Salvation Summaries

I am going through each book in the New Testament (again) and writing bullet point comments about how a person becomes a Christian and how a Christian should live.  The comments below are from the gospel book of Matthew.

Summary of how to become a Christian according to Matthew

You need to believe that God exists and recognize your need for Him. You need to acknowledge that you sin – you have sinned against God – and only God can correct this problem. To correct the problem, God wants you to hear, accept and understand the good news of salvation that is offered in His Son, Jesus.  Jesus came to call sinners to Himself and forgive their sins, for only He has the authority to do so.  To receive forgiveness, you must have the humility to admit your sinfulness, repent (confess), and “come to Jesus” by surrendering your life to Him.  This is not easy to do. The world thinks that most people are Christian, but in reality, few are. Per the Bible, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction (hell), and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to eternal life, and few find it. A true Christian is not one in name only;  good deeds are the test or sign of whether a real conversion took place.

How a person is saved (and other verses relating to salvation)

• Realize you are sinful
  • First and second greatest laws show our sinfulness (Mt 22:34-36)
  • Sinful lifestyles (including homosexuality) defile a man and must be changed (Mt 15:19)
• Hear, accept, and understand the good news:
  • Parable of soils (Mt 13)
    • 1st soil: hear gospel, not understand, not saved
    • 2nd soil: hear gospel, receive with joy, but persecuted, fall away, not saved
    • 3rd soil: hear gospel, but seek wealth and caught up in this life (worldliness); not saved
    • 4th soil: hear, understand, bear fruit
• Repent; Jesus preached this (Mt 4:17)
• Humility is required:
  • God blesses those who realize their need for Him (Mt 5; 18:4)
  • Unless converted like a child, will not go to heaven (Mt 18:3)
• “Come to Jesus” (Mt 11:28-30)
• Jesus must become more important to you than your wealth:
  • Rich Young Ruler (Mt 19:16-26)
  • Pearl of Hidden Treasure (Mt 13:44)
  • Pearl Merchant (Mt 13:45-46)
• There is a great cost to becoming a Christian that most don’t realize
  • Lose your life (Mt 10:37-39, 16:24-26)
• Example of sinners seeking salvation (Mt 9:10-13)
• Do not put off becoming saved
  • Scribe said would follow Jesus after buries father (Mt 8:22)
• Righteousness must exceed that of scribes and Pharisees (Mt 5:20)
• Mystery of God’s role in saving people:
  • Elect (Mt 24)
• Contrary to what most people think, not many people go to heaven
  • Many called, few chosen (Mt 22:14)
  • Wide gate, broad way; small and narrow (Mt 7:13)
• Hell is real and more than unpleasant
  • Fiery hell (Mt 18:9)
  • Weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mt 13:42, 50)

Relationship between faith/salvation and deeds

• Every tree that does not bear good fruit is thrown into fire; known by fruit (Mt 3:10)
• Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Mt 3:8)
• Referring to JC as Lord and doing some good deeds not make you a Christian; does JC “know” you (Mt 7:21)
• You are brother and sister of JC if you DO HIS will (Mt 12:50)
• I was hungry, thirsty, etc. (Mt 25:31-46)
• Parable of soils: saved person bears fruit

How a Christian should live

• Live by the golden rule (Mt 7:12)
• Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Mt 4:4)
• Let light shine before others so may see good works and glorify God (Mt 5:16)
• Don’t worry; this is sin and little faith if do (Mt 6:25-34)
• JC went to solitary place to pray; shouldn’t we? (Mt 14:23)
• Love neighbors and enemies; pray for them and those who persecute you (Mt 5:43-44).  Compare this to Islam.
• Do not commit adultery; this includes looking at another with lust (Mt 5:27-28)
• Do not get divorced; the only exception is if your spouse was unfaithful (Mt 5:32)
• Pray the Lord’s prayer (Mt 6:8-13)
• Forgive those who sin against you (Mt 6:14)
• God’s word should be as important to you as food (Mt 4:4)
• Fast, but don’t tell others about it to gain attention for yourself (Mt 6:17)
• Set your mind on God’s interests, not yours (Mt 16:3). Do God’s will, not yours (Mt 7:21, 12:50, 26:39)
• You can’t serve God and wealth/money; God must be more important (Mt 6:19-24)
• Don’t store up treasures on earth (you can’t take them with you); use your money and wealth for God’s purposes (Mt 6:19)
• Show compassion for and help those in need, for this is what Christ would do (Mt 25:34-40)
• Can’t harbor hate and call yourself a Christian (Mt 6:14)
• Worship JC; wise men did, should not we? (Mt 2:2)
• Love Jesus more than anyone, follow Him, be willing to make sacrifices for Him (Mt 10:37-39)
• Love God with all of your heart, soul and mind; love your neighbor as yourself (Mt 22:36-40)
• Fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Mt 12:28)
• Bear good fruit; those who don’t are cut down and thrown into the fire (Mt 3:10). Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Mt 3:8). These verses show the direct connection between salvation and how a Christian should live.
• The Great commission (Mt 28:19)

Who God is

• Communicates to His people via angels (Mt 2:13)
• Sees what you do when you pray in secret and rewards you for this (Mt 6:6)
• Very hairs on your head are numbered; He knows the smallest details about you (Mt 10:30)
• He revealed to Peter the identify of Jesus Christ (Mt 16:17)
• He is Sovereign (Mt 26:54)

Who Jesus is

• Conceived by the HS; thus not simply a prophet or good man (Mt 1)
• Lineage can be traced back to Abraham (Mt 1:1-17)
• Name reflects His purpose – to save (Mt 1:21)
• God with us; God in flesh (Mt 1:23)
• Worshiped by the magi (Mt 2:2,11)
• Confusing figure: was he simply a carpenter’s son or did he have wisdom with miraculous powers (Mt 13:54-56)
• First words as preacher were: repent (Mt 4:17); John the Baptist preached the same (Mt 3:2)
• Taught in synagogues, proclaimed gospel, healed diseases, the blind (Mt 4:23, 9:35, 20:34) but didn’t baptize
• Performed other miracles:
  • fed 5,000 (Mt 14:13-21)
  • walked on water (Mt 14:22-33)
  • fed 4,000 (Mt 15:32-39)
• Had power over demons (Mt 8:29; 15:21-29)
• Had authority on earth to forgive sins (Mt 9:6)
• Came to call sinners, not righteous (Mt 9:10-17)
• Had brothers and sisters (Mt 12:55-56)
• Son of man; came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for others (Mt 20:28)
• Predicted His death (Mt 16:21; 17:22; 10:18)
• Rose from the dead (Mt 28:7); the truthfulness and uniqueness of the Christian faith hinges on this
• Fulfilled prophecy (Mt 12:2-5)

Faith

• Example of great faith (Mt 8:5-13)
• Example of faith (Mt 9:18-31)
• Example of little faith (Mt 14:28, 17:14-20)

Baptism

• Repent, confess, baptize, bear fruit (Mt 3:6-10)
• JC proclaimed and healed but not baptized (Mt 9:35)

Other

• Male and female, marriage (Mt 19:4-6)
• End times (Mt 24:4-42)
• Satan
  • knows scripture better than you do (Mt 4)
  • wants to be worshiped (Mt 4:9)