Who saves us?
1) 1 Cor. 9:22.
a) Paul said he who was doing “all things.”
b) Did the apostle Paul save people?
c) This is not the only time he made this type of claim.
2) In the previous book (Rom. 11:14) he said “he” was the one provoking Jews to jealousy.
3) It was HIS work that was causing people to become interested in the gospel.
a) James 5:20 deals with this same topic and is even more startling.
b) READ
4) Who is converting a sinner from the error of his ways? Who is saving a sinner from death?
5) Paul had a lot to say about the subject of marriage in 1 Cor. 7.
a) In 7:16 he realized that some Christians are married to a non-Christian mate.
6) READ
7) How is the salvation being found? It is through another human being (a Christian mate).
a) How are these people going to find God?
b) The verses presented thus far give us a partial answer: through our hands and lives.
c) In many cases a person is saved by or through a fellow human being.
d) Timothy was told (1 Tim. 4:16) he could save himself as those who “heard him.”
a) People are not saved by our hands alone.
b) Disciples of Jesus once asked, “Who can be saved” (Lk. 18:26).
c) What did the Lord say to this question? With God, all things are possible!
d) God sent Jesus into the world and the blood of Christ saves us (Jn. 3:17).
e) The Holy Spirit has revealed the plan of salvation so man can have forgiveness of sins.
2) Acts 4:12 says we MUST be saved “in the name of Jesus” – no other name works.
3) Even the name of Moses (a name that people tried, Acts 15:1) will not work.
4) Salvation comes from God and His grace, Acts 15:11.
a) A person must “call upon the name of the Lord in obedience” (Rom. 10:13).
b) 2 Tim. 1:8-9 says a person is saved by the power of God.
c) God employs mercy to save human beings (Tit. 2:4-5).
a) The Bible makes a third point. It tells us that man saves himself.
2) Acts 2:40 – READ
a) Peter was certainly involved in the “salvation” process.
b) God was involved in the salvation process because of all the previous references we gave.
3) 2 Cor. 5:20 uses similar language: “be ye reconciled to God.”
a) 2 Cor. 6:17 says “come ye out from among them.”
b) James 4:8 says “draw nigh unto God.”
c) Rev. 3:18 has Jesus saying, “buy gold from me.”
d) Phil. 2:12 says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
e) Mt. 11:28-2929 has Jesus saying, “come unto me…take my yoke upon you.”
f) Jn. 6:27 says “work for the food that leads unto eternal life.”
g) 1 Cor. 9:24 says “run so that ye may obtain the prize.”
4) Salvation is really a three prong process.
a) God is at the head of it; we cannot be saved without Him.
b) Others help save people.
c) In some respects (see the previous passages) we “save ourselves.”
Find the truth about God and become a New Testament Christian. Find out more about New Testament Christianity by running some Internet searches for “church of Christ” and “churches of Christ.” You may also want to visit http://www.abiblecommentary.com for Bible study information.
Remember, in order to be saved and enjoy all God’s blessings (not the least of which is salvation), a person must have faith (Jn. 8:24), be willing to repent (Lk. 13:3), and after confessing Christ as Lord, the final step is water baptism (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 3:20-21). Bible baptism is by immersion only (“burial,” Rom. 6:4), and once it is done, heaven puts that person “into Christ” (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3). After proper baptism a person has their sins forgiven (Acts 2:38).