Th is is an edited s ection from our book tha t m ay h elp y ou to unders tand Salv ation.

CHAPTER ONE

Step No. 1 - Salv ation

Step No. 1 contains three different sections that serve three very definite and specific
purposes.
A - UNDERSTANDING SALVATION is to be used to explain the plan of salvation to someone that
does not understand.

B - HOW TO LEAD A PERSON TO JESUS is to be used when the person is in need of salvation.

C - THE SALVATION EXAMINATION is to be used when the person is in doubt about their own
salvation, or if the person professes salvation, but as a Minister, you have concerns about whether
they have truly been born again.

Do not have a judgmental or critical attitude.

Think of starting a whole new life. That is being born once again.

Think of having a clean new slate. That is being born once again.

Think of passing into a whole other realm. That is being born once again....

Is this what we are preaching to the people? Are we making the new birth clear? Do we tell
them that everything will change? Do they fully understand that the second birth is no less
dramatic than the first birth? Do they realize that they are about to enter a new family, and that
they are passing from death into life?

Of course, they don’t have to feel anything happening; they don’t have to cry or to shout. But
if their lives are not inwardly affected, if they don’t soon experience a fundamental change of
character, if they continue to live as they did, it is doubtful that they were born again! It is not
always a matter of poor follow-up. As a pastor once said, “The reason why some people
‘backslide’is because they never ‘frontslid,’”....

Our gospel message has been doubly defective. We have injured our hearers in two ways: We
have failed to tell them the old life must end; and we have failed to show them new life in Him.2
2. God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and told them not to eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed God and ate of the tree, they died spiritually and
their physical bodies also began the process of death.
(Genesis 2:16-17 KJV) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat: {17} But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
3. Because of Adam’s sin everyone in the human race is born with a sinful nature.
(Romans 5:12 KJV) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

(Psalms 51:5 KJV) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
4. Because we are all born with a sinful nature that is inclined to be sinful, we have all sinned and
come short of the glory of God or what He originally had planned for mankind.
(Romans 3:10 KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

(Romans 3:23 KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
5. God is a Holy God and cannot let sin into his presence.
(Habakkuk 1:13 KJV) Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on
iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue
when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

(Isaiah 59:2 KJV) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
6. Because He is a just God He must carry out the penalty of death against those who have sinned.
(Romans 6:23 KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
7. The Father loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins.
(John 3:16 KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(Romans 5:8 KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
 way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
9. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins and rose again that we might have eternal
life.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I
preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; {2} By which also ye
are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. {3}
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; {4} And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
10. There is no other way to be saved except by faith in Jesus Christ.
(Acts 4:12 KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

(John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.

B - H OW TO LEAD A PERSON TO JESUS

1. The Victor must believe that Jesus was God in the flesh and that He died for the victor’s sins.
(Acts 13:39 KJV) And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses.
2. The Victor must believe by the convicting power of the Holy Ghost that they are a sinner in need
of salvation.
(Romans 3:23 KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
3. The Victor must be willing to repent and turn from all known sin.
(Luke 24:47 KJV) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

(Acts 17:30 KJV) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all
men every where to repent:

(Luke 13:3 KJV) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
 In the next place, repentance to be sure must be entire. How many will say, “Sir, I will
renounce this sin and the other; but there are certain darling lusts which I must keep and hold.”
O sirs, in God’s name let me tell you, it is not the giving up of one sin, nor fifty sins, which is
true repentance; it is the solemn renunciation of every sin. If thou doest harbour one of those
accursed vipers in thy heart, thy repentance is but a sham.3
4. There is nothing we can do to get saved. You don’t have to get better before you get saved. You
don’t get saved by starting anything or by stopping anything. You are saved because you come to
Jesus with a repentant heart that is willing to turn from all sin. When you ask him to forgive you of
your sins and to be the Lord of your life, you can believe that he will.
(Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.

(John 6:37 KJV) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out.

5. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV) 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. {10} For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you believe what these verses say, you are ready to pray the following prayer or you may pray
a prayer out of your own heart and confess your repentance and Jesus as the Lord of your life.
Dear God, I acknowledge that You are holy, righteous, and just. I confess my sinfulness to
you; I have repeatedly broken Your Law and deserve eternal punishment. Forgive me for my
sin and give me the grace to turn from my selfishness and rebellion.

