How Can I Be saved? - Repent and Be Saved

 

HOW CAN I BE SAVED? - Repent and Be Saved

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Ps 51:17)

 

“SAVE ME AND I SHALL BE SAVED...”:

Man’s greatest life’s achievement is restoration back to God in sweet relationship and true worship. Revival should not be an event but a perpetual experience in our walk and work with God, which requires a spiritual relationship. Salvation – forgiveness of sin is as simple as saying sorry to a loving person, whom you have offended. The offended already has a load of forgiveness even before the apology is tendered – that prepares the ground for wholehearted forgiveness and restoration. However, the offender must be sincere and willing to avoid the reoccurrence of the offence. This is just the relationship between us and God. God is not happy about sin but He eagerly looking forward for repentance and restoration. The problem is not the sin but failure to part with the sin. There is yet hope. God is waiting for a full and sustaining restoration.

 

1. What does repent mean?

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

There is a God to serve:

·         Repentance starts from knowing there is a God to serve

·         Knowledge about how to develop a relationship with God is crucial

Dealing with anti-God/unrighteousness:

·         Serving God does not come naturally

·         Satan, sin and worldliness are contending against everything godly

The unchanging God:

·         The fall nature of God does not change his requirements

·         We have to align ourselves to His righteous conditions

Helplessness

·         Repentance would be effective if a sinner is tired of his/her sinful life

·         It is this helplessness that activates a desire for repentance

·         Perhaps there are consequences been suffered that may lead to this situation

Determination & Desire

·         Repentance starts with a strong desire and determination for a change

·         Without a strong desire, action would be delayed

Deliberate action

·         The point at which a sinner come to himself and have a personal thought

·         This is followed by a taking a step towards repentance

Pay the price

·         Repentance is a spiritual transaction. God will speak and the sinner must respond

·         This involved playing our parts for the spiritual transaction to actualize

·         There must be a strong desire for a change

Total surrender

·         At this point, the sinner must be willing to let go of all potential hindrances

·         Obedience must be complete

Let God

·         It is a gift of God

·         Repentance requires receiving by faith, what has been provided by covenant

Keep on

·         For repentance to be complete and effective, the terms and conditions must be met

·         It is not an event but a lifestyle of righteousness that must be sustained

·         Don’t turn around to the settled accounts

 

2. What is necessary before a person can repent?

Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

Appreciate Salvation

·         Salvation must be appreciated as the only way out

·         The desire for a new life inspires steps to repentance

Tired of sin

·         A sinner must reach his/her final appointment with sin

·         If sin is still attractive, repentance would be difficult

Acknowledge sinful ways/life

·         Identifying sinful desires, thoughts, action and reactions

·         Passing the bulk is a hindrance

Come to yourself

·         Self-evaluation and assessment

·         Self-sermon

·         Making a deliberate decision

Steps of obedience

·         There would be a discuss between the sinner and God

·         Each issue must be dealt with accordingly

Turning point

·         Total surrender

·         Full obedience

It is a spiritual matter (Communication)

 

3. Why might the statement, “I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” be insufficient to bring about salvation?

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Believe is relative

·         It is easy to declare agreement to something

·         There are levels of believing

Believe can be passive

·         Believe or agreement to something may not necessarily be followed with action

·         Passive belief does not hit the target

Active believe

·         Active believe leads to action

·         Active believe brings results

Satan/Sinners believe and tremble

·         The word of God is potent and powerful

·         It would certainly bring impulse reaction to mere hearers

·         Many people believe the word of God and tremble at it

·         Believing without action and results is futile

·         Satan himself believe but cannot do any positive action about it because, for him, it too late

Faith & Works (work the works of God)

·         True believe leads to doing the works of God

Believe unto salvation

·         Effective believe brings results

·         Effective believe brings experiential spiritual encounter

Confess what you believe:

·         An effective and true believe leads to experiential confession of what we beleive

 

4. Which words in the following verses indicate that repentance takes action?

Isaiah 1:18, Ezekiel 18:31, Hosea 14:2, Joel 2:12

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Come:

·         At this point, a sinner needs no prophet to convince him/her of the need for repentance

