Salvation By Faith
Introduction
I. Many New Testament passages speak of salvation by faith, and I believe every one them exactly as they are written (John 3:16).
A. The question is: “How are men saved by faith?”
B. John 3:16 is the starting point, not the answer to the question of salvation.
II. Believers have the right to become the children of God (John 1:11–12).
A. The word “right” means “authority, right, liberty, ability” (Barclay M. Newman, Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament).
B. The same word is used in other passages (John 19:10; Acts 5:4; Luke 7:8). C. Sometimes believers reject this right (John 12:42–43; Acts 26:27–28).
D. Sometimes believers exercise their right (Acts 6:7; Rom. 16:25–27).
III. Since men are saved by faith, we need to find out when it transpires.
Discussion
I. The Great Commission In Mark 16:16
A. There are five views of this verse:
1. Catholic: “He who believes not and is baptized shall be saved.” 2. Atheist: “He who believes and is baptized shall not be saved.”
3. Universalist: “He who believes not and is not baptized shall be saved.” 4. Baptist: “He who believes and is not baptized shall be saved.”
5. Bible: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”
B. The conditions for salvation are named: faith and baptism.
C. The condition for damnation is also named: disbelief (cf. John 3:18).
D. Baptism is the act which faith obeys!
II. The First Gospel Sermon After The Cross (Acts 2:14–41)
A. When did these people receive the “remission of sins”? 1. When Peter began preaching (Acts 2:14f)?
2. When they were “pricked in their hearts” (Acts 2:37)? 3. When they cried out “What shall we do” (Acts 2:37)?
4. When Peter told them to “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38)?
5. When they obeyed the commands (Acts 2:40–41)?
B. There is an inseparable connection between baptism in water and the remission of our sins.
1. This passage makes the remission of sins depend on baptism just as much, and in the same sense, as it depends on repentance.
2. The preposition “for” cannot express two different relationships to the
two words.
3. Copulative conjunction “and” couples two verbs with the phrase “for the remission of sins.”
4. If repentance is essential to salvation, then so is baptism.
David Padfield www.ExpositorySermonOutlines.com 1
III. The Conversion Of The Ethiopian Nobleman (Acts 8:26–40)
A. The question, “What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36).
B. Philip was not a Baptist preacher, for he was talking to an alien sinner about water baptism before he knew if the man was a believer.
C. “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (Acts 8:37).
D. Here is a believer about to exercise his right to become a child of God!
IV. Noah’s Salvation And Ours (1 Peter 3:18–22)
A. Noah was saved by grace (Gen. 6:8); so are we (Eph. 2:8). B. Noah was saved by faith (Heb. 11:7); so are we (Acts 16:31).
C. Noah was saved by obedience (Gen. 6:22); so are we (Heb. 5:8–9).
D. Noah was saved by water (1 Pet. 3:20); so are we (1 Pet. 3:21).
V. Baptism Is Always Before Salvation
A. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16).
B. “…be baptized … for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38).
C. “…be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16).
D. “…buried with Him through baptism … walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4). E. “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the
removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward
God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:21).
VI. Salvation Is Attributed To Many Things:
A. Belief (Acts 16:31).
B. Confession (1 John 4:2).
C. God (2 Tim. 1:8–9).
D. Grace (Eph. 2:8). E. Gospel (Rom. 1:1). F. Hope (Rom. 8:24).
G. Repentance (Acts 11:18). H. The Holy Spirit (Titus 3:).
I. Blood (Rom. 5:9).
J. Works (Jam. 2:24). K. Jesus (Matt. 1:21).
L. Baptism (1 Pet. 3:21).
M. Can one of these exclude the rest?
Conclusion
I. “For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26–27).
A. The word “for” (Gr. gar) “adduces the cause or gives the reason of a preceding statement or opinion.” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, p. 109).
B. The word “for” is also translated as “because” or “since.”
II. We are the children of God because we were baptized into Christ!
David Padfield www.ExpositorySermonOutlines.com 2