FIVE STEPS
Preacher Walter Scott introduced a “five finger exercise” about 200 years ago. He would find some children playing and ask them to hold up five fingers. He then asked them to name each finger after a topic from Acts 2: 1 Believe, 2 Repent, 3 Baptism, 4 Remission of sins, 5 Gift of Holy Spirit. He then told them to go tell their parents to come hear him preach on these 5 topics. He baptized hundreds! The 5 simple steps are:
1. Believe: “Without faith it is impossible to please God”
(Heb 11:6).
2. Repent: “Repent and turn to God” (Acts 3:19; Lk 13:3).
3. Be Baptized: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mk 16:16).
4. Remission of Sins: “Be baptized and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16). “We were therefore buried with him through baptism … you have been set free from sin” (Rom 6:3,4,17).
5. Gift of the Holy Spirit: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? … On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:1-5).
Peter gave all these five steps to those who believed they had murdered Jesus: “Repent and be baptized every one of you … so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38NIV).
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