a. It is the task of a gospel preacher to provide a balanced diet of the milk and meat of the word [Hebrews 5:11-14]. Paul did not fail ". . . to declare to you the whole counsel of God." [Acts 20:27 (NKJV)].

b. We should all be able to understand the great truths of salvation given to us in the New Testament. The angel told Cornelius to send for Peter 'who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.' [Acts 11:14 (NKJV)].

1. Galatians 3:22 (NKJV) But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

2. Romans 3:10 (NKJV) As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;

3. The need for forgiveness is just as great as the spread of sin. All have sinned; all need to be saved.

1. If we deny our sinfulness, we're simply tricking ourselves [1 John 1:8 (NKJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.]

2. Being a person of good character and moral values is not enough.

1. Try to see yourself as God sees you.

2. Any unforgiven sin makes you a lawbreaker [James 2:10 (NKJV) For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.] Our wholly holy God cannot simply overlook even one sin. You need Christ's blood to forgive even one "little white lie" just as much as "big" sins. All are covered equally by its power to redeem us from our separation from God.

3. Do you have sins which need to be forgiven?

1. Wealth and success?

2. Pleasure and fun?

3. Pleasing God and going to heaven?

1. Godly sorrow for past sins -- more than merely guilt [2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.]

2. Knowing how good God has been to you [Romans 2:4 (NKJV) Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?]

3. Recognizing the reality of the judgment [Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV) "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."]

1. Religious teachers have many differing answers to this question.

2. We must be willing to allow the Bible to answer for us. Man's opinions about salvation are worthless; what God says is all that matters.

1. Consider the example of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16.

2. He was a pagan Greek with no knowledge of God and Christ. He had witnessed a remarkable event . . . an earthquake where none of his prisoners had escaped [Acts 16:26-28 (NKJV) Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here."]

3. He was astonished and trembling with fear [Acts 16:29].

4. His question acknowledges his understanding that he knew he was not saved. He knew there was something he needed to do, but he did not understand what that was. He asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" [Acts 16:30 (NKJV)].

5. Paul and Silas told him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." [Acts 16:31 (NKJV)] This is the appropriate answer for a man in his circumstances . . . an untaught unbeliever who wants to know the say of salvation.

6. However, they did not stop with that simple statement. The man needed further teaching before he understood what was involved in becoming a Christian. Acts 16:32 (NKJV) says, "Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house."

7. When properly taught, the man acted immediately to receive the forgiveness of his sins and become a Christian [Acts 16:33 (NKJV) And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.] The man did not wait to be baptized. He and all his family were baptized immediately in the middle of the night. No one who wants to go to heaven should postpone being baptized even for an hour.

1. Peter preached to a crowd of Jewish believers on the Day of Pentecost. They were cut to the heart by his preaching about Jesus and the resurrection [Acts 2:37 (NKJV) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"]

2. Peter did not need to tell them to believe. They already believed, but they understood that they were not yet saved. They knew there was more they needed to do.

3. They asked "what shall we do?" Peter answered, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [Acts 2:38 (NKJV)].

1. Saul of Tarsus was a zealous persecutor of Christians [Acts 9:1-2 (NKJV) Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.]

2. Traveling to Damascus, a remarkable thing happened to him. A bright light shined from heaven and Jesus spoke directly to Saul. The Lord told Saul to go into the city and he would be told what he must do [Acts 9:3-6].

3. When Saul arose from the ground, he was blind. The men with him led him by the hand into Damascus where he spent three days without food or water. Then a disciple named Ananias came to Saul, restored his sight to him, and told him 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' [Acts 22:16 (NKJV)] It is evident that Saul had believed and repented, but he still needed to do something to wash away his sins. Ananias told him to "be baptized and wash away your sins."

4. When you have heard the gospel of Christ, believed in Jesus as God's Son, and repented of your sins, you are ready to confess your faith in Christ and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.