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The Seven Steps Toward Salvation

Posted March 2, 2004


R___ wrote:

Hi R___,

Thank you for your questions. The short answer is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

But the Bible is much more than one lone sentence. "Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ" is not something that comes only out of your mouth. It must also come out of your hands, in what you do and out of your feet, in the way you walk through this life. So we are also given the next verse:

Acts 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

In the final analysis, the scriptures reveal that salvation is a process consisting of seven steps toward maturity. These seven steps are revealed in both the typical annual holy days of the law of Moses and in Israel's history as a nation. In this letter we will concern ourselves only with Israel's history.

"The Word of the Lord," which "they spake ... to all that were in his house [the Phillipian jailer's house]," includes these words:

1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

1 Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

1 Corinthians 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1 Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

1 Corinthians 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

1 Corinthians 10:11 1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall

I have emboldened three verses in this passage, for emphasis.

I would also emphasize that twice in this short passage we are told:

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things,

1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [age] are come.

The Greek word for 'examples,' is 'tupos.' What happened to Israel is 'tupos' ('types' or 'typical') of us! But for what purpose? To the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. (verse 6). So it is true that ALL these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Therefore, since "all these things" are involved, the long answer to your question is that when we put the blood on our door post, we have just begun to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Scripturally this is the first step toward our salvation. "All these things" are yet ahead of us to take us through the sea of baptism, step two, where our old man begins to die. After that we are yet to be tried in the wilderness, step three, as were Christ and Paul. "In the wilderness," through trials and tests, we learn how many different ways there are to properly sacrifice to God. It is in the wilderness that we learn of our priest and his ability to intercede on our behalf. But to make it into the 'promised land' we have yet to experience a second baptism in the Jordan, step four, which typifies waiting 50 days after the blood has been applied to the door post before we receive God's spirit to help us through the trials and battles that we begin to face at this point of our spiritual development. Only then are we spiritually circumcised, step five, after we have crossed Jordan and have entered into the "heavenly places in Christ":

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

While in the land we must conquer all the giants we once thought made us look like 'grasshoppers.' To this very point God has called the "many." Many Christians go through all these preliminary steps toward salvation. But all along the way, the numbers are becoming fewer and fewer.

Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen

Matthew 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

Matthew 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Matthew 13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Matthew 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Matthew 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Matthew 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Matthew 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Matthew 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And what happens to the "many called?" They are given 'strong delusion' so that they "believe a lie and be damned." And what happens to deceived Christians who think they are able to co-exist with a 'wild beast?' They end up, one and all, in "Babylon." The "many called" represent all these who are "sanctified ... called to be saints" (I Corinthians 1:2) but are "yet carnal" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). Going into Babylon, was the sixth event in the history of Israel and it is step six in God's plan of salvation. Ask yourself, how can Paul call people he has just called "sanctified ... called to be saints" "yet carnal?" The answer is given us by our Lord himself: many are called [and are yet carnal], but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). Look at what Christ tells His disciples is the interpretation of the parable of the sower given above:

Matthew 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom [Puts the blood on his door post], and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Matthew 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful [all the steps taken in the wilderness, through the promised land, and right up into Babylon].

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty [Step seven, those who "come out of her my people"].

Look at what Christ had to tell his disciples between the parable of the sower and its interpretation:

Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Matthew 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. [This is the exact opposite of what is taught from the pulpits and in the Sunday schools of all Christendom.]

Matthew 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Matthew 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see [those things] which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

So why have this people's heart waxed gross, and their ears dull of hearing, and their eyes closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them? And why on the other hand are the disciples of Christ able to see and understand? For one reason only: Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. See 'After The Counsel Of His Own Will,' for much more on the sovereign work of God in our lives.

So, according to both Christ and Paul and according to the Truth that "ALL these things happened unto them and they are written for our admonition," the last two steps to be taken on the road to our salvation are: 1) Israel is carried away to Babylon and 2) A "few chosen" must "come out of Babylon my people" (Revelation 18:4). There you have it. There just happen to be 7 steps revealed in this journey. Most Christians want it to be a one step journey, but it isn't. It is a seven step journey, and you will take every step with faithless 'Israel,' even if you are a 'Caleb' or a 'Joshua.'

Israel will appropriately, in the sixth step be carried into Babylon. It is "out of Babylon" that "my people [will] come." The 'Strong Delusion' paper deals with the widespread belief and teaching that salvation is a one step process.

Now, concerning your second question: "Do you believe in speaking in tongues. Have you [that would be me] ever spoken in tongues?" The answer to both questions is in letters I have already written. One letter is entitled 'The Function Of Spiritual Gifts,' and is in two parts. The other is simply 'Unknown Tongues.' Just click on these titles, read these two letters, and if you still have questions, then get back to me. We will also be posting another letter on this subject in the near future. It will be entitled 'Must Christians Speak In Unknown Tongues?'

God bless you as you come to know Christ better.

John 17:3 this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent