Special Study Outline

WILL GOD REALLY SAVE ME?
John 3:16-17 In this passage detailing the conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus, the Lord says, very plainly, that He came into the world to provide salvation for all men. Man in his natural state, is a sinner, Rom. 3:23. Unless a person is saved then they will die in their sins and they will spend eternity in Hell, forever separated from the presence and power of Almighty God. Will God really save my soul? That is, if you do what the Bible says and receive His plan of salvation, can God really save you and keep you out of Hell? Yes He will! Consider three reasons why. I. GOD HAS PROMISED TO SAVE US A. It is an Old Promise - In the beginning, when God made man in His image and man decided to sin against the Lord, God made a promise to Eve in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3:15. God's promise to provide a means of salvation is even older than that. Rev. 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Peter takes it even farther, 1 Peter 1:20 says, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. These verses tell us that even before there was a sinner to save, before there was even a sin to cleanse, the Lord had already formulated a plan to redeem sinners. His is a plan older than man, older than sin, older than Satan and older than Hell. God's promise to save is an old promise that shall never fail! B. It is an Ongoing Promise - While God's promise is older than the world and even older than mankind, it still has all the power of the Almighty behind it. The promise is as valid today as it has ever been. Note: John 5:24; John 3:16; Acts 16:31. This promise has never and will never lose its great power. God is a saving God and nothing will ever change that truth! C. It is an Open Promise - God's promise of salvation is not limited to a selected few, but it is a promise that is offered to all men. There are several passages that bear out this truth. Rev. 22:17; John 6:37; Rom. 10:13. John 6:47, just to name a few. It is clear from these verses that anyone who senses the need for salvation can be saved by the grace of God, John 7:37. The only requirement for participating in God's plan of salvation is that it is for sinners only! If you are good you cannot be saved. If you are righteous, you cannot be saved. Jesus came for the lost and for them alone - Mark. 2:17. The fact is, we are all sinners, Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22. Therefore, we all qualify under the terms of salvation. The problem is, not everyone is willing to admit his or her guilt. II. GOD'S POWER TO SAVE Now that we know that the Lord has promised to have those who receive His plan of salvation, we need to know that He can do what He says He will do. Just how does God go about bringing men unto Himself? And, when a sinner does go to God for salvation, how does he or she know that God can do what He has promised? Perhaps looking at God's Power to Save will clear up any areas of confusion. A. He Has The Power To Call The Sinner - The Bible says that the sinner apart from God is dead, Eph. 2:1. That is, they possess no spiritual life and are unable to approach God on their own, Rom. 3:11. The only way the sinner can be saved is for him to be called by God - John 6:44; John 6:65. Salvation is a process that always originates with God in Heaven! It never begins with man! God calls us through the gospel, which is to be preached to everybody on earth (Matt. 28:19-20) B. He Has The Power To Convert The Sinner - When a sinner places his or her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, God does a work of grace so powerful in their life that it cannot be explained in human terms. Things of such a profound spiritual nature take place that it boggles the mind. Just a few: 1. All Sin Is Immediately and Completely Forgiven - Psa. 103:12; Isa. 38:17; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:7. 2. The Sinner Becomes a Child Of God - 1 John 3:1-2 3. The Sinner Is Delivered from Sin a.) The Power of Sin - Rom. 6:14 b.) The Penalty of Sin - Rom. 5:9; Rom. 8:1; John 5:24 (saved!) c.) The Presence of Sin - Rev. 21:27 4. The Sinner Becomes a Joint Heir with Christ - Rom. 8:17 5. The Sinner Inherits a Heavenly Home - John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:9; Rev. 21:4. 6. The Sinner Becomes a Saint - (1 Cor. 1:2 - Even the carnal Corinthians were called saints.) When Jesus saves you, He changes you forever - 2 Cor. 5:17. C. He Has The Power To Conserve The Saint - When God calls and the lost person responds to that call, God has the power to keep them saved! There are several verses that prove this truth - 1 Pet. 1:5; John 3:16-17; John 10:28; John 6:37; John 6:47; Rom. 8:38-39; Heb 6:1-4. Thank God, there is power in the Lamb to save the sinner! III. GOD'S PROVISION TO SAVE A. He Provided a Precious Substitute - When man sinned in the garden, man fell under the curse of God. For a man to be redeemed, a man had to die. However, not just any man would do. The One who died would have to be a perfect man. One without sin and without any wickedness. God, knowing our need and our inability to do anything about it ourselves, provided a perfect substitute. He gave us none other than His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the gift of God in Christ proves God's love for you and me - John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8. You may not understand it, but when Jesus died on the cross, He was literally taking your place. He was dying for you - Isa. 53:6; Matt. 20:28; John 1:29; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2. When Jesus was on the cross, God transferred your sins to Jesus and He died to pay your price on that cross - 2 Cor. 5:21. B. He Provided a Perfect Sacrifice - When Jesus was on that cross, His death and sacrifice were sufficient to provide for the saving needs of the entire world. He gave Himself, once for all, that we might be able to be free us from the grip of sin and that we might be able to experience God's perfect salvation, which is available through the Lord Jesus Christ! His was a perfect sacrifice. It will never have to be redone! - Heb. 9:24-28; Heb. 10:10-14, and it was a once for all sacrifice! C. He Provided a Plan of Salvation - Now, we come to the crucial question. If God promised to save man, if He has the power to save him and if He has provided the means to save him, how does one go about being saved? The answer is found in the verses we read - John 3:16-17. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms exactly what a person must do to be saved from their sins. The answer is to believe on Him! This is explained to us in great detail in Rom. 10:9-10. These verses tell us that to be saved, we must acknowledge the claims of Christ and that we must transfer our faith from works, religions, self-effort, self-righteousness, whatever it may that we are trusting in and trust Jesus and Him alone for our soul's salvation. Believe in Christ, be baptized in his name, and God will save you!

