Plan of Salvation

[alon]

Plan of Salvation

I am giving away Bibles again, and they'll be going to various programs: a prison ministry, a homeless ministry, a ministry to sway Roman Catholics over to the truth, and possibly others. I also just give them to people I meet. So they could have far reaching influence and impact.

These are Large Print ESV paperback Bibles, and I like to place inserts in them to help. And I'd like any input from y'all, positive, negative, or maybe this would be better.

Here's the 1st page that gets pasted in the back of every Bible:


Note: These verses illustrate principles involved in salvation, and
nothing more. There is no “list,” no set of rules to follow.

PLAN OF SALVATION
1. Salvation is not about religion, it is about relationship. You must
recognize that your sins have separated you from a relationship
with God:      Isaiah 59:1-2      (689)
2. Salvation itself is pretty simple. You renounce all other gods, all
religious affiliations that have a hold on your life, and make a
covenant with the God of Israel to worship and obey Him, and Him
alone This was best exemplified by Ruth when she agreed to go to
Israel with Naomi:      Ruth 1:15-16     (247)
Let’s go through and take some principles of salvation from scripture:
3. Understand that you are a sinner:     Romans 3:23     (1042)
4. Good deeds cannot redeem you:     Isaiah 64:6a,b     (695)
5. A life is required as penalty for your sins:     Leviticus 17:11      (107)
6. We will be held to account:     Hebrews 9:27     (1108)
7. The punishment for sins is eternal death; but as it says, you can also
have the gift of eternal life.     Romans 6:23     (1044)
8. Yeshua suffered and died for our sins, but rose the 3rd day:     1 Corinthians 15:3-4     (1063)
9. Salvation is by grace (unmerited favor), through faith and trust in Yeshua:
10. You must repent of your sins:     Acts 3:19     (1009)
11. Ask Yeshua to come into your life as Savior:     John 14:6     (1) (998)
12. Be obedient to His commandments:          John 14:15         (2) (998)
13. God is faithful to save those who come to Him:     Joel 2:32a      (850)
14. True trust and faith will encourage you in obedience to God’s word:     Isaiah 30:15a,b     (658)
15. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward condition. Even Jesus, who
had no sin was baptized, a statement of His obedience and His
heart condition:     Mark 1:9-11     (927)

Pause to Pray (general guidelines, NOT a rote prayer):
- admit you are a sinner
- ask forgiveness and turn from sin to a holy God (repentance)
- accept Yeshua as your personal savior, asking Him into your life
- be willing to obey, trusting Him as Lord of your life
ask for guidance of His Holy Spirit that you may be set apart to Him
you should want to follow Yeshua in baptism as an act of obedience
* This is not a "sinners prayer" to be read off as a list. It’s just guidelines.
* If you repent and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life, and believe He being
   God was crucified to atone for your sins, and rose alive on the third day,
   you will be saved.
* Simply crying from the heart "Lord be merciful to me a sinner” is enough.
* Just pray in your own words. The above is more a checklist so you nail
   down the important points we’ve covered in our look at biblical
   principles of salvation.
* Really all it takes is to accept Yeshua as savior, acknowledge that He
   died to atone for your sins, and turn your life over to Him in obedience.

             
The gold numbers in parenthesis are page numbers where the verse can be found. I then go to each page, highlight the verse so there is no confusion, then I place the NEXT page number they need to go to at the top of the page they are on and highlight it. Makes it easier than searching for scriptures. I give the ministers a master copy of the same Bible with extra info and instructions.

I've tried to use both OT & NT references, not only because they need to know right off there are 2 Testaments. Also I think these verses are more effective. Feel free to run copies and use any of these if you like.

If I get input on this, I'll share some of the other inserts I place in these and the master Bibles.

In Yeshua,
Dan   
           

[alon]

This is a bit long, so I'll be breaking it down into 3 parts. It is more info about the plan intended for the Master Bibles I give to the ministers. They can then possibly answer questions or give more details where they need to. Please let me know if there is anything not clear or maybe missing.

