The plan of salvation given by God shows God’s design and plan for His creation.

When man was created and placed in the Garden of Eden, God’s plan of creation was completed. What a wonderful sight that must have been and then Satan came on the scene. Man giving in to Satan turned this beautiful scene into an ugly one. Sin caused God’s crowning accomplishment; man, to go from innocence to that of a guilt ridden being.

When God came looking for Adam and Eve, they hid themselves.

They realized they had done something wrong and were afraid. God could have killed man and would have been just in doing so. God’s love and compassion for man was shown in the promise to send a savior. God chose to send the Redeemer (Jesus) to earth for the redemption of mankind. Joseph the earthly father of Jesus was told what the child Mary was expecting was to be called – Jesus. His mission on earth was explained at this time, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). God’s plan for man took many years to complete but God made it happen.

In the first century obeyed the gospel, God’s plan concerning man’s salvation. In the book of Acts there are several accounts of how people became Christians.

It can be seen that they were not all at the same place in their spiritual development as they were taught what to do.

Some already believed Jesus was the Son of God, yet had not turned from their old ways to follow Him. Such were those on the day of Pentecost, as when they asked Peter what they had to do to be saved (Acts 2:37), they already believe Jesus was the Christ from listening to Peter’s sermon. This is why he told them to “repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins” (Acts 2:38). God’s plan of salvation opened the door to God’s Kingdom the Church.

Peter was told by Jesus that the keys to the Kingdom would be used by Peter.

Notice this passage. “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18, 19). When Peter preached that first sermon on the day of Pentecost God’s plan was shown to mankind and the love of God allowed man to enter the Kingdom. On that day Peter and the rest of the apostles told that great crowd how they could be saved.

In his sermon he told them about what the prophets had said about this great occasion and that they had slain the very Son of God. How much it must have hurt those who had been waiting for the Messiah to know what they had done. It is no wonder they stopped Peter’s sermons and asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) They had no idea what to do, but God’s plan was about to be explained to them. About three thousand obeyed God on that occasion, and the plan of God began to expand.