Sermon Central
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What We Believe About Scriptural Baptism Series
Contributed by Brandon Max on Jun 26, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Paul declared in Ephesians 4:5 that there is only "One Baptism". Now if there is only one kind of Baptism...it has to be the right kind of Baptism for us to follow. The Bible teaches this to be Scriptural Baptism and the very same Baptism that Christ Himself received.
I like to tell people of how God wants them to know for sure that they are saved,
Because as the Scriptures declare in 1 John 5:13:
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…”
This is not a think so...Hope so...Maybe so...could be kind of a situation.
You can know for certain that you will go to heaven if you accept Christ as your Saviour.
And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life. 1 John 2:25
Question 2: “If you came face to face with God, and He asked you – ‘why should I let you into heaven?’ What would you say?”
The good thing about this question - is that it helps us to determine
Where exactly people are at spiritually.
What are basing their hope and faith of salvation on?
At this point, many people who do not have a firm Salvation in Jesus Christ...
Begin to form an answer based upon their own good works.
“Well I lived a good life and tried to always do what is right” – they might say.
Look you might have tried to live a good life – but that is not going to get you into heaven.
That’s when I like to again present the truth of the Scriptures:
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. …And from this approach many, many other verses can be shared.
The point in all of this is – when meeting people, don’t just assume people are saved
Even if they say they are – take the time to confirm their salvation in Jesus Christ.
I’M SAVED – WHAT COMES NEXT?
So that’s what we learnt previously – but what comes next?
How do we make true disciples of others?
Once a person is genuinely saved – where do we take them next in the Scriptures?
Well as we have discussed before - there are really only two key messages in the entire Bible:
One message is about Salvation - and the other message is about Service.
One message is about how to get saved through Jesus Christ...
And the other message is about how to follow and serve Jesus Christ.
Now we can’t confuse these two messages – because they are different.
Unfortunately, religion often tries to confusingly blend these two messages together
When God has always intended them to be received and acted upon separately.
First, you get Saved by faith in Jesus Christ...
And then you can effectively move on in faith - to Serve Jesus Christ.
Brethren you cannot serve God - until you first come to know God.
And the only way we can come to truly know God is through Jesus Christ His Son.
This is how true Christianity works.
There are two simple steps – first you get saved and come to know God,
Then you learn to follow God and serve Him.
Without Salvation in Jesus Christ – there is no next step.
A person can never ever serve God – without first being saved by Him.
Salvation is always the first step.
And I’ll tell you Why – it’s because our sins !
John 3:18 - He that believeth on Him [Jesus Christ] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
