How Is A Person Saved?

Basic Doctrinal Worksheets
for New Believers
Lesson 6

Salvation-How Is A Person Saved?

Not By Trying to Keep the Law
Not By Good Works
Not By Our Own Effort
Not By Water Baptism
BUT By Grace Through Faith

1) Not by trying to keep the law.

How many men and women, according to Romans 3:20, are justified (declared righteous) in God’s sight by keeping the law? _______________ Are men justified by the works of the law (see Galatians 2:16)? ________ If men could be saved by keeping the law, then would it have been necessary for Christ to die on the cross (Galatians 2:21)? __________ What are the three words in Romans 7:12 that describe the law? 1) _______________ 2) _____________ 3) __________________ Do you think it is possible for a sinful man to keep God’s holy law (read Romans 7:7-14)? _____ Is it possible for sinful men to keep the 10 Commandments perfectly (see Exodus 20:1-17)? ________ Read James 2:10. Imagine a person who perfectly obeys all of God’s commandments except for one. Is he still a lawbreaker? ______ Is he guilty of breaking the law? ________

If you have a chain with just one of the links broken, is it still a broken chain? _______ Consider a person who has committed murder, but who has never committed adultery. Has that person broken God’s law (James 2:11)? _________ Galatians 3:10 tells us what a person must do if he hopes to be saved by keeping the law. He must continue in _______ things which are written in the book of the ________ to them. Do you think that a sinful person could ever do this? _____

Who do you think was the only Person who ever kept the law perfectly? ____________________________ The purpose of God’s holy law is to show men and women how sinful they really are "for by the ____________ is the knowledge of ________" (Romans 3:20). The law could never save, it could only show man his need for the Saviour. Think of a mirror. The purpose of a mirror is to show us that we have a dirty face, but we certainly would not use the mirror to wash our face. The mirror drives us to the soap and water. So God gave the LAW that it might drive us to the LAMB, the Lord Jesus who taketh away the sins of the world. The law could never give ___________ (Galatians 3:21), it could only condemn. As the sinner stands before God’s holy and righteous law, all he can say is, "I’M GUILTY!" (Rom. 3:19). God did what the law could never do by the sending of His own _________ (Romans 8:3)! Praise God for the Lamb!

2) Not by good works.

In Isaiah 64:6 we learn that because we are all unclean sinners, all of our righteousnesses are as ______________ __________ in the sight of God. Read Ephesians 2:1-10 and find the two verses that teach us that a person is not saved by doing good works. What are these verses? _______________ In this same passage, what verse teaches us that once a person is saved his life should be filled with good works? __________

In Titus 3:1-8, what verse teaches that a person is not saved by good works? _________ In this same passage, what verse teaches that those who are saved ought to be performing good works? _________ If salvation were by works, then men would be able to boast about the many things they have done to earn their salvation. And yet God’s Word clearly teaches that men are not saved by doing good works, and thus for the person who is truly saved, there can be no _________________________(see Ephesians 2:9 and Romans 3:27 and Romans 4:1-5). Did the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 boast concerning his good works? ___________ In what verse do you find this boasting? _______ Was the Pharisee saved (see verses 13-14)? _______ Imagine yourself standing before the Lord in heaven and put a check (ü) before the sentence that best describes what you would say to Him:

1. __________ "Lord, the reason I’m here in heaven is because I have been faithful to you and I have tried my best to live a good life and to do those things that are pleasing in Your sight."

2. __________ "Lord, the reason I am here in heaven is only because Christ loved me and died on the cross for my sins. I’m able to stand here today only because of Christ and what He has done for me."

Who is it that works in the believer enabling him to do those good works that please the Lord (see Philippians 2:13 and Hebrews 13:20-21)? ______________ Read Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers in Colossians 1:9-10. Did Paul want these believers to please the Lord by living lives that were filled with good works? __________How many good works can the believer accomplish without the Lord’s help (John 15:5)? _______________ We know that the unsaved man does not have Christ (1 John 5:12). Do you think the unsaved man is able to do good works that are pleasing to the Lord (compare Romans 8:8-9)? ________ According to the words of Jesus in John 6:28-29, what is the first "work" a man must do in order to please the Lord? __________________________________________________ In fact, without _______________ (Hebrews 11:6) it is __________________________________ to please God!

The following two statements are false and would be spoken only by those people who do not understand God’s truth:

1) "I know I'm a sinner and in order for me to be saved I must stop drinking and smoking and living in an immoral way, and I must go to a good church and read my Bible every day."

According to Acts 16:31, what is God’s simple and clear command for the sinner? _________________________________________________ Therefore, what is the first thing God wants the unsaved man to do? __________________________________________________

2) "When I become saved I’ll be able to live any way that I please because a person is not saved by good works but by faith."

