Making The Decision: Trusting Christ As Savior PDF

6 MAKING THE DECISION: TRUSTING CHRIST AS SAVIOR  The person wants to be saved. What do I do now? After showing an unbeliever (1) his sin, (2) the penalty for his sin, and (3) that Christ paid the price for that penalty, you are ready to show him what is left to do-trust Christ as h...

6 MAKING THE DECISION: TRUSTING CHRIST AS SAVIOR  The person wants to be saved. What do I do now? After showing an unbeliever (1) his sin, (2) the penalty for his sin, and (3) that Christ paid the price for that penalty, you are ready to show him what is left to do-trust Christ as his Savior. But since Christ paid the penalty why doesnt He just take everyone to heaven? WHY NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE SAVED Christ's blood provided the grounds on which God can justly, or fairly, forgive sin and take a person to heaven. However, if God automatically saved every person because of Christ's blood, people would be little more than puppets. God made each person with a will-acapacity to accept Him or reject Him. It is His desire that a person exercise that will and trust Christ, but God will not force Himself on anyone. In John 5:40, why were the people not saved? According to Revelation 22:17, who is invited to come to Christ? But it seems like everybody would want to go to Christ. Why do only some accept accept Him? This question can only be fully answered by God, and He hasn't told us yet. However, He gives us a partial answer in Scripture. What does 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 say about the mind of the unbeliever? What does Ephesians 4:18 say about the ability of the lost to understand spiritual things? 48 Unbelievers have no desire to be redeemed by Christ. They cannot will to be saved; they can only willto run from God. Then how can a person ever "will" to be saved? What does John 6:44 tell us? In John l6:7-11, who is it that convicts a person of his need for Christ? Only asthe Spirit of God and the Father draw the unbeliever can he accept Christ as Savior. And the way the Father and the Spirit work is through the proclamation of the Word of God, as we have already learned. This is why it is so important that we witness. When God gives a person the will'tobesaved, what then? TRUSTING CHRIST The person must now be shown that it is only by faith in Christ that they can be saved. The following verses verify this fact. Learn them so the Holy Spirit can select the proper one when witnessing. John 3:16 2 Peter 3:9 49  Romans 10:9 John 1:12 Acts 16:31 EXPLANATIONOF VERSES 2Peter 3:9 states that God wants everyone to repent. Acts 17:30 is even stronger-it commands all people everywhere to repent. Look up the word repent in the glossary and record its meaning here: Repentance can be illustrated by a person walking in one direc tion, but suddenly realizing that he hates the way he is going. He comes todespise his way, he grows sick of the filth of his sin, and he no longer wants to run from God. Until now he has wanted no part of God (see Rom. 3:11), but he suddenly longs turn his back on his filth and sin, to face the God from whom he has been running. This turning around to God is repentance. Can a person repent whenever he decides to doso? No. Aperson can only repent when the Holy Spirit has brought him to that point. As Romans 3:11 says, no one seeks God on his own. Therefore, only by the power of the Holy Spirit will a person grow sick of his sin, develop a hatred for his wickedness and sinfulness, and desire to turn to God. Repentance is some 50 thing the Holy Spirit accomplishes for the unbeliever through the preaching of the Word, and if the person is not brought to the place of full repentance, he willnot be saved. Romans 10:9 states that aperson must do two things:(1) confess the Lord Jesus Christ, and (2) believe in His resurrection. Look up the word confess in the glossary and write its meaning here: This verse says that person must confess his sins, right? Wrong.A person must admit he is a sinner and repent. However, this verse is not talking about the confession of sins, but rather the confession of the Lord Jesus. This means that he is to admit that Jesus is Lord. Aperson is not redeemed when he flippantly says, "Ibelieve" He must recognize that Christ is Lord and thus will be his Lord, or ruler. Then with that attitude and in that frame of reference, he must believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Demonsmust believe allthat. Why aren't theysaved? James 2:19 mentions the fact that the demons do believe in God. But the context of that passage shows that there are two kinds of belief. The first is merely an acceptance of fact, just as one might believe that George Washington crossed the Delaware. The second type of belief-which the demons do not possess- includes a recognition of Christ as Lord and a trust in Him for salvation. Saving faith is therefore more than an acceptance of facts--it is trust. What do youmean by trust? Trust is defined in the glossary. What does it mean? 51 It can best be explained with an illustration. SuppOse a person walks atightrope wire across Niagara Falls. When he returns. the crowd cheers and is amazed to see him do it again with a litve 150-pound hog in a wheelbarrow. Upon returning, he asks the