ETERNAL
LIFE
God’s plan of salvation as revealed in the
Bible
Since Mankind has existed on earth, there has never been a more highly
valued possession than one thing—Eternal Life. In fact, eternal life seems so
lofty an idea and “unattainable” that many people do not even believe such a
thing is possible. So they therefore put their hope in riches--in money and
wealth and material possessions. Yet, God’s Word-- the Bible, tells us
eternal life is very possible indeed. And it is something God wants all people
everywhere to have. God wants us to have eternal life so much that He gave His
only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins on a cross. And
after Jesus died in our place, God raised Him from the dead to prove to all
people, everywhere that eternal life comes only through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Although God’s gift of life is a free gift, it is a
gift—like any gift-- that must be accepted in order to be possessed.
When someone offers you a gift, you must accept it from them in order for
the gift to become yours. And so it is with God’s gift of eternal life. The
Bible— God’s Word, tells us how we are to accept this gift if we
want it to be ours. The Bible is very specific that there are some things we
must do in order to have eternal life.
But the Bible also
teaches that there is something that stands between us and God that prevents us
from having eternal life. This obstacle that stands between us and God is what
the Bible calls sin.
“Sin” means “to miss
the mark”. Simply put, sin is wrongdoing. The Bible defines sin in many
passages. See Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5-10, Romans 1:18-32, Mark
7:20-22, Revelation 21:7-8, James 4:17.
The Bible also
teaches we are ALL guilty of sin. See
Isaiah 64:5-6, Romans 3:10-12,23. And
the penalty for our sin is spiritual death, and separation from God. See Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans
6:23.
But because of God’s
great love for us, He has provided mankind a way out. He has provided us a plan
of salvation through Christ so that we would not have to pay
the penalty of the spiritual death we deserve.
The Bible teaches
that after we die, we will face
judgment or, if Christ returns while we are still alive, the final judgment
will then commence.
To escape the
condemnation of this judgment and to be saved, we must:
1.) Hear the “good news” of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14)
2.) Believe (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 8:37; Mark 16:16; John 8:24)
3.) Repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Mark 10:15, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians
3:5-10)
4.) Confess faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:36-37; Romans 10:9)
5.) BE
BAPTIZED (immersed) in water for the purpose of having
our sins forgiven and washed away (being reborn). (Acts 2:37-41; 1Peter 3:21; John 3:3-5; Acts
22:16; Romans 6:3-8; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Mark 16:15-16; Acts
8:34-39; Ephesians 4:5) In baptism, we become clothed with Christ, receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit and are added to his body—the church. See also
Ephesians 1:22-23; 1Corinthians 12:13.
6.) Remain faithful for the rest of our lives and
carry our cross daily We must
continue to hold to Christ’s teachings and walk with Him in His ways until the
end (Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13; Luke 9:23; Hebrews 10:25: John 8:31)
We
become saved (conversion occurs) and we come into contact with the blood
of Christ (or enter into Christ), at baptism, after steps
1-4 have been fulfilled.
The
work of the cross is God’s offer of life…baptism is our acceptance
Romans
6:3-6
Being baptized “into Christ”
If you would like to
accept and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ by uniting yourself with the Lord
in His death, burial, and resurrection through the water of baptism, please
let us know how we can help you make this happen.
If you follow God’s plan of salvation you will
possess eternal life. We pray we may be a help to you on this most
important journey.
To
find the nearest Church of Christ to visit, go to:
For a more in-depth study on
the subject of baptism and salvation visit