Lakeland Seventh-day Adventist Church

Some people teach that our place in heaven is secured by completing a check-list or by following a series of steps. The Bible teaches that everything required for our salvation has already been done for us. It’s ours if we choose it. How is this choice presented to us?

Texts used in this message

Unconditional salvation

Ephesians 2:8, 9

Not of works

I Timothy 4:10

Savior of all men

I John 2:2

Sins of the whole world

I John 5:11

God has given us eternal life in His Son.

Receiving salvation

John 16:12, 13

Sometimes a person really wants to be part of God’s kingdom, but would give up if he had to face all the choices involved at once. God reveals choices little by little.

Romans 8:14–17

Be led by the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:16

Acts 13:31–33

Believe in Jesus and be baptized.

Matthew 6:14, 15

Forgive others.

I John 1:9

Confess sins.

There are many choices by which we choose salvation. God presents different choices at different times to different people. Certainty of salvation comes from following God’s instructions for all the choices I know now, not the choices I knew a year ago or that someone else knows.

One of the choices God is presenting now is baptism. If you really want to allow the Holy Spirit to control all of the choices in your life, you may be baptized. Acts 8:37.

Response

• Ignore choices and never become part of God’s kingdom.
• Try to find out every choice might be asked to make before you decide. If you do this, you will run out of time.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through every choice.