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God’s Plan of Salvation
Part 1 – The Problem
Introduction
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father but through Me”
(John 14:6)
No man is going to walk into heaven on his
own; he must have the help of Jesus
Since Christ died on the cross and rose
again, ignorance is no longer an excuse – see
Acts 17:30-31, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8
Since eternity is on the line, we need to
examine God’s teaching, not man’s
We will let God define His own terms
God’s Plan of Salvation
Our study will break down into the
following sections
◦ The Problem
◦ The Gospel
◦ What Must I Do?
◦ God’s Teaching About Repentance
◦ God’s Teaching About Baptism
◦ The Choice
◦ The Need to Overcome
God’s Plan of Salvation
Man’s problem started way back in the
garden of Eden
God told Adam that he could eat from any
tree in the garden except for one
God told Adam that if he ate from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, that he
would “surely die” – see Genesis 2:17
Satan said, “You surely shall not die”
(Genesis 3:4)
When Adam and Eve ate, they disobeyed God
and sinned
God’s Plan of Salvation
Did Adam die on the day that he ate the
forbidden fruit?
The Bible says that he lived 930 years
(Genesis 5:5)
He died a spiritual death
Death means “separation”
The day that Adam and Eve ate from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, they were
kicked out of the garden
They lost the opportunity to walk and talk
with God
God’s Plan of Salvation
Sin still separates man from God today
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
that it cannot save… but your iniquities
have made a separation between you and
your God… so that He does not hear”
(Isaiah 59:1,2)
Sin is the problem; it separates man from
God
LSD – the devil’s drug; lust sin death
– see James 1:14-16
God’s Plan of Salvation
“For all have sinned, and fall short of the
glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
“If we say that we have not sinned, we
make Him a liar” (1 John 1:10)
“But the Scripture has shut up all men
under sin, that the promise by faith in
Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe” (Galatians 3:22)
There is only one way to get out of the
jailhouse of sin --
God’s Plan of Salvation
What about small children?
“The person who sins will die. The son will
not bear the punishment for the father’s
iniquity …” (Ezekiel 18:20)
Because of Adam’s sin, sin entered into the
world, but each person is accountable for his
own sin – see Romans 5:12-14
“And I [Paul] was once alive apart from the
Law; but when the commandment came, sin
became alive, and I died” (Romans 7:9)
God’s Plan of Salvation
Small children are innocent before God
A point comes where the commandment
applies, sin becomes alive, and they die
Jesus says of little children, “… their angels in
heaven continually behold the face of My
Father …” (Matthew 18:10)
“… unless you are converted and become like
children, you shall not enter the kingdom of
heaven” (Matthew 18:3)
Children are still in fellowship with God; the
gospel is directed to those who are
responsible for their own actions
God’s Plan of Salvation
What happens if a person remains in the
jailhouse of sin?
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 6:23)
Death is here contrasted with eternal life; in
other words, the consequence of unforgiven
sin is eternal death
“And these [the unrighteous] will go away
into eternal punishment …” (Matthew 25:46)
God’s Plan of Salvation
The punishment for sin is eternal
damnation
God uses force to persuade human nature
that it must take on a new nature
We must willingly fall on the Rock of Jesus
Christ and break our will to do His will –
see Matthew 21:44
Either we confess Jesus as Lord
voluntarily on earth, or we will do it later
under force – see Philippians 2:9-11
God’s Plan of Salvation
Many people reject this God who will
condemn a sinner to the black recesses of
hell
Modern thought teaches that we must avoid
all mention of sin and hell
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10)
You don’t solve a problem by avoiding it
Every person has the problem that his own
sins separate him from God and condemn
him to hell
God’s Plan of Salvation
God’s Plan of Salvation
Part 2 – The Gospel