Embracing Grace: The Call to Say Yes

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Grace Over Works

Salvation is a profound gift from God, freely given and not earned through human effort. This truth liberates believers from the burden of trying to earn God's favor and invites them to rest in His grace. Many people struggle with the misconception that they must perform good deeds to secure their salvation. However, the essence of salvation is that it is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This understanding allows individuals to experience the freedom and peace that come from knowing their salvation is secure, not because of what they have done, but because of what Christ has done for them. [05:46]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Reflection: In what ways have you been trying to earn God's favor through your actions? How can you begin to rest in the assurance of His grace today?

Day 2: Faith's Simplicity and Power

The story of the thief on the cross is a powerful illustration of the simplicity and power of faith. Despite having no opportunity to perform good works, the thief was promised paradise because he believed in Jesus. This narrative underscores the truth that salvation is not about our deeds but about faith in Christ. It challenges believers to trust in the sufficiency of Jesus' sacrifice and to recognize that faith, even in its simplest form, is enough to secure eternal life. This story invites reflection on the nature of faith and the incredible grace that God extends to those who believe. [06:56]

Luke 23:42-43 (ESV): "And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And he said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'"

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt unworthy of God's love. How does the story of the thief on the cross encourage you to trust in the power of simple faith?

Day 3: Baptism as a Declaration

Baptism is an act of obedience and a public declaration of faith. It symbolizes a believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. While baptism is not necessary for salvation, it is an important step in the spiritual journey, serving as a witness to others of the transformation that has taken place in one's life. By choosing to be baptized, believers take a stand for their faith, demonstrating their commitment to live out their beliefs publicly and authentically. This act of obedience is a powerful testimony to the world of one's allegiance to Jesus. [20:49]

Colossians 2:12 (ESV): "Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

Reflection: If you have not been baptized, what fears or hesitations are holding you back? If you have been baptized, how can you use your testimony to encourage others in their faith journey?

Day 4: Obedience as a Mark of Faith

Obedience is a defining characteristic of true followers of Christ. Saying yes to baptism and other acts of obedience demonstrates a believer's commitment to live out their faith publicly and authentically. This obedience is not about legalism but about a heartfelt response to God's love and grace. It reflects a desire to align one's life with God's will and to be a witness to others of His transformative power. As believers grow in their faith, they are called to continually say yes to God, embracing His guidance and direction in every aspect of their lives. [21:56]

James 1:22 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to obey God's leading? How can you take a step of obedience today to align more closely with His will?

Day 5: The Call to Say Yes

Today is the day to say yes to God, whether it's accepting Jesus as your Savior or taking the step of baptism. God's gift of salvation is available to all, but it requires a personal decision to receive it. This call to say yes is an invitation to experience the fullness of life in Christ, free from fear and hesitation. It is a reminder that God's love and grace are extended to everyone, and that each person has the opportunity to respond to His call. By saying yes to God, believers open themselves to the transformative power of His presence in their lives. [31:42]

2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV): "For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Reflection: What is one decision you need to make today to say yes to God? How can you overcome any fears or hesitations to embrace His call fully?

Sermon Summary

Summary:

Today, we embark on a transformative journey with the "Say Yes" series, a call to surrender and take the next step in our spiritual walk with God. This series is about saying yes to God in various aspects of our lives, whether it's accepting the gospel for the first time, overcoming fear to follow in believer's baptism, or dedicating our time, talents, and treasures to His service. As we explore this theme, we delve into two foundational doctrines: salvation and baptism.

Salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn through works. Many false teachings suggest that we must work for our salvation, but the truth is that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The story of the thief on the cross illustrates this beautifully; he could do nothing to earn his salvation, yet by believing in Jesus, he was promised paradise. This is the essence of the doctrine of salvation: it is a gift of grace, not of works, so that no one can boast.

Baptism, on the other hand, is an act of obedience and a public declaration of our faith. It is not a requirement for salvation but a step that follows it. Baptism symbolizes our identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. It is a witness to others of the transformation that has taken place in our lives. As we say yes to baptism, we are taking a stand for our faith, showing the world that we belong to Jesus.

As we move forward, I encourage you to reflect on what you need to say yes to today. Whether it's accepting Jesus as your Savior or taking the step of baptism, let today be the day you say yes to God.