According to 2 Timothy 2:19, what is God’s command for the person who claims to be a believer?__________ ____________________________________________ If a person is truly saved and realizes what Christ did for him on the cross, do you think he will desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord? _________ When a person is saved, does he want to live for himself or for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15)? _____________________

1. _____ The first thing an unsaved person needs to do is to give up all his bad habits and sinful practices.

5. _____ The believer is able to do good works because it is God who works in him.

3) Not by our own effort.

We have learned that men are sinful, wicked, lost, dead and blind. Therefore it is impossible for man to save himself!! In Ephesians 2:8 the Word of God clearly says that salvation is not of _____________________, it is the ___________ of God. Read Titus 3:5. Is a man saved by his own effort and good deeds? ______ God saves a person according to His M________________ and not according to anything that we have done. If our salvation depended upon our own human efforts, none of us would make it! SALVATION IS OF THE LORD!

4) Not by water baptism.

The following verses are written incorrectly. Please correct them by putting a line through the incorrect parts:

John 3:16--"That whosoever believeth in him and is baptized should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:36--"He that believeth on the Son and is baptized hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son and is not baptized shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 6:47--"He that believeth on me and is baptized, hath everlasting life." John 5:24--"He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, and is baptized, hath everlasting life." 1 John 5:12--"He that hath the Son and has been baptized hath life." Mark 16:16--"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned." Acts 16:31--"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized and thou shalt be saved."

1. __________Water baptism is necessary for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

2. __________ Water baptism is necessary for obedience once a person is saved (Acts 10:48; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38).

3.__________ In Mark 16:16 we learn that a person is damned because he was not baptized.

4.__________ According to Acts 2:41 and Acts 8:36-37, those who were baptized in the early church were already believers and thus they were already saved! In other words, they first believed and then they were baptized.

7.__________ Water baptism cleanses us from all sin (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7).

8.__________ In Mark 16:16 we learn that the UNBELIEVER is damned (condemned) whether or not he has been baptized in water.

9. ________ In Matthew 1:21 we learn that it is water baptism that saves a person from his sins.

10. ________ Titus 3:5 teaches us that a person is saved only by the mercy of God and not by anything that we ourselves DO.

Read Acts 16:31. Is a person saved the moment he believes or is he saved the moment he is baptized in water? ____________________________________________So far we have learned that a person is not saved by trying to keep the law or by good works or by his own effort or by water baptism. Now we are ready to learn how a person is saved: BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!

For a more detailed discussion of this important matter, see our study, Does Water Baptism Save?

5) By grace through faith.

Ephesians 2:8--"For by ______________ are ye ___________ through _____________." Grace is God’s kindness and favor towards me even though I don’t deserve it! According to Titus 3:4. we could say that grace is "the _____________________ and ______________ of God our _____________________ toward _______" (that undeserving sinful creature, deserving nothing but God’s wrath! See how "man" is described in Titus 3:3). "Amazing GRACE! How sweet the sound that saved A WRETCH LIKE ME!"

God is able to be gracious and merciful to lost sinners BECAUSE OF WHAT CHRIST DID FOR US ON THE CROSS! Romans 3:24---"Being _____________________ (declared righteous) freely by his _______________ through the _________________________ that is in ________________ ______________."

Faith is simply taking God at His Word and acting upon what HE HAS SAID! God said it! I believe it! That settles it!

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus!
Just to TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD!
Just to REST UPON HIS PROMISE!
Just to know, "THUS SAITH THE LORD"

Faith is believing that what God says is true. Before we can believe and live God’s Word, we must hear it (or read it). Thus we learn in Romans 10:17 that _______________ comes by _________________and ________________ by the __________ ____ _________. True faith must rest upon solid facts and our faith rests upon the written Word of God.

Abraham was a man of faith (see Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3-5 and Galatians 3:6-9). Abraham was strong in faith because he believed that whatever God had promised would surely come to pass. Read Romans 4:19-21. In this passage we learn that Abraham staggered not at the ____________________ of God through ____________________, but was strong in __________________, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what He (God) had ______________________ He (God) was___________ also to ___________________. Is God able to keep His promises? ________ Is God able to DO what He says? ________ Will God always do exactly what He says? _______ Will everything God says always come to pass (see Genesis 1:3)? ______ Has a promise of God ever failed? _________ Are we able to say "YES" and "AMEN" after reading one of God’s promises (see 2 Corinthians 1:20)? _________ According to Titus 1:2, what is one thing that God cannot do? __________ We know from Hebrews 6:18 that it is impossible for God to do what?______ Therefore, whatever God says must be true and we should believe it, rest upon it, obey it and live it! When we do not believe the Word of God, what terrible sin are we guilty of (see 1 John 5:10)? _________________________________________________________ Faith is responding properly, rightly and correctly to what God his said! The man of faith responds properly to the Word of God! When God gives a command, the man of faith responds by ______________________ the command (Hebrews 11:8). When God gives a promise, the man of faith believes it, is persuaded of it, sees it, looks for it, waits for it, rests upon it, clings to it and embraces it (see Hebrews 11:11,13)!