PLAN OF SALVATION- Explained

1. Salvation is not about religion, it is about relationship. You must recognize that your sins have separated you from a relationship
with God:         Isaiah 59:1-2              (689)
Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
   or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

“The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save”- His hand reaches out to us to save us from destruction. Ancient Hebrews thought of salvation mostly from a condition, circumstance, or an enemy. We today tend to simply spiritualize it and think of only salvation from the second death. I submit we are being saved from a condition- our lost state; a circumstance- being separated from our God; and from the enemy/ha’satan, adversary of our souls.


“Your sins have hidden his face from you”- think of someone turning away, refusing to acknowledge your presence. Hebrew is a very descriptive language, and this type Hebraism is used throughout both the Old and New Testaments.


“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God”- iniquities is “avon,” transgressions, perversity, mischief, lack of morality, deliberate sin. It is our own sins that separate us from our God.

What is a relationship? The dictionary defines it as:
relationship- connection or association, esp by blood or marriage; kinship. A connection between people related to or having dealings with each other

God instituted this type relationship with ancient Israel when He said: “And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (Lev 26:12) This embodies what God wants in a relationship with us:
1. that we accept Him as the only deity worthy of our worship, praise and thanks.
2. to associate, to walk with us, to have a relationship with those who receive Him as their God.

John describes the nature of our expected relationship with God:
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John3:1a)
 
This describes a familial relationship. Almighty God wants an eternal relationship with us, His creation; His children: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

He desires all men to be saved: “God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3b-4). He has made this relationship available to everyone: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) 

Note repentance is key in forming this relationship between God and man. Prerequisite is our recognizing and acknowledging our sinful ways, turning from them, determining to seek Him. Then God will redeem us from our penalty of death, which we deserved: Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him [the Messiah] the iniquity of us all. God made a way for us to walk with himself. Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Once told, we are responsible and must choose to either walk with God or turn away and suffer the consequences.

We are told the kinds of things that will separate us from God in His Torah. However they are specifically listed in the New Testament:
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who [make a practice of doing] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

After creating the animals “each according to its kind” (Genesis 1:26-27), God said, “‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;” (Genesis 1:26) This is truly astonishing: Human beings were created in the image of God Himself! 

We must keep in mind God's purpose for creating us. God designed human beings to reflect His very character—to be like Him: "When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. (Genesis 5:1b) Ancient kings when subduing a land would have statues of their likeness or that of their gods erected. This was to let everyone know under whose protection the region was; and to be a reminder to the inhabitants to whom they owed their allegiance. Torah calls our making such images idolatry and forbids it. However we were meant by our example to be the living image of a Living God; a constant reminder to others to which God we owe our service, and which God guides our path. We are created in the likeness of God, and so are meant to reflect that likeness in our lives and actions. This is done by obedience to His commandments: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;” (Psalm 19:7-8).

Jesus the Christ came to earth as God in the flesh to save mankind:
John 14:9b Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the  Father, full of grace and truth.
John 10:30; John 1:1; Colossians 1:15-16; John 3:16-17

The apostle John talked about why God created man. This understanding was the basis for a proper relationship with God: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3). So that’s the “why,” and now we can understand the relationship God wants with us. Judaism has long seen God as “Abba, Father.” Clearly God Almighty wants a relationship based upon the family relationship He created, following the example set by Yeshua and laid down in His Torah.

Our human family has become broken, dysfunctional because of sin and our rejection of God. Children see their relationship with God modeled in that with their earthly fathers. Sadly, many have by their example made it difficult for their children to obey God’s commandment to “honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). Children learn by example, and most of us have left a poor one concerning this familial relationship.

Those with parents who set an example of love and respect for each other, who love their children unconditionally are the exception. But this is the type relationship God wants with us. Those from broken homes or abusive relationships understandably struggle with the concept of a “loving father.” However as Paul said to the believing community in Rome: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17).

