts 2:42.
4. Contribution: I Corinthians 16:1–2; II Corinthians 9:7.
5. Singing: Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16.
What The New Testament Says
About God's Forgiveness

EVERY PERSON IS SEPARATED FROM GOD BECAUSE OF SIN— Romans 3:9-21, Romans 5:12-21, Romans 7:13-25

GOD HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT TO FORM A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE— Ephesians 1:3-14, I Peter 1:1-11, I John 3:1-10

GOD HAS REACHED OUT TO PEOPLE IN A PERSONAL WAY BY SENDING JESUS CHRIST— Colossians 1:15-23, Romans 5:1-11, I Peter 2:10-25, John 3:1-21, II Timothy 1:3-11, Ephesians 2:1-10

GOD'S FORGIVENESS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST IS AVAILABLE TO EVERY PERSON— I John 1:5-10, Romans 10:5-13, Romans 8:31-39, Romans 3:21-26

NEW LIFE IN CHRIST CALLS A PERSON TO LIVE IN A CHRIST- LIKE WAY— Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 20:20-29, Ephesians 4:17-32, Galatians 5:16-26, I John 4:7-21, Romans 12:1-21

WHAT MUST I DO TO OBTAIN FORGIVENESS OF MY SINS?—
Hear the word of God (Matthew 7:24)
Believe in Christ as God's Son (John 8:24)
Confess Christ as the Son of God (Romans 10:10)
Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3-5)
Be buried with Him in baptism (Romans 6:3-6)

AS A CHRISTIAN, GOD COMMANDS US:
To pray (I Timothy 2:8)
To eat the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7)
Study the Bible (II Timothy 2:15)
Give of our money (I Corinthians 16:1-2)
Sing praises to God (Ephesians 5:19)
Share the gospel with all men (Mark 16:15-16)
Bible References
Apostasy

Apostasy — A child of God can “Die”: Romans 8:12–13; James 5:19–20; Revelation 3:1–5.
Can fall away after being saved: Galatians 5:4, I Timothy 4:1–3, I Corinthians 9:27, 10:12; II Peter 2:20–22, 3:17; Hebrews 3:12 10:26–27; I John 1:7–10; Revelation 2:4–5.
Attendance

Hebrews 10:23–32; Acts 2:42.
Authority of the Bible

II Timothy 3:16–17; Deuteronomy 4:2, 18:17–22; Numbers 24:12–13; Proverbs 14:12; Luke 16:15; Revelation 22:18-19.
The final revelation: John 16:13; Galatians 1:8–9; II Peter 1:3, 19–21.
Inspiration

II Timothy 3:16; Matthew 10:19–20; Luke 1:68–70; I Corinthians 14:37; Galatians 1:8–12; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Peter 1:20–21.
False Teachers

Matthew 24:24; Acts 20:28–30; II Corinthians 11:13–15; Galatians 1:6–10; I Timothy 4:1–3; II Timothy 4:2–4; I John 2:18–23; Deuteronomy 18:21–22.
To support is sinful: Galatians 1:6–10; II John 7:11; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:20–21.
Baptism

Purpose: Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Galatians 3:26–27; I Peter 3:18–22.
Action: Romans 6:3–11; Mark 1:9–10; John 3:22–23; Acts 8:36–39.
Only “one baptism:” (Ephesians 4:4–6).
Baptism in the name of Christ is water baptism: John 3:5; Acts 10:47–48.
It is commanded of everyone: Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 10:48.
Candidates

Those taught – Matthew 28:19–20.
Believers – Mark 16:15–16; Acts 8:36–38.
Infants Not Need: Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:13–15.
Being Saved

Hear: Romans 10:14–17; Matthew 7:24.
Believe: Hebrews 11:6; Mark 16:15–16.
Not faith only: James 2:24; John 12:42.
Repent: Acts 2:38, 17:30; Luke 13:3, 5.
Confess: Matthew 10:32–33; Acts 8:36–37.
Be Baptized: See ”Baptism“
Remain Faithful: Romans 8:1; Titus 2:11–12; Revelation 2:10.
Church and Kingdom

The kingdom is the church: Matthew 16:18–19.
The Church is the “Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18, 24).
There is one body: Ephesians 4:4–6; I Corinthians 12:12–13; Colossians 3:15.
“Added by the Lord,” not “voted in;” Acts 2:47.
“At hand:” Matthew 3:2.
To come in first century with “power:” Mark 9:1.
“Power” to come with “Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:8). This happened on the day of Pentecost: Acts 2:1–4.
The Kingdom was in existence in Paul's day: Colossians 1:9–18; Acts 2:1–42, 20:28; Ephesians 5:23–30.
See “Division” and “Name”
Conversion, Examples of

