Discipleship Training
“The New Birth”
Lesson#1 – The Question Is……
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Acts 16:30
Everyone born from Adam comes to this world as a sinner. We all stand in the need of salvation. Through the ages, many have come to this realization and have asked, “How can I be saved?” This simple question serves as the benchmark for this lesson.
The Universal Need for Salvation:
The Bible declares emphatically that all human beings are sinners. No one can honestly say that he/she is pure in and of himself.
“Who can say;I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” Prov. 20:9.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have takes us away”. Is. 64:6
Salvation Comes Only Through Faith in Jesus Christ:
Not only does each man need salvation, there is nothing man can do to save himself. No amount of good works or adherence to the law can save man It must be stressed that salvation can come only through faith, must be in the Lord Jesus Christ, Eph. 2:8-9; John 8:24; 14:6
Why must we place faith upon Christ? Since all men are sinners, the holiness of God demanded that he separate himself from sinsul man and also required death as a penalty for man. Therefore God chose to bind himself by the principle of death for sin. Without the shedding of blood (the giving of a life) there can be no remission or release from this penalty, Heb. 9:22 and no restoration to fellowship with God, Eph.2:-17’Col.1:19-22.
What is Salvation?
In general, salvation can refer to any kind of deliverance, preservation, or liberation. In a theological context, it means deliverance”from the power and effects of sin.” From the Word of God, we see that Salvation has past, present and future aspects.
Let’s look at each aspect a little more carefully –
We were saved, Titus 3:5
We are saved, Eph. 2:5; Rom. 5:10; I John 4:4
We will be saved, Rom. 8:23; Phil. 3:20-21
How can I be saved?
The Lord’s answer to Nicodemus, John 3:5
Peter’s response on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:37-38
Paul’s answer to the Philippian Jailer, Acts 16:28-34
Major points of consideration surrounding Salvation:
(1) It has a minimum requirement, namely the new birth.
(2) It’s a process of progressivelyappropriating God’s grace through a lifestyls of faith and holiness.
Notes:.
