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THE
F.A.C.T.S. PRESENTATION The FACTS acronym will help you remember each key principle as you share the gospel. |
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1. |
Freeness Of Heaven |
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2. |
Awfulness Of Sin |
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3. |
Cure For Sin |
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4. |
Trust In Christ Alone |
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5. |
Salvation Is Eternal |
IV.
FREENESS OF HEAVEN
A.
BEGIN WITH GOOD NEWS
Eternal
Life is God's free gift to the world.
1. We are Continuing with the Theme of Heaven, Eternal Life, and
Salvation.
2. Emphasize the Grace and Mercy of God.
Romans
6:23 - "...The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord."
Ephesians
2:8,9 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man
should boast."
Salvation
is by "grace". Grace means unmerited or undeserved favor. It
is not earned or deserved in any way.
"Saved"
means "rescued from the penalty of
sin." The penalty that we have earned because of our sins has already
been paid for us by Jesus' death on the cross.
Salvation
(eternal life) is accessed by "faith." Faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. It is believing in Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the
cross for our sins. God the Father poured the sins of the whole world on
His Son, and punished the Lord Jesus for what we have done. He died in
our place, so we could receive His righteousness and eternal life when we
trust Him to save us.
Salvation
through faith is "not of yourselves." There is nothing
that we can do to work for it. There is nothing we can offer God, that can
make us deserving of salvation.
Salvation
is a "gift of God" to you. It is not based on our
performance of any tasks or good deeds or work. You simply receive it. It
is free. You receive it by trusting in Christ.
Salvation
is "not of works." It is not based on us working for it. It
is based on what Jesus Christ has done for us.
Salvation
by faith alone means that "no one should boast." The Lord
gets all the glory because He is the One who did all of the work.
B.
FOR A PERSON TO BE SAVED, YOU WILL HAVE TO HELP HIM SEE THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WORKS AND GRACE.
1. This becomes the greatest task that you will face.
2. The main issue will always be GRACE vers WORKS for
salvation.
THE
PROBLEM IS PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE!
Romans
11:16 - "And if by grace then is it no more works: otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then
is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Once "works" are introduce into the salvation process, salvation is no longer by "grace."
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works for salvation is Satan's counterfeit of God's grace for salvation. This
issue of "grace versus works" will almost always be the main thing you
will need to deal with. -
(Dr. A. Ray Stanford - HANDBOOK OF PERSONAL EVANGELISM - page 18). |
It
is all about grace. To add one condition to salvation will make it
salvation by works.
"Salvation
By Works Will Not Work!"
The
Bible is clear that it is by grace through faith in the work of Christ on the
cross. No amount of money could buy you eternal life. There is not a thing
you could do to earn it. The price for our salvation is to great for us to
have a part in it. God did it all for us.
The
Lord of Lords left Heaven and all it's glory to become a man. Lived a
perfect/sinless life with the purpose of going to the cross to die. He died
for you and me. He died in our place. He became sin for us. He
paid the price so we can have eternal life. Don't insult Him by trying
to help by your "good" works.
Salvation
is never based on who and what we are, or what we have done to try to earn
it. Salvation is based on who and what Jesus Christ is, and what He
did for us!
Trust
Christ and Christ alone. It is all about grace. God's amazing grace.
C.
MAN’S WAY TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE:
= WORKS FOR SALVATION - What "I" have done
Proverbs
14:12 - "There is a way which seemeth right unto a
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
1. By Trusting in Something You do for Eternal Life.
a.
Keeping the Ten Commandments -
James 2:10; Acts 13:39;
Galatians
2:16,21; Romans 3:28
b. Good Works - Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8,9
c. Living a Good Life - Titus 3:5
d. Church Membership - Acts 2:41-47; Acts 4:4; 5:14; 16:30,31
e. Tithing / Giving to the Church - Acts 8:18-22
f. Water Baptism - Mark 16:1; 1 Corinthians 1:14-18
g. Trying to be a Better Person - Isaiah 64:6; Romans 8:8
h.
Be Born to Christian Parents - John 3:3-8; Romans 9:8;
John
1:12,13
2. By Trusting in a "Christian" Denomination.
3. By Trusting in a Religion.
Religion
is man's search for God. Christianity is God's search for man.
Exodus
20:3, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, John 3:18,36
a. Islam
b. Judaism
c. Buddhism
d. Hinduism
e. Occult
4.
By Trusting in a Religious Cult.
Mark
8:27-30, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, John 3:18;36
a. Jehovah's Witnesses
b. Mormonism
c. Unification Church
d. World Wide Church of God
e. Christian Scientist
f. New Age
g. Seventh-Day Adventism
D. GOD'S WAY TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE:
= SALVATION BY GOD'S AMAZING GRACE - What "Christ" Has Done
John
14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life; NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
"Faith
Alone In Christ Alone!"
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If
anything is clear in Scripture, it is that man is saved by his faith in
Christ's payment for all sin on the cross plus nothing. Man's
efforts, no matter how good or well intended (before or after salvation), have
nothing to do with it. Salvation is by the finished work of Christ and
nothing can be added to it. Religions are man made. Two Latin words make up our English word "religion," "re" and "ligio." "Re" means to "go back." and "ligio" means "to Bind." Religion then means "to bind back." Religions are man's efforts to bind himself back to God. They are Satan inspired. Satan delights to blind man into thinking he could somehow earn eternal life through his good works.
(Dr. A. Ray Stanford - HANDBOOK OF PERSONAL EVANGELISM - page 17). |
II
Corinthians 11:14-15 - "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed
into an Angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..."
People
have Satan pictured as having horns, tail, pitchfork, and red
union suit. Satan doesn't want people to know what he is really like.
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The
plan of salvation is not a religion but is the message of what God has already
done to bring us back to Him. Satan gives the lost a religion that,
when he hears it, will blind him to salvation. When you witness, always
point out that the GOSPEL is NOT a "religion." We are not
discussing man's philosophy but God's Word -
(Dr. A. Ray Stanford -
HANDBOOK OF PERSONAL
EVANGELISM - page 17). |
GRACE
- God giving to us what we do
not deserve.
Ephesians
2:8,9 - "For by GRACE are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast."
MERCY
- God withholding from us what we do
deserve.
Titus
3:5 - "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His MERCY He saved us..."
"We
Are Saved by Believing, Not by Achieving!"
E.
PRESENTATION: Principle # 1 - Freeness Of Heaven
The
way to overcome the false teaching that man needs to do good works for salvation
is to present clear salvation verses.
1. Use Your Testimony (What you used to believe would get you to
Heaven) as you share the first section on the Facts Tract.
2. THE GIFT ILLUSTRATION
-
Ephesians 2:8,9
“What
if I gave you fifty dollars and said, go wash and wax my car. Would that be
a gift?
("No")
Your
right. That would be something you earned. A gift is something given to you. The
only thing you do is accept it. It is free!
RELATED
STUDIES FROM THE WORLD WIDE WEB
Internet
Articles:
www.gotell.gracenet.org/eb.htm
False
Hopes Of Heaven
- Dr.
Curtis Hutson
www.northlandchurch.com/booklets_htm/false_hopes.htm
Is Baptism Essential To Salvation?
www.gotell.gracenet.org/baptism.htm
www.gotell.gracenet.org/d.htm
www.gotell.gracenet.org/cults.htm
www.gotell.gracenet.org/religions.htm
UPDATED - 02-10-03