Pentecost: Acts 2:14–47.
Samaria: Acts 8:4–13.
Ethiopian eunuch: Acts 8:26–39.
Paul (Saul): Acts 9:1–20, 22:6–16.
Cornelius: Acts 10:1–48, 11:1–18.
Lydia: Acts 16:13–15.
Philippian jailer: Acts 16:23–34.
Corinthians: Acts 18:8.
Divison

John 17:11, 20–21; I Corinthians 1:10–13, 3:3–9.
Only one body: Ephesians 1:22–23, 4:4–6, 13–16; I Corinthians 12:12–27.
See “Church and Kingdom”
Elders and Deacons

Christ is the “head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18).
Christ is the “great Shepherd” (Hebrews 13:20–21).
Elders

Acts 20:28; I Timothy 5:17; I Peter 5:1–5.
(qualifications) I Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9.
Deacons

(qualifications) I Timothy 3:8–13.
Faith Only

James 2:24, 26; John 12:42.
See “Works” and “Obedience”
Grace

Justified by grace: Romans 3:23–24; Titus 3:7.
Brings “salvation to all” and “instructs” (Titus 2:11–15).
“Given by Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 1:4–8).
Romans 5:2, 6–8, 15–21
Not by grace only: Matthew 7:13–14.
See “Obedience”
Holy Spirit

Member of Godhead: Matthew 28:19, I John 5:7–8; John 7:39, 16:5–15, 14:16–17; Galatians 5:16–25.
Gave us God's word: II Peter 1:21.
“Sword of Spirit” is “word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
Holy Spirit baptism occurred twice:

1) On Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:1–4) to give power to the apostles.

2) At Cornelius‘ house (Acts 11:15–18, 15:7–8) to show that Gentiles accepted.
Paul later wrote that there is only “one Spirit” and “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:4–6).
Judgment

Matthew 16:27, 25:31–46; Hebrews 9:27, Acts 17:30–31, Romans 2:16; II Corinthians 5:10–11.
Reward for faithful: James 1:12.
Punishment for wicked: Matthew 10:28, 13:40–42, 25:41–46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 16:19–31; Revelation 14:9–11, 21:8.
Punishment worse than death: Matthew 18:6, 26:24; Hebrews 10:28–29.
Wicked raised for this: John 5:28–29; Acts 24:14–16; Daniel 12:2.
Lord's Supper

Matthew 26:26–28; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23–29.
“On the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7).
Note: This is the same wording used for the weekly contribution (I Corinthians 16:1–2).
Marriage and Divorce
Marriage

Hebrews 13:4; Romans 7:1–3; I Timothy 4:1–3.
Divorce

Matthew 5:31–32, 19:3–9; I Corinthians 7:10–16.
Music

The New Testament church used only vocal music: (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Matthew 16:30.
It is sinful to add to or take from God's word: Revelation 22:18–19.
Vain worship: Matthew 15:8–9.
I Corinthians 14:15.
Name

For the church as a whole: Matthew 16:18; I Corinthians 1:2; Romans 16:16; Acts 20:28; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 12:28; I Corinthians 3:9; I Peter 5:3.
For God's people: James 5:7; Colossians 1:2; I Peter 2:5; Acts 11:26.
Acts 4:10–12; Philippians 2:9–11.
Obedience

Matthew 7:21; Acts 2:42, 5:29; II Thessalonians 1:7–9; John 14:15, 23; I Peter 1:22–23; Hebrews 5:8–9; I John 2:3–6, 5:3; Romans 6:16–17, 16:25–27.
Old Testament (Law)

Made known at Sinai: Nehemiah 9:13–14.
Sabbath to Jews: Deuteronomy 5:2–3, 15.
Ended at the death of Christ: Hebrews 9:15–17; Galatians 3:16–25, 5:4, 18.
Changed: Hebrews 7:12, 8:7–13, 10:9; Ephesians 2:13–15; Colossians 2:14.
For our learning: Romans 15:4.
Sin

What is sin? I John 3:4–9; Romans 14:23; James 4:17.
“All have sinned” (Romans 3:23).
Not inherited: Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 14:12.
Can be forgiven: Acts 2:38, 8:22, 22:16.
Romans 6:1-14.
Sincerity Not Enough

Paul was: Acts 7:54–60, 8:1, 26:9–11; I Timothy 1:12–16.
Cornelius was: Acts 10:1–48, 11:13–14.
Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 55:8–9; Matthew 7:21; Luke 16:15
Works

James 2:14–26; Matthew 7:21; John 12:42–43; Acts 10:34–35; Galatians 5:6; Hebrews 5:9.
Kinds of Works

1) Works of the flesh: Galatians 5:19–21.
2) Our own works: Acts 7:38–41; II Timothy 1:8–9.
3) Works of the Law: Galatians 2:16.
4) Works of obedience: Acts 10:34–35; Luke 6:46–49; John 6:29.