UNDERSTANDING SALVATION

 1. You have to realize that you need Jesus as Lord.

         - John 3:1-2

        - Nicodemus represents an every day religious person. He was in a religion and was faithful to it. However, it was not fulfilling. Although, it gave him the ability to do whatever he wanted. He was still bound to the religious ceremonies which never brought true happiness.

         -  I John 1: 8

        - “ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

        - Being religious or not being religious still equals up to sin. Anybody can declare himself or herself as holy. However, only God can make us holy and right before Him. If we think anything else, we fool ourselves.

          - John 3:3

         - “ Jesus answered and said unto him verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man(you and I) be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

         - Only through receiving Jesus in our hearts and living for Him can we see God. Jesus declares in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life, NO MAN can come unto the Father but by Him.

          - Romans 3:23

          - “ For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

          - We are sinners by nature. We have all fallen from grace due to the choices we make that are opposite of God’s. Our sins have built a wall between us and God. If the wall is not allowed to come down through repentance. Then eternal death is our end result. ( Romans 6:23 “ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”)

           - Sin’s Meaning

           - Sin means the breaking of religious law or a moral principle, through a willful act, a state of habitual violation of such principles. Sin is any offence, misdemeanor or fault. ( Webster’s Dictionary definition #2) Sin is the offence against God’s Spiritual nature and truth.

          - God’s nature is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. ( Read Galatians 5:22-23)

          - His truth would be His word. His word gives us the way to live. ( Read Matthew 5)

          - Sin was birthed into the human race by Adam and Eve back in the garden. Through their disobedience and desire for self righteousness; sin has entered the lives of all people.

  2.  Sin is what you yield yourself to.

I.  Romans 6:15-16

   1. You are either a servant of sin and the master and creator of that sin; or you are a servant of righteousness.

    2. Sin condemns the soul and causes you to be separated from the Lord.

       - Categories of sin ( Read I Corinthians 6:9-10)

        1. Fornicators- These are people who are immoral; they may have many partners in sex or even just one partner. However, they have no desire to be married.

        2. Idolaters- You don’t have to be an idol worshiper to be a false worshiper. Anything you put before God is an idol.

        3. Adulterers- People who are married but have extra affairs. Jesus says you are an adulterer even if you lust after someone else. See Matthew 5:27-28

        4. Effeminate- These are men who have women like traits to an inappropriate degree; wanting in manly strength or aggressiveness; especially marked with weakness, softness, and love of ease, over-emotional, or overly delicate.

       5. Abusers of themselves with mankind-These are sodomites, homosexuals, lesbians

       6. Thieves-( robbers of anything)

       7. Covetous- greedy people, lustful people

       8. Drunkards- These are drinkers of intoxicants. Also people who use drugs or other addictive items.

       9. Revilers- These are people who abuse others, rapers, child molesters, wife abusers, and so forth.

     10. Extortioners- These obtain things by violence, or threats. People in mobs, gangs, black markets, dictators and so forth.

    3. Sin or offence is real

      - I John 1:8 “ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

      - People who make excuses for their actions that are sinful are deceived by their own lustful flesh.

     - Proverbs 14:9 “ Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.”

   4. Salvation Covenant

     -   Definition of Covenant

      1. A binding and solemn agreement made by two or more people. It means a promise between God and man. It can also mean a formal, sealed agreement.

      2. Life Example: When you buy a car or a house, you have to sign some sort of agreement. You agree to pay the enclosed amount each month for a certain amount of years. If you do not pay the amount. What happens to your property or car? It is taken back and there is nothing you can do about it. It is the same way when you make a covenant with God. You agree to serve Him for the rest of your life. You promise to live by His word and be a doer of that word. However, the moment you start to continually walk away from that promise. The moment you decide that you do not want God any longer. That covenant , along with its blessings, is broken. You do not receive eternal life nor do you receive the inheritance bestowed upon God’s children.

     3. God’s role in the salvation Covenant

       - He promises a way out for all who freely come.

        1. Noah and the Ark ( Genesis 6-9)

        2. Abraham ( Genesis 12:1-3)

          3. Jesus, who is the way out for all of mankind ( Isaiah 7:14-16, Zechariah 3:8-10,Luke 1:26-38)

            - He provides for us

           .- Hebrews 11:39-40, Philippians 4:19

            - He assures us that He is God, and He is real.

