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NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION TRAINING
9
SESSION 1:
SALVATION - BRINGINGUS BACK TOGOD
Objectives:
A. TO EVALUATE YOUR DECISION TO JOIN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH.
B. TO UNDERSTAND SALVATION, ITS’ MEANING,
PURPOSE, NECESSITY, AND PROMISE.
C. TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SALVATION AND THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM.
Introduction:
In our life there comes a point in which the Lord begins to reveal
that our goals, pursuits, actions, aspirations or whatever we are
attempting to achieve is insufficient. This may come about at an
early age or later in life. The source of this conviction may be a
sermon we hear, the testimony of a fiend, a television message a
conversation with a loved one or any variety of methods at the Lord’s
disposal. The bottom line is that we begin to understand that there
is a need for change, and this change is found in the person and
ministry of Jesus Christ.
The question must then be asked, what was it that made you decide
to seek Christ? For many young people there was no choice at first
because many parents influenced their children to attend church.
However, the real truth is that God will not force God’s self on any
one and thus this has to be a personal commitment to Christ and
not one that someone else makes for you.
Starting to make the Change!
For the Christian, this process of change begins with
SALVATION
.
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole person, and
is offered freely for all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior, who by his own blood (by dying on Calvary) obtained
eternal redemption for the believer. Salvation then is a
process of changes that begins in one who seeks Christ.
1. CONVICTION: REVEALING THE NEED TO CHANGE
The Holy Spirit convinces a person of his or her need to change
some thought, attitude, or action. He places the truth of the
Gospel as a clear light before the unsaved so that the Gospel
is acknowledged as truth, whether or not Christ is received as
Savior. We simply try to play this work of the Holy Spirit off