No longer are we in bondage, slaves to sin or to sinful men who control our lives. Some may yet exercise a degree of control over us. But we have the promise of a bright future with a loving Father in the world to come! We are children of the Most High God. This relationship that God wants with us is built on His love for us. That in turn inspires our love for Him. Consider these scriptures:
“We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by  his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
    Romans 8:31-32; 1 Cor 1:9; Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 46:2-11

Our love for God is expressed by obeying His commandments just as His Son Yeshua/Jesus did:
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his  love.” (John 15:10).
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does  not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is  perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he  walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)
The term interpreted “commandments” is ἐντολή entolē, and it also carries the meaning of a mild admonition or reproof. The term Torah itself means more “instruction” than “law.” Those commandments, principles, reproofs and instructions are all found in Torah, the first five books of the Bible. They are expanded on and better explained in the rest of scripture.

Deuteronomy 6:1-25 (ESV) “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ...

[alon]

2. Salvation itself is pretty simple. You renounce all other gods, all religious affiliations that have a hold on your life, and make a
covenant with the God of Israel to worship and obey Him, and Him alone This was best exemplified by Ruth when she agreed to go to
Israel with Naomi:         Ruth 1:15-16             (247)
Ruth had been married to Naomi’s son, who died, so she knew what she was agreeing to in making the God of Israel her God. But let’s go
through and take more principles of salvation from scripture:

Ruth 1:15-17a (ESV) And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.”
Also: 1 Chron 16:25; PS 96:4-5; Is 6:1-4; 2 Sam 22:4 (from physical danger)

In ancient societies gods were connected to a particular land: Daniel 10:13 (ESV) The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me [Gabriel, ed.] twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the [rulers] of Persia, When in a land, you served the god(s) of that land. So moving to another region was not usually as simple as giving a change of address. Even if you did not believe in or worship their gods, neither did you disrespect them. Not if you wanted to live.

To change faith and serve another god was akin to treason. You left your old life completely, took on new customs and belonged to another people in another place. Think of Ruth’s words in light of this. Now project it onto what a believer must do when accepting Yeshua (Jesus). We leave our past life and begin a new life in Him. Salvation was the same then as now, except they looked forward in faith to a Messiah, the anointed one of God. We look back in faith, recognizing Yeshua as that Messiah, Eternal God.

“Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods”- to reenter that society and accept the protection of her family, she would have had to resume worship of their local deities. It is likely she never stopped, even though married to a Hebrew man. “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God”- her people, their customs, religious rites and festivals, and everything that made them a separate people is what she is accepting. She is turning her back on her old, pagan life. Ruth loved her mother-in-law, but she also had to love the God of her people, Israel, otherwise she could not have made this commitment to transition. “Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried”- she was all in, a total commitment.

Ruth had married Naomi’s son, who had died, so she knew what she was agreeing to in making the God of Israel her God. However apparently she had not fully accepted the Hebrew God yet. She almost certainly believed He existed, however this is the point where she makes a total commitment to Elohe Yisroel, the God of Israel. This is when she becomes an adopted heiress to the promises; this is when she was “saved.”
Many today believe in God. But they do not follow Him as He said to do. They hold onto their old ways. They are not “all in.” I do not pretend to know where the line is that demarcates anyone’s salvation. But I will say if we are not “all in,” we are flirting with Hell-fire. Paul spoke of what being “all in” means: Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your your rational service. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Note the sequence Paul presents here:
1. We “present our bodies as a living sacrifice”- in other words, we are “all in.”
2. We become “holy and acceptable to God,”- holy in Hebrew is kadosh, in Greek hagios; both mean consecrated, set apart to God.
3. We understand this as “our rational service” to God
4. We are no longer “conformed to this age”- we do not fit in with the time in which we are living; no longer seek after the things we once did.
5. We become “transformed by the renewal of our mind”- we have a new mind in Yeshua/Jesus, guided by His Spirit and not our own lusts.
6. And lastly, “by testing you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God”- the only way to learn the will of a perfect God   is to allow Him control of our thoughts, emotions; and lives.

