God’s Plan for Man’s Salvation

PLEASE OBSERVE:
1. On the day of Pentecost, the people asked in Acts 2:37, “Men and brethren, What shall we
do?” Peter answered them.
2. In Acts 8:37, the eunuch from Ethiopia asked, “See here is water. What hinders men from
being baptized?” And Philip answered him.
3. On the road to Damascus, Saul asked in Acts 9:5, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
Jesus provided Ananias to answer Saul.
4. In Philippi, the Jailor asked in Acts 16:30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And Paul and
Silas answered him.

CONTINUE TO OBSERVE:
1. Each time a question was asked out of sincerity.
2. Each time a question was asked out of need.
3. Each time the question was answered from God’s will.
4. Each time the one or ones asking the question submitted to baptism for the remission of
their sins.

Can we afford to do any less than respond to Heaven’s call in answer to man’s greatest need?
Let’s examine what the Bible teaches about this matter.

MAN IS INDICTED BECAUSE OF SIN.

1. Romans 3:9 – . . . They are all under sin.
2. Romans 3:10 – . . . There is none righteous, no not one.
3. Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
4. Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death
through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
5. Ezekiel 18:20 – The soul that sins, it shall die . . .
6. John 8:34 – Jesus answered them, Most assuredly I say to you whoever
commits sin is a slave of sin.

HEAR the Gospel

• ROMANS 10:17 – Then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
• JOHN 8:32 – You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

BELIEVE the Gospel

• HEBREWS 11:6 – But 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 diligently seek Him.
• Mark:16:16 – He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe
will be condemned.
• ACTS 8:37 – Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he
answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

REPENT of Sins

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• LUKE 13:3, 5 – I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
• ACTS 2:38 – Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
• ACTS 17:30-31 - Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all
men everywhere to repent,
because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by
the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from
the dead.
• 2 PETER 3:9 –The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but
is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance.

CONFESS Christ as the Son of God

• MATTHEW 10:32-33 –Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess
before My Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in
heaven.
• ROMANS 10:10 - With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
• ACTS 8:37 –Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered
and said,"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

BAPTIZED (Immersed) for the remission of sins

• ACTS 2:38 –Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.
• 1 PETER 3:21 - There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ,
• ACTS 22;16 - . . . Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of
the Lord.
• MARK 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe
will be condemned.
• GALATIANS 3:27 - as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
• ROMANS 6:3-5 - Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall
be in the likeness of His resurrection.
• COLOSSIANS 2:12 – Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

The BLOOD OF CHRIST

• EPHESIANS 1:7 – In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace

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• EPHESIANS 2:13 -But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought
near by the blood of Christ.
• COLOSSIANS 1:14 - In whom [CHRIST] we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins.
• HEBREWS 9:22 - . . . Without shedding of blood there is no remission.
• 1 JOHN 1:7 - . . . The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• REVELATION 1:5 - . . . To Him [CHRIST]who loved us and washed us from our sins in His
own blood.
• REVELATION 5:9 - For you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of
every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

FIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHRISTIAN BAPTISM

1. MUST BE AN IMMERSION IN WATER.
• ROMANS 6:4 – Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life.
• COLOSSIANS 2:12 – Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
2. MUST BE A REPENTANT BELIEVER.
• ACTS 2:38 – Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. “
• MARK 16:16 – He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe
will be condemned.
• ACTS 8:36-38 –Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the
eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"
Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and
said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down
into the water, and he baptized him.
3. MUST BE UPON A CONFESSION OF FAITH IN CHRIST.
ACTS 8:37 - Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered
and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
• ROMANS 10:10 - With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
• MATTHEW 10:32-33 – Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess
before My Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in
heaven.
4. MUST BE FOR (OR UNTO) THE REMISSION OF SINS.
• ACTS 2:38 - Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.”
• ACTS 22:16 – - . . . Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of
the Lord.
5. MUST BE IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

