Salvation

“Sin came into the world through one person [Adam], and death came through sin. So death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

“For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:10-12).”

Adam and Eve were perfect since the day of their creation. Designed and called to be in the image and likeness of God — which is holiness — Adam and Eve were soon deceived by Satan the Devil to conform to his likeness instead. Once they ate off the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they took upon themselves another nature: a sinful nature. And that sinful nature has inherently been passed down to all of their offspring: us.

No one desires salvation at first. No one, in their sinful state, seeks after the Lord. In fact, we cannot seek after God because we are carnally minded. We do not comprehend spiritual things because they are foolish to us. Before Christ shines his light on us, we are all blinded by the god of this age, Satan the devil, lost in the world and spiritually dead in our sins — And since a dead man can’t choose to raise himself to life, he has to be resurrected to life by someone with a greater power.

Jesus Christ has all power in his hands and he is Lord of the resurrection. He said in John 6:44, “”No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” God draws, or calls us to salvation simply by the preaching of the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:21). “So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).” The gospel is the testimony of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day. Once we understand that we are all sinners, enemies of God and condemned to Hell for being responsible in Christ’s crucifixion on the cross, conviction should be stirred up in our hearts and we should be eager to find out how we can repent, receive forgiveness for our sins and find a way to escape the wrath, or judgment of God to come. Once the Holy Spirit of God makes us conscious of our sins through the preaching of the gospel and reveals to us the identity, divinity and Lordship of Jesus Christ, we become ripe for salvation.

We cannot obtain salvation by our own self-righteous deeds because we will always fall short of the glory of God. In our flaw and imperfect nature, we will never reach the standard that God has set for us, which is perfection. We cannot work for it. We can only receive it by believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross. Through the shedding of Jesus’ blood, forgiveness of sins is made available. In Jesus’ death, we are no longer condemned by the Law but are now accessible to amazing grace. Jesus took the punishment of our sins for us and now we are justified for our actions. Even though we deserve Death, Jesus died so that by our faith in him, we may have life and life more abundantly. Salvation is completely and solely an act of God’s love and grace to mankind.

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no man can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jeremiah 31:3)

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

If you feel like the love of God is tugging on your heart, and if you feel like the Holy Spirit is convicting you of your sins and the way you’ve been living your life, and if you also believe he is calling you into fellowship with Him, here is an example of a guided prayer that you can confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. It’s not the exclusive prayer OF salvation. Rather, it’s an desperate plea FOR salvation.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

To all those who are reading this, with a gentle voice, God is saying: “Come to me with your weary soul, and your heavy burdens. I will give you rest. I will set you free. I will restore your joy.” So today, if you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart: He’s calling YOU. And please, do not wait until tomorrow, for it is not promised unto you. TODAY is the day of salvation. Heaven and Hell is more real than the air that you breathe and cannot see. And after you die, you will surely go to one of them. Which one will you choose?

Let heaven and earth be my witnesses against you this day that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore, choose life for yourselves and for your seed, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

1 John 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Matthew 3:8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Mark 12:29-31 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Ephesians 4:30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Hebrews 10:36-37 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.