By Donald Townsley 1

By Donald Townsley 1

The Plan of Salvation Lesson One "Hearing" INTRODUCTION: 1. Much emphasis has been placed on hearing in the New Testament. Mark 4:9, 23, 24; Mark 7:16; Matt. 11:15; Luke 14:35; Luke 8:18 2. We need to take heed to our hearing. Luke 8:18; Mark 4:24 I. TAKE HEED THAT YOU HEAR 1. Hearing is necessary -- John 6: 44, 45 2. Hearing the revealed word -- Rom. 10: 13-17 II. TAKE HEED WHOM YE HEAR 1. We must hear Christ and not man -- Heb. 1: 1, 2; Matt. 28:18; Col. 1:18 2. Not the preacher -- I Cor. 4:6 3. Councils of men -- Jer. 10:23 4. We must hear Christ, not Moses -- Matt. 17: 1-5; Acts 3: 22-23; John 1:17 III. TAKE HEED WHAT YOU HEAR -- Mark 4:24 1. All truth was revealed through the Apostles -- John 14:26; John 16:13 2. We must listen to their authority -- Matt. 18:18; Matt. 19:28 3. Creeds of men must be disregarded -- Matt. 15:9 IV. TAKE HEED HOW YOU HEAR -- Luke 8:18 1. Don't be a "forgetful hearer" -- James 1: 22-25 2. Don't be a "dull-ear hearer" -- Matt. 13:15 3. Don't be an "itching-ear hearer" -- II Tim. 4: 3,4 4. Don't be a "stopped-ear hearer" -- Acts 7: 57 5. Be an obedient hearer -- Prov. 25:12; James 1:22 6. Be a swift hearer, (James 1:19) like the: (1) Jews on Pentecost -- Acts 2 (2) Cornelius -- Acts 10 (3) The Eunuch -- Acts 8 (4) The Jailor -- Acts 16 2

The Plan of Salvation Lesson Two "FAITH" INTRODUCTION: 1. The word "faith" is used two ways in the New Testament. (1) Sometimes it has reference to our trust or belief in Christ and His will -- John 8:24; Acts 18:8 (2) Other times it refers to the system of faith, the revelation -- Acts 6:7; Jude 3 2. In this lesson we are studying faith in the sense of trust or belief in Christ and His will. 3. FAITH defined: Heb. 11:1 - Edward Robinson Translation - "Faith is confidence as to things hoped for; conviction as to things not seen". 4. Faith is defined as having relation to two classes of objects: (1) Things hoped for (taking in the future). (2) Things unseen (taking in both the past and future). 5. The things unseen include the things hoped for. (1) All things hoped for are unseen. (2) But, all things unseen are not hoped for. 6. Examples of the definition: (1) Things unseen -- Heb. 11:3 1. The creation of the world by the word of God is not an object of hope with us. The element of confidence as to things hoped for does not enter into that example of faith. (2) Things hoped for, and things unseen -- Heb. 11:7 1. Here was conviction as to an unseen disaster that was to sweep over the earth. 2. Here was confidence in the hope for deliverance. I. HOW DOES FAITH COME? 1. Many people contend that faith comes as a result of a miraculous operation upon the human heart. 2. If this doctrine be so, God is the cause of unbelief. 3. The Bible teaches that faith is produced by hearing the divine record. (1) John 20: 30-31; John 17:20; Romans 10:17; Acts 15:7; Acts 18: 8; Acts 11: 13, 14 II. THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH 1. Impossible to please God without it -- Heb. 11:6 2. Children of God by faith -- Gal. 3:26 3. Be condemned without it -- Mk. 16:16; John 3:18 3

III. THERE IS BUT ONE FAITH -- Eph. 4:5 1. This one faith may be: (1) Little -- Matt. 6:30 (2) Weak -- Rom. 14:1 (3) Dead -- James 2:17 (4) Great -- Matt. 8:10 (5) Strong -- Rom. 4:20 (6) Rich -- James 2:5 (7) Perfect -- James 2:22 IV. READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES AND LIST THE THINGS FAITH DOES FOR US. 1. Heb. 10:38 2. Acts 15:9 3. Acts 26:18 4. Romans 3:22 5. Romans 3:38 6. Romans 5:2 7. Romans 11: 20 8. Gal. 3:26 9. Eph. 3:17 10. Gal. 3:14 11. Eph. 2:8 12. I Pet. 1:5 V. NAME SOME HEROES OF FAITH, AND TELL WHAT EACH DID TO SHOW HIS FAITH 1. Heb. 11:4 2. Heb. 11:7 3. Heb. 11:8 4. Heb. 11:17 5. Heb. 11:21 6. Heb. 11:22 7. Heb. 11: 23 8. Heb. 11: 31 4

VI. TRUE OR FALSE (Circle the proper letter, T for true, F if the statement is false.) 1. We are justified by faith only -- James 2:24 T F 2. Faith without works is dead -- James 2: 17, 20, 26 T F 3. If faith only saves, the devils will be saved -- James 2:19 T F 4. Faith must manifest itself in action before it is of any effect --James 2: 14-18 T F 5. Noah did something to show his faith. T F CONCLUSION: 1. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? 2. Have you manifested your faith by obeying the gospel? 5