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• MATTHEW 28:19 –Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." Amen.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEYING EACH PART OF

GOD’S PLAN FOR MAN’S SALVATION

If a combination lock has five numbers in its combination, each number must be turned to in its
proper sequence before the lock can be opened. Suppose a lock has the combination of
8 to the right
19 to the left
32 to the right
4 to the left
Is it not true that:
• Omitting a number will NOT open the lock.
• Turning 19 to the right instead of the left will NOT open the lock.
• Turning 4 to the right will NOT open the lock.
• Adding a number to the sequence will NOT open the lock.
• Leaving out a number in the sequence will NOT open the lock.

The required number in the required sequence set by the one who had the authority to established
such, much be honored, followed, and obeyed before the combination lock will open.

The same is true with obeying God:

• Omitting a part in God’s Plan For Man’s Salvation will NOT provide salvation.
• Changing what God has commanded will NOT provide salvation.
• Adding something additional to what God has commanded will NOT provide salvation.
• Leaving out something that God has commanded will NOT provide salvation.
Kind reader of this page, please do God’s will in God’s way and you will receive the promised
benefit from God!

A New Testament Application

In Acts 19:1-7, we find a New Testament principle of application of the illustration of the
combination lock. ACTS 19:1-7
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul, having passed through the upper
regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy
Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a
Holy Spirit."
And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that
they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with
tongues and prophesied.
Now the men were about twelve in all.

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In this passage Paul met twelve men at Ephesus who had been baptized. They had received
John’s baptism (v. 3) Notice how much they had fulfilled.
• Immersion in water? YES
• Repentant believers? YES, but on wrong faith.
• Upon a confession of faith in Christ? NO
• For the remission of sins? YES (Mark 1:4)
• Into the name of the Father, son, and Holy Spirit? NO
They had not fulfilled all the REQUIREMENTS EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD BEEN IMMERSED IN
WATER. They had to be “re-baptized,” this time in the name of Jesus (v. 5). The second time was
the ONE baptism of Ephesians 4:5.

WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE . . . WHAT GOD TEACHES . . . OR WHAT MAN SAYS?

GOD . . . . Belief + Baptism = Salvation . . . . . Mark 16:16

MAN . . . . Belief – Baptism = Salvation . . . . . ???

GOD . . . . Repentance + Baptism = Salvation . . . . . Acts 2:38

MAN . . . . Repentance – Baptism = Salvation . . . . . ???

GOD . . . . We are Baptized into Christ . . . . . Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27

MAN . . . . We are NOT Baptized into Christ . . . . . ???

GOD . . . . Baptism washes away our Sins . . . . . Acts 22:16

MAN . . . . Baptism does NOT wash away our sins . . . . . ???

GOD . . . . Baptism Does also NOW save us . . . . . 1 Peter 3:21

MAN . . . . Baptism Does also NOT save us . . . . . ???

Kind reader, life is short and eternity is too long to be wrong . . . not to be obedient to the simple
commands of Christ to obey the Gospel. The above Scriptures are clear.
• Will you not believe in God and Christ . . . today?
• Will you not repent of your every sin . . . today?
• Will you not confess Christ as God’s only Begotten Son . . . today?
• Will you not be baptized (immersed in water) for the remission of sins . . . today?
Please contact a congregation of the Church of Christ nearest you and ask hem to assist you in
obeying the Gospel of Christ in the manner in which you have read about in the Bible. Should you
feel the need for additional study, please request that of them. They are God’s people and they
will be glad to help you learn more about God’s Word. May God richly bless you to reach the most
important decision you will ever reach . . . the decision to become a Christian! Upon rendering
your obedience to the Gospel, Christ will add you to His church (Acts 2:47.) Dedicate yourself to
live faithful to God’s will. Choose a faithful congregation from among the churches of Christ and
attend faithfully all the periods of worship and Bible Study offered there.

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