How Can I Be Saved?
“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
- Timothy Keller
Christians are always talking about being “born again” or “accepting Jesus as saviour.” What does it really mean to be saved? How can we cut through all the religious language and really find a clear answer for this question?
A good place to start would be the Bible. Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about this subject! All the relevant answers could be divided up onto two broad categories:
The bad news and
the good news
Like the beginning to an old joke, we should probably start with the bad news first…
Imagine you have a serious pain in your stomach area. Reluctantly, you go to see your doctor. As your doctor walks into the room to see you the first words out of her mouth are “Hello, take two of these pills morning and evening and come back and see me again next week.” Then she sets the pills on the table and walks out. What is so wrong with this picture? Obviously, your doctor has jumped right past diagnosing the problem and presented a cure that might not even relate to your problem! Where are the questions about how you feel and where it hurts? Where is the examination? No one in their right mind would happily take those pills and walk out of that room in this situation.
In the same way, we will never understand (or appreciate) the “cure” for our spiritual problems until we first explore the root cause of our problem. We must first understand the bad news that the Bible reveals about our true spiritual condition before we can move on to the good news of the cure.
The Bad News
From cover to cover the Bible clearly teaches that every human being has a terminal disease. If left untreated this “sickness” always leads to death, separation, and punishment. The Bible is clear - we are all infected, and the mortality rate is a guaranteed 100%.
The Bible calls this sickness SIN. So what is sin?
Sin is:
an inborn tendency in all of us to suppress the existence and presence of a sovereign God
a deep-rooted conviction that we are the master of our own universe a bent toward selfish thoughts and actions
active rebellion against the rule and reign of God
The Bible says:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. - Romans 3:23
Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one. - Psalm 53:1-3
Can’t I just fix this problem on my own?
Many of us were raised with a strong work ethic. We were taught to roll up our sleeves and work hard for a better life. The problem comes when we try to apply this “do it yourself” solution to our sin problem. The Bible is clear that no person will ever be good enough, or do enough good deeds to overcome the staggering penalty for sin.
To see the foolishness of attempting to work for our salvation, consider this illustration: The current world record for the long jump is 8.95 m (29 ft 41⁄4 in). Let’s say you came along and were able to jump 10 meters. You would be an instant media sensation! But what if you were told you had to jump the Grand Canyon (which is 5 miles wide at the narrowest point). You would say that request is completely impossible. This is exactly how impossible it would ever be for any of us to pay the penalty required to erase our sin debt!
The Bible says:
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. - Galatians 2:9
But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. - Galatians 3:10-11a
If left untreated, what is the eventual outcome of a life saturated in sin?
A growing insensitivity to God
Wreckage and pain in all our human relationships A life enslaved to sin and self-destructive behaviour Death
Eternal separation from God and everything else in life that is good
Like an aggressive cancer that spreads in a body, so sin infects and affects every aspect of the human experience.
The Bible says:
Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. - Titus 3:3
For the wages of sin is death. - Romans 6:23
Apart from some radical intervention from heaven, the outlook is bleak for us all!
The Good News
The good news of the Bible is that God came down to earth and provided the cure for the disease! He did this by sending his perfect son, Jesus Christ, who willingly gave up his own life to pay the penalty for our sin and rebellion. Three days later Jesus proved his right to be our saviour by arising from the dead.
We needed a saviour. God came to earth. He lived a sinless life. He died on the cross for us. He took our penalty on His body and he was dead for three days, but the power of God raised him up from the dead. He overcame death in order for us to be able to do the same, through him, and appeared to many different people.
The Bible says:
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. - Romans 5:6, 8
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. - 1 Corinthians 15:3-5
If you’re ready
The first step in becoming a christian is to admit you are helpless and need God to rescue you from your dire situation.
Remember that if you break one of the Ten Commandments – then it is the same as breaking them all. You’re just as guilty as the axe murderer. Apart from God we’re all headed on a path that leads to hell. We ALL need Jesus.
The Bible says:
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. - 1 John 1:8-9
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. - Hebrews 11:6
The next step is to turn away from your old ways of thinking and acting. The Bible cals this repentance. It literally means to “turn around and go in the opposite direction.” It is a 180 degree shift in direction. Before you were moving away from God, now you are moving towards God.
At the heart repentance is saying: “I’m sick of doing things the way I have been doing them. God help me change the direction of my life.
The Bible says:
I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. - Acts 20:21
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. - Acts 3:19
The final step is to receive the forgiveness and salvation offered to you by God through his son Jesus Christ.
When a person gives their life to Jesus an amazing spiritual transaction takes place. Jesus takes the penalty for all the person’s sin and transfers his purity and righteousness to the new believer. The Bible calls this being born again. In Jesus we become new creations and the old chains of sin and destruction fall away! A new life blossoms as we begin to understand and walk in the new reality of being saved.
The Bible says:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” - Romans 10:9-10, 13
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. - John 3:16-17
Would you like to talk God and become a christian right now?
If you would like to become a christian you can pray this prayer to God right now…
“Dear God, I admit that I need you. I’m so sorry for the way I have lived my life without you. Please forgive me of my sin and make me clean. Jesus, please come into my life and take control as my lord and saviour. I believe in you and receive your free gift of salvation in my life.”
If you’ve made this important step - welcome to the family of God! You are now a son or daughter of the living God. Life and eternity will never be the same. You are a new spiritual creation.
The Bible says:
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. - 2 Corinthians 5:17
When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. - Titus 3:4-7
Now What?
Like a newborn baby, when we are newborn Christians we look forward to a lifetime of growth and learning. Here are three practical “next steps” that will help you grow in you new found faith:
Get to know your new family - Connect with a life-giving, Bible-believing church in your area and begin to find your place in the family of God.
Read the “love letter” God has sent to you - Take the time to begin to read the Bible. Find a modern, easy to read translation and begin by reading the book of John.
Let the world know what you have done - Share your new faith with family, co-workers, and friends. Learn about water baptism and celebrate your new life through this event.