The Believer’s Role
The role of the believer in becoming righteous involves seven simple steps:
The first step is to accept Christ in the heart by faith. “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
The second step is to remove sin from the heart and life. The Bible states that sin cuts the connection between the believer and the Lord: “your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). When we confess our sins and repent, God promises to forgive us (1 John 1:9).
The third step is to listen to God’s voice through the Bible. When the believer studies the scriptures, he will hear God speaking to him by His Spirit. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
The fourth step is to speak to the Lord through prayer. If reading the Bible is listening to God speak to us, then, speaking to God is accomplished through prayer. Jesus gives us the model for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13.
The fifth step is to be baptized into the body of Christ. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).
The sixth step is to obey the Lord. Jesus told His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:23).
The seventh step is to witness to others about your relationship with God. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
If the believer takes these seven steps toward the Lord, the Lord promises salvation, “if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
The great news is that Jesus also gives the believer the will and desire to want Him. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). The use of the word “both” shows that God provides the stimulus for the initial determination to accept salvation and the power to make that decision effective. The Lord enables the believer to attain salvation. Thus, redemption is a cooperative work between God and the believer, with God furnishing all the needed grace for the use of the believer. Hallelujah!
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
