Jesus’ Better Plan For You

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

The word “salvation” is at the very center of Christianity. Why do we need salvation? Is
there any one here who can say, “I am not a sinner and have never committed any sin?” If
none, how then can a sinner receive forgiveness and salvation?

1. All Are Sinful

A. What is sin? 1 John 3:4

4 Sin is lawlessness.

What is sin? Sin is much deeper than the wrong things we think, say or do. It is a
condition that plagues the human race (Romans 3:9-18). It is a broken relationship
with God. It separates man from the source of life, joy and peace.

John defines sin as lawlessness. In the King James version, sin is describes as “the
transgression of the law.” Sin is an inherent anti-God attitude that manifests in
disobedience of the law of God whether a person knows it or not; intended or not.
The very fact that man is separated from God made him a sinner and he transgresses
the law because he is separated from God. That is why there is always conflict and
strife between God and man—because of sin.

B. How many people have committed sin? Romans 3:23

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The charge is heavy: all are sinners, but the verdict is true. Yes, it is a tragic truth: All
have sinned, and all have sinned repeatedly. All are sinful and have a broken
relationship with God. A person is a sinner by nature (adverse to God), by choice
(willfully chooses sin), and by practice.

C. What is the ultimate outcome of sin? Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death…

The relationship between sin and death is essentially cause and effect. Justice
demands death for the sinner. So, God pounds down the gavel. “Guilty!” The
sentence of death has been pronounced to every man for all have sinned. The ultimate
result of sin is death. Man lives and then his life is a march to death. There must be a
solution to the problem of sin.

2. Man’s Plan of Salvation Through Works

A. What action Adam and Eve did after they committed sin? Genesis 3:7
 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked;
and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

The couple became aware that they are “naked.” So, they sewed fig leaves. It is an
attempt to cover their nakedness—the nakedness of a moral and spiritual guilt. It is a
symbol of human’s attempt to cover sin and its effects—a symbol of salvation by
works.

B. Can a sinner do something of his own to save himself? Jeremiah 13:23

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do
good who are accustomed to do evil.

The fact is, neither the Ethiopian can change his dark skin nor the leopard can remove
its spots. In the same way, the heart of a man is evil and he cannot change it. The
patriarch Job said, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!” (Job
14:4). Therefore, a sinner, of his own, is incapable of changing his heart. He cannot
save himself from sin and death. He needed help outside of himself.

Back in the Garden of Eden, God proposed a solution and gave them the promised of
a coming Saviour. Then He laid the plan of salvation and clothed them.

3. God’s Plan of Salvation Through Grace

A. What is God’s plan in saving a sinner? Genesis 3:21

21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

God has a plan to bridge the gap that sin made by separation. An innocent lamb must
die to provide garments of skin. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, the sacrificial
Lamb, He has bridged the gulf which sin had made and connects sinful man with the
holy God. When Adam and Eve sinned, God immediately put into action the plan of
salvation—a life for a life. A lamb died in behalf of the sinner. Moreover, as Adam
and Eve clothed the lamb’s skin so all sinners must clothe the righteousness of Christ.

B. What is stipulated in the plan of salvation?

1. It must be a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8, 9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
 Salvation is not a wage for wage is a pay for a work done. Salvation is not a prize
for prize is achievement for a performance done. Salvation is not an award for
award is recognition for something merited. However, grace says you have
nothing to pay, nothing to achieve, and nothing to earn. The basis of salvation is
God’s grace and the means of it is through faith alone.
Salvation is God’s gift to those who need it. His plan for our salvation was in
place even before we needed it. His gift of salvation is based not on our
worthiness but on His great love toward sinners.

Jesus Christ has already provided everything we need to be saved. We do not

need to accumulate a pile of good deeds to offset the bad deeds we have done in
life. Nobody at any time in the history of the world was ever saved by good
works. We cannot earn it. We cannot purchase it. It is a gift freely given to all.
This is what we call, “salvation by grace through faith”—a gift of God.

2. It must be through death of an innocent substitute. John 1:29

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John identified Jesus as the Lamb of God—the sacrificial Victim who was to die
for the sin of the world. Salvation must be by the death of an innocent substitute.
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, the sinless One, who bore the penalty for our sin.
He died in our behalf so that God’s justice could be satisfied. Salvation is made
possible because of what He has done on the cross—the only remedy for sin.

