Salvation
Acts 2: 47 tells us that 3,000 souls were added to the number of those being saved. When they heard the message they believed and were pierced to the heart and asked what should they do. Peter replied, “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. [SUP]39 [/SUP]For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2: 38, 39) This, then, IMO is a basic outline of what we must all do to be saved.
(1) We must hear the message so that we may know that God is light, there is no unrighteousness with Him at all, He cannot tolerate sin. But God is also love; He so loved the world that He gave His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to taste death for everyone, as we have all sinned by failing to believe and live as we should. Only Jesus, the Righteous One can redeem us from our sin and the death it brings. God has already appointed a day in which He will judge the world.
(2) We must believe that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and arose from grave on the third day. About forty days later, He ascended to heaven to reign at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead at the resurrection. Faith is our introduction to the grace of God which He has promised to those that believe and love Him. When we receive Jesus by believing in His name, we are begotten by God and given the right to become His children.
(3) God has commanded all men , everywhere, to repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of their sins. When we obey the body is washed with pure water and the heart and conscience are sprinkled clean with the blood of Christ. We are baptized into Christ and clothed with the attributes of Christ through the one baptism of water and Spirit.
(4) Those who obey are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to give life and to renew as He dwells within us. The gift of the Spirit is poured out upon us richly and abundantly so that we are immersed and baptized with the Spirit also.
(5) As we come forth from this baptismal experience we are born of both water and Spirit; we are spiritually born again. We are children of God and heirs of promise. God bless.
