Plan of Salvation

God’s Plan for Salvation of a Soul
in Down-East Maine!
(or anywhere else in the world)

Wherever you go in Down-East Maine one can enjoy various aspects of God’s beautiful creation. One of the most striking scenes is that of the ocean crashing ashore against the rocky coastline, while fishing boats are safely moored mere yards off shore in a quiet, sheltered harbor.

The scene reminds me of a biblical principle. We all start this life in the same place – lost in our sin. Adrift on the sea of life. The "vessel" of our lives is adrift on God’s sea with a broken rudder at the mercy of the wind, waves, and currents - at times driven toward seemingly certain disaster.

We need to recognize that we are sinners in a hopeless situation!

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned,

and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12 - Wherefore, as by one man

sin entered into the world,

and death by sin;

and so death passed upon all men,

for that all have sinned:

Just as a disabled vessel on the seas is in great peril,
being separated from God by our sin places us in great peril.

We need to understand that as unregenerate (not born again - John 3:3) sinners we cannot have fellowship with God.

Romans 6:23a – “For the wages of sin is death;…”

But . . . .

John 3:18 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:

and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;

but the wrath of God abideth on him. (eternal punishment)

Just as the sea is still the sea,
whether our vessel has a rudder or not;

God is still God

whether we believe Him or not.

God is holy - completely without sin;

therefore our sin has to be atoned for (paid for)

in order for us to be reconciled to God

and one day stand before Him

and spend eternity with Him.

Thankfully, He has provided a way.

We need to see that Jesus Christ’s blood can cleanse us from the guilt of our sin!

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

Romans 5:8 - But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death;

but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son

cleanseth us from all sin. (takes away our guilt)

The pilot with the broken rudder can turn his wheel anyway he wants

but that vessel will only be driven in the direction of the wind,

        the currents,

            and the waves.

We can struggle and try to find our own way to God,

       but He has given us the only way of salvation;

           through His Son Jesus Christ.

We need to follow God’s plan for salvation, not our own.

(Philippians 3:9 . . . be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, ...")

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.

Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name under heaven given among men,

whereby we must be saved. (Peter speaking of Christ)

Just as the crew of the disabled ship can do nothing until rescue comes, we can not save ourselves either.

We need to know that we can never earn salvation;

it is a gift through faith

and belief

in Jesus Christ as our Savior!

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves:

it is the gift of God:

Not of works, (mine or yours)

lest any man should boast.

Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Salvation is by grace alone (we do not deserve it),

through faith alone (we can not earn it)

in Christ alone (we can only believe it)!

Dear Precious Soul,

If you will but believe God that you are a sinner and that He has sent Jesus Christ, His only Son to die in your place - to pay for your sin - to shed His precious blood for you, because and only because He loves you, and accept that precious gift, then you are saved. Period.

If you have done that, now would be a great time to pray and thank God for saving you through faith in the finished work of His wonderful, precious Son Jesus Christ!

Ask Him to help you grow in Christ and to have the courage to begin being a witness for Him, showing His love and mercy to others.

For the Down-East fisherman who has been battling the wind and the waves of a fierce storm with no steering, there is nothing more welcome than quiet water, a peaceful, sheltered harbor, and a firm anchor.

As a believer in Christ, what a joy to be in the still, safe waters of the harbor of God’s arms, a part of His family for ever, sailing out no more. There we will never again find ourselves at the mercy of circumstances and threats of danger because we have a sure hope.

Though He never promised that we wouldn’t

have troubles, He did promise to always be

there with us and keep us through them.

Hebrews 13:5 – “…for He hath said, I will never

leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

John 6:37-40 - Jesus said:

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;

and him that cometh to me I will in no wise

cast out.

For I came down from heaven,

not to do mine own will,

but the will of Him that sent me.

And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me,

that of all which He hath given me I should

lose nothing, but should raise it up again

at the last day.

And this is the will of Him that sent me,

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

that every one which seeth the Son,

and believeth on Him,

may have everlasting life:

and I will raise him up at the last day.

*bold, underline, and italics added for emphasis

If you have made a decision to receive the gift of God and become saved, there is more you should know. Becoming saved is by far not the end of the story. While it may be the end of one story (your life without Christ), it is the beginning of a new story, (your life in and with Christ).

It would be unforgivable for us to bring you this far and leave you with no further instructions or guidance, so we provide you with the following instructions:

Now that you are a Christian, a child of the living God, you really should ask what He has in mind for you. The place to learn the answer to that is in the Word of God (The Bible). There, you will find, He says that He is in the process of forming the very character of Christ in us.

Some people asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment. He said that we should love the Lord our God with our whole heart and mind and soul. Then He said the second greatest was like it, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

He has said for us to seek Him with our whole heart.

As in any relationship there must be 2-way communications between the persons involved. Therefore we need to keep the lines of communication open and clear between us and Him.

Reading the Bible is listening and seeking to know Him better. The New Testament is a good place for new believers to begin. The books of John and Romans are of particular benefit to start with.

Praying and just plain talking to God all day is communication back toward Him.

By God's grace, apply what you learn from the Word to your life as He reveals it to you.

Seek out a good Bible preaching/teaching, reputable church to fellowship, learn, serve in and through. Remember as you do this that there are many who are false teachers as in the days of Christ. Pray surely for His direction in choosing a church, then look for Him to answer. He will answer in such a way that you can be certain as to where He wants you to go.

Remember, going to any church will only get you in any church. Going to the church of God's choosing will put you on the path to receive His best for you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Official Web site of The First Baptist Church of Harrington, Maine 2010.