GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION

We must acknowledge that we are sinners.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Isaiah 53:6

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

And the LORD has laid on him

The iniquity of us all.

James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Romans 3:10

As it is written:

   There is no one righteous, not even one;

We must understand the penalty for our sins.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We must confess & repent of our sins.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Acts 20:21

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

We must believe that Christ is the only way of salvation.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Acts 4:12

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9-10

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

We must receive Christ into our lives to obtain forgiveness and eternal life.

John 3:3

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 10:9

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Ephesians 2: 8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

Titus 3:5

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

We have the assurance of our salvation.

John 1:12

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

1 Peter 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you,

1 Peter 1:23

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

John 10:27-28

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

1 John 5:13

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

2 Corinthians 1:22

Set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Galatians 4:6-7

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

GOD'S WORK IN OUR LIVES

God has a plan and purpose for us.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2 Timothy 1:9

Who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Psalm 139:16

 Your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written:
   "No eye has seen,
      no ear has heard,
   no mind has conceived
   what God has prepared for those who love him"

God will change us from the inside out.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Colossians 1:27

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 3:10

And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

He will direct our lives.

1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Psalm 37:23-24

 If the LORD delights in a man's way,
       he makes his steps firm;

 Though he stumble, he will not fall,
       for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Jeremiah 10:23

I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own;
       it is not for man to direct his steps.

Proverbs 19:21

 Many are the plans in a man's heart,
       but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

John 16:13

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

 Jude 1:24-25

 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD'S GOODNESS

 We should honor God with our lives.

 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Romans 12: 1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Psalms 119:9, 11

How can a young man keep his way pure?
       By living according to your word….

I have hidden your word in my heart
       that I might not sin against you.

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Romans 6:13-14

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Galatians 5: 22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

We should grow in our knowledge and love of God.

Joshua 1:8

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
       and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

2 Peter 1:2-4

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Mark 12:30

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Psalm 40:8

I desire to do your will, O my God;
       your law is within my heart."

John 14:21

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

Ephesians 3:17-19

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

James 4:8

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We should talk to God regularly.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Mark 11:24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Luke 11:9

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

We should become an active part of God's Family.

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Romans 12: 4-5

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Ephesians 5: 19

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Philippians 1:2

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should serve God wholeheartedly.

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Hebrews 12:2-3

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1 Corinthians 15:58

 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

We should share our faith in Christ with others.

Matthew 4:19

”Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

1 Corinthians 9:22

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

 1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Romans 1:16

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Daniel 12:3

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

We should persevere in our faith.

Philippians 3:13-14

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.

GOD'S PROMISES TO US

We are precious in God's sight.

John 15:15

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Jeremiah 31:3

 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
       "I have loved you with an everlasting love;
       I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,
       I will be with you;
       and when you pass through the rivers,
       they will not sweep over you.
       When you walk through the fire,
       you will not be burned;
       the flames will not set you ablaze.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons^, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 5: 14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God is faithful to us.

Lamentations 3:23

 They are new every morning;
       great is your faithfulness.

Hebrews 13:5-6

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
   "Never will I leave you;
      never will I forsake you.”So we say with confidence,
   "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
      What can man do to me?”

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,
       an ever-present help in trouble.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

1 Peter 3:12

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
      and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
   but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

God watches over us.

Deuteronomy 33:27

The eternal God is your refuge,
       and underneath are the everlasting arms.
       He will drive out your enemy before you,
       saying, 'Destroy him!'

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
       whom shall I fear?
       The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
       of whom shall I be afraid?

Proverbs 29; 25

 Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
       but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

God will give us peace.

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace
       him whose mind is steadfast,
       because he trusts in you.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Philippians 4:5-7

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 4:8

I will lie down and sleep in peace,
       for you alone, O LORD,
       make me dwell in safety

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

God will give us strength to face life's challenges.

Isaiah 40:31

 But those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Psalm 73:25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?
       And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
       but God is the strength of my heart
       and my portion forever.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Philippians 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Hebrews 13:6

So we say with confidence,
   "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
      What can man do to me?"

God promises forgiveness.

Psalm 34:18

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Psalm 86:5

You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
       abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hebrews 8:12

For I will forgive their wickedness
      and will remember their sins no more."

Psalm 103:12

 As far as the east is from the west,
       so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

1 John 2:1

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Isaiah 55:7

Let the wicked forsake his way
       and the evil man his thoughts.
       Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
       and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Isaiah 1:18

 "Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
       "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool.

God will empower us for his service.

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."

Philippians 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Psalm 37: 4-5

Delight yourself in the LORD
       and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
       trust in him and he will do this:

Proverbs 2: 6

For the LORD gives wisdom,
       and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

God's word is our infallible guide.

Mark 13:31

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet
       and a light for my path.

Isaiah 55:10-11

As the rain and the snow
       come down from heaven,
       and do not return to it
       without watering the earth
       and making it bud and flourish,
       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
       It will not return to me empty,
       but will accomplish what I desire
       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.