A. While this may SOUND very good, the AUTHORITY for it is NOT in the New Testament
B. What does it mean to SCRIPTURALLY “accept” Christ?
A. His WORD (John 12:48) “He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 15:10) “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love: even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” (2 John 1:9) “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”
B. His GOSPEL (Romans 1:16) “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth: to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
C. His CHURCH (Acts 20:28) “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.” (Colossians 1:18) “And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Ephesians 5:23) “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and He is the savior of the body.”
D. His CROSS (Luke 9:23) “And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Matthew 10:38) “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” 1 jii
A. That we will be JUSTIFIED and LATER SANCTIFIED (Hebrews 10:9-10) “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.
1. IF Sanctification comes AFTER Justification, then so does “belief of the truth”
B. That we can NEVER Fall from Grace (1 Corinthians 10:1-12) “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; (3) And did eat the same spiritual meat; (4)And did drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ. (5) But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. (6) Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. (7) Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, 'the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.' (8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. (9) Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. (10) Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. (11) Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
A. BELIEF (John 8:24) “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 3:14-16) “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
B. REPENTANCE (Acts 17:30-31) “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everwhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” 2
C. CONFESSION OF CHRIST (Acts 8:34-37) “And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man? (35) Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. (36) And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (37) And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
D. BAPTISM (IMMERSION) FOR REMISSION OF SINS (1 Peter 3:21) “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27) “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
E. REMAIN FAITHFUL TO CHRIST (Hebrews 3:12-14) “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you and evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (13) But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” (2 Peter 2:20-22) “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. (21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have know it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (22) But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8) “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (7) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (8) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 3 "ACCEPTING/RECEIVING CHRIST" ---God accepts us Act 10:34-35 KJV 34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Rom 12:1-2 KJV 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 2Co 5:8-10 KJV 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 1Pe 2:19-25 KJV 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. ---We receive Christ Col 2:6-13 KJV 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; ___________________________________________