Sin is the violation of God's perfect will. Sin also contrasts with God's perfect character and attitude. A sinner is a person who has violated God's perfect will, character and/or attitude.

Eve disobeyed God's command about eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam disobeyed as well, eating of the fruit of the same tree from the hands of Eve. God's initial command not to eat thereof was followed by the penalty of death for violating His command.

Death seems to be two fold. Death is defined as "separation." First, it was the dying of the flesh until physical expiration (or the spirit separating from the flesh). Next, we find what is called the "second death." Revelation 20:14 explains that the second death is a separation of the spirit from the presence of God. Or in other words, at the final judgment, after one is judged guilty of sin they are sent away from God into hell.

Mankind has consistently shown that he will always violate the perfect will of God. Violation of one command is sin and is punishable by death, physical and spiritual. Romans 2:23 reads, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Falling short of God's glory is, in affect, the violation of His personal perfection, and causes separation between God and the sinner.

The word used to define God's answer to our sin predicament is "Justification." Simply put, God will judge us forgiven of sin if we honor His criterion.

The quandary lies in His nature. God is "Just." Yet, God is also "Love." He cannot violate either characteristic. So, God loves us, but can't violate His just character to forgive us. Sin must be judged guilty and punished with the afore stated sentence of death.

Yet, God planned the salvation from sins sentence of death from the foundation of the earth in keeping with His character. Sin was justly punished in God the Son, the Word become flesh, Jesus the Christ. The sins of all mankind were judged guilty in the crucified Jesus. "For God so loved the world, that He sent His one and only Son. Everyone who believes in Him shall not die, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Sin condemned and punished, and man loved and saved. This is called "Justification."

First, God offers justification to those who accept the plan by faith. It is impossible for any man to have been with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at the plan's conception. It is impossible for any man to have understood the plan's intricate details so as to affect forgiveness. It is impossible for man to make the judgment as to whether one has honestly accepted the plan. Only God can know the heart and mind of individuals and understand their sincerity. God judges if one has genuinely placed faith in His plan, which hinges upon Jesus' atoning death, His burial, and His physical resurrection.

Thus, faith is the essential element on mankind's part. This faith must be followed by obedient acceptance of the plan's guidelines. The plan is good news for mankind. This term "good news" is used to express the plan in the New Testament. A one word definition of "good news" is "Gospel." Consequently, one must believe in the Gospel about Jesus Christ to be saved from the wrath of God. The wrath of God is the eternal punishment which sinners are sentenced to.

When is justification applied? At the time faith is accepted of God. When does God accept one's faith? This is answered in the Bible, particularly in the book of Acts. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are generally telling of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, beginning with His conception and ending in the commission of His disciples to preach this simple plan to all nations. Romans through Revelation are letters written by various authors (mostly the Apostle Paul) to numerous churches or to individual Christians. Yet, the "Acts of the Apostles" is a written history of the commission being carried out in the first 30 or so years of the church.

The book of Acts (Acts of the Apostles) records the first presentation of the Gospel after the ascension of Jesus ~ when Jesus returns to heaven until the final resurrection. Acts Chapter 2, accounts the message to and the response of the listeners. After hearing the essential portions of the plan of salvation the listeners ask the important question, "What must we do?" (Acts 2:37). "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

"Repent" is a word which indicates a change. The Jews were going to have to change to be justified. The change would be from Old Testament Judaism to New Testament Christianity. Later, when this question is asked it will demand the same answer, but repentance will be from heathen worship practices to New Testament Christianity. In any case, repentance is from allegiances to self or practices that are not consistent with faith in Jesus. Also, repentance is turning to Jesus as the Lord leading you into a secure relationship with God (John 14:6).

The Jewish listeners of Acts 2 believed the message about Jesus being both the Lord and Christ who had been crucified, but then raised to life (Acts 2:36). They asked the important question, "What must we do?" Later, a non-Jewish man will ask a similar question, "What must I do to be saved" (Acts 16:30). The Jews were told to repent and be baptized. The promises were, they would receive forgiveness (what Jesus died to provide) and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit is the promise made by Jesus prior to His crucifixion (John 7:37-39; 14:15-17 &16:7). The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead and enters the forgiven person as a seal of God's acceptance of them and of their guarantee of receiving the promise of eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).

As in any piece of literature one can introduce new ideas, but what has already been stated cannot be withdrawn as a part of the original view, it can only be added to. Faith (belief) wasn't commanded by Peter, but it is implied they had placed faith in Christ by their question. Repentance and baptism was introduced as a response to their request. This would logically follow the commission given His disciples prior to His death (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-49).

The next historical event which is recorded in Acts tells of the message of Peter to a crowd of people who were gathering due to an astonishing miracle performed by the Lord. This time faith is mentioned as the means by which a man was healed and the message of forgiveness included repentance (Acts 3:11-26). Later, in Chapter 8, we have two occasions where the Gospel is preached, in both baptism is mentioned, in one belief is mentioned and in neither repentance is mentioned.

The last example, but not the last event recorded in Acts, I will tell about is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was renamed Paul, the Apostle Paul. Saul was stopped on the road to Damascus by a bright light and a voice from heaven. The voice was that of Jesus. Saul was told to go into Damascus and it would be told him what to do. A Christian named Ananias was commanded of the Lord to go to Saul and tell him what he must do. The initial story of Saul's conversion is recorded in Acts Chapter 9. Yet, the Apostle Paul recounts his conversion two other times, Acts 22 and Acts 26.

In Acts 22 we find Paul was defending himself before many Jews in Jerusalem. During his defense he told of his own conversion to Jesus. He spoke of Ananias coming to him and telling him what he must do. Paul related that Ananias told him, "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." This is Acts 22:16.

Here we find another thought introduced. We find that Paul was to "call upon His name," or call upon the name of the Lord. This would be in keeping with what Paul shared with the Roman church (Romans 10:1-17). Verse 13 of Romans chapter ten says, "for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Being baptized into the name of Jesus Christ, and calling upon Him displays this Romans passage as having occurred in conversion accounts before the Church of Rome received their letter.

The issue of Saul of Tarsus spending three days praying as he waited for God's messenger attests to the fact that a "sinner's prayer" isn't sufficient for salvation. Yet, the calling upon God to save is. Both are prayerful requests, yet the later is in accordance with God's will.

Here, the issue of baptism is concluded, by stating that it is immersion under water. Just as Jesus "came up from the water, John the Baptist baptized where there was much water, the Ethiopian went down into the water and came up from the water, and Paul reminds the Roman Christians of their death, burial and raising during baptism (Matthew 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:38-39; Romans 6:3-4). This should be enough to show that the word baptism means to immerse. Why would the sincere seeker of forgiveness, and escape from eternal condemnation, choose a mode other than immersion. Especially, since the mode of immersion depicts the very death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Himself, it seems only natural to the repentant to submit to immersion for the forgiveness of sins, know that it is at that time God justifies the faithful.

So, we find Belief in Jesus, Repentance toward Jesus, Calling upon Jesus, and being Baptized into to Jesus all consistent with the plan of salvation from God's just wrath against sin. What should your response be to the simple Gospel? What should you be communicating to those you are discipling? 2005 may be the last year God allows for us to serve Him from this earth. The message is clear. Lets communicate it accurately and trust God to add many to His kingdom this year.

Solid Rock Christian Church servants are committed to fulfilling the Great Commission while obeying the Greatest Commandments (Matthew 28:18-20 and Matthew 22:37-40).