John 3:16-17

In this passage detailing the conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus, the Lord says, very plainly, that He came into the world to provide salvation for all men. Man in his natural state, is a sinner, Rom. 3:23. Unless a person is saved then they will die in their sins and they will spend eternity in Hell, forever separated from the presence and power of Almighty God.

Will God really save my soul? That is, if you do what the Bible says and receive His plan of salvation, can God really save you and keep you out of Hell? Yes He will!

Consider three reasons why.

I. GOD HAS PROMISED TO SAVE US

A. It is an Old Promise - In the beginning, when God made man in His image and man decided to sin against the Lord, God made a promise to Eve in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3:15. God's promise to provide a means of salvation is even older than that. Rev. 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Peter takes it even farther, 1 Peter 1:20 says, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. These verses tell us that even before there was a sinner to save, before there was even a sin to cleanse, the Lord had already formulated a plan to redeem sinners. His is a plan older than man, older than sin, older than Satan and older than Hell. God's promise to save is an old promise that shall never fail!

B. It is an Ongoing Promise - While God's promise is older than the world and even older than mankind, it still has all the power of the Almighty behind it. The promise is as valid today as it has ever been. Note: John 5:24; John 3:16; Acts 16:31. This promise has never and will never lose its great power. God is a saving God and nothing will ever change that truth!

C. It is an Open Promise - God's promise of salvation is not limited to a selected few, but it is a promise that is offered to all men. There are several passages that bear out this truth. Rev. 22:17; John 6:37; Rom. 10:13. John 6:47, just to name a few. It is clear from these verses that anyone who senses the need for salvation can be saved by the grace of God, John 7:37. The only requirement for participating in God's plan of salvation is that it is for sinners only! If you are good you cannot be saved. If you are righteous, you cannot be saved. Jesus came for the lost and for them alone - Mark. 2:17.

The fact is, we are all sinners, Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22. Therefore, we all qualify under the terms of salvation. The problem is, not everyone is willing to admit his or her guilt.

