SALVATION
Salvation is a “free gift” (Romans 5:15–16). If someone works a full week and then his employer hands him his paycheck and says, “I have here a gift for you,” the employee could well say, “Hey, I earned that. It’s no gift.” A gift is something someone else pays for. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The “wages” for sinning is death, eternal separation from God (see HELL). Thankfully, Christ took our sins upon Himself and died in our place. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8). My sins have been paid for; your sins have been paid for. All we need to do is believe in Him to save us. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). If someone receives a traffic ticket, the judge does not care who pays for it, as long as it gets paid. God receives His Son’s payment for our sins in our place for all who will put their trust in Him.
Sin is the breaking of God’s law (1 John 3:4). And everyone is a sinner, so everyone needs the “gift of God.” “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). One may be the best person in his community, but his good deeds will not pay for his bad deeds (sins). In Scripture, we are told that “grace” (something that cannot be earned) saves us, not our good works. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
The average person believes that as long as he is good, he will make it to heaven. He may say something like, “I believe in God, and if I am really good, I will go to heaven.” If you ask him, “When you die and stand before God, if He were to ask you, ‘Why should I save you?’ what would you say to Him?” most often, the person will respond by telling you all the good things he has done and all the bad things he has not done. This, of course, means he is trusting in himself and his own abilities. But the “wages of sin is death,” not good deeds, not money, not even gold. Someone has to pay for our sins, and the only payment God will accept is “death,” and “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And it was necessary that His death be by shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) and that He had never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:19). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19; see BLOOD).
Only Jesus Saves!
There are not many roads that lead to heaven, but Christ is the only way: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). One receives salvation by calling upon Christ and trusting Him to save him. Faith is the only thing man can do without doing anything. Again, the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” Grace saves us, but it is received “through faith.” A gift, though it be free, is still not yours till you receive it. By simple faith, ask Jesus Christ to save you. I am not talking about saying prayers that many have said since they were children but still have never asked Christ to save them so they can go to heaven. And some have put faith in their prayer, not in Jesus, to save them. But if they ask Christ a thousand times to save them, until they trust Him to do this, they are not saved. No one else can do this for you. If one’s parents are Christians, that is good for them but not their child. When their child is old enough to understand what sin is, then he is old enough to personally call upon Christ and be saved (see DEATH; ETERNAL LIFE; BORN AGAIN; GRACE).
Salvation is not a process but something that takes place in one moment, in this life, before one dies. “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:50; see also18:42; see ETERNAL LIFE). It does not say “will save” but, in the past tense, “hath saved.” “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) again uses the past tense “saved.” “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). So when one asks Christ to save him, it is not something that needs to be done each day or from time to time. Please pray every day, but salvation takes place once. You could call upon the Lord Jesus right now to come into your heart and save you. And He will keep His promise and save you if you believe, for God never lies (see FAITH). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
It has been said that the road to hell is marked with the sign “Procrastination.” “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). God has not promised us tomorrow. “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).
In the Bible, we are told to make sure we are saved: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). It’s too late after one dies to find out if he or she is saved. But can we know if we are saved? If the preacher says I am saved is that good enough? We are talking about our soul, so we need to make certain to “give diligence.” “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). There is not anything more important, for even if you would “gain the whole world” but end up in hell, what would it profit? The Bible says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). The verse says, it was “written” so you can “know” that you “have” everlasting life. If the Bible says you are saved, then you are. It is no longer man’s opinion but God’s Word on it. Our assurance of salvation is based not upon our feelings, which can change (see EXPERIENCES), but upon Christ and His Word. The Bible does not teach that you will have a special feeling. If a person who is saved has joy but the next day is sick and “feels” awful, does this mean he is lost? The thief on the cross, whom Christ saved (Luke 23:39–43), probably “felt” like he was crucified. Man is an emotional being, but we do not all respond the same way. When there is a marriage, one may cry, rejoice, or just be glad that he did it. The same with salvation, for we do not all respond the same way. So do not look for feelings as a verification of salvation. If the devil were to say, “You’re not saved, and God does not love you,” would you believe his doubts or what God has said? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
It is not God Who has made salvation complicated but man. Many years ago, I thought the salvation God offers for us in the Bible was “too easy.” But after reading and studying the Bible, I came to believe it was true (Romans 10:17), and then I was left to decide what I was going to do about it. It still was not my way, but it was God’s way, and I knew God was not going to change for me. So, before asking Christ to save me, I took my faith out of myself and out of my religion, and I called upon Christ to save me. If Christ does not get me to heaven, I will never go there because all my faith is in Him; I am not trusting anyone or anything else to save me. But I believe His Word can be trusted. “And [he] brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30–31). Why did he ask how to be saved if one cannot know? And why did they tell him how, if one cannot know?
Can one lose his salvation? (see ETERNAL LIFE)
Please read the other doctrines and pray for this website to be used of God to help Christians!
Salvation is a “free gift” (Romans 5:15–16). If someone works a full week and then his employer hands him his paycheck and says, “I have here a gift for you,” the employee could well say, “Hey, I earned that. It’s no gift.” A gift is something someone else pays for. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The “wages” for sinning is death, eternal separation from God (see HELL). Thankfully, Christ took our sins upon Himself and died in our place. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8). My sins have been paid for; your sins have been paid for. All we need to do is believe in Him to save us. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). If someone receives a traffic ticket, the judge does not care who pays for it, as long as it gets paid. God receives His Son’s payment for our sins in our place for all who will put their trust in Him.