And that is how it works; what it means to be “all in.” Another way of saying this is we must repent:
Isaiah 40:3 (ESV) A voice of one crying; “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Matthew 3:1-3 (ESV) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
The term translated “prepare” in Hebrew is pânâh, meaing to turn aside, or turn back. In Geek it is hetoimazō, to prepare make ready. John the Baptist told us how we make ready the path for our Lord to come to us when he said “repent”- Greek metanoeō; to think differently; to turn away from our old self so that God may create in us a new person; one set apart for His service. We cast off all the gods of our present life, all the things of this world that occupy our minds and control our thoughts. We turn away from sin and back to God, promising to trust and obey Him in all things and giving to Him all our loyalty and worship. We are “all in” with the God of Israel. That is the essence of salvation.

Now let’s look at more principles of salvation from scripture.

3. Understand that you are a sinner:   Romans 3:23     (1042)
Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Pretty straightforward. Everyone has sinned; no exceptions. And sin has a price.
    Hosea 5:15; 1 John 3:4; Isaiah 3:9; Romans 5:12

4. Good deeds cannot redeem you:    Isaiah 64:6a,b      (695)
Isaiah 64:6a&b (ESV) We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
    Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:10; Gal 2:16; Titus3:5; Eccl 7:20; Is 57:12

The “polluted garment” here is a menstrual rag. The translators were being sensitive, but the Hebrew writers were very down to earth individuals, as was their audience. This word picture ties to the blood in which is the life force (Lev 17:11), as well as the purity laws. Menstrual blood is “tamei,” unfortunately translated “unclean.” The word carries more the idea of “ritual unavailability.” Women were not “unclean” undergoing a natural, God ordained process. But since menstrual blood represents the death of an egg, a Hebrew woman would be tamei, as would anything or anyone she touched. This is why menstruating women were separated. This tamei state could make its way by contact back to the Temple. There were other considerations, but this is the primary one. If enough “uncleanness” were accumulated in the Temple God’s presence could not abide there. So the picture here is that our righteous deeds, all the good we do is like death; tamei, separating us from God rather than bringing us to Him. Good deeds without the proper heart condition and relationship with God are worse than useless; they are “unclean,” and actually keep us from Him.

As in Ephesians 2:8-9, salvation is by grace through faith, and no other way. And it has always been thus. Had there not been grace, and had Adam not returned to trusting God, this all would have ended after the fall. Had David not repented when confronted with his sin with Bath’sheva and had there not been grace, he could not have been called a man after God’s own heart, and the Messiah could not have come through the Davidic line. We all sin, but for true repentance there is grace; and that is the only way. After this obedience and good works come because we love God, having experienced His saving grace.

5. A life is required as penalty for your sins:    Leviticus 17:11      (107)
Leviticus 17:11For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

6. We will be held to account:   Hebrews 9:27      (1108)
Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

7. The punishment for sins is eternal death:    Romans 6:23      (1044)
But as it says, you can also have the gift of eternal life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The relationship to menstrual blood further points to the fact innocent blood must be shed as the price of redemption for our sins. The punishment for sins is eternal death: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:20; Isaiah 13:11; James 1:15; Romans 1:32
But as it says, you can also have the gift of eternal life:
Psalm 145:20 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Our “wages,” or payment for sin is death. However forgiveness is free for the asking. This must be taken in context with all scripture, and as always with God we must ask with the right heart motivation. Repent. Turn back to God, and the penalty of death will be removed. The price was paid by God Himself as Yeshua HaMoshiach, Jesus the Messiah- the anointed one of God; as we will now see:

8. Yeshua suffered and died for our sins, but rose the 3rd day:         1 Corinthians 15:3-4                 (1063)
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
Jonah 1:17 And the Lord [had] appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
    Matthew 12:40; Esther 4:16; Exodus 12:5-6; Luke 24:7

Jonah was prophetic, his being in the fish for three days looking forward to Jesus three days in the tomb. It is likely Jonah died in the belly of that fish, but we are not told. Regardless, we do know he was entombed for three days, then was resurrected to bring the word of salvation to one of the cruelest, most vile and dangerous people of the ancient world. Yeshua willingly died for our sins on a cruel Roman cross, was entombed for three days, and rose to bring salvation to any who would accept it.

