1 Peter 2:9-10 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  – NIVUK

• Every person is either in the darkness or the light. There is no twilight zone. Where are you?

John 3:1-7 1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ 3Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 4‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” – NIVUK

• We must be born again of water and the Spirit.
• This is a personal decision as an adult.

Acts 2:22-24 22‘Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. – NIVUK

• What message must one believe to be saved?
  • That Jesus is from God. (v. 22)
  • That Jesus was physically raised from the dead. (v. 24)
  • Everyone is responsible for the crucifixion of Christ, (v. 23) because all have sinned.

Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ – NIVUK

• What does it mean to be “cut to the heart?” (Definition: deep emotional sorrow)
• The people recognised their responsibility for the death of Jesus.
• Their response reflected godly sorrow: “What should we do?”

Acts 2:38-42 38Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – NIVUK

• Once the people believed, what did they do?
• Repent (turn to God).
• Be baptised (be immersed in water).
  • Their sins were forgiven. This is the point in time when a person is saved.
  • The Holy Spirit is given to those who are baptised.

Romans 6:1-8 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – 7because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. – NIVUK

• Baptism is the participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ — it is more than just a symbol.
• This is the point in time when we are freed from sin and united with Christ. The wall of sin is broken down — we are forgiven of our sins!
• Explain diagram below:

 

Colossians 2:11-12 11In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. – NIVUK

• What activates the power of God at baptism? It is our faith!
• We are saved by faith at the moment of baptism — not by the water itself.

Matthew 15:6-9 6they are not to “honour their father or mother” with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 ‘ “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” – NIVUK

• False doctrines often arise from religious tradition.
• Examples of false doctrine:
  • Infant baptism (refuted by Ezekiel 18:20; 28:15)
    1. Began approximately second century AD.
    2. Became church doctrine in 549 AD.
  • Praying Jesus into your heart
    
    (misinterpretation of Revelation 3:20)
    1. This passage was addressed to baptized disciples.
    2. It originated in early 1800s America.

1 Peter 3:18-22 18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – 20to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience towards God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. – NIVUK

• What does the water represent in this passage? Noah’s flood.
• In the same way, the flood washed away the sinful people in Noah’s time, baptism cleanses us of sin through Christ!
• Baptism “now saves you” — this confirms again that baptism is not merely symbolic, but the moment our sins are forgiven.
• REVIEW YOUR TIMELINE — does it align with the Biblical process of salvation? If not, now is the time to repent and be baptised!