The Plan of Salvation Lesson Three "REPENTANCE" INTRODUCTION: 1. The subject of repentance is of dynamic importance. 2. Our eternal destiny is dependent on whether we repent or not -- Luke 13:3; Acts 17: 30 I. REPENTANCE DEFINED 1. What repentance is NOT: (1) Not a mere promise to quit sinning. (2) It is not the covering up of sins. (3) Nor is repentance gloomy despair or just being sorry for sins. 1. Examples: (1) Criminal (2) Judas -- Matt. 27: 3-5 (4) Not "godly sorrow" -- II Cor. 7:9, 10 (5) Not reformation of life -- Matt. 3:8 2. What repentance IS: (1) "A change of mind" or a change of will toward God and Sin. (2) Examples: 1. Man with two sons -- Matt. 21: 28-31 2. Prodigal son -- Luke 15:18,20 3. People of Nineveh -- Matt. 12:41; Jonah 3:10 II. GOD REQUIRES REPENTANCE OF ALL 1. All Nations -- Acts 17:30; II Pet. 3:9 2. Repentance is required of the rich, the poor, the high and low. 3. Christ included it in the great commission -- Luke 24:47 4. This commission was executed on the first Pentecost -- Acts 2:38 5. Cornelius -- Acts 11: 18 6. To the church at Ephesus -- Rev. 2:5 7. To Simon -- Acts 8:22 6

III. WHAT PRODUCES REPENTANCE? 1. A conviction of sin -- John 16: 8 ASV "And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" (1) One could not be expected to reverse his attitude toward a certain evil unless he was convicted that the thing was wrong. (2) Convince of transgression -- I John 3:4 2. Godly sorrow produces repentance -- II Cor. 7:10 3. The goodness of God -- Rom. 2:4 4. Thinking on the certainty of judgment -- Acts 17: 30-31; Heb. 9:27 IV. FRUITS OF REPENTANCE -- Matt. 3:8; Acts 26: 20 1. Restitution, as far as possible. 2. Reformation V. EXAMPLES OF REPENTANCE AND IMPENITENCE 1. Those who did repent: (1) The Ninevites -- Jonah 3:10; Matt. 12:41 (2) Prodigal son -- Luke 15: 11-24 (3) Those on the day of Pentecost -- Acts 2: 37-47 (4) Saul -- Acts 9:9 2. Those who did not repent: (1) Antediluvian world -- Gen. 6 (2) Sodom and Gomorrah -- Gen. 19: 24-25 VI. REPENTANCE AND SALVATION 1. Its place -- Does repentance come before or after faith? (1) Some teach repentance before faith. (2) Note the order of faith and repentance in the case of the Ninevites: 1. Jonah preached to them -- Jonah 3: 3, 4 2. They believed -- Jonah 3:5 3. They repented -- Jonah 3: 8-10 2. Is repentance a direct gift from God? (1) Many believe that it is. 1. The Doctrine of hereditary total depravity teaches that it is. (2) Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18 (3) God has given us bread (Matt. 6:11), but not directly. He gives us means of obtaining bread. (4) God gives the means, His word -- Luke 24: 46-47, 49 7

3. Repentance is a work. (1) Some repudiate works -- Jonah 3:10; Matt. 12:41 4. Repentance is essential to salvation. (1) Repentance is a command -- Acts 17:30 (2) One must repent or perish -- Luke 13:3 (3) Repentance is for remission of sins -- Acts 2:38 (4) One must repent to have his sins blotted out -- Acts 3:19 (5) Repentance is unto life -- Acts 11:18 (6) Repentance is essential to being saved -- II Cor. 7:10 CONCLUSION: 1. If you are not a Christian, will you not repent and be baptized? 8

The Plan of Salvation Lesson Four "CONFESSION" The cause of Christ has always demanded open confession of His divinity. The disciple of the Master must take his stand before men. There are no secret Christians. The confession is made before men. We are to hold fast to His name. Jesus made this fair offer to men in Matthew 10:32: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." One of the great tests made in the days of persecution was to hold fast to His name. Jesus writes to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:8, "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my Word, and hast not denied my name." Paul writes to Timothy that he has witnessed the "good confession before many witnesses" in I Tim. 6: 12. Thus we learn there is a Divine confession, not founded in men's creeds but by inspiration. When Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, the eunuch, ready to obey the gospel, asked in verse 36, "what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Philip's answer was, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God". Therefore, the good confession was made by the eunuch, "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God." The careful student will notice in the following verses these great truths about the confession: 1. It is necessary to salvation. 2. It is with the mouth. 3. It comes before, and is a prerequisite to, baptism and salvation. 1. The good confession, according to Peter, is that Jesus is the, the of the Living God. (Matt. 16:16) 2. Young Timothy made the good profession (confession) before many. (I Tim. 6:12) 3. Did Timothy have to make his confession (profession) publicly in view of what Jesus says in Matthew 10:32? Our confession of Christ must likewise be before men. Christ will have no disciple that is afraid or ashamed to let the world know who He is and what He stands for. 4. Must one make the good confession in order to be saved? (Rom. 10:9) 5. The Ethiopian nobleman, before his baptism, confessed that Jesus was the of God. ( Acts 8:37). 6. What did Christ say about Himself? (Matt. 26: 63-64) 9

