 .:SALVATION - What is required
to have eternal life?
Why live any longer in the uncertainty
of whether you will be acceptable to God when you die?
The Gospel (Good News) message of Jesus Christ is simple
because God LOVES you! He
LONGS for you and He wants
to spend eternity with you! But before you can be clean
enough to enter into God's presence, you must have your
sins (impure attitudes, actions and thoughts) dealt
with. If you want to be "saved" from the penalty
of your sins (unrighteous deeds) so that you can live
forever with God, follow these five steps and pray (from
your heart) the suggested prayer at the end. Remember,
the words are not important. It is your
heart that God is listening to:
1. RECOGNIZE YOU HAVE FALLEN SHORT:
Admit you're a sinner (someone who has disobeyed God's
standards) and that you stand condemned and guilty before
God for all of the things you've done to that were not
pleasing in His sight. Because we all sin (disobey God),
the Bible says that the penalty of our sin is "death"
and eternal separation from God.
2. GOOD DEEDS CAN'T MAKE UP FOR BAD DEEDS:
Recognize that God says that the payment for our "sin"
penalty is so great that no amount of "good
deeds" we do can pay the price required to
redeem us from the penalty of our sin. Scripture explains
that any righteous deeds done in an attempt to please
God are nothing but "filthy rags"
of pride in God's sight!
- Isaiah 64:6: "For we are all as an unclean
thing; and all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rages..."
-
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace
are ye saved through faith and this
not of yourselves, it is the gift
of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast."
-
Romans 11:6: "And if by grace [unmerited
favor or kindness], then is it no
more of works: otherwise grace is no more
grace. But if it be of works, then
is it no more grace: otherwise work is no
more work."
-
Romans 3:28: "Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified [declared righteous] by faith
without the deeds of the law."
 3. JESUS PAID THE PRICE: Only Jesus
who was God in the
flesh (See Philippians
2:5-11) was worthy enough to pay the price required
for our sins to be forgiven. Because salvation from
our sins (i.e., eternal life) cost too much for us to
be able to earn
by our good behavior, Jesus paid the TOTAL
price required for us to be released from our sin-debt
so that we can go free and be granted entrance into
God's presence. By Christ's substitutionary
payment for our sins by His death,
God was able to remain righteous (in requiring full
payment for the wrongs we've committed) and at the same
time, extend love and mercy to us. When we accept the
payment that Jesus made on our behalf, God immediately
grants us forgiveness from the wrongs we've done (past,
present and future) and makes us spiritually clean and
acceptable in His sight on account of the atoning blood
of Christ and through the renewing work of the Holy
Spirit. This gift of eternal life is offered "free"
to anyone who accepts His death and resurrection.
-
Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal
life in Jesus Christ our Lord."
-
Romans 4:4-5: "Now to him that worketh
is the reward not reckoned of grace
[unmerited favor or kindness], but
of debt. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth
[declares righteous] the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness."
-
Romans 10:9-11, 13: “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. …For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
-
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved… For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
4. RECEIVE THE GIFT FREELY BY GOING TO JESUS:
Jesus freely offers us His gift of eternal life in exchange
for our sin, but we must reach out to Him and accept
His gift before His payment for our sin-debt can be
applied to our account. You can receive this gift by
praying directly
to Jesus. Personally ask Jesus to forgive you of
your sins and to be the Lord (Master), God and Savior
of your life.
- Mark 2:7, 10-11: "'Why does this man speak
that way? He is blaspheming; Who can forgive
sins but God alone?'...But in order that
you may know that the Son of Man has authority
on earth to forgive sins' – He said
to the paralytic – I say to you, rise, take
up your pallet and go home."
- John 6:37: "All that the Father gives Me shall
come to Me, and the one who comes
to Me I will certainly not cast out."
- Romans 10:9, 13: "That if you shall confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall
believe in your heart that God has
raised him from the dead, you shall be saved....For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved."
- Acts 22:16: "...wash away your sins, calling
on His name."
- John 10:27-28: "My sheep hear My voice,
and I know them, and they
follow Me; and I give eternal life
to them, and they shall never perish; and
no one shall snatch them out of My hand."
If you would like to receive this gift
of eternal life that Jesus offers, why not pray this
sample salvation prayer below? You may want to personalize
it with your own words. Remember, there is no power
in the specific words you are praying. God is intently
listening to the sincerity of your heart:
"Dear Lord Jesus,
I come to you realizing that I am a sinner.
I have broken your laws and am not worthy to be in
Your holy presence. I recognize that the penalty
of my sin is eternal separation from you
and that nothing I do can make up
for the wrongs I've committed. I
accept the price you paid for my sin
when you died for me so long ago. I ask you right
now, dear Lord Jesus, to come into my heart, forgive
me of all of my sins, and to be my
Lord and Savior. I give you control
of my life and receive your Holy Spirit as a token
of my adoption into Your family. Thank you for shedding
your precious blood for me and for claiming me for
eternity. I love you, Lord!
In Jesus' Name, Amen."
5. YOUR LIFE IS SECURE IN CHRIST:
If you prayed this sinner's prayer (above) asking Jesus
to be the Lord and Savior of your life, the Bible explains
that you belong to Him and that you have been adopted
out of Satan's family into God's family. Welcome to
the family of God!
Understand that as a child of God, you are forever
secure in His family! Just as there is nothing your
own child can do to sever his/her relationship with
you as a son or daughter, so it is with God. Once you
are spiritually "born again" into God's family,
you belong to HIM for
all eternity! Because the penalty of all of your sins--past,
present and future--have been atoned for by the blood
of Christ, you stand righteous in God's eyes--no longer
standing in your unworthy rages of pride, but standing
pure and blameless, covered in the priceless blood of
Christ. His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you and
you begin a new life as He transforms your heart from
the inside out. Indeed, this is what Eternal Life is
all about! Now that you have it, you have it for eternity!
- John 5:24: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he
who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has
eternal life, and does not come into judgment,
but has passed out of death
into life."
- John 6:47: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he
who believes has eternal life."
- Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus."
- Romans 8:8-9: "and those who are in the flesh
cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh
but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. But
if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he does not belong to Him."
- Romans 8:14: "For all who
are being led by the Spirit of God,
these are sons of God."
- 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man is
in Christ, He is a new creature,
old things are passed away; behold all things are
become new."
For more information see:
 I PRAYED TO RECEIVE JESUS. WHAT NOW? — Should I Join a Church? If So, How Do I Find a Good Church? How Do I Know God’s Will and Avoid Satan’s Deceptions?
SHOULD WE PRAY TO JESUS? - If so, why Does Jesus Teach us to Pray to the Father? (www.4jehovah.org)
WHO AM I? …ACCORDING TO GOD - Your behavior is motivated by what you believe. Discover who you are in Christ so that your behavior will begin to reflect your new identity and you will learn how to live the victorious Christian life.
OUT OF THE WATCHTOWER INTO WHAT? - Where do you go after you leave Jehovah's Witnesses? Do Christian Churches have the Truth? (www.4jehovah.org)
AFTER MORMONISM WHAT? — What does an LDS person do when he or she breaks free from Mormonism? (www.4mormon.org)
MY DEFENSE BEFORE GOD (www.4jehovah.org)
HOW CAN I HAVE JEHOVAH'S APPROVAL UPON MY LIFE? (www.4jehovah.org)
ARE YOU PREPARED TO MEET GOD? - A simple Test for the Honest Latter-day Saint (www.4mormon.org)
IS WATER BAPTISM ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION?
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