“As of first importance”- this is most important, that we accept that Jesus is the Christ, Messiah and God Himself. That He paid the price for our sins with His own blood; that He died and was buried, but rose on the third day as foretold in prophecy, and that He lives now to make intercession for us: Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

9. Salvation is by grace (unmerited favor), through faith and trust in Yeshua:
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
“For by grace”- Rav Shaul here gives us a fundamental truth: God's favor is not, cannot be earned. And it is certainly not deserved. Grace is unmerited favor.
“you have been saved”- saved from our brokenness that is our human condition; from the spiritual consequences our actions have wrought; and most importantly from our separation from God.
“through faith”- our salvation is wrought by faith, Greek pistis. In Hebrew this is emunah. Both have more a connotation of trust; we place our trust in the person and work of Yeshua Ha’Moshiach, the perfect manifestation of God's grace.
“and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” It's a gift, solely a product of God’s benevolence.
In Ephesus of this time a mans’ worth was contingent on his achievements or his lineage. Ritual was very important in one’s worship. This was a revolutionary message; the playing field was leveled before this Hebrew God. Everyone had equal access before Him, based not on actions or social standing, but solely on His love and His grace.

10. You must repent of your sins:         Acts 3:19                 (1009)
Acts 3:19 (ESV) Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
    Prov 28:13; 2 Chron 7:14; Mat 3:2; Luke 5:31-32; Rom 2:5

“Repent”- of your sins, yes, but also of your sinful ways; those things which contribute to your sinning.
“Turn back”- from what? To what? Turn back from anything that would separate us from God, which is another way to define sin. Repentance is more than just being sorry and turning away from sin. Those are important, but the reason we do them is so that our relationship with God can be repaired. The Hebrew word for both “return” and “turn back” are the same, “lachtzor.” We need to return to that state Adam enjoyed before the fall when he walked with God in the Garden.

Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, Sin is sin, whether we know of it or not. God does not punish us for what we do not know; He is gracious and may overlook unintentional sin. However when we do know, even if we just learned of it, He commands us to repent of those sins we committed unintentionally and to turn/return to Him.

Only God can cause this type of rebirth or regeneration in us. This concept of rebirth first appears in the TNK (Old Testament). The word παλιγγενεσια renewal only occurs in the Septuagint in Job 14:14- ὑπομενω ἑως ἀν παλιν γενωμαι “I would wait until my [release or renewal] should come.” In Hebrew that is חֲלִיפָה chălı̂yphâh, change or course. The idea here is one of a change in heart and mind resulting in a renewal of our spiritual condition. A type of rebirth, which already existed in Hebraic theology. The word is first addressed to all God’s covenant people. Part of that covenant is the requirement they serve the Lord with all their heart and soul:
Deuteronomy 11:13 “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,”
Joshua 22:5 “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

As Israel became unfaithful, apostate, their hearts hardened, their prophets increasingly stressed an inner change that had to occur in the heart of individuals. They as humans were of themselves unable to bring this about:
Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Job 11:12, 14:4,15:16 But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man! … Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.; … how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!
But what we as human beings cannot do in ourselves, God is able to do:
Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right [steadfast] spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Since only God can accomplish this in your life, the next two steps are crucial: accept Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, then follow Him in obedience.

[alon]

11. Ask Yeshua to come into your life as Savior:         John 14:6             (1) (998)
John 14:6 (ESV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
    Acts 2:38; Isaiah 43:11; 2 Kings 13:5; Hosea 13:4b; Acts 4:10-12
The only way to be saved is to accept Yeshua as Messiah, savior, and God. This is written as imperative. The translation reads like this from the Greek: “I am the only way, the only truth, and the only LIFE to eternal life and knowing my Father.”
Jesus is saying I am not another way among many, I am the only way; I am not a truth among many truths, I am the only Truth. I am not the eternal life among other forms of eternal life, I am the only one who gives eternal life.