3. It must be through the shedding of blood. Hebrews 9:22

22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and
without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Salvation must be by the shedding of blood. Forgiveness is never cheap. It is

expensive, purchased at the prize of blood. Jesus Christ died and spilled his blood
as a sacrifice in our behalf that we might receive His salvation and righteousness.
The covering of coats of skins was at the cost of life. Death must be provided
before man could be covered. How awesome that Jesus was willing to die so that
we might be forgiven.

4. Our Part in God’s Plan of Salvation

There are certain things a sinner should do before salvation takes effect in his life.

A. What are certain steps a sinner must do so that the gift of salvation can take effect?

1. Accept the fact that we are sinners in need of salvation. Romans 3:23

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
 A person must accept the fact that he is a sinner—separated from God, helpless
and lost, and in need of a Savior. Until this truth is admitted, salvation does not
make sense.

2. Believe on Jesus Christ. Acts 16:30, 31

30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and
your household.

The terms “believe” and “faith” in the New Testament is just noun and verb
forms. They are synonymous. Believing or exercising faith is a disposition of the
heart and mind to trust in the merit of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross.
To believe is a matter of faith in Christ that He took the judgment of sin upon
Himself and died in the sinner’s behalf. Believe that Jesus is now your personal
Savior and has given you eternal life.

“Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He

was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified
by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was
ours, that we might receive the life which was His.”

The gift of salvation is offered to us, but for it to become ours, we must believe in
it and receive it. Salvation is a gift, which must be received. It is not automatically
yours.

3. Repent and be baptized. Acts 2:37, 38

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and
the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit.

There is no difference in what Paul says and what Peter emphasizes—they are
two sides of the same salvation. If you want to be saved—believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and if your faith is genuine, it will mean more than saying, “I
believe!” When we realize that Christ has already given us eternal life we repent
of our sin. Repentance comes from Greek that “implies a right about face, a
change of mind”; “a new direction of the will.” “It is a resolute turning away from
evil.” True repentance manifests itself in a genuine sorrow for sin. Genuine
repentance affects what we do about sin. Repentance is the entry gate into the
Christian life.
 After a penitent believer repents of his sins, he then decided to be baptized.
Baptism is a fundamental part of being saved. Baptism is an outward sign of the
inward change. The act of baptism is the public declaration that a person has put
on Christ, just as a couple who joins themselves in marriage ceremony. Baptism is
a sign to the world that we have joined into a covenant relationship with Christ.

Baptism signifies union with Christ. It means the old sinful way of life died and a
new life begins. When a believer unites with Jesus, he naturally begins to live the
life of Jesus…the life of obedience!

4. Keep the commandments. Matthew 19:16, 17

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing
shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that
is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

The rich young ruler asked Jesus “what good thing shall I do that I may have
eternal life?”(v. 16). Jesus said “keep the commandments” and Jesus mentioned
the 5th through the 9th commandments and the summary statement, “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” Jesus did not introduce the Ten Commandments to show
the young man how to be saved, but to show him that he needed to be saved. We
are not saved by our obedience to God’s commandments but those who are saved
are instructed to obey them and make Him the Lord of our lives.

Some believers today have completely misunderstood the role of God’s law in the
great Plan of Salvation. They have incorrectly assumed that after the death of
Jesus the law of God became obsolete but the command here to keep the
commandments is not a means of salvation but an evidence of our salvation.
Obedience is an act of faith. Of our own strength, we cannot obey God. However,
as we give ourselves to Christ, He will work in us to obey Him and keep His
commandments (Philippians 2:13). Those who love God find joy in obeying His
commandments and God Himself provides the power to obey His them.

APPEAL:

Whoever you are, however sinful you are, whatever you may be, JESUS LOVES YOU and
His gift of salvation is for you. But it is not yet yours until you reach out and take it. What
more could Jesus do? Can you not give your all to Christ who gave His all for you? To
accept Jesus is the ultimate experience a person can have.

Do you have a desire to experience Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life? It takes more
than talk to be a true Christian. You need to do the necessary steps in order to experience
Jesus’ better plan for you. Decide to accept Jesus now and follow Him!
The Law itself is “holy and just and good” (Rom. 7:12) but it could not provide salvation for
a sinful man. Only Jesus Christ could do that.

The problem of sin:

•Man is born in a condition of separation from God.

•Man is born with a sinful nature—a natural bent to evil.
•Man is born under the controlling power or dominion of sin—In the kingdom of darkness.
•Combination of the above factors affect and lead man to commit sinful acts.

Jesus Christ came to solve the problem of sin. He died on the cross to save us from sin.
Moreover, His death on the cross brought us back to God, gave us new nature, and broke the
power of sin in our lives so that sin will not have dominion over us.