How Many "3 Steppers" Do We Have On Aff???

[Stephanas]

Three steps? Around here, we refer to three steppers as "Greasy Gracers." Everybody knows that there are not three, but seven steps to salvation.

The Seven Steps of Salvation
(By Simeon Young, Sr. and Simeon Young, Jr.)

The Means of Grace

Suppose a man who cannot swim falls overboard. Suppose his friend in the boat throws him a lifeline and pulls him to safety.

Who or what saved the drowning man? His friend? The Lifeline? The life preserver? The boat? Or did the man save himself? The answer, of course, is that his friend saved him, the lifeline, and the life preserver, and the boat saved him. He also saved himself.

This simple parable helps us understand that it is as foolish to say that we are saved by grace alone as it would be for the drowning man to claim that any one of the above means saved him without other intervention.

The Bible certainly does teach that we are saved by grace. But it also teaches that God uses means. These means are called by theologians, the "means of grace."

This study lists seven of God's chosen "means of grace," and is intended to be a quick reference and teaching tool. On these pages we have compiled pertinent portions of the pure Word of God to show how God saves us by His grace.

When the truth of salvation by grace is better understood, the doctrine of easy believism loses its siren appeal.

~ Simeon Young, Sr. ~

The Significance of Seven

The number seven was sacred for the ancient Jews and played a prominent role in their religious life.

The children of Israel obeyed God's command to march around the city of Jericho once each day for six days and the seventh day they walked around Jericho seven times. At the sound of the trumpet, when they shouted a great shout, the city walls crumbled. (Joshua 6:4)

Elisha sent his messenger/servant to Naaman the leper, captain of the Syrian army, to tell him to wash seven times in the Jordan river. He obeyed and he was healed. (II Kings 5:10)

The Word of God declares, "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all his work" (Genesis 2:2-3)

The number seven indicates perfection and symbolizes completeness or wholeness. In this Bible study we show the necessity of these basic seven progressive steps of salvation. Without all of the seven steps there is no salvation.
~ Simeon Young, Jr. ~

Step 1 - Saved by Grace

Definition of Grace: 1. The unmerited love and favor of God; 2. A state of reconciliation with God.

Someone demonstrated that the letters of the word grace suggest the acrostic - "Great Redemption At Christ's Expense" G.R.A.C.E.



Romans 3:23,24 - "...all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..."

Titus 2:11 - "...for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men..."

Ephesians 2:5 - "...even when we were dead in sins, hath [He] quickened us together with Christ; for by grace ye are saved."

We can not be saved without the grace of God. The unmerited favor of God gives us the privilege of being saved, but we are not saved by grace alone and apart from God's chosen means.

Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

Step 2 - Saved by Faith

Definition of Faith: 1. Confidence or trust; 2. Spiritual acceptance of truth; 3. Belief in God

Ephesians 2:8 - "...by grace are ye saved through faith."

I Peter 1:9 - "...receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."

To be saved we must have faith in God.

Hebrews 11:6 - "...without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

Mark 16:16 - "...he that believeth not shall be damned."

James 2:19-20 - "thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

When someone says, "I believe," it doesn't necessarily mean that they are saved, because the devils also believe. Devils are definitely not saved. There is more to salvation than saying, "I believe in God."

Romans 10:10 - "...with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Step 3 - Saved by Confession

Definition of Confession: 1. To disclose sins or faults to God; 2. To unburden the conscience; 3. To acknowledge guilt, wrong-doing or sinfulness; 4. To admit to unbecoming deeds.

Romans 10:10 - "...with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Someone said, "Confession is good for the soul."

Make a list of things in your life that you know displease God.

1. ________________________________________

2. ________________________________________

3. ________________________________________

4. ________________________________________

I John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

James 5:16 - "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed."

Confession involves transparency and honesty.

Proverbs 28:13 - "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Three might be enough for charismatic greasy gracers, but seven is twice as good plus one.