How Can I Be Saved?

Are you truly saved?

Jesus Christ, through his Holy Words in the Scriptures, promises us eternal life and salvation. Both new and already members of any church often wonder if they are truly saved. People often wonder this because eternity has been put in our hearts. Even if we live 120 years, life is just too short compared to eternity. We also want to see our loved ones in heaven one day, and God wants that for us, too. At the same time, we don’t want to end up in hell or see our loved ones there either.

With that said, I am going to cover 5 key points of salvation so that you can understand the full picture of being saved. It is not complicated, but it is important to explain it all. Starting with a little bit about Heaven, mankind’s problem and actions, God’s character, Jesus Christ, and what we must do to be saved.

Heaven

Heaven is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned or deserved. Heaven is where God dwells. There is no sin in Heaven, and it is a holy place where God, His angels, and His saints dwell. Perfect love abounds there, because God is perfect love. We can never work our way into heaven with good deeds, because our good deeds are imperfect, and it only takes one sin to separate us from God. God is the only One who can let you into His home by His grace. It is by His grace that we are let in into His home called heaven. We don’t earn access, we are given access by His grace and mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

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

Mankind

In the Bible, we learn that Adam and Eve, God's first human creations, fell into sin in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Since then, all of creation fell with them. It became a curse upon the world. We call this the Fall. Throughout time, we have developed a sinful nature in us.

“Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all because all sinned—. “ Romans 5:12

With this sinful nature we inherited, we do all kinds of evil if we don’t control it through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The flesh has many sinful urges that if not restrained, cause havoc. The one who does not have, steals. The one who does not want to be honest, lies. The one who is angry, fights. The one who is lustful, commits all kinds of sexual immorality. The one who idolizes, neglects the more important things. This sinful nature in us is like a sick compulsion in which we do many wrong things. We have all gone astray doing what we want to do instead of what God commands. We are born needing a savior.

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way… .” Isaiah 53:6a

These sins, if we add them all up through our lifetime, can be in the thousands. You can use the 10 commandments to check yourself. Have you broken any of God’s 10 commandments? I know if we are honest with one another, we have broken many commandments since our childhood. And like I said before, it just takes one sin to separate us from a truly loving and righteous God.

God

God is a very loving God, full of grace and truth. He created us in His own image. Everything delightful you see, smell, taste, and feel is because of Him. Every detail in this world and every person you love, He made them. God is the author of love. He gave breath to every living thing in this world. He made the heavens and earth. God is true, genuine, pure love.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

God is also a righteous God and still has to deliver justice, so He must judge everyone in the world (Hebrews 9:27).

”Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’“ Ezekiel 33:11

So you must be wondering, “Is God going save me because He loves me, or is He going to punish me because He is a righteous God?” God delivered both salvation and judgment through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came from Heaven in the Spirit and became flesh by being born from a virgin in Israel named Mary. He came down to earth to save humanity from certain death, for the wages of sin is death. Jesus Christ lived an innocent life, fulfilled the laws of God and was even tempted, but he never sinned. Rather, he corrected his tempters and pointed them to obedience to God’s Word. When Jesus Christ was around 33 years of age and had ministered all over Israel, He let himself be taken captive by his people, Israel. The religious Jewish leaders of that time cried out to crucify him because Jesus Christ’s teachings were not from the broken religious traditions of men. The reason Jesus Christ allowed himself to die on the cross was to receive the just punishment for all of humanity’s sin, both in heaven and on earth. He paid our debt in full. When Jesus Christ was crucified, He received the wrath of the Father on our behalf. He bailed us out and paid for it all on the cross. He defeated death, Hell, and the grave because He rose again on the third day! He was the perfect sacrificial lamb who took away all the sins of the world – past, present, and future. That’s God love and justice for you.

“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.” John 3:16

Saving Grace

So by now you know that we are sinners from birth and that we have committed countless of sins. God loves us so much that He wants to save us, not punish us. God himself did not sit idle. He sent His one and only begotten Son to earth to save us and take our place on the cross. God paid it all, and God did all the work to save us, so it will never be our works that save us. So what is left to do is for you to now receive this Gift of Eternal life from our Lord. It is a Gift that none of us deserve or can achieve to get it from good works. The work is already done. So today, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He is your Lord and Savior, and that He died on the cross for your sins and resurrected on the third day, you will be saved. You accept this gift by grace, through faith.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:9-11

What’s Next?

If you just got saved, all of heaven is celebrating with you! And if you were already saved, it is a good reminder for you to remember that the Lord has paid it all for you. So what do you do now as a new believer in Christ? I am saved and that’s it? What’s the catch? There are no catches, but God says if you love Him, you will follow His teachings. His teachings are a guide to keep you away from sin and to prosper you spiritually and in your walk of life. You will still face hardships, but God wants to be there with you to guide you. He asks that you read your Bible daily (Matthew 4:4), get baptized, and then find a church to grow in the Word of God and community.

“‘If you love me, keep my commands…'” John 14:15

We are truly sinful people made clean by the power of Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross for our sins. We have decided to turn from our old ways and follow His ways out of love for Him. We hope that you can make My City Church your home church if you happen to live in Omaha, NE. If not, I hope you find yourself a good Bible-believing church that will teach you God’s Word without watering it down, and that you also find your place in the body of Christ. Remember this, God is family and not just a religion. He wants to be your Heavenly Father because He loves you and wants to take care of you. We are adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters of God! And when you obey His commands, God does not see you as a servant, but as His friend. So step out in this new life with Christ with confidence because you are not alone! 

God is with you, and He is for you!