12. Be obedient to His commandments:                 John 14:15                 (2) (998)
John 14:15 (ESV) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Deuteronomy 11:13 “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,”
The Lord then promises blessings.
    Jeremiah 26:13; 1 Samuel 15:22b; Romans 1:5; 1 Peter 1:14
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
work- κατεργάζομαι katergazomai; denotes intense engagement …
… in the process of our own renewal. It is a partnership with the Ruach, God’s Spirit
It’s about relationship. Love is a relationship issue. We show our love for God by doing as He says. His instructions are given us in scripture to guide us in our walk with Him: 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, He tells us what sin is so that we can avoid it, but once told we are responsible for our actions.

13. God is faithful to save those who come to Him:         Joel 2:32a                 (850)
Joel 2:32a And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
    Num 23:19; Lam 3:22-23; Heb 7:25; 1 Cor 1:9; 1 John 1:9

God is faithful to save when we call out to Him. His faithfulness “endures to all generations.” (Psalm 119:90). “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Heb 11:6). The terms “faith” and “believe” are conjugated forms of the same Greek word, “pistis,” more accurately translated as “trust.” We must place our trust in God, and He is then faithful to save (deliver, Heb “malat”) us from the second death. More than that, He is able to save us physically in our present circumstances. If you read on in the passage in Joel, you will see this is one of the scriptures with the Hebrew meaning of saved as physical salvation, with the shadow of spiritual salvation also; as it says there will be a remnant among the survivors in the “great and awesome day of the Lord” as He judges the world.

14. True trust and faith will encourage you in obedience to God’s word:         Isaiah 30:15a,b                 (658)
Isaiah 30:15a&b (ESV) For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
This scripture implies faith, a trust in the God of Israel to care for you, protect and shield you. It is this that allows us to rest quietly in His grace. It mentions returning, which is repentance. This involves our walk with God, which includes obedience. Thus we come back to the relationship our God wants with us.
Genesis 12:4-9 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Note Avram was 75 yrs old when he left everything to journey from the comfort of Mesopotamia to the Negev of Israel. The biblical Negev was a mountain pass from Be’er Sheva east to the wilderness and the Dead Sea. It was the southernmost region in ancient Israel where even the most meager existence could be wrested from the land.
Luke 22:42,43-44 [Yeshua] saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” … And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
- hematidrosis- sweating blood from the skin; can look like blood, bloody sweat, or sweat with droplets of blood in it
- tears of blood is called hemolacria
John 12:47-50 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Faith, trust, and obedience to God are the keystones to living holy lives, lives set apart in a fallen world. God desires us to draw close to Him, to listen only to Him. As we learn to tune out the noise and distractions of the world, we get a sense of the presence of God’s Spirit. This, along with scripture will guide us in our walk with the Almighty.

15. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward condition. Even Jesus, who had no sin was baptized, a statement of His obedience and His heart condition:         Mark 1:9-11                 (927)
Mark 1:9-11(ESV) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
1 Corinthians 10:1-2 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
Rav Shaul here tells us that the Hebrews who followed the pillar of smoke and fire through the Red Sea underwent tevilah, a type or picture of a ritual immersion; baptism.
Exodus 2:3a,c,5-6,10 When she could hide him [Yeshua] no longer, she took for him a basket … She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. … Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
This too was a type of baptism for the future leader of the Hebrew people.
Jonah 2:5a,6b The waters closed in over me … yet you brought up my life from the pit, …
Another type of tevilah, or baptism
Leviticus 22:6-7 the person [priest] who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has [wash his flesh] in water. When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food.
To “wash his flesh in water” describes tevilah, ritual immersion: Acts 19:4-5 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
To be baptized “into” the Christ, the Anointed One of God is symbolic of entering our whole life into His service in loving obedience.

Baptism comes from God’s commandment to the Hebrew people to do tevilah, ritual immersion. Rabbis of old were absolutely in accord in saying whenever Torah commands us to “wash” (“rachatz”) in order to remove impurity, nothing but full-body immersion is intended.

