The Seven Steps Of Salvation
By Simeon Young, Sr. & Simeon Young, Jr.
FOREWORD
The Means of Grace
Suppose a man who cannot swim falls overboard. Suppose someone in the boat throws him a lifeline and pulls him to safety.
Who or what saved the drowning man? His friend? The lifeline? The life preserver? The boat? Or did the man save himself? The answer, of course, is that his friend saved him, the lifeline, and the life preserver, and the boat saved him. And he also saved himself.
This simple parable helps us understand that it is as foolish to say that we are saved by grace alone, as it would be for the drowning man to claim that any one of the above means saved him without other intervention.
The Bible certainly does teach that we are saved by grace. But it also teaches that God uses means. These means are called by theologians, the “means of grace.”
This booklet lists several of God’s chosen means of grace,” and it is intended to be a quick reference and teaching tool. On these pages we have compiled pertinent portions of the pure Word of God to show how God saves us by His grace.
When the truth of salvation by grace is better understood, the doctrine of easy believism loses its siren appeal.
Simeon Young, Sr.
INTR0DUCTI0N
The Significance of Seven
The number seven was sacred for the ancient Jews, and played a prominent role in their religious life. (Read Numbers 23:29, I Chronicles 15:26.)
The children of Israel obeyed God’s command to march around the city of Jericho seven times (one time each day for six days). On the seventh day they walked around Jericho seven times. At the sound of the trumpet, when they shouted a great shout, the city walls crumbled. (Joshua 6:4.)
Elisha sent his messenger/servant to Naaman the leper, captain of the Syrian army, to tell him to wash seven times in the Jordan river and that he would be cleansed and healed of his leprosy. (II Kings 5:10.)
The Word of God declares, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work” (Genesis 2:2-3).
The number seven indicates perfection and symbolizes completeness or wholeness. In this Bible study we have shown the necessity of the seven progressive steps of salvation. Without each of the seven steps, there is no salvation.
Simeon Young, Jr.
Step 1
Saved by Grace
Definition of Grace: 1. The unmerited love and favor of God; 2. A state of reconciliation with God.
Someone said that “grace” stands for Great Redemption At Christ’s Expense (G.R.A.C.E.).
Romans 3:23,24 – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Titus 2:11 – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men.
Ephesians 2:5 – “Even when we were dead in sins, hath (He) quickened us together with Christ; for by grace ye are saved.”
We cannot be saved without the grace of God. The unmerited favor of God gives us the privilege of being saved, but we are not saved by grace alone and apart from God’s chosen means.
Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace are ye saved through________ and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
Step 2
Saved by Faith
Definition of Faith: 1. Confidence or trust; 2. Spiritual acceptance of truth; 3. Belief in God.
Definition of Believe: 1. To be fully persuaded; 2. To put all confidence in.
Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith.
I Peter 1:9 – “Receiving the outcome of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
To be saved we must have faith in God.
Hebrews 1 1:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is: and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Mark 16:16 – “He that believeth not shall be damned.”
James 2:19-20 – “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, 0 vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
When someone says, I believe,” it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are saved, because demons also believe. Demons are definitely not saved. There is more to salvation than saying, I believe in God.”
Romans 1O:10 – “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth ______________is made unto salvation.”
Step 3
Saved by Confession
Definition of Confession: 1. To disclose sins or faults to God; 2. To unburden the conscience; 3. To acknowledge guilt, wrong-doing or sinfulness; 4. To admit to unbecoming deeds.
Remember Romans 10:10 — “. . . with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Someone said that, “Confession is good for the soul.”
Make a list of some things in your life that may displease God.
1._____________________________________________
2._____________________________________________
3._____________________________________________
4._____________________________________________
I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
James 5:16 – “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.”
Confession involves becoming transparent and honest. Confession will lead us to the salvation of our souls.
We should not only confess our sins …
Proverbs 28:13 – “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and ______________them shall have mercy.”
Step 4
Saved by Repentance
Definition of Repentance: 1. To change one’s mind; 2. To turn around; 3. The forsaking of sins; 4. To make an about face.
Remember Proverbs 28:13 – ” . . . Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy.”
It is not enough to merely confess our sins. We must turn from sin to be saved.
II Corinthians 7:10 – “Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation.”
Luke 13:3 ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
II Peter 3:9— “. . . the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance.”
Repentance is more than being sorry for one’s sins. Repentance involves a lifestyle-mindset-attitude adjustment.
It is exciting to turn away from the old life of sin and condemnation!
We must not stop here.
Acts 2:38 — “Then Peter said unto them, repent and be______________ everyone of you . . . ”
Step 5
Saved by Baptism
Definition of Baptism: 1. To dip, plunge, or submerge; 2. A religious ceremony signifying spiritual purification by immersion in water.
I Peter 3:21 – “Whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.”
Mark 16:16 – “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”
What is the scriptural formula for water baptism?
Acts 8:16– “. . . they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 10:48 – Peter commanded that the Gentiles be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16 – “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
Acts 10:43 – “Through His name we receive remission of sins.”
Luke 24:47 – “Remission of sins should be preached in His name ”
Why is the name of Jesus so important in water baptism? (Read Acts 4:12
and Colossians 3:17.)
Acts 2:38 – “The Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of ________________ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive________________________________
Step 6
Saved by the Holy Spirit
John 3:3-5 – Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, how can a man he born when be is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”
Without God’s Holy Spirit, we cannot be saved. (Read Romans 8:1-14.)
Notice verse 9 – ” . . . Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”
Notice verse 14 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
How do I know if I have received the Spirit of God? What is the initial physical evidence?
Read about the new birth experience on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1-4.)
Acts 10:44,46 – “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which beard the Word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Read Acts 19:1-6
Step 7
Saved by Endurance
Definition of Endurance: 1. The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship. 2. The state or fact of persevering. 3. Continuing existence; duration.
The writer of Hebrews referred to the christian life as a race.
Hebrews 12:1 – “Let us run with patience, the race that is set before us . . . ”
To finish the christian race we must keep running and enduring. It is not enough to begin this race by having faith, confessing sins, forsaking sins, being baptized in Jesus’ name and receiving the Holy Spirit. We must continue on with the Lord.
Matthew 10:22 – “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
Matthew 24:13 – “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
II Timothy 2:3 – “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 12:7 – “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons.”
James 1:12 – “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”
I want to endure and receive the crown of life.
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?’
Hebrews 2:1-3
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The Above Material Was Published By Kingshighway Ministries, Pages 2-11. This Material Is Copyrighted And May Be Used For Study & Research Purposes Only.