Sin is the breaking of God’s law (1 John 3:4). And everyone is a sinner, so everyone needs the “gift of God.” “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). One may be the best person in his community, but his good deeds will not pay for his bad deeds (sins). In Scripture, we are told that “grace” (something that cannot be earned) saves us, not our good works. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
The average person believes that as long as he is good, he will make it to heaven. He may say something like, “I believe in God, and if I am really good, I will go to heaven.” If you ask him, “When you die and stand before God, if He were to ask you, ‘Why should I save you?’ what would you say to Him?” most often, the person will respond by telling you all the good things he has done and all the bad things he has not done. This, of course, means he is trusting in himself and his own abilities. But the “wages of sin is death,” not good deeds, not money, not even gold. Someone has to pay for our sins, and the only payment God will accept is “death,” and “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And it was necessary that His death be by shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) and that He had never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:19). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19; see BLOOD).
Only Jesus Saves!
There are not many roads that lead to heaven, but Christ is the only way: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). One receives salvation by calling upon Christ and trusting Him to save him. Faith is the only thing man can do without doing anything. Again, the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” Grace saves us, but it is received “through faith.” A gift, though it be free, is still not yours till you receive it. By simple faith, ask Jesus Christ to save you. I am not talking about saying prayers that many have said since they were children but still have never asked Christ to save them so they can go to heaven. And some have put faith in their prayer, not in Jesus, to save them. But if they ask Christ a thousand times to save them, until they trust Him to do this, they are not saved. No one else can do this for you. If one’s parents are Christians, that is good for them but not their child. When their child is old enough to understand what sin is, then he is old enough to personally call upon Christ and be saved (see DEATH; ETERNAL LIFE; BORN AGAIN; GRACE).
Salvation is not a process but something that takes place in one moment, in this life, before one dies. “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:50; see also18:42; see ETERNAL LIFE). It does not say “will save” but, in the past tense, “hath saved.” “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) again uses the past tense “saved.” “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). So when one asks Christ to save him, it is not something that needs to be done each day or from time to time. Please pray every day, but salvation takes place once. You could call upon the Lord Jesus right now to come into your heart and save you. And He will keep His promise and save you if you believe, for God never lies (see FAITH). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
It has been said that the road to hell is marked with the sign “Procrastination.” “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). God has not promised us tomorrow. “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).
In the Bible, we are told to make sure we are saved: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). It’s too late after one dies to find out if he or she is saved. But can we know if we are saved? If the preacher says I am saved is that good enough? We are talking about our soul, so we need to make certain to “give diligence.” “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). There is not anything more important, for even if you would “gain the whole world” but end up in hell, what would it profit? The Bible says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). The verse says, it was “written” so you can “know” that you “have” everlasting life. If the Bible says you are saved, then you are. It is no longer man’s opinion but God’s Word on it. Our assurance of salvation is based not upon our feelings, which can change (see EXPERIENCES), but upon Christ and His Word. The Bible does not teach that you will have a special feeling. If a person who is saved has joy but the next day is sick and “feels” awful, does this mean he is lost? The thief on the cross, whom Christ saved (Luke 23:39–43), probably “felt” like he was crucified. Man is an emotional being, but we do not all respond the same way. When there is a marriage, one may cry, rejoice, or just be glad that he did it. The same with salvation, for we do not all respond the same way. So do not look for feelings as a verification of salvation. If the devil were to say, “You’re not saved, and God does not love you,” would you believe his doubts or what God has said? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
It is not God Who has made salvation complicated but man. Many years ago, I thought the salvation God offers for us in the Bible was “too easy.” But after reading and studying the Bible, I came to believe it was true (Romans 10:17), and then I was left to decide what I was going to do about it. It still was not my way, but it was God’s way, and I knew God was not going to change for me. So, before asking Christ to save me, I took my faith out of myself and out of my religion, and I called upon Christ to save me. If Christ does not get me to heaven, I will never go there because all my faith is in Him; I am not trusting anyone or anything else to save me. But I believe His Word can be trusted. “And [he] brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30–31). Why did he ask how to be saved if one cannot know? And why did they tell him how, if one cannot know?
Can one lose his salvation? (see ETERNAL LIFE)
Please read the other doctrines and pray for this website to be used of God to help Christians!
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
#1. God’s love for people is the motive he provided a way for us to go to Heaven. “But God commendeth [showed] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
#2. What are we being saved from? Hell! “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” (Luke 12:5) And who has the power to do this? Jesus Christ, he is the one who has the “keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18)
#3. Our sins keep us from going to Heaven and all of us have sinned. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” & “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 10:10 & 23) Thankfully, God wants to forgive our sins. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) God has more forgiveness than we have sins. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20)
#4. If we reject Christ we cannot be saved. Muhammed, Buddha, Confucius, nor anyone else, can save us. Only God’s Son, Jesus Christ, had a sinless life, only Jesus Christ die for our sins, and only Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Nor can we trust our good deeds to save us. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5).
#5. All you need to do is turn to him, and ask him to save you. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, there were two other men who died that day. Both had broken the 8th Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” Though they had done the same sin, Jesus only took one to Heaven, what made the difference? They both believed Jesus existed, for they both talked to him, but only one trusted Christ for salvation. This was the one who recognized he was a sinner, and deserved the punishment for his crime, for he said, “we receive the due reward of our deeds…” He did not make excuses for his sins but looked Jesus, the only one who could forgive him. “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom, And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
Say to him, “Dear God, I know I am a sinner, and I believe your son, Jesus Christ, died for all of my sins, and right now I trust him to save me. Dear Lord Jesus, remember me, and take me to Heaven when I die. Thank you, Lord, for dying for my sins.”
You can know you are saved. " These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (I John 5:13)