7. Jesus promised to before His Father the person that Him before men. (Matt. 10:32). 8. When did God confess that Jesus was the Christ and His Son? Matt. 3:17 Matt. 17:5 9. Christ will those who Him. (Matt. 10:32) On the day of Judgment Jesus will be forced to deny those who have denied Him. This will be a sad day for many. 10. Confession is (before or after) baptism? (Acts 8: 37-38) The pattern as set forth here by the Eunuch is the pattern endorsed by the Holy Spirit. Our conversion must be characterized by the same acts; a confession of our faith in Jesus as the Christ before our baptism into Christ. 11. The chief rulers would not confess Christ because they loved the of men more than the praises of. (John 12: 42, 43) We wonder if the same reason keeps many from making the good confession today. 12. The confession is made with the. (Rom. 10:10) 13. What price did Jesus have to pay for confessing that He was the Christ before Pilate? 14. Stephen was for confessing his faith in Jesus. (Acts 7: 57-60) 15. What blessings do we receive for confessing Christ? (I John 4: 15) 16. What if our lives are not in keeping with our confession? (Matt. 7:21) "Now that you have made a careful study of all the scriptures, you have found that confession is unto salvation. Paul declared in Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". The confession and the creeds of men are different from this great confession that the New Testament teaches. For example: If in making the confession, you said, "I believe that God for Christ's sake has pardoned my sins", you have made the wrong confession. The "good confession" looks forward unto salvation. The salvation has not yet been realized, but like the Eunuch in Acts 8, upon this confession valid baptism can be administered. Think what a wonderful thing it is to sweeten your lips with the most precious thing in heaven and earth; to stand unafraid and unashamed before men and say, "I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God."" (Taken from a Bible correspondence course, Taylor Blvd. church of Christ.) 10

The Plan of Salvation Lesson Five "BAPTISM" INTRODUCTION: 1. Baptism is a Bible subject, and we ought to study it diligently that we might know what the Bible teaches on the subject. 2. In this lesson we will look at the subject, element, action and design of baptism. I. THE PROPER SUBJECT 1. The taught -- Matt. 28: 19-20; Mark 16: 15-16; John 6: 44, 45 (1) Not only taught, but taught the right thing. (2) The gospel -- Rom. 1: 16; I Cor. 15: 1-4 (3) It is impossible to teach a man wrong and baptize him right -- Acts 19: 1-5 2. Must be a believer -- Mark 16:16; John 8:24; Heb. 11: 6; Acts 8:37; Acts 8:12 3. Must be a penitent believer -- Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3; II Cor. 7: 9-10; Matt. 21: 28-31 4. Must confess Christ -- Acts 8: 37; Rom. 10: 10; Matt. 10: 32; John 12: 42, 43 5. This rules out infant baptism. (1) Infant baptism grew out of the false theory of Infant Damnation. (2) The Bible teaches no such theory -- Ezek. 18:20; Matt. 18:3 II. THE PROPER ELEMENT 1. What is the element in which to be baptized? Acts 8: 36-38; Acts 10: 47-48 2. Water excludes every other element. III. THE PROPER ACTION 1. Baptism is a burial and a resurrection. 2. It is an in and out, an immersion, a dipping. 3. Col. 2:12; Rom. 6: 3, 4; Acts 8: 36-38; John 3:5; Matt. 3: 16, 17 4. Sprinkling and pouring are the wrong actions. 11

IV. THE PROPER DESIGN 1. Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16 -- "for the remission of sins". 2. Baptized into Christ -- Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:3; Rom. 6: 3, 4 3. Baptized into the death of Christ -- Rom. 6:3; John 19:34 4. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- Matt. 28:19; Acts 4:12 5. Baptized into the body -- I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:16; Eph. 1: 22, 23 V. THE ONE BAPTISM 1. Eph. 4:5 2. Not John's baptism -- Acts 19: 1-5; Matt. 3:3 3. Not Holy Spirit baptism -- Matt. 3:11 (1) Promise to a few (2) Cornelius last case -- Acts 10: 44-48 4. Fire baptism is yet to come -- II Thess. 1:8 5. Water baptism is the one baptism -- Eph. 5: 26 VI. TRUE AND FALSE (Circle the proper letter, T for true, F if the statement is false.) 1. There are two baptisms today. T F 2. A person can have the wrong faith and be baptized right. T F 3. A penitent believer is a subject of baptism. T F 4. Infant Damnation is a Bible doctrine. T F 5. Burial is the proper action of baptism. T F 6. Baptism is for the remission of sins. T F 12