            - II Samuel 7:12-17

     4. Our Role towards God

         - Receive His salvation ( Romans 3:23,5:8,6:23,10:9-13)

         - Walk in His salvation( James 2:14-18, Matthew 5; 19:16-22, I Timothy 6: 12-14

     5. Our blessings from Our God

         - Eternal Life ( Romans 6:23, Titus 1:2, I John 1:2)

         - Eternal life is hoped for ( Titus 3:7)

         - Financial Blessings ( Luke 5: 4-7)

         - Perfect Health ( Deuteronomy 34)

    6. The cursing for not serving God ( I Samuel 14-15)

II. Scriptures on Hell

   1. Hell is not a place of imagination. It is not a place for only murderers or thieves. It is for all who refuse Jesus as Savior. Jesus talked more about Hell than He did Heaven. He did not want any person to die and spend eternity there.

    - Psalm 9:17, Isaiah 57:3-12, Matthew 11: 20-23, Matthew 23:33, Luke 16:19-25

III. Repentance from dead works

    1. Repentance means to think differently or afterwards reconsider. It means to reverse a previous decision. When you and I repent, we change our previous thought of sin and come to the most Holy One. We realize that God is the one and pure God. We realize that our sin is as dirty rags to Him. Therefore, we must change our thinking or our way of living.

    2. It can mean to also to exercise the mind, to comprehend, heed, consider, perceive, think, and understand. It simply means that we come to our senses. We walk away from what has separated us from our Creator, and we start walking toward  the one who has made us.

   3. It can also mean to make new or to appear youthful. It can mean to regenerate. The Lord wants to make us new in Him when we simply repent.

     - II Corinthians 5:17 “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” ( NIV version)

     - The word “ repentance “ is found over 110 times from Genesis to Revelation. I believe that the Lord is trying to tell us something.

    - Jesus’ first message was one of repentance. Matthew 4:17 “ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

    - He sent the disciples out with the message of repentance ( Mark 6:7-13)

 4. Characteristics of Repentance

    - Repentance has not any respect of persons

     1. Luke 13:1-5

     2. There was a time of great slaying of the Galileans, because of their rebel forces fighting against the Roman Empire. Therefore, the people thought during this time that a great slaying meant that the dying people had great sin in their lives. Repentance is for all no matter how great the sin or no matter what your social status is.

     - Repentance ushers in forgiveness ( Luke 17:3-4)

     - Repentance keeps the flow of forgiveness in our lives ( Matthew 6:14-15)

     - Repentance increases the flow of forgiveness and causes future repentance to come more quickly. ( Matthew 18: 21-22)

     - Repentance ushers in reconciliation 

      1. Luke 15:11-24 Prodigal Son

         - Verses 14-16 The son develops misery and pain because of sin.

         - Verses 17-19 Then he hears the call of the Holy Spirit bringing conviction strongly upon his heart.

         - Verses 20-21 He asks for forgiveness; he repents.

         - Verses 22-24 He is reconciled back into the family again.

         - Remember the son had already spent his inheritance, but upon his repented return home all was forgiven.

         -He received the best robe. The ring of the father was placed on his hand, which meant honor and position back within the family. Shoes were placed back on his feet. He was given a feast with the main course being veal. He was placed back into the house as a son not a servant.           - Repentance removes curses that sin brings ( i.e. sickness or poverty)

      1. Exodus 15:26, Numbers 21: 8-9

     - Repentance ushers in the promise of the Holy Spirit

       1. Acts 2:36, Acts 11:23-47

     - Repentance causes Heaven to notice

         1. Luke 15:3-10

      - Repentance is brought on by Godly sorrow

        1. II Corinthians 7:8-11

   4. Repentance from dead works

      -Dead works are those things that pertain to the working of the flesh.

      - Nothing that we do in the flesh can cause us to repent.

      - The works of the flesh are mentioned in the following scripture passages.

       1. Galatians 5:19-21, I Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 1:21-32, Colossians 3:5-9

       - It is these things that we allow to come into and out of that defile us.

        1. Mark 7:14-23