Maimonides later in his opening to the laws of mikva’ot [the pool of water meeting the requirements for tevilah] attributes this understanding to an oral tradition [explanation of Torah commands] dating back to Sinai and possibly before:
Every place that the Torah speaks of washing of flesh and laundering of clothing [to purify] from the impurities—nothing other than immersion of the entire body in a mikveh [is meant]. And that which is said of a man with a discharge: “… without having rinsed his hands in water” (Lev. 15:11)—that is to say that he must immerse his entire body. And the same is true for all other impure people, that if one immersed his entire body aside from the tip of his small finger—he remains impure. And although all of these things are [known only] from tradition (mipi hashmuah, literally, “from an oral transmission”), it is nevertheless said [in the written Torah]: “… it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; then shall it be clean” (Lev. 11:32)—a basic principle applying to all that are impure that they should be put into water. (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Mikva’ot 1:2)

Consider when Yeshua was baptized- He came from the lush Galil [Galilee] in the north of Israel where there were many pools meeting the requirements of the mikva’ot, to the desert region of Qumran in the south to be baptized. He likely went through the Rift Valley on the east side of the Yarden (Jordan; the easiest route). John’s ministry was in this southern desert region. Scripture says after His baptism Yeshua went immediately into the wilderness to be tested. The wilderness is the dry, rugged, very steep area east and south of Jerusalem as it drops into the Rift. Yeshua would have went into the water from the east and come out the west side. From there is a main route up into the mountainous country around Yerushalayim going up through the wilderness.

Yericho is at the base of this route. This was the same route taken by the Hebrews when they first entered the land. It’s near where the waters backed up so they could pass through the Yarden. This was significant as it was a type, or picture of baptism for the new nation. Tevilah, baptism is interwoven throughout Jewish history, even to this day. And it is woven into the fabric of the life of a believer also. When you enter the baptismal waters, you enter into the promise of an inheritance with Him. Not just “in,” but “into.” Your whole being is involved, not just your physical presence there. And you conquer the first stronghold, your own Yericho, and God begins to bring down the walls of the strongholds in your life as you follow Him in obedience.

Pause to Pray (general guidelines, NOT a rote prayer):
- admit you are a sinner
- ask forgiveness and turn from sin to a holy God (repentance)
- accept Yeshua as your personal savior, asking Him into your life
- be willing to obey, trusting Him as Lord of your life
    - ask for guidance of His Holy Spirit that you may be set apart to Him
    - you should want to follow Yeshua in baptism as an act of obedience
Note: this is not a "sinners prayer" to be read off as a list. It’s just guidelines. If you repent and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life, and believe He being God was crucified to atone for your sins, and rose alive on the third day, you will be saved. Simply crying out from the heart "Lord be merciful to me a sinner” is enough.
Just pray in your own words. The above is more a checklist so you nail down the important points we’ve covered in our look at biblical principles of salvation. Really all it takes is to accept Yeshua as savior, acknowledge that He died to atone for your sins, and turn your life over to Him in obedience. 

Concerning obedience, it is important to note the commandments, instructions, and lessons we are obedient to are found in Torah; the first five books of the Bible. We can use Yeshua and His shaliachim (apostles) as examples, however when the New Testament was being written, the only “Law” they had was Torah. The rest of the Old Testament expanded on this “Law,” and Yeshua and the New Testament explained it better. But an ongoing study of Torah is the only way we can learn how God meant us to walk with Himself:
Acts 15:21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
In every Jewish and Messianic synagogue or congregation each Shabbat the parashah, or Torah portion is read. This is ordered so that the entire Torah will be read through and studied. It is through this kind of teaching and study that we learn slowly, a bit at a time to walk before God as He desires us to do.

[alon]

I have a couple of other (much shorter) inserts I will put in the Master Bibles; possibly in all the Bibles. But I will post them later. The above should keep everyone reading for a while. And please, if you have input don't be shy! These Bibles are going out to ministries concerned with salvation of different peoples. I want them to be as readable and complete as possible. Let me know ...