From “How to become a Christian”: Chapter 15 – Step two in detail – believe
A) THAT GOD EXISTS, THAT HE IS THE ONE TRUE GOD AND THERE IS NO OTHER GOD.
“Turn to me and be saved,
Isaiah 45:22 (NIV)
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.”
To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.
Deuteronomy 4:35 (RSV)
25For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
1 Chronicles 16:25-26 (NIV)
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.
1 Kings 8:60 (NIV)
B) THAT GOD EXISTS IN THREE SEPARATE PERSONS: GOD THE FATHER, THE SON OF GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
In the verses that follow two, or even all three, of the Persons of the Trinity are referred to. Clearly therefore, they are each distinct and separate Persons. Yet, each of them clearly had divine status. That is they are each spoken of as being fully God in their own right.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)
16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17 (NASB)
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV)
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,
Luke 4:1 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
John 8:54 (NIV)
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
John 14:13 (NIV)
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 14:26 (NIV)
I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
John 16:28 (NIV)
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
John 17:24 (NIV)
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
1 Peter 1:2 (NASB)
20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
Jude 1:20-21 (NASB)
13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD,
Isaiah 40:13-14 (NASB)
Or as His counsellor has informed Him?
14With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
17But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:17-23 (NASB)
20“For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23so that all will honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him.
C) THAT NONETHELESS, THOSE THREE INDIVIDUAL PERSONS TOGETHER FORM ONE GOD. SO, IT IS TRUE TO SAY THAT GOD IS ONE.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
(Note in this verse, the very first in the Bible, we are presented with God as a Trinity. The way the word for ‘God‘ is written in the Hebrew is to use the plural noun “Elohim.” That means three (or more) persons. Then it immediately uses the verb “to create”. But it is in the singular form, not plural. The putting together of a noun in plural form and a verb in singular form would be a serious grammatical error if it wasn’t for the fact that God is a Trinity. Effectively, it says “In the beginning, God (plural noun for three or more persons) He created (verb in singular form, i.e. one person creating). Isn’t that an extraordinary way for God to start page 1 of the Bible? God is telling you at the very outset that He is not just one Person but that, even so, He is still one God.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)
I and the Father are one.”
John 10:30 (NIV)
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Isaiah 44:6 (RSV)
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.
John 17:11 (NIV)
have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
John 17:22 (NIV)
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)
4There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (NASB)
D) THAT GOD CREATED EVERYTHING, INCLUDING US, AND THAT WE BELONG TO HIM.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
2 Kings 19:15 (NASB)
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3 (NIV)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:1-3 (NIV)
Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me
Job 41:11 (NIV)
For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
Ezekiel 18:4 (NIV)
“You alone are the LORD
Nehemiah 9:6 (NASB)
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before You.
E) THAT WE ARE UNWORTHY AND HAVE SINNED, TRANSGRESSED AND REBELLED AGAINST GOD AND HAVE OFFENDED AND ANGERED HIM.
2God looks down from heaven
Psalm 53:2-3 (NIV)
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8 (NIV)
F) THAT WE ARE THEREFORE CONDEMNED IN GOD’S EYES AND, UNLESS WE ARE FORGIVEN, WE WILL BE ETERNALLY SEPARATED FROM HIM WHEN WE DIE AND FACE HIS JUDGMENT. WE WILL THEN GO TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT IN THE LAKE OF FIRE BECAUSE OF OUR SIN.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you,so that he will not hear.
Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:5 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.
Exodus 32:33 (NIV)
I will punish the world for its evil,
Isaiah 13:11 (NIV)
the wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)
8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (NIV)
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:8 (NIV)
G) THAT NOTHING WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN BEHALF CAN SAVE (JUSTIFY) US BY GIVING US FORGIVENESS OR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN GOD’S EYES. WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH AND NONE OF OUR WORKS OR DEEDS WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH TO SAVE US. IN GOD’S EYES EVEN OUR BEST DEEDS ARE INADEQUATE.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Romans 3:20 (NIV)
know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 2:16 (NIV)
11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Galatians 3:11-13 (NIV)
Romans 3:28 (NIV)
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Titus 3:5 (NIV)
H) THAT JESUS CHRIST IS NOT ONLY A MAN, BUT IS DIVINE (GOD). HE IS THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY, THE SON OF GOD. HE THEN BECAME A REAL HUMAN BEING, WHILST AT THE SAME TIME REMAINING THE SON OF GOD.
