INTRODUCTION:
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
KJV Luke 23:39-43
39.  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
 40.  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
 41.  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
 42.  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

There is no argument that thief was not saved, for Christ said he was. 
Many so-called “religious leaders” proclaim and teach that the thief on the cross tells us the baptism is not a necessity to be saved.  This lesson will prove otherwise!

I. THAT DAY AND THIS DAY ARE DIFFERENT
CHRIST WAS PRESENT
KJV Luke 23:33
33. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

CHRIST WILL BE SEEN BY NO ONE AFTER PAUL
KJV 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
 3.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
 4.  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
 5.  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
 6.  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
 7.  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

CHRIST HAD POWER TO FORGIVE SINS ON EARTH
KJV Matthew 9:1-8
1.  And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
 2.  And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
 3.  And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
 4.  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
 5.  For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
 6.  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
 7.  And he arose, and departed to his house.
8. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

CHRIST WILL NOT BE ON EARTH AGAIN
KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
 16.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

THERE WILL BE NO EARTH LEFT WHEN HE COMES
KJV 2 Peter 3:9-10
 9.  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
9. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

II. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ONLY CHRIST’ BLOOD IS ABLE TO CLEANSE US

KJV Hebrews 10:1-12
 1.  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
 2.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
 3.  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
 4.  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
 5.  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
 6.  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
 7.  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
 8.  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
 9.  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
 10.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
 11.  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

BLOOD FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS!
KJV Matthew 26:28
28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

HOW DO WE OBTAIN REMISSION OF SINS?
KJV Acts 2:38
38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

HIS BLOOD CLEANSES US
KJV 1 John 1:7
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

WE WASH AWAY OUR SINS IN BAPTISM
KJV Acts 22:16
16. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

III. BAPTISM IS COMMANDED

NO ONE EXCEPT HE IS BORN AGAIN OF WATER
KJV John 3:1-5
1.  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
 2.  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
 3.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
 4.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
 5.  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

PETER COMMANDED (BY INSPIRATION) THE GENTILES WHOM ALREADY HAD THE HOLY GHOST
KJV Acts 10:46-48
 46.  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
 47.  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
 48.  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

HE THAT BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED!
KJV Mark 16:15-16
 15.  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
 16.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
IV. BAPTISM IS INTO THE CHURCH OF WHICH CHRIST WILL SAVE!  (ONLY HIS CHURCH)

BAPTIZED INTO THE CHURCH
KJV 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12.  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
 13.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

SAVIOR OF THE BODY
KJV Ephesians 5:23
23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

THE BODY IS THE CHURCH
KJV Colossians 1:18
 18.  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

CONCLUSION:

I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION, NEITHER IS ANY MAN. 

CHRIST IS:
KJV Hebrews 5:8-9
 8.  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9.And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

WE MUST OBEY HIS WORD
KJV 1 John 2:4-5
 4.  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
 5.  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

CHRIST SAID TO BELIEVE (MARK 16:15-16), REPENT (LUKE 13:3,5), CONFESS (MATTHEW 10:32-33), AND BE BAPTIZED (JOHN 3:1-5)!!!!
 

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