Key Takeaways

1. Salvation by Grace Alone: Salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn through our efforts. It is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved, not by works, so that no one can boast. This truth liberates us from the burden of trying to earn God's favor and invites us to rest in His grace. [05:46]
2. The Thief on the Cross: The story of the thief on the cross illustrates the simplicity and power of faith. Despite having no opportunity to perform good works, the thief was promised paradise because he believed in Jesus. This reminds us that salvation is about faith in Christ, not our deeds. [06:56]
3. The Importance of Baptism: Baptism is an act of obedience and a public declaration of our faith. It symbolizes our identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. While it is not necessary for salvation, it is an important step in our spiritual journey. [20:49]
4. Obedience as a Mark of Faith: Obedience is a characteristic of true followers of Christ. Saying yes to baptism and other acts of obedience demonstrates our commitment to live out our faith publicly and authentically. [21:56]
5. The Call to Say Yes: Today is the day to say yes to God, whether it's accepting Jesus as your Savior or taking the step of baptism. God's gift of salvation is available to all, but it requires a personal decision to receive it. Don't let fear or hesitation hold you back from experiencing the fullness of life in Christ. [31:42]
** [31:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:23] - Introduction to "Say Yes" Series
[03:58] - The Doctrine of Salvation
[05:46] - Salvation by Grace, Not Works
[06:56] - The Thief on the Cross
[10:45] - Romans 10:9-10: Confession and Belief
[12:20] - Instantaneous Salvation
[13:26] - Being Born Again
[14:19] - The Gift of Salvation
[15:19] - Receiving and Using God's Gift
[18:34] - Repentance and Faith
[19:36] - Saying Yes to Jesus
[20:49] - The Importance of Baptism
[21:56] - Baptism as Obedience
[26:03] - Baptism as a Symbol
[28:04] - Baptism as a Witness
[31:42] - The Call to Say Yes
[34:32] - Invitation and Prayer

Sermon Clips

It's called being saved from our sins. Right? Now there are many teachings when it comes to our salvation from our sins. Many, many beliefs out there, many teachings on it. But one of the most egregious of the false teachings is we must work for our salvation. We must earn our salvation. We must work for our salvation. We must work for our salvation. We must work for our salvation. Many, many, many belief systems and many religions teach that you have to do something to earn your salvation. [00:04:39]

And hear me on this. It's a lie from Satan because Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved and Satan doesn't like that. So he waters down the gospel of Jesus. He mixes in false teachings into that gospel. And we sometimes fall for them. We begin to believe them. We don't believe exactly what the Bible says. We start to believe other teachings. So think about it this way with me. When Jesus was crucified, there was a thief on his right and a thief on his left. [00:05:46]

and yet Christ offered him the gift of salvation and that thief took it he accepted it that day the thief believed in who Jesus was so Jesus gave him a passport he said today you will be with me in paradise the other thief did not the other thief did not go to paradise with Jesus the other thief went to hell based on a belief in Jesus not on their works see all of all the doctrines in the Word of God the doctrine of salvation is the one in which we should be most familiar with [00:07:02]

not only because our salvation depends upon it but because it's the the very message that God wants us to share with other people is the message of Jesus so let me start here our statement of faith here at faith Baptist Church reads like this when it comes to salvation we believe as a church that the salvation of sinners is holy of grace through the mediatory office of the Son of God salvation is through faith in Jesus salvation is by God's grace and His grace alone [00:07:46]

we believe that repentance and faith are the only means necessary and available for true salvation that's it so i want to read acts 20 to you with all this in mind in verse 18 the word of god says and when they had come to him he said to them you know from the first day that i came to asia in what manner i always lived among you serving the lord with all humility with many tears and trials which i happened to me by the plotting of the jews how i kept back nothing that was helpful but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to house testifying to the jews and also to the greeks repentance towards god and faith toward our lord jesus christ [00:17:30]

Baptism is a very important doctrine that is also widely misunderstood. So, first of all, I want you to hear this. Baptism is an act of obedience. Baptism is saying yes. It's saying yes to God. It's saying, yes, God, this is what your word teaches. this is what the Bible teaches. This is what you expect from me, and I will say yes to it. You see, there's so many people, and I know that they've allowed fear of going public with their faith. They allow fear of getting baptized in front of other people. [00:20:49]

