THE WAY OF SALVATION

PURPOSE

  • To teach the biblical way of salvation.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

This study is designed to present a clear picture of how someone goes from being lost to being saved. Because this study shows the path to salvation culminating at the point of baptism, be prepared to discuss some of the false understanding they might have about salvation and at what point in the past they believe they were forgiven of their sins. Don’t be discouraged if you come to an impasse at this point. Additional studies will help you confront false beliefs.

URGENCY

Help the person you are studying with to realize how important it is to be urgent about repenting and getting baptized. Give examples of how people in the world show urgency in important matters (i.e. going to the doctor with a severe health situation, studying for a test, etc.). Discuss how Satan loves to offer excuses to people at this point-anything to keep them from doing the things they need to do to be saved.

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

It is important to make the distinction here that there is no middle ground on whether a person is saved or lost, in the darkness or in the light. While much progress and change has taken place by now with the person you are studying with, they still aren’t saved and they need to grasp that truth. You should give them great encouragement about what has happened up to this point, but that only by following God’s specific plan and direction for coming into the light can they be saved.

REPENTANCE

In this study, we are focusing not only on baptism, but also on repentance as a part of the salvation process. We want to present a well-balanced picture of both truths. As you teach on repentance, beware of turning 2 Corinthians 7:10-11into a legalistic checklist or saying that godly sorrow is merely an emotional response. Repentance is not a formula but a change of mind and heart that ultimately produces a change of behavior.

BAPTISM

Baptism is one of the clearest teachings in the Bible, yet still one of the most debated and confused in the religious world. As you discuss their thoughts on baptism, do your best not to criticize any of their past misunderstandings or applications of the topic. Most of the people who have been baptized at some point in their life have done so believing they were doing what God wanted them to do. Remind them that, like the other studies, you simply want them to know what God says about the subject and for them to have the opportunity to be obedient to his direction.

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

  • When we grasp what happened at the cross, our response is “What shall I do?”
  • Peter sums up the teaching about salvation: repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.
  • Peter stresses that this is for salvation.

Q: Why do you think there was such a sense of urgency in their response?

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

  • Called out of darkness – becoming a Christian is to move from darkness to light, and it results in a dramatic change in one’s identity.
  • There is no grey area or middle ground.

Q: Are you in the light or in the darkness?

REPENTANCE

Q: What does the word ‘repent’ mean to you? 

Repentance is: to change one’s mind, to feel remorse, to turn away from sin and turn
toward righteousness.

10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

  • Repentance begins with godly sorrow, but continues beyond that. It results in real change and ultimately leads to salvation without regret.
  • Worldly sorrow does not bring about real change.

Q: What does godly sorrow produce?

Acts 17:30-32:

30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Acts 26:20

20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.

 

BAPTISM

Q: What is your understanding of baptism?

  • The Greek word baptizo (baptizo) means “to dip, plunge or immerse.”

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

  • After we’ve repented, we are commanded to be baptized.
  • What purpose does Peter give for baptism? (Forgiveness and the Holy Spirit)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

  • Baptism is our participation in the death, burial and resurrection.
  • We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to live a new life.

Acts 9:1-19

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

Acts 22:6-13

6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

Note: Make a list of everything Saul (Paul) did on the way to salvation.

Q: What do we see here that demonstrates Paul’s repentance?

  • Paul immediately changed from being a persecutor and murderer of Christians to a faithful Christian himself – he turned back from his sin.
  • He was obedient to the instruction he received from Jesus.
  • He fasted and prayed for three days – Saul’s conversion was a deeply spiritual event and he took it seriously.

Q: When might people say that Saul’s sins were forgiven and he was saved?

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

  • In both accounts, the culmination of Paul’s conversion to Christianity was his baptism.
  • Paul’s sins were forgiven (washed away) at baptism.

Acts 2:39-41

39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 17:24-28

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

  • This promise of salvation is available to all.
  • God is calling you!

QUESTIONS

Q: In what ways do you see God calling you now?
Q: Are you ready to accept his call to repent and be baptized?

FURTHER READINGS

Acts 8:26-40 The Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism

Acts 16:25-34 The Philippian jailer’s baptism

Galatians 3:26-29 In baptism, we become sons of God and heirs of the promise

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 The promise of blessings that come with repentance

Luke 3:1-14 Bear fruit that shows repentance

Luke 13:1-5 We will perish without repentance

Acts 3:19-20 Repentance leads to times of refreshing