Understanding Salvation

When we speak of salvation we are refering to God's active plan to return His creation, you and I, to His presence. Because we have disobeyed God, which He calls sin, we can not be in His presence. There is a debt between us and God, just as when someone does something that hurts you. This debt is so large it takes a life to pay the price. Because of sin, each of us must die and spend forever away from God, this was unacceptable to Christ, God's one and only Son, who is one with God. Christ died to pay the price for you, all you need do is accept the credit of Christ love in His death and the debt of your sins is paid allowing you to spend eternity with God.

The Bible explains it like this:

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (NIV)
God loves you so much Christ came to die in your place

Romans 3:23

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (NIV)
The reason He came was because all of us can't live up to God's plan for us without His help

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV)
Because of our sin, death is the penalty, which is why Christ died...for you and for me

Romans 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (NIV)
Even though Christ died, He rose again, and stands before God His Father as a living testimony that you can join Him for if you believe and confess Him you are saved

All our lives people try to have God pleased with them, we work hard, go to church, even pray and read our Bible. All these things are good and God want's us to do them, but non will make God pleased. Remember Romans 3:23, we have fallen short of God's glory for us. To gain the acceptance of God it took Him to make the first move, in sending Christ to the cross. If you have accepted Christ as your savior you have done so not of your own power, but because God loved you so much He reached out to you.

If you have found Christ and accepted Him please let us know, if you are not attending church, please begin and tell your pastor about the decision you made. If you are in the Albany NY area and want directions to Albany Wesleyan click here.