What do you mean SAVED

 

What do you need to be Saved ?

 

God leaves no doubt about our condition. While we set our standards of right and wrong by society's values, God’s standard is His own holiness. How do we measure up? "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). It is only fair that God demands holiness; that is how He first created mankind. We have rebelled against Him as a race and as individuals.

Our pathway away from God has brought its consequences. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). The Bible compares sin to a cruel slave master. There is no mercy in suffering, no freedom from bondage, no lasting joy, no hope for the future. Most frightening is the final consequence of sin. The Bible warns that without God’s salvation, death is the doorway to eternal punishment (Hebrews 9:27).

It is from this that we need to be saved. From our own sin. From its bondage. From its consequences. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3).

 

 How does God say I can be saved?

 

God is holy and God is love. His holiness demands that our sin be punished in full. His love provides a way for us to be saved from this punishment. How is this possible? Someone was willing to suffer what we deserve. Our substitute had to be a sinless man, able to suffer the full wrath of God against our sin. The only one able to take our place was God’s Son.

The greatest display of God’s love unfolded as His Son left heaven to become a man. Born of a virgin 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ lived with His creation. He was unable to sin, yet He showed compassion to sinners all around Him. Men hated Christ because His holiness exposed their sinfulness. They decided to remove Him by crucifying Him. He willingly allowed them to nail Him to a cross of wood outside Jerusalem. They suspended Him so they could sit and watch Him die. The climax of God’s plan of salvation had arrived as God covered the earth with darkness. The Bible tells us that for three hours He laid on His Son the full punishment we deserve to receive for our sin. The darkness was broken when Jesus Christ called out with a loud voice, "It is finished". He had accomplished the mighty work, God’s great plan of salvation.

After three days in death, Christ Jesus rose from the dead. This is evidence to all who saw Him and to all who read God’s word that Christ’s suffering completely satisfied His father. He was victorious over death itself – the ultimate consequence of our sin.

God’s plan of salvation brings us into the good of Christ’s suffering, death, and victory. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

 

John 3
 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
5Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again.' 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
10Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.[1] 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[2] have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

 

The Plan of Salvation

How would you like to know God personally? You can. The fact is, God is so eager to establish a personal, loving relationship with you that He has already arranged for it to be possible. Now, He is waiting for you to respond to His invitation. You can receive His forgiveness for your sins and through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, receive assurance of eternal life.

There is a barrier that prevents us from knowing God personally, though. That barrier is ignorance of who God is and what He has done for us. The following principles will help you discover how to know God personally and experience the abundant life He has promised. Read on to discover for yourself the joyful reality of knowing God personally. If you have a Bible, you may want to look up suggested verses.

Man Is Sinful

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Although we were created to have fellowship with God, we chose to be independent and go our own way. Our stubborn self-will broke the fellowship with God we were created to have. This self-will characterizes itself in two distinct forms: active rebellion and passive indifference. Both of these are attitudes, and the Bible calls these attitudes "sin."

Man Is Separated

"The wages of sin is death [spiritual separation from God]." Romans 6:23

God is holy and we are sinful. It is simply the truth. A great gulf separates us from Him. We can try to live a good life; we can try to be religious; we can attempt to unlock the truths of life through philosophy. Yet no matter what we do through our efforts to reach God, we inevitably fail. The fact is, we can do nothing to overcome the gulf between God and us.

God's Plan

"God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

But there is a way. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love. How? Jesus Christ died in our place and rose from the dead. Through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, He made it possible for us to know God and to experience His love.

Jesus Is the Only Way

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'" John 14:6

God bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. It is important to know these truths, but even still just knowledge of the facts is not enough. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.

When we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, we experience new birth. Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self. This is also called "repentance." We must trust Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.

What Happens When Someone Prays to Receive Christ?

If you have prayed to receive Christ, you have received the greatest gift there is to offer:

 If You Have Prayed to Receive Christ...

 

Congratulations! You are firmly secured in God's loving arms. That means today, tomorrow and forever. You can be assured that when this life is over your place will be with your Father in Heaven. He loves you and can't wait to show you. Hold tight to Him as He reveals His plan and purpose for your life.

Tell someone about your faith. Eventually, you may need to share your newfound faith with someone who does not know Jesus, but it is a good idea to first tell someone that does. Another good idea would be to get involved in a local church. The support you receive will help you in your walk with Christ.

Now it is time to grow. Like all other of God's creations, we are to grow both physically and spiritually. Spiritual growth takes a lifetime, but here are some practical things that we can do to grow in Christ forever:

Pray Daily - The way to really get to know someone is to talk with them often. God is no different. You must talk with Him:
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you." John 15:7

Read the Bible Daily - If you do not have a Bible, you can find one at any church, bookstore, or library. One way that God talks to His children is through the scriptures. You may want to begin reading His Word in the book of John. This is a good introduction to the Bible.

Trust God - God will help you live for Him everyday. You can not change automatically. Only God can change you over time if you allow Him to. Faith in Him brings about the necessary changes in your life.

Still Unsure? Think About This

 

It is okay to be unsure. If you have never been faced with the prospect of knowing God through a relationship with Him, the thought can be a little strange, even scary. But there is nothing strange or scary about a God who loves you and wants the best for you.

While it is okay to be unsure, it is not okay to pass from this life into the next without having known Him as your Savior. The Bible is clear about what is in store for those who reject Christ as Savior and Lord. The existence of hell is not merely a threat, but instead a reality. God does not want to ruin your life, but instead He wants to show you what living is all about. Please explore further the possibilities of a life in Christ. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

How will you respond to Him today?

 

A Salvation Prayer

GOD, I ask that you forgive me of my sin. I start today a new life with you. Please help me with my life, guide me, don’t leave decisions up to me, but guide me on my path. Create in me a clean heart LORD, put your words in my mouth and brand your ways into my heart, make me a slave to righteousness. I turn my life over to you, my life is controlled by you now. Do with me what you will. Teach me your ways so that when sinners see me, questions will come upon them, I will be able to teach them of you, and they will be converted to you. I accept what my brother did for me on the cross as fact and that by the Blood and Grace of JESUS I am saved. 

In your Son and my Brother JESUS Name, Amen

Now it’s time to get Baptised, an openly expression of Love for GOD and a showing that you are ready to follow his teaching.

Mark 16
16   He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

That’s it, that is all there is to it. Welcome!

Matthew 11
29   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.