I intend to include a lot of verses in this section because there are so many people who refuse to accept that Jesus is divine, i.e. that He is God. Therefore I aim to show that that is very clearly what the Bible teaches.
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:28 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 (NIV)
(NB – “The Word” is one of the many titles or names of Jesus Christ)
9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
John 1:9-12 (NIV)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (KJV)
“I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:34 (NASB)
15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
Matthew 16:15-17 (NIV)
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV)
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
Colossians 2:9 (NIV)
25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”
John 4:25-26 (NIV)
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:33 (NIV)
31The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?” 33The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
John 10:31-33 (RSV)
36do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
John 10:36-39 (RSV)
3So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.”
John 11: 3-4 (RSV)
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 11:27 (NIV)
11And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
Mark 3:11-12 (RSV)
66When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, 67“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69“But from now on the Son of man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70And they all said, “Are You The Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” 71Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
Luke 22:66-71 (NASB)
1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
Hebrews 1:1-4 (NIV)
You may have heard people saying that Jesus isn’t the Son of God. They even suggest that Jesus never claimed to be so, or that His disciples never claimed it on His behalf. As you can see above, He was very clear in saying that He was the Son of God and therefore equal to God. Thus, cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses make a huge error on this point. Likewise, those who say He was God, but that He never really became a man, are also wrong.
I) THAT JESUS CHRIST LIVED A SINLESS LIFE AND THEN DIED AN UNJUST DEATH, WHICH HE DID NOT DESERVE, IN ORDER TO BE PUNISHED IN OUR PLACE AND PAY THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS. THAT WAS HOW GOD THE FATHER VIEWED JESUS’ DEATH. HE WAS PUTTING HIS OWN SON, JESUS, TO DEATH TO BE THE SACRIFICE THAT PAYS FOR OUR SIN.
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
1 Peter 2:22 (NIV)
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
Isaiah 53:10 (NIV)
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
6Who, being in very nature God,
Philippians 2:6-8 (NIV)
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
John 2:2 (NIV)
18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:18-20 (NIV)
25He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27 (NIV)
so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28 (NIV)
J) THAT WHEN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WAS ON THE CROSS, THE BURDEN AND THE GUILT OF ALL THE SIN OF THE WORLD WAS PUT UPON HIM. GOD THE FATHER POURED OUT HIS WRATH, ANGER AND PUNISHMENT UPON HIM, INSTEAD OF ON US.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed
1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Galatians 3:13 (NIV)
(NB – This verse above is a hard one to understand. It means that when Jesus was dying on the cross, God’s curse, which is what we all deserve and would otherwise receive, was redirected to Him. It was put upon Him so that it need not be put on us).
21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
Colossians 1:21-22 (NIV)
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
Romans 5:18 (NIV)
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
Romans 8:1-3 (NIV)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Colossians 1:13 (NIV)
13And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2:13-14 (RSV)
K) THAT THE LORD JESUS DIED AND THEN ROSE FROM THE DEAD. HE WAS RESURRECTED, PHYSICALLY AND LITERALLY. HE THEN ASCENDED PHYSICALLY INTO HEAVEN, 40 DAYS LATER. HE IS NOW ALIVE AND IN HEAVEN, IN HIS RESURRECTION BODY, WAITING TO RETURN TO THE EARTH.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” 8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
Matthew 28:5-9 (NIV)
9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11 (NASB)
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NIV)
3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We 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. 5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Romans 6:3-5 (NIV)
L) THAT WE MUST REPENT TOWARDS GOD THE FATHER FOR OUR SINS AND SINCERELY TURN AWAY FROM OUR SINS AND GENUINELY CHANGE IN OUR ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOUR AND LIFESTYLE.
1Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 3:1-2 (NASB)
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 (NASB)
“ …. God…… commands all people everywhere to repent”
Acts 17:30 (NIV)
36“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:36-38 (NASB)
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:19 (NIV)
19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
Acts 26:19-20 (NIV)
M) THAT WE MUST BE BAPTISED IN WATER, BY FULL IMMERSION, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. THIS MUST BE DONE BY US AS A REPENTANT BELIEVER, NOT DONE TO US AS AN INFANT. ANY PAST BAPTISM AS A BABY DOES NOT COUNT AS REAL BAPTISM.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 (NASB)
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
Acts 2:41 (NASB)
12But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 13Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
Acts 8:12-13 (NASB)
47“Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Acts 10:47-48 (NIV)
29And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.
Acts 16:29-34 (NASB)
Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.
