What Is Salvation?
Salvation is first and foremost, a gift from Jesus Christ; without Him we could not receive the free gift of salvation. Okay, so salvation is a gift, but what does it mean to me, and what happens when I receive it? When we have salvation it means that we KNOW that we have been forgiven of all of our sins (the things that we do that are displeasing to God, and that are wrong to do) and that we now have forgiveness of these sins (they are no longer held against us - they are erased, and are no more). Salvation means to us, that we are forgiven of our past, and of the things that we have done; we are given a new life in God, and are now considered sons and daughters of God.
When you allow God to be the Lord of your life, a lot changes. Like what? First of all, receiving salvation is a life changing decision, and requires a sacrifice on your part. Woah, a sacrifice, what do you mean? When you ask God to be the Lord of your life, this means that you are living your life for Him; this means that you have a hope that other people do not have. You now have a purpose in your life! You do not have to feel empty, or alone, because you know that God loves you! How do you know that? In the New Testament of the Bible, in the book of John, Chapter 3, Verse 16 (John 3:16), Jesus tells us: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." - This verse, and the verses to follow, are being read from the New American Standard translation of the Bible. - That verse in John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world so much that He sent His only son Jesus to die for us, so that we would have a life that does not end. Eternal life exists because Jesus died once and for all to destroy the effects of sin on our lives. We have forgiveness available to us, and all that we have to do is ask, and Jesus will forgive us. We have eternal life because we are granted permission to enter into heaven for eternity with Jesus after we die on earth. All of this is available to anyone who is willing to receive salvation.
Okay, so what is the sacrifice part of salvation? Your part in salvation is allowing God to do the things that He wants to do in your life, and allowing Him to change you into who He wants you to be. Wait, I like who I am and I don't want to be one of those quiet, boring people that I've seen in churches! Okay, okay, let me clear this up. God will never force you to change anything about yourself that you do not want to change. Honestly! God is a loving, and accepting God, and will only ask you to do things that you are able to do with His help. With God all things are possible, and the changes that He asks you to make will be ones that He will make in your life; all you have to do is allow Him to change you. The sacrifice that you make is to truly allow God to have His way in your life, and to do what He asks you to do. THAT'S IT!! You don't have to become a boring person, or stop laughing, or give away all of your money or anything like that. God is looking for people that want to be loved, and that want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. God does not want you to be miserable! He wants to bless you (to give you true happiness in Himself), and to give you the good things that only He can give. To sum that up for you, salvation is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and as the Lord of your life.
Alright, so I know what salvation is, and what it means, but what does saved mean? Being saved means that you have received salvation, and are now saved from the effects of sin. The effects of sin? What does that mean? A very good question. The effects of sin, or the wages of sin, are the consequences that result from committing sins, and from living a life without forgiveness of those sins. The consequence of living a life of sin, is a separation from God's plan for our lives, and from the blessings that He has for us. If we were not forgiven of our sins, then we would have to be punished for them. The punishment for living a life without God is being condemned to an eternity in hell, rather than in heaven. That is the honest truth, from the Bible. Since everyone has sinned, we are all in need of being forgiven of our sins. If we are not forgiven once and for all of our sins, then we must suffer eternal separation from God; a punishment that none of us want to suffer.
So, I need to be forgiven of my sins so that I don't have to suffer those consequences and spend eternity in hell? Why do I have to be saved by Jesus? Isn't there some other way to get to heaven? Yes, we all need to be forgiven of our sins to avoid an eternity of separation from God. We must be saved by Jesus, because He was the only one that died for us, and made the one and only way to be saved. In Acts 4:12 it says: And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
Then, Jesus tells us very clearly in John 14:6 - "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." There is no other way to be saved; only by Jesus Christ can we be saved.
My last question is this. Can we be saved by doing good things for other people, and by being good people? This is one of the most common misconceptions regarding salvation. I realize that many religions and doctrines (systems of beliefs) teach that we can be saved by doing good works, and by trying to be good, but the truth of the matter is that we cannot be saved by good works. The Bible specifically states that we are not saved by good works. In Ephesians 2:8-9 the Bible says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." The Bible is very clear on telling us how we must be saved, and that there is only one way to be saved, and that is by Jesus Christ.
