Most of us were raised in churches where the “Five Step Plan of Salvation” was preached nearly every Lord’s day. The five steps make for an easy way to teach why baptism is needed for salvation. The temptation, over time, is to argue the five steps against the “Five Points of Dordt” to the point the gospel of Jesus the resurrected and ascended Christ and Son of God is lost under the pros and cons of Calvinism verses clear Bible teaching. So, let’s take a look at the steps and what they tell us about a sinner’s proper response to the gospel.
Hear: The five steps are the logical and Bible-based reactions to the preaching of the gospel. For instance, Romans 10:14-17 is the proof-text for step one. It emphasizes the order of hearing and believing, “how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”-v14. It also teaches us our faith does not come from a direct, irresistible, and even unwanted act of the Holy Spirit. In truth, we hear about Jesus and believe in his power to save us.
Believe: By far the most agreed upon part of salvation in Christianity. Faith alone does not make us a Christian, but all agree it is essential, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”-John 3:16. Faith in God through Jesus gives us the right to become a child of God (John 1:12-13).
Repent: This is where our faith-only friends drop the baton. We must repent of our unbelief and the fleshly life we lived before giving our lives to Jesus as his servants. Paul declared to Jews and Gentiles, “they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”-Acts 26:20.
Confess: The nature of the saving relationship between Jesus and a Christian is of king and servant. “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,”-Philippians 2:10-11.
Be Baptized: To become a child of God, a sinner must be born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5). In a sense, our faithful allegiance to Jesus is confessed by obeying the commands, “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”-Acts 2:38. The examples of baptism by the apostles and its occurrences in the Scriptures make it plain. We must crucify our sinful, unbelieving life, by being baptized into the death of Christ, se we can be raised like him to walk in the newness of eternal life (Romans 6:3-5). Praise God he saves those who faithfully serve his Son as our Lord!
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