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Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

From this the sequence is:

1.    Hear the Gospel

2.    Believe the Gospel

3.    Be baptised

At Pentecost when the Jews asked Peter what they were required to do:

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,

Baptism then is for the remission of our sins so it follows that we must recognise our sins and turn from them before baptism.

So to our sequence, between believing and baptism, we need to add repent.

From this the sequence is:

1.    Hear the Gospel

2.    Believe the Gospel

3.    Repent

4.    Be baptised

Baptism by immersion in water is an essential beginning to salvation.

Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Baptism in the case of the Philippian Jailer:

Acts 16:30 And (he) brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Baptism in the case of the Samaritans:

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

‘Hearing’ assumes an understanding of what is heard.

‘Believing’ assumes an understanding that we need a change in our lifestyle consistent with our belief.

What we believe is termed ‘faith’ and has one source – scripture.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The ‘Gospel’ consists of the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ.

Baptism is total immersion in water with the understanding that it is (1) for remission of sins and (2) a symbolic burial of the old man and a rising again to a newness of life.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

To our sequence then we add:

5.    Walk in newness of life

Paul gives this advice

Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Romans 12:1 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.

Peter gives the same advice

1Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

We will be saved only if we endure to the end of our lives.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Salvation has to be worked out with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Paul was aware that even he could fall away.

1Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The doctrine of ‘once saved always saved’ is not taught in scripture.

Salvation does not involve going to Heaven

You will search scripture in vain for a verse that speaks of going to heaven as the reward of the righteous.

At death men go to the grave not heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

There is no conscious existence after death.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Psalms 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

The dead do not go to heaven.

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven...

Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens...

Eternal life requires resurrection from death to life on the earth and a physical change of nature.

For this reason the dead in Christ are said to be ‘asleep’.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The kingdom of heaven is to be set up on earth when Christ returns to rule as king on the throne of David.

The angel Gabriel says:

Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Which agrees with the prophecy of Isaiah:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

David by inspiration of the Holy Spirit says:

Psalm 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

And Christ confirms it:

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

The Gospel speaks of the kingdom of God on earth in confirmation of Daniel’s prophecy.

Daniel 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

As God said to Moses:

Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

And through the prophet Habakkuk:

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Jesus promised his apostles:

Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Paul describes the reign of Christ and what will follow:

1 Corinthians 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

I hope this helps,

If you need more please ask.

Glenn Smith

If you are interested in understanding the Bible, a Bible course is available on www.thisisyourbible.com There is no charge. The sole aim of the course is to help you to understand the Bible.  If you sign up you will be assigned, without cost, a personal tutor to guide you through the course and answer your questions.