Acts 18:8 (NASB)
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 19:5 (NASB)
‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
Acts 22:16 (NASB)
3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Romans 6:3-5 (NASB)
and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Colossians 2:12 (RSV)
N) THAT WE MUST RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, OTHERWISE REFERRED TO AS BEING “FILLED WITH” OR “BAPTISED IN” THE HOLY SPIRIT.
7And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8“I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:7-8 (NASB)
16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
John 14:16-17 (NASB)
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 14:26 (NASB)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Ephesians 5:18 (NASB)
13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15“All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
John 16:13-15 (NASB)
1It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
Acts 19:1-6 (NASB)
O) THAT FORGIVENESS AND ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO MEETS GOD’S CONDITIONS. THOSE ARE TO REPENT, BELIEVE, BE BAPTISED IN WATER AND RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
Mark 16:15-16 (NASB)
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.”
John 4:42 (NIV)
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24 (NIV)
7Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:7-10 (NIV)
38 Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Acts 13:38-39 (RSV)
9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:9-13 (NIV)
11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:11-13 (NIV)
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:16-18 (NIV)
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)
P) THAT THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO GOD AND THAT NO MAN, RELIGION, SYSTEM, ACTIVITY OR FORMULA CAN SAVE US. ONLY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF CAN SAVE US BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS, WHEN HE TOOK OUR PUNISHMENT IN OUR PLACE.
35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
John 3:35-36 (NIV)
23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
John 11:23-27 (NIV)
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
John 8:24 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NIV)
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12 (NIV)
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Acts 10:42-43 (RSV)
Q) THAT IF WE DIE WE WILL EVENTUALLY BE PHYSICALLY RESURRECTED. WE WILL THEN HAVE ETERNAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE “RESURRECTION BODIES” WHICH WILL NEVER DIE. THIS IS TRUE BOTH FOR BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS. THE RESURRECTION BODY OF AN UNBELIEVER WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED, EVEN IN THE LAKE OF FIRE
Your dead will live;
Isaiah 26:19 (NASB)
Their corpses will rise
You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Daniel 12:2 (NIV)
Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
1 Corinthians 6:14 (NASB)
23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
John 11:23-24 (NASB)
having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
Acts 24:15 (NASB)
12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:12-21 (NASB)
35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:35-44 (NASB)
51Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NASB)
10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11 (NASB)
R) THAT JESUS CHRIST WILL RETURN PHYSICALLY TO THIS EARTH. HE WILL THEN RULE AS KING OF ISRAEL AND KING OF THE WHOLE WORLD. IN OTHER WORDS, HE WILL ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND BRING IT TO COMPLETION
Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.
John 1:49 (NASB)
So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
Luke 23:3 (NASB)
16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NASB)
Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
Matthew 2:2 (NASB)
And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Matthew 27:37 (NASB)
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17 (NASB)
which He will bring about at the proper time–He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
1 Timothy 6:15 (NASB)
These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.
Revelation 17:14 (NASB)
13I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a (Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14“And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (NASB)
15From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:15-16 (NASB)
And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
Luke 23:42 (NASB)
6So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
Acts 1:6-7 (NASB)
29“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30“And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.32“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
Acts 2:29-32 (NASB)
4Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4-6 (NASB)
Conclusion
I have set out above a fairly thorough list of the basic truths that we need to believe and understand to be able to meaningfully put our trust in Jesus Christ and rely on Him to be our Saviour. Obviously, each of these things can be studied in much greater detail, as they are deep and complex issues. Yet, at the same time they are also simple truths which can be accepted by a small child.
God will judge you and deal with you according to your level of understanding, ability, age and experience. If you are a small child then less will be expected of you. But if you are an adult then God will expect you to seek to understand these facts properly so that you can fully put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If some of these basic essentials do not make sense to you, or you have a problem believing some of them, then ask God to open your mind and to give you the understanding, knowledge or faith that you need. Then start reading the Bible every day. If you do your part, God will help you and give you the understanding that you need.
However, do it with humility. Don’t have the self-important and patronising attitude that you will “sit in judgment” on God’s Word, deciding which parts of it you “agree with” and which parts you don’t. Instead approach God’s word with respect, aiming to learn from it. If you approach God’s word with a childlike and humble heart, wanting to learn from it, not to criticiSe it, then the Bible will open up to you in an amazing way. You will find yourself able to understand it and to believe it.
So, if a man does not have faith then he can get it. And, it is his duty to set about getting it. The way that we get that faith is through reading and studying God’s written Word, the Bible:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 (NIV)