Thank You for taking my place on the cross as punishment for my sin. I receive You as
Lord and Savior. Please give me the grace to live the kind of life that will glorify You in all
that I say and do. In Jesus’name. Amen4

C. SALV ATION EXAMINATION

We are commanded by Scripture to examine ourselves to see if we are true Christians.
(2 Corinthians 13:5 KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own
selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
To receive salvation we must be born again and receive new life from God. If we have not been born
again, we have not received salvation. If we truly have been born again we will be different than
before.
(John 3:3 KJV) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

(2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
1. Do you obey God’s word?
(1 John 2:3-4 KJV) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments. {4} He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him.
2. Do you love the Kingdom of god or the Kingdom of this world?
(1 John 2:15-16 KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world.
3. Do you love other Christians?
(1 John 3:14-15 KJV) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. {15} Whosoever hateth his
brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

(John 13:35 KJV) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.
4. Does God answer your prayers?
(1 John 3:22 KJV) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his
commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

(1 John 5:14-15 KJV) And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: {15} And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
5. Has the sin pattern been broken in your life?
 he might destroy the works of the devil. {9} Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;
for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. {10} In this the
children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness
is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Your life pattern has to change. Willful habitual sin has to stop!
(Proverbs 24:16 KJV) For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked
shall fall into mischief.

(Galatians 5:22-26 KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, {23} Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. {24} And
they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. {25} If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. {26} Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one
another, envying one another.

Unbroken patterns of sin are characteristic of the unregenerate. No matter what a person
claims about being a Christian, if he or she continues in sin, it is only a claim and not a reality...

Sin as a life pattern is incompatible with salvation. That’s because to experience salvation is
to be saved from something, and that something is sin. If a person could continue in sin, that
would mean salvation is ineffective.5
6. Are you sensitive to the sinful tendencies in your life?
(1 John 1:5-6 KJV) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto
you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. {6} If we say that we have fellowship
with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
A person needs to be able to recognize his sin.
It is characteristic of unbelievers to be oblivious to the sins in their lives...The person who is
truly saved is sensitive to the sinful realities in his or her life...Do you realize that to have true
communion with God, you have to live a holy life— that you can’t walk in darkness and claim
to have fellowship with him? Are you willing to confess and forsake any sin in your life as you
become aware of it?6

(1 John 2:1 KJV) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
 Christ. {4} And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

(1 John 5:1 KJV) Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one
that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Have you experienced the presence of God?
Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed their presence? Do
you have a love for Them that draws you to Their presence?7
8. Have you ever been rejected by others because you are a Christian?
(1 John 3:13 KJV) Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

(1 Peter 4:4 KJV) Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess
of riot, speaking evil of you:

(2 Timothy 3:12 KJV) Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
9. Are you looking for and longing for the return of Jesus?
(1 John 3:1-3 KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
{2} Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. {3} And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

(Titus 2:11-13 KJV) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
{12} Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world; {13} Looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
10. Are you aware of the Holy Spirit in your life?
(1 John 4:13 KJV) Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given
us of his Spirit.

(1 John 2:27 KJV) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye
need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is
truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Are you aware of the Holy Spirit's presence in your life as He leads and teaches you. Does the Holy
Spirit convict you and let you know when you do something that isn’t pleasing to God?
11. Can you discern between truth and error?
(1 John 4:1-3 KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. {2} Hereby know ye the Spirit
of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: {3} And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is
that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is
it in the world.

(1 John 4:5-6 KJV) They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world
heareth them. {6} We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God
heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

(1 John 5:1 KJV) Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one
that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

[The apostle] John was saying that a true believer will listen to the truth and not deviate into
error about Christ’s glorious person and work...From the moment of your salvation, there’s one
thing you’re clear about and that’s who Christ is and what He did, or you wouldn’t be saved.
It’s the Holy Spirit who made that clear to you. This test is not moral or experiential but
doctrinal.8
12. Do you have the witness of the Spirit?
(Romans 8:16 KJV) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children
of God:
John Wesley explained this verse as follows:
By the testimony of the Spirit, I mean, an inward impression of the soul, whereby the Spirit of
God immediately and directly witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God; that Jesus Christ
hath loved me, and given himself for me; that all my sins are blotted out, and I, even I am
reconciled to God.9
Every Christian will fall short of God’s perfection each and every day of their lives. If we are too
hard on ourselves we will live a defeated life and wallow in despair. It is equally true that if willful
habitual sin is not forsaken no salvation has taken place. Prayerfully administer this section.