people if they believe he can do it with a boy in the wheelbarrow They all raise their hands that they believe. But when he asks a young boywho had raised his hand to get in the wheelbarrow the boy quickly backs away. Why? He believes, but he doesn't trust. That's the way unregenerate faith is. It believes that Christ died, that He is Lord, that He is God, that He can save. But it won't trust. Regenerating faith trusts. John 1:12 uses the words receive and believe as though they were the same. In reality they are. True regenerating beliefthe kind that trusts--embraces Christ as Lord and Savior. Acts 16:31 is important for what it doesn't say. Note verse 30.What question did the jailer ask Paul in verse 30? Paul clearly answered that he must believe. He did not say any thing about joining a church, being baptized, or doing the best you can. He didn't even mention keeping the commandments. Ifthere had been more to getting saved than simple, trusting belief Paul would have said so. Exactly. We see that salvation comes by asimple acceptance of what Christ did on the cross, by embracing Him as Lord and Savior, as the Holy Spirit brings repentance and draws the pe to the Father. What do I do when the person is ready to trust? 52 LEADING THE PERSON TO TRUST First, you don't do anything; the Holy Spirit does. Some so-called witnesses have devised coercive methods to use at this stage. Some say you should phrase all questions to the unbeliever so that he can't help but agree with you. Some say youshould place your handon the person's shoulder, putting pressure on him to physically bow and trust Christ. Still others employ every kind of emotional and manipulative tactic you can imagine. Dont ever forget-your job is topresent the claims of Christ on the soul, and then simply ask the person if he would like to trust Christ. Depend on the Holy Spirit, not manipulation, to bring unbeliev ers to God. Next, finda way topresent the four points. For example, some use the Romans Road plan (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; and 10:9). This book presents an outline called the ABC Plan, which is printed in the back of this book. Finally, ask the following questions: 1. Will you trust Christ as your Lord and Savior right now? If the person answers "yes, then proceed. 2. Doyou trust Him right now? Yes. Doesrit a person have to pray to be saved? No, a person must trust to be saved, not pray. Certainly a person can trust as he prays, but that which saves a person is faith, not prayer. Make sure the person understands this. fI tell the person to pray at this point, will Iconfuse him? You might. It is very important to emphasize trust and faith, because a person can be saved if he trusts whether he prays or not,but he can never besaved if he doesn't trust, no matter how much he prays. 53  Christ and what He did on 3. Did you just now trust Yes. the cross to save you? right now and forever 4. If so, God says you are saved Timothy 1:12 to show him bo. Then uselJohn 5:12-13 and 2 he can know that he is saved. IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE TRUSTS him Immediately after the person says he has trusted Christ, ask following questions to make sure he understands what he the has done: 1. Are you saved? He may answeryes or "I don't knOw If Idon't know is the answer, turn again to Romans 10:9 and explain what the verse says will happen if he trusts. Then ask again, Are you saved?" Continue to address his questions and concerns with Scripture. If "yes" is the answer, proceed to the next question. 2. How do you know you are saved? You want the person to understand that he can know for sure that he has been redeemed--because the Bible tells him so. But the first answer may be "I feel better If that's his answer, explain that feelings are not trust worthy. He may have a headache tomorrow, or fall back into sin and feel terrible about it. Again, turn to Romans 10:9 untlhe realizes that "the Bible says so." The Bible says I am. When he understands, proceed to the next question. 3. What does God's Word say had to happen for you to be saved? He must have trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. If he says that he believed in God or simply that he prayed, take him back to the Bible until he under stands. 54  4. Why is Christ the One you had to trust? Why could you not have trusted me? The answer is "He is the One who died for me. He shed His blood" Make sure the person realizes that it is the blood of Christ, not just His death, that saves (Rom. 5:9; Heb. 9:22; Col. 1:20). PRAY AND THANK GOD FOR SALVATION This is a good time to have the new Christian pray and thank God for saving him. Then you can pray along with him. Complete This Section Without Looking Back at the Lesson 1. Why doesn't everyone will to be saved? 2.. What does trust mean? 3. What four verses are helpful to show a person that he must trust Christ for salvation? 4. What does confess mean? 55 5. What does Romans tell us a person must confess fo be saved? 6. Why aren't demons saved? 7. Who does the real work in salvation? 8. What three questions can you ask when the person is ready to trust? 9. What four questions can you ask after the person has trusted to make sure he understands? 56 Verses to Memorize John 3:16 2 Peter 3:9 Romans 10:9 John 1:12 Acts 16:31 57