Friday, September 27, 2024

PLAN OF SALVATION

What Must I Do To Be Saved?
“Ye must be born again...”

Almost all denominations and religions agree you have to be born again.  The problem is they disagree on how you are to be born again.  According to the Bible there is only one way to be born again and that is the same way Peter and the apostles were born again on the day of Pentecost. 

In the scriptures below Jesus appointed Peter to set the foundation for His church.   Jesus said “upon this rock (Peter) will I build my church”.

(John 1:40-42 KJV)  One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

(Matthew 16:17-19 KJV)  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar–jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Keep in mind that God's church is built upon the teachings of Peter and the apostles. 

In the next scripture Jesus told Nicodemus if we are not born again of the water (which is baptism of water for remission of sins) and spirit (which is the baptism of the Holy Ghost) we can not enter into heaven!

(John 3:3-5 KJV)  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus commanded his apostles to go forth and teach  to all nations.

(Matthew 28:16-20 KJV)  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.,, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(Mark 16:15-16 KJV)  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The next set of scriptures state that right before Jesus was taken up into heaven he told the apostles where to go and wait for the Holy Ghost.

(Luke 24:44-53 KJV) And he said unto them,  These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

(Acts 1:2, 4-9 KJV)  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

When Jesus spoke unto the disciples it tells us in Luke 24:45 that he opened their understanding that they may understand the scriptures.  Immediately following Jesus’ resurrection they did just as He told them.  Not once in the scriptures were any of them confused about what they were to do.

(Acts 2:1-8, 12 KJV)  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

(Acts 2:14-16 KJV)  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

(Acts 2:37-39 KJV)  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Notice: The apostles did not baptized in the titles (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). Jesus told them to baptize in the name (singular). What is the name of the Father, the name of the Son, the name of the Holy Ghost? Jesus! Read the scriptures for yourself, throughout the New Testament the apostles baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ every single time.

When the people standing about asked Peter “men and brethren, what shall we do?”  What did Peter tell them?  What he told them to do still applies to us today.

The Holy Ghost experience was not just for the apostles and their day but is also for us in this day and hour.  Peter said the promise is unto us and our children and to all…  In order to get to heaven YOU MUST repent, be baptized in JESUS Name, and receive the HOLY GHOST!

Read Acts 10 (whole chapter).  In this chapter we learn that Cornelius was a very devout God fearing man that paid alms and prayed ALWAYS, but still God sent an angel to tell him to send for a man (Peter) to tell him how he and his house could be saved.  They were all baptized in Jesus Name and receive the Holy Ghost and spake with tongues. It is not enough to just be a good person YOU must repent, be baptized in Jesus Name and receive the Holy Ghost!

In Acts 19 we find that Paul ran across some of John's disciples and they also were baptized and received the Holy Ghost!  Yes John the Baptist's disciples! If the way you were baptized does not matter then why did Paul find it necessary to rebaptize John’s disciples?  He baptized them in Jesus’ Name and they all received the Holy Ghost and spake with tongues.

(Acts 19:1-6 KJV)  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

In Galatians the apostle Paul warned us about others coming to preach something other than what he or the other apostles taught.

(Galatians 1:6-9 KJV)  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

(To learn more about the gospel of Christ ask me about our Bible study “Which is True Gospel?”)

According to scripture you must repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and be filled with the Holy Ghost to enter into Heaven!  The scripture above tells us if any man tells you any different or preaches any other gospel let him be accursed!

So remember, if you have already repented and turned from sin, that’s not the final step, YOU MUST be baptized in Jesus’ Name, and receive the Holy Ghost.

I offer private in home Bible studies.  If you would like someone to study the Bible with or someone to pray with, please feel free to contact me anytime.


Kim Howard   (318) 450-2148   
Email: kimlovesjesus@icloud.com

www.womanofgodinlouisiana.blogspot.com

Saturday, August 17, 2024

What is Repentance?

Many understand the term repentance (from the Greek word metanoia) to mean “turning from sin.” This is not the biblical definition of repentance. In the Bible, the word repent means “to change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8-14; Acts 3:19).  Acts 26:20 declares, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that result in a change of action.

What, then, is the connection between repentance and salvation? The Book of Acts seems to especially focus on repentance in regards to salvation (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20). To repent, in relation to salvation, is to change your mind in regard to Jesus Christ. In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), he concludes with a call for the people to repent (Acts 2:38). Repent from what? Peter is calling the people who rejected Jesus (Acts 2:36) to change their minds about Him, to recognize that He is indeed “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Peter is calling the people to change their minds from rejection of Christ as the Messiah to faith in Him as both Messiah and Savior.

While repentance is not a work that earns salvation, repentance unto salvation does result in works. It is impossible to truly and fully change your mind without that causing a change in action. In the Bible, repentance results in a change in behavior. That is why John the Baptist called people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). A person who has truly repented from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ will give evidence of a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19-23; James 2:14-26). Repentance, properly defined, is necessary for salvation. Biblical repentance is changing your mind about Jesus Christ and turning to God in faith for salvation (Acts 3:19).

How is genuine repentance brought about?                

Repentance is brought about by godly sorrow. Before a person can repent he must feel sorry for his sins. Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.” For someone to be sorry merely because his sins have been found out, or because they have brought trouble upon him, is not enough. A person must be sorry because they have broken the commandments of God, have spurned His gospel, and thereby grieved Him days without number. Such godly sorrow is the only motivating force for real repentance.

Repentance is an action-filled step known to God, to us, and to others—a private and often public step that brings about positive results in our lives.  Because we have a sinful nature and have committed sinful acts, it is essential that we repent and turn to God.

Repentance is the act of turning away from a life of sin – not living in your sins.  If a person repents of their sins and is truly sorry they will refrain from repeating those sins. The scriptures stress in the strongest terms, that repentance is absolutely essential to salvation. Jesus said, “Except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Here are a few examples in the Bible of repentance:

          1.  Sodom and Gomorrah

(Genesis 19) You can read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah they failed to repent.  Because of this, these cities were destroyed by fire and brimstone. New Testament scriptures say that they are set forth as an example to others who live ungodly (2 Peter 2:6; Jude 1:7).

(2 Peter 2:6 KJV)  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

     2.  Jonah

The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah.  Jesus said this fact would condemn those who refused to repent in our generation.

(Matthew 12:41 KJV)  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

         3.  John the Baptist

John the Baptist commanded in his ministry to all of Judea that they must repent, and prepare their hearts for the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:2).

          4.  Jesus Christ

Jesus spoke often in these terms, “I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

Even after we are born again there will be times of failure, mistakes, and sin.  We must deal with sin and wrongdoing in our lives just as we did before salvation—by repentance.  We are to be overcomers, to live free from sin, and to live above sin.  In reality, we often come short of our goal.  Nevertheless, we are not to continue in sin or commit sins over and over. God still rules in the heavens and will forgive those who repent, whether they are saints or sinners. Whatever may happen to us in life, we must always keep a repentant and forgiving spirit alive in our hearts.

                  5.  The Great Commission

Jesus’ last words before His ascension commanded repentance.  “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). 

          6.  The Day of Pentecost

Repentance is the initial part of the plan of salvation as spoken by the Apostle Peter.  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

I offer many Bible studies on my site www.womanofgodinlouisiana.blogspot.com and/or from your home or mine. If interested please contact me anytime :). Text or call (318)450-2148.


Thursday, February 8, 2024

Bible Studies by Kim

To see other blogs with Bible Studies by me click:






I offer many Bible studies on my site www.womanofgodinlouisiana.blogspot.com and/or from your home or mine. If interested please contact me anytime :). Text or call (318)450-2148.