How Do We Receive Salvation? To receive salvation we must be willing to commit our lives to God, and to allow Him to be the true Lord of our lives. This is where the sacrifice that we talked about earlier becomes a reality. When we realize that we have a need in our lives for a Savior who will forgive our sins, and give us a new life, then we must humbly ask Jesus to forgive our sins, and to be the Lord of our lives. In Romans 10:9-10 we are told: "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." What that means to us is that when we confess that Jesus is Lord, we are admitting that He is Lord, and as such is the Lord of our life. By believing in our hearts, which means to truly know and believe that truly God did raise Jesus from the dead, we are saved. My hope is that you have realized that we all are in need of forgiveness, and of a true living Savior, that is, Jesus Christ. If you understand that you need to be forgiven of your past, and want to start a new life in Jesus Christ, then all you have to do is ask Him to forgive you and to be your Lord and Savior. If you do not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to obtain salvation, then I urge you to ask yourself how you will enter into an eternity in heaven. If you truly want to be sure that Jesus is the only way, then pray and ask Him to show you how to be saved. I know that if you truly ask Jesus to prove to you that He is real, and that He is the only way, that He will prove to you without a doubt that He is the one and only way. Just ask Him! Okay, I want to receive salvation right now. What do I do? To receive salvation right now, you can simply pray a short prayer and ask Jesus to save you. If you'd like to pray and ask Jesus in a personal prayer, then just pray right now and admit to Jesus that you have a need in your life, and that you want to be forgiven of your past mistakes and wrong doings. Ask Jesus to forgive you and to be the Lord of your life. Tell Him that you are ready to commit to a new life in Him. Then thank Him for your salvation because He has freely given it to you. If you would feel more comfortable praying something that is written for you, you can pray this prayer:
After praying and asking Jesus for salvation, you now know that you are saved! Take a second and thank the Lord for saving you. Just say "Thank You!" - Congratulations on the best decision that you have ever made.
What Happens Now? Now that you KNOW that you are saved, and have become a follower of Christ, or a Christian, you can begin your new life in Christ. Remember that as a follower of Christ, you want to become what He wants you to be. In the beginning of your new life this may not be as easy as it sounds. To become more like Jesus wants you to be, simply ask Him. Ask Him everyday, or three times a day, or a hundred times a day! Jesus wants to hear from you. You can pray all the time; while walking, while at work, while at school, or even when you are having a problem. Ask Him what you should do, or better yet ask Him to help you. The Lord Jesus wants to help you, and He wants you to know Him more. Pray as often as you can, and you will learn how to be who Jesus wants you to be. Secondly, try and read your bible as much as you can. I don't mean that you have to give up your job and sit in your room reading all the time, unless that's what you think God would have you do, but try and read at least once a day, or as much as you can. The more you read, and the more you pray, the easier it is to follow Jesus Christ. I personally read the New American Standard Bible, as well as the King James Version. The King James Version is more poetic, and resembles Shakespeare somewhat, using thee, thou, and ye, and is therefore sometimes more difficult to read. The New American Standard version uses more modern language and is easier to understand. Whichever version you prefer to read, pray and ask God to teach you what He wants you to know as you read, and as you pray. I guarantee that the Lord is more than happy to teach you anything that you want to know. Just Ask!
As soon as possible, try and find a good church that you feel comfortable attending. If you don't know of any churches in your area, or if you just don't know how to select one, try looking in your phone book in the yellow pages under 'Churches'. Call a few churches and ask them to explain to you what they believe, and what their church is like. You want to find a church that follows the Bible, and that teaches only the Word of God, that is, the Bible and the Bible only. After you call a few churches, pray and ask what church you should go to. Yes, pray and ask! We don't want to assume that we know what is best - we want to ask and KNOW what is best for us. God will help you find the right church.
Dear Lord Jesus, I have a need in my life for a Savior, and for
forgiveness of my past sins. I have done some bad things in my
life, but I am truly sorry. I want to be forgiven, and I want You
to be the Lord of my life. I commit my life to You, and ask that
You would be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for my salvation. - Amen
OR SEND ME AN EMAIL AT: FESTA@POETIC.COM!!!
I hope to hear from you soon! God bless you!