II. GOD'S POWER TO SAVE

Now that we know that the Lord has promised to have those who receive His plan of salvation, we need to know that He can do what He says He will do. Just how does God go about bringing men unto Himself? And, when a sinner does go to God for salvation, how does he or she know that God can do what He has promised? Perhaps looking at God's Power to Save will clear up any areas of confusion.

A. He Has The Power To Call The Sinner - The Bible says that the sinner apart from God is dead, Eph. 2:1. That is, they possess no spiritual life and are unable to approach God on their own, Rom. 3:11. The only way the sinner can be saved is for him to be called by God - John 6:44; John 6:65. Salvation is a process that always originates with God in Heaven! It never begins with man! God calls us through the gospel, which is to be preached to everybody on earth (Matt. 28:19-20)

B. He Has The Power To Convert The Sinner - When a sinner places his or her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, God does a work of grace so powerful in their life that it cannot be explained in human terms. Things of such a profound spiritual nature take place that it boggles the mind. Just a few:

1. All Sin Is Immediately and Completely Forgiven - Psa. 103:12; Isa. 38:17; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:7.

2. The Sinner Becomes a Child Of God - 1 John 3:1-2

3. The Sinner Is Delivered from Sin

a.) The Power of Sin - Rom. 6:14

b.) The Penalty of Sin - Rom. 5:9; Rom. 8:1; John 5:24 (saved!)

c.) The Presence of Sin - Rev. 21:27

4. The Sinner Becomes a Joint Heir with Christ - Rom. 8:17

5. The Sinner Inherits a Heavenly Home - John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:9; Rev. 21:4.

6. The Sinner Becomes a Saint - (1 Cor. 1:2 - Even the carnal Corinthians were called saints.) When Jesus saves you, He changes you forever - 2 Cor. 5:17.

C. He Has The Power To Conserve The Saint - When God calls and the lost person responds to that call, God has the power to keep them saved! There are several verses that prove this truth - 1 Pet. 1:5; John 3:16-17; John 10:28; John 6:37; John 6:47; Rom. 8:38-39; Heb 6:1-4.

Thank God, there is power in the Lamb to save the sinner!

III. GOD'S PROVISION TO SAVE

A. He Provided a Precious Substitute - When man sinned in the garden, man fell under the curse of God. For a man to be redeemed, a man had to die. However, not just any man would do. The One who died would have to be a perfect man. One without sin and without any wickedness. God, knowing our need and our inability to do anything about it ourselves, provided a perfect substitute. He gave us none other than His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the gift of God in Christ proves God's love for you and me - John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8.

You may not understand it, but when Jesus died on the cross, He was literally taking your place. He was dying for you - Isa. 53:6; Matt. 20:28; John 1:29; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2.

When Jesus was on the cross, God transferred your sins to Jesus and He died to pay your price on that cross - 2 Cor. 5:21.

B. He Provided a Perfect Sacrifice - When Jesus was on that cross, His death and sacrifice were sufficient to provide for the saving needs of the entire world. He gave Himself, once for all, that we might be able to be free us from the grip of sin and that we might be able to experience God's perfect salvation, which is available through the Lord Jesus Christ!

His was a perfect sacrifice. It will never have to be redone! - Heb. 9:24-28; Heb. 10:10-14, and it was a once for all sacrifice!

C. He Provided a Plan of Salvation - Now, we come to the crucial question. If God promised to save man, if He has the power to save him and if He has provided the means to save him, how does one go about being saved? The answer is found in the verses we read - John 3:16-17. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms exactly what a person must do to be saved from their sins. The answer is to believe on Him! This is explained to us in great detail in Rom. 10:9-10. These verses tell us that to be saved, we must acknowledge the claims of Christ and that we must transfer our faith from works, religions, self-effort, self-righteousness, whatever it may that we are trusting in and trust Jesus and Him alone for our soul's salvation. Believe in Christ, be baptized in his name, and God will save you!