Reason

·         A spiritual communication to settle the old account

Cast away

·         This is a personal responsibility

·         God is faithful to reveal sinful ways

·         It is the sinners’ duty to do away with all the sinful ways

·         God will not force it

Turn to the Lord

·         Turning point

·         There must be a paradigm shift

·         There must be a right about turn

·         New life, direction, desire, purpose, plan

·         A turn towards God to receive the spiritual capacity

Fasting

·         Fasting deals with our preparedness

·         Fasting position us to where God wants us to be

Weeping

·         Emotional expression

·         However, weeping will not save us

·         Weeping, when done with deep remorse and followed up by taking action brings salvation

Mourning

·         Feeling sorry for the sinful past

·         Remorseful of past actions

·         Mourning that leads to repentance comes with a decision never to return to the old ways

 

5. What are the eternal consequences of the statement of Jesus, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”?

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Mortgaged heritage

·         Historically and naturally, we have a lost heritage

·         Our fore parents mortgaged our inheritance

·         Thank God for Jesus

·         There is yet hope

The antidote for sin

·         There is a solution offered, if only we accept it

·         The blood of Jesus is the antidote for sin

·         This is only possible through repentance

Sin separates, kills, destroys

·         Sin separates us from God (God does not parley with sin)

·         Sin is a killer

·         Sin is a destroyer

It is a personal matter

·         God has done his part – redemption plan

·         Jesus completed his part – the sacrifice

·         Sinners must receive the provision by a step of repentance

There is a standing judgement to escape from

There is a hell to avoid

 

6. Many people attempt to justify the fact that they have sins which are unrepented of by saying their sins are not serious enough to require repentance. Why is this false?

Song of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

1Corinthians 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Self-justification

·         Self-justification a false strategy

·         Satan use it to rob us of our blessings

Check your luggage (Contraband)

·         Any sin is a contraband item

Unrepented sin is a liability

·         Sin a luggage

·         Sin is heavy

·         Sin is depressing

·         The earlier we do away with it and completely, the best.

·         Settle the account and be free

All sins are equal before God (No grades or degrees)

·         Just a little is enough

·         There are no low/small to high/big grading

·         They all do the same havoc

·         They all need the same remedy

The wages of sin

·         The wages of sin is death

·         But thanks be to God, we can be delivered

If our hearts condemn us

·         God is faithful

·         His Spirit will reveal

·         Just settle it

Unrepented sin will hinder

·         The time to settle it is now

·         Disengage from the works of sin

 

7. How much does it cost a person to receive salvation?

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Salvation: “High end” treasure

·         Salvation is precious

·         Salvation has great value

·         Salvation is treasure

Our responsibility

·         We have a little part to play

·         God completed the plan

·         Jesus paid the price

·         There is a little input that we need to address in order to claim it

It is done, It is finished

·         Salvation has been brought down

·         The next point of action from you

Jesus paid it all

·         Jesus paid the full price

·         The price we need to pay is what is needed to appropriate the free gift

Easy to get saved, efforts to keep saved

·         We must be ready to maintain and sustain our Spiritual liberty

·         It is easy to get saved when all conditions are competed

·         Keeping saved is an uphill task

·         Efforts and cooperation are needed

·         It is made easy when we fully surrender and obey continually

Salvation is available

Salvation is affordable

 

8. How can you know you are saved?

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Change action

·         There is a great change

·         From old ways of doing things to new ways

·         Without change, there is no Christianity

Spirit’s witness

·         The Spirit of God will confirm forgiveness of sins

·         The spirit will also confirm our new birth and identity

Agreement with the spirit of God

·         Thoughts, plans, actions and reactions will agree with the spirit of God

·         Obedience to God’s will and ways

·         Total surrender of our heart, body and resources

CONCLUSSION:

Praise the Lord ,there is mercy in heaven,

In that land where the sun never sets,

For our Savior forgives not as mortals

But our Jesus forgives and forgets

Chorus:

He forgives and forgets

He forgives and forgets

Not as mortals forgive one another

But our Jesus forgives and forgets

 

When we bowed at the footstool of mercy

When we knocked on the door to get in

Jesus not only freely did pardon

But forgave and forgot every sin

 

Oft we hear people say,"I'll forgive you,

But I cannot forget if I tried"

But our Saviors own blood sealed our ransom

To forgive and forget ,He hath died

When our books shall be opened for judgement

May we find there no record of debt

We'll not fear if our sins have been pardoned

For our Jesus forgives and forgets