How can I get saved?

How can I get saved?

How can I get saved? What is salvation? Is there anything I can do to be saved? These are some of the questions people have, and often turn to various sources, in order to find an answer. Frequently, the Bible is not the first source people consult or even consider. The reasons for this may be many, yet none of them is profitable. Responding to and building on the first three questions the goal of this article is to explore what the Bible has to say and to help anyone who has struggled along the way to get the answers needed.

So, how can I get saved? It all begins with Jesus Christ. More specifically, with an understanding of who He is (His identity) and why He came (His mission). This is where the Bible comes in. Here we can learn about what we need to know about Him. With a good Bible translation – such as the NLT, ESV, NIV or NASB – we can find out what we are looking for. Here, a good starting point is the Gospel of John (aka. The Book of John). John was a friend and follower of Jesus and records for us the events, encounters and relationships with Jesus, revealing His mission and identity. In this way, we are able to get a factual account of Jesus’ story, his life as teacher, miracle worker, prophet, his death on a cross and resurrection from the grave. Reading and understanding all about Jesus is essential, especially, the meaning of his crucifixion. This is the starting point in response to the initial questions set forth. So moving on the next question, what is salvation? – we must keep in mind that we cannot do this on our own, only Jesus can.

This part addresses the second question – what is salvation? Again, it all begins with Jesus. Why? Because Jesus is absolutely unique. As we find out in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary (Luke 1:35; Luke 2:7) conceived by the Holy Spirit, not of a man. Reading along the Gospel of John, we discover that Jesus Christ is also unique, due to His membership in the divine Trinity (John 1:1; John 1:29-34). In this latter segment we find out about the foundation of Jesus’ identity and mission. He has two natures united in a single person for all eternity. Thereby, He is both fully God and fully human. The Trinity shows us that there is one God, existing as three eternal persons – the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. This is important to understand, since God is a God of divine love who welcomes us individually as people to enter into a personal relationship with Him. Jesus existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit, before the universe and mankind. The Bible tells us in the creation account (which we find in the OT, the Old Testament – as it precedes the NT, the New Testament, containing the Gospels) that God created human beings (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22). However, when our human ancestors, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God by sinning – having been tempted by the devil – they lost their favorable standing with God (Genesis 3). This fall was a real event, resulting in the fallen state of the human race, and all people ever since are born spiritually dead, having inherited a sin nature.

So, people have been separated from God since then, yet God had a rescue plan in place. This rescue plan, required God to step in Himself out of love for people. In Jesus Christ (aka. “Jesus of Nazareth”) God Himself, the Creator of everything entered human history to rescue mankind. Jesus, thus is ‘God in the Flesh’ with a sinless nature, so that having this absolutely unique attribute, He is the only One able to save us. As ‘God-man,’ then, Jesus became and remains the single and only substitute who died for our sins (past, present and future). Hence, when Jesus died on the cross, having spoken His last words “It is finished” (John 19:30), He accomplished what we cannot do on our own. His resurrection confirmed that Holy God’s wrath had been satisfied in Jesus Christ (aka. ‘propitiation’). Salvation must be understood in the context of Jesus’ fully completed work on the cross. This work, we call ‘atonement,’ enables us as believers to have a restored fellowship with God. As such, Jesus redeemed us (freeing believers from sin) reaching its full expression at His Second Coming along with judgment day. Also, along with propitiation, Jesus reconciled us (Jesus bringing God and humanity together), resulting in salvation.

In short, through His death and resurrection, His ascension and later releasing the Person of the Holy Spirit, Jesus – and Jesus only – makes salvation possible, providing hope for fallen humanity. By His incarnation and divine nature Christ was and is the mediator between God and fallen humankind. He had to be both God and human to redeem His people. Jesus did it. This brings us to the last common question, if there is anything that a person can do to be saved?

            So finally, people often ask: “Is there anything I can do to be saved?” No, there is not. Why not? Because Jesus did it all. He was the only One, who could accomplish this, since He was sinless (1 Peter 2:22). Other than Him, we are all born with a sin nature and are likewise (by default) eternally separated from God. There is nothing ‘good’ about us, nothing at all, that gives us anything to ‘make us right’ with perfectly Holy God. Apart from what Jesus did, left to our own ability, or doing any kind of ‘good deeds,’ there is nothing other than Jesus’ work on the cross that saves us (Ephesians 2:8-9). Left to our own devices, without Christ, we cannot get God to do anything or earn our salvation (Romans 3:20).

            Thereby, understanding this, Jesus’ identity and completed mission on the cross on our behalf, all that remains for us is repenting of our sin. Repentance is agreeing with God, turning from sin and asking Jesus to help us. This is a change of heart, being genuinely sorry for our sin(s), renouncing of it, and a true commitment to leave it behind, walking in obedience to Christ. Repentance and faith (in Christ) must come together, as part of a single one-time conversion (through faith alone in Christ alone).

            Jesus, as we see in the Bible, invites us to freely come to Him in repentance (Matthew 11:28-29). As you read on in John’s Gospel, He is interested only in one thing, and that is a repentant heart. Some encouraging examples of this, are found in Jesus’ conversations with Nicodemus, a Pharisee (John 3:1-21), an unnamed Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) and the healing of a man born blind (John 9:1-41). Once a person repents, he or she is saved eternally, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), having entered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (John 6:27). This relationship can only be established by God and is the work of the Holy Spirit. There is no mechanism, or ritual to invoke or impart the Holy Spirit (John 3:8). Salvation cannot be lost – once saved, always saved. Anything else is false, and not in the Bible. This is God’s amazing grace and love for all people. However, the Bible also tells us that not all will accept Christ’s free gift of salvation (John 17:9; Romans 9:27; Romans 11:7). This is a harsh reality, yet important to grasp. There are people who will deny Jesus as God in the Flesh and die in sin (John 3:16-21). Entering a personal relationship may also cause others to turn away from a believer in Christ (Luke 12:51-53; John 15:18-27) and there will be people who claim to be believers, but in reality are not (Matthew 7:21-23) – yet, they can be identified for what they are by their actions, not by what they say (Matthew 7:17).

            Nevertheless, as we read about the Holy Spirit in John chapter 14, 15 and 16, as believers, we can ask Him to help us with whatever we are dealing with, and claim our identity in Christ (John 14:6; John 15:5). If we do sin, which we do at times, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, who invites us to immediately confess our sin to Him, and He will help us (1 John 1:9). As true followers, we may have to surrender our lifestyles to Him, yet, with Jesus on our side, there is nothing He cannot handle. That is true freedom in Christ (John 8:36; Psalm 9:10). The truth is that God desires a personal relationship with Him more than we do (2 Peter 3:9) and there is nothing more desirable anyone can ask for, being eternally connected to Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38-39) both here and now, as well as for eternity.

            To sum it up, it all begins with Jesus, learning about Him, His identity and mission, understanding the significance of His work on the cross – enabling salvation as a free gift, for every repentant person. This is a matter of the heart. A lifelong and eternal relationship with Jesus Christ is available to all, who freely decide to come to Him.

If you have read about and understand the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers, based on who He is and what He did, knowing and heartfully embracing that He is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6) you can turn to Him right now, not on the basis of anything else, but His fully finished work on the cross, by believing in Him (Hebrews 11:6) you can pray as follows:

“Lord Jesus,

I repented my sins,

come into my heart,

wash me clean,

for You are my Lord,

and You are my Savior.

Thank you, Jesus.

In Your Holy Name I pray.

Amen.

And always remember, the best Bible is an open Bible!

Amen.

May God bless you and keep you.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John

Always remember, the best Bible, is an open Bible!

Amen.