Baptism does not save us. We get baptized because we have been saved, not for salvation. And there's a widespread teaching. out there that in order to go to heaven, I got to believe in Jesus and get baptized. We believe that's unbiblical. Belief alone saves us. So what is baptism? Baptism is a step of obedience. You know, television, news camera crew was assigned to southern florida filming during the aftermath of hurricane andrew and in one street every house had been demolished except for one one house stood and the owner of that house was out in the yard cleaning up debris and the news crew stopped and got out and asked him how is it that your house is still standing when everybody else's house was demolished in the hurricane and the man replied i built this house myself i also built it according to florida state building code and that code called for two by six trusses in the roof and two by six in the walls none of my neighbors followed that but the the code is that way that so the houses will stand a hurricane and he said i followed the instructions i was obedient to the code my neighbors were not so there's my house and look at theirs now hear me on this obedience is a characteristic of followers of christ in matthew 28 jesus said we should teach new believers what to observe everything i commanded you so when you say yes to jesus in salvation you say what do i do now robbie the next step is what say it baptism that's where we go the next step is to be being baptized why because that's what matthew 28 tells us to do to believe in jesus as savior he alone saves us what's the next step to get baptized not part of salvation but because of your salvation that is the next step there is so many people so many people who have trusted christ as savior but they need to take the step of baptism they need to follow in believers baptism see baptism serves as the initial [00:22:47]

profession of our acceptance of jesus you know here let me run through real quick after philip preached jesus to the ethiopian eunuch after he actually believed they stopped the chariot and immediately he went down and got baptized acts chapter 8 when the philippian jailer responded to the preaching of jesus and believed and some of his other household did immediately scripture says they followed in baptism acts chapter 16 the same is true for lydia in acts 16 cornelius in acts 10 the corinthians in act 18 and others for these believers baptism was a witness on an out an outward expression of what what they'd found in salvation in christ so look at romans 6 4 with me romans chapter 6 verse 4 therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also should walk in newness of life our baptism is a witness of the salvation of christ in the name of the father and the son of god and also jesus was raised asицand so he was raised up as after the Psalms when the 그리Os and all like doctrines by christ then we can we can ha [00:25:14]

obedience and get baptized to represent what he's done for me and as I'm a new creature now in Christ if you're not willing to take that step you're not going to live for him at work you're not going to live for him out in the community you're not going to take a public stand for him when you need to you can't even take it among believers so there are so many people that need to say yes to baptism last year we were able to baptize 73 people who took that step of obedience and hear me all 73 baptisms were celebrated by this church we rejoiced with them and their step of obedience is that fair to say faith Baptist we rejoiced with them to think oh my gosh I got to go get baptized in front of people what are they going to think we're going to celebrate with you that you're taking that next step for God that you said yes to baptism that's what we're going to think [00:28:04]

but you know baptism is also a witness it's not just a step of obedience it's a witness you can get people to come because you're getting baptized that will never step foot in our church but they'll come because you're getting baptized we do it out in the foyer now and a lot of reasons for that but we do it out there and every time we baptize there are people that come we're going oh my gosh so -and -so's here can you believe that the roof didn't fall in no and it's not gonna do that but they'll stand out there and you know what many of them do as soon as that person gets baptized you know what they do they walk right back out the door they don't come in here and worship with us they walk right back out the door but what did they get to see what did they get to hear they get to hear that this person you [00:29:02]

accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and because of that personal decision they made they're getting baptized in the name of the Father Son the Holy Spirit that they're a new creature in Christ they get to hear the whole gospel message in that baptism it's symbolic of it folks so what do you need to say yes to today what do you need to say yes to today there's some of you right here you've been raised in a different background of under a different belief system and a different religion a different teaching and you're hearing this today and the Holy Spirit's pricking your heart right now saying there's never been a time where you personally accepted Christ as your personal Savior that you believed in him some of you right here that are hearing that that's what you need to say yes to today but there's also some others who have said yes to Jesus as Savior but you've never said yes to baptism that's the step you need to do take so in just a moment I'm gonna give you an opportunity to not put it off any longer and hear me to not say no to God any longer to surrender to surrender to him in these matters of salvation and baptism have you said yes to getting baptized have you said yes to salvation [00:29:02]

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