"The Journey"
Journeying Through the Narrative of God's Work to Save Mankind
God in His infinite wisdom saw fit to inspire the scriptures for us to learn about Him and His efforts to save us from our own choices. The Bible also enables us to better understand ourselves and the power found in the choice of right and wrong. It is in the narrative of scripture that we learn this great lesson.
The Journey Podcast examines the people, places, cultures, and choices seen in the Biblical narrative. This will help each of us understand what God wants from each of us in this life. It enables us to understand how to live faithful to God by looking at the examples of faith and disobedience in the story of the Bible.
Join us as we seek a better understanding of how we can successfully make the journey to God through faith.
The Journey to Salvation
"What Must I Do to Be Saved and Go to Heaven?"
Our primary goal in this podcast is to help all men "be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). The question, "What must I do?" is fundamental in our journey to faith and the salvation only found there. Once a person understands and believes that Jesus is the Son of God and the one way to salvation, they will naturally ask what He would have them to do (Acts 2:37). The Bible sets forth the answer in the New Testament teachings of Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-2) through His Divinely inspired disciples. Open your Bible and examine what it says you should do to be saved.
HEARING & FAITH
Faith is not just simply believing that God exists. It requires believing in the reality of who God truly is. That knowledge is found in only one place, the Bible. Romans 10:17 teaches us that faith only comes through the learning of God's word. This truth-based faith is necessary for a person to be saved. It not only acknowledges God's existence, but it also trusts in Him to do exactly what He says He will do (Hebrews 11:6).
God's word is "inspired" (2 Timothy 3:16). The word "inspired" tells us that the Bible is "God breathed." That simply means it is from God's mouth and written by the hand of men directed by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). God's word is inerrant and perfect because it has come from God. Therefore, it is the only standard by which men can determine how to please God.
The faith seen in the Bible is always a faith that does what God commands (Hebrews 11). A living faith that saves is a faith that is active and obedient to God (James 2:24-26).
So you believe? You have faith? What must you then DO according to God's word?
REPENT
During the first gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, some listeners believed and asked the question, "What must we do?" (Acts 2:37) Peter was preaching as the Holy Spirit miraculously gave him what to say (Acts 2:4). Therefore the answer to their question came straight from God through the Holy Spirit. Peter told them to first "repent."
Repentance is a decision of the mind that ultimately MUST result in a change of our actions. It is a decision to go in a different direction than one is currently going. Peter connects this decision and the corresponding change of action in the second recorded gospel sermon in Acts 3. He tells the people in that sermon to "repent and return" (Acts 3:19). You can see the call to decide and then act. Jesus stated that all that we do comes from the heart (our minds) (Matthew 15:19-20). Our actions always begin there. A decision always precedes an action. It is the same in our response to God.
Jesus shows this in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The prodigal son first made a decision in the pigpen to change the direction of his life. That direction was toward his father who he had left. After that decision, he acted by actually getting up and going home. Biblical repentance is a decision to turn away from a sinful life and go back to the righteousness of our Father in heaven.
CONFESS
Christianity was never meant to be a secret. Jesus stated to Annas that what He taught had been done openly before men (John 18:20). Likewise, the Christian life begins with a public and unashamed proclamation of what one believes in faith, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God Peter made that confession in Matthew 16:16 when Jesus asked, "But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15) Many during the ministry of Jesus believed, but were not willing to confess that belief before others (John 12:42).
The Christian life in practice and in word is a proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God who died to save each of us. We begin with that proclamation then proclaim Him before men everyday of our life (Luke 12:8). That lifelong proclamation will result in Jesus proclaiming us to the Father as one of His. It starts at the very beginning (Acts 8:37) in a proclamation of the faith that seeks salvation in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:10).
BAPTISM
Salvation is for those who are the children of God. To be a child of God requires that one be spiritually born again into God's family. Jesus stated in John 3:5, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The only way to enter the kingdom of God is through the water of baptism according to the truth given by the Holy Spirit. Paul stated the same in different words in Titus 3:5, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." The "washing of regeneration" is the same as saying, "the washing of rebirth." Through this being born again into the family of God, we enter the kingdom or rule of God. This spiritual birth requires the forgiveness of the sins we have committed so that we can return to a holy God.
In Acts 2:38, Peter told those who asked what they needed to do to be saved, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..." Being baptized is where one finds the initial forgiveness of their sins in the blood of Jesus.
A person must be born again not only of the waters of baptism, but according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit through scriptures that He inspired. This means that a person must be old enough to understand the scriptures. A baby cannot know or understand truth, therefore a baby cannot be baptized according to the scriptures. In addition, being baptized according to the teachings of the Holy Spirit means that baptism must be done for the right reasons as designated by God Himself. Baptism is an action combined with the proper belief as set forth in scripture.
Romans 6:3-7 teaches us that we are united with Jesus Christ by being buried with Him in baptism. This burial of baptism is through one's immersion in water. The word 'baptism' means to immerse. In that immersion, our sinful life dies and we are resurrected in the likeness of Christ to walk a new life with Him. By doing so we are freed from sin and it's consequences.
According to Peter as guided by the Holy Spirit, baptism is FOR (to bring about) the forgiveness of sins. It is the consequences of sin from which we need saving. Forgiveness accomplishes that. Peter stated that baptism will "save us" (1 Peter 3:21). According to Jesus Himself, one cannot be in the kingdom of heaven without being born again in the waters of baptism. You MUST be baptized according to God's word.
LIVE FAITHFUL
While there are specific things that must be done and believed to become a child of God, that is only the beginning of the journey to God. Romans 6:4 tells us that after we become a Christian, we are called to walk (live) a new life. This life is one focused on living according to God's word. Such living seeks the authority of Jesus in regard to all that one does (Colossians 3:17). It is only through walking in the light of righteousness with Jesus that we have continued forgiveness of our sins (1 John 1:7). Jesus commanded us to be faithful until death in order to receive "the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). Paul stated before he died, "I have fought the good fight, finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). That was a statement of a faithful life since the time that he arose and was baptized to wash away His sins (Acts 22:16). May each of us do the same.
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