Get Saved

“Saved? Saved from what?” As you read on, these questions will be answered and will help you understand the salvation we all need.

There is little doubt that there is more to this life then the here and now. There is a God who created you and who has plans for you beyond this life. In Psalm 14:2 it says, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, [and] seek God.” With this in mind you need to ask yourself, If I died tonight would I go to heaven? This is a very important and sobering question. It is also one God takes very seriously and he wants you to be able to answer yes, the Bible says, “…that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.”, 1 John 5:13. Now one more question, Suppose you died tonight and stood before God and He said, Why should I let you into heaven? What would you say? If you hope to get by with a good life and good deeds or by following the ten commandments you will be in for a rude awakening.

There is nothing we can do to justify ourselves before God. Trying your best and living a good life then expecting God to honor you with heaven is akin to committing crimes then expecting the judge to drop all charges because you tried to be good the rest of the time. We are not perfect. As a matter of fact the Bible says, “…fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and [we] were by nature children of wrath”, Ephesians 2:3. In other words, we usually fight against what is right and pure and instead are selfish and even cruel. The Bible also says in Romans 3:23, “…ALL have sinned…” Now sin is to most a very religious word, but very simply, sin means to miss the mark or to miss the target. You see, we just cannot live up to God’s standards. We miss the mark and close enough is not enough for God. “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12.

Do things seem hopeless right now? Let’s take a look at what the Bible says…

I Timothy 2:4 says that God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.” So what is this truth and how can we be saved? The truth is this — God is a just God and He is a loving God. In order to punish the sin and save the ones who sinned, God gave hope and resolved the conflict of sin and salvation through Jesus. Now Jesus is more than a man who lived long ago. Jesus is the Son of God and a part of God. John 14:9 says, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” What Jesus did is this, He gave himself up to be punished for your sin, for your missing of the mark. Once He gave Himself, God’s justice was satisfied and now we can answer our question, Why should God let us into heaven? — Because Jesus paid the price, in fact He purchased our place in heaven!

At this point everything may seem a little confusing. Let’s go back to the illustration of the judge. Suppose you commit a crime. It could be anything, but let’s say you hurt someone in a car accident and it was your fault. Now it is your day in court. You are standing before the judge. You have pleaded you case, but in the end you have to admit (even if it is just to yourself) — you did it! The judge raises his gavel and slams it down — Guilty! In shock, you realize you are about to be sentenced. The judge sentences you to jail with a fine that will devastate you. What will you do? The guards come to take you away. At that moment someone steps forward and says, “Wait!” It is a stranger you have never meet. He says, “Your Honor, I will take the defendants place. Here is the deed to my home, the title to my car, my savings and all the money I have for the fine. Here are my wrists for the hand cuffs I will go instead.”

This is exactly what Jesus did for you. One big difference though is that Jesus did much more than go to jail for you. You see, the sentence for sin is death, and Jesus gave himself to die in sin for you. And His death was not fast, it was not painless — He died a horrible death. He was nailed, yes nailed, to a wooded cross for you. I Peter 2:24 says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” On that cross Jesus got what He didn’t deserve so we could get what we don’t deserve — life in heaven.

Now if all of this were not enough, God went another step further. God, being loving and powerful, did something great. After Jesus died in our stead, He raised Jesus from the dead. Because Jesus is alive we have the best of everything. We have a savior who took our place and we have a savior who is alive.

So now what’s the next step for you? Faith! Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith…” Saving faith is trusting Jesus for your salvation. It means transferring your trust from whatever you’ve trusted before, to Jesus and Jesus alone. Saving faith is also obedience. John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. ” Basically, God asks us to be obedient in three ways:

REPENT: Acts 3:19 says, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” In other words, admit to God you are guilty and turn around and live for Him.

CONFESS: Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Obedience is not a secret change in your life. You have to speak, you have to confess that Jesus is your only hope. You have to mean it!

BE BAPTIZED: Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” By being baptized you tell the world that you have not only identified with your savior Jesus but you have given yourself over to Him completely. Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

To sum it all up—the Bible tells us that we are all sinners, and that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. If we are willing to trust Him with faith and obedience, we can receive the gift of eternal life with Him!

Do It Now!

If the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ makes sense to you, you’re ready to make a commitment, if you haven’t already done so.

The commitment can be made right now, at this very moment. Take a few moments, and answer these questions.

Are you willing to repent of your sins?

Are you willing to confess Christ publicly?

Are you willing to be baptized (immersed)?

If you answered yes to these questions and you are willing to do whatever God wants you to do, please pray this prayer:

“Dear God. Thank you for loving me. I know that I’m a sinner and need forgiveness. I know that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to receive forgiveness. I want to be saved from my sins and am willing to do whatever you want me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Congratulations!! You’re now a part of God’s family with heaven as part of your future.

Your Assurance

Forgiveness of sin and heaven are God’s promises to those who place their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.  » 1 John 5:12-13 » Hebrews 13:5 » Isaiah 46:11 » Psalms 33:4

Now What Should I Do?

First, please e-mail us at info@krcconline.org and tell us about your decision. We would like to pray for you.

Next, find a local church where you can be baptized and place membership. Ask God to lead you to the church of His choice. A church that pleases God has a proper view of Jesus Christ and teaches the Bible as God’s inerrant Word. It exalts God, encourages its members to obey Scripture, and equips the congregation to seek out and do God’s will in their lives. The God-pleasing church is a group of Christians who love others and live out their faith, particularly by reaching out to non-Christians. Remember that just because a church has a name which includes the words “Jesus” or “Christ” or “Christian” in it doesn’t necessarily make it a Christian church. Be discerning. Attend at least one Bible study each week, in addition to the worship service. Also consider becoming a part of a small group if one is available.

Then, commit yourself to Bible study and prayer for at least 10-15 minutes daily. Two of the most reliable and easy-to-read bibles are the New International Version (NIV) and the New American Standard (NAS). Initially consider reading either John or 1 John. Remember that prayer is nothing more than talking to God, the same as you would a good friend. A great ongoing prayer is: “Your will be done, Lord, whatever it may be. Show me what to do and I will do it.”

Next, look for someone who can be a living example of what it means to be a Christian. Spend time with that person, talking about the Lord and the Bible. After a while, consider asking him or her to hold you accountable in certain areas where sin may creep in. Relationships like these can greatly accelerate spiritual growth. They are also rare, so be patient and enlist God’s help through prayer in identifying the right person.

Then, become active in your home church. God has equipped you and all Christians in special ways in order to accomplish His will. Ask God to guide you to the right ministry, and then follow your heart and begin serving.

And next, talk to non-Christians about your faith in Jesus Christ, especially family, friends and co-workers. You know the truth about heaven and unbelievers need to hear it. While it is wise to be familiar with key Bible verses when talking with others, don’t let ignorance in some areas stop you. Ask God to give you the words to say, and then sincerely and enthusiastically share your faith. God will be faithful and do His part. Best of all, you will be doing God’s will.

Finally, don’t forget to continually confess any sins to God as you become aware of them. All Christians still sin and you’re no exception. Ask God for forgiveness and His help in not sinning again, and don’t forget to thank Him for His faithfulness.