Let’s begin at the very beginning and work our way to the present day. This blog will cover the topic of salvation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment and I will reply as soon as possible.
The Trinity
God’s ways are higher than our ways. He always existed and He will exist for eternity. God is a part of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity consists of the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Think of the Trinity as three parts which makes one – much like an egg. An egg has three parts (the shell, the egg white, and the yolk), yet, make up one egg. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three, yet make up one Holy Trinity. We, as humans, are also made up of three parts: Our mind, our body, and our spirit; yet, all of these parts come together to form one human.
God the Creator
God is the Creator of the Universe and the Creator of the Heavens. He has all power, all authority, all wisdom, and He sees all. In the beginning of time, as we know it, God created the Heavens, the Earth, the animals, and many other things – then, He created the first man. In Genesis 1:26-31, the Bible says: “Then God said, “Let us make human beings
in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
Adam & Eve
So, the first man was named Adam, and the first woman was named Eve. They were placed in a beautiful garden; the name of the garden was Eden. God placed them in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to take care of the animals. God was pleased with His creation and said that it was good. God only gave one rule in the beginning, and that rule is found in Genesis 2:16-17: “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Even though they were not to eat of this one tree, they were tempted to do so. A serpent came to Eve and tempted her. From other scriptures (Ezekiel 28:13, Revelation 12:9 and others) we can ascertain that the Satan is taking on the form of a serpent in order to tempt Eve to do wrong. So, she ate from the tree which she was forbidden to eat from and Adam did eat of it, also. This is where disobedience to God, evil deception, and sin entered the picture.
As mankind (male and female) we are ALL born with a sinful nature. This sinful nature is also known as the “Adamic” nature – in reference to Adam’s sin. It is in our sinful nature to lie, to cheat, to steal, and to do wrong. We can even see this sinful nature early in life. For example, take the case of two young siblings; when the older brother won’t share his toys with his baby sister – she might slap at her brother or even try to steal his toys when he’s not looking. If this sinful nature remains, the sins will only continue and worsen. That is why there are teenagers and adults who steal, cheat, lie, and even kill. So, we cannot let this sinful nature (which ALL of us are born with) take over. “For ALL have sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” Romans 3:23.
Jesus Paid the Price
The Bible teaches that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness/remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:22) Therefore, someone or something had to shed its blood and die in order to cleanse from sin. Why? Because, according to God and His standards, sin results in death. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Back in the Old Testament times, thousands of years ago, an innocent animal had to be sacrificed and shed its blood to pay for human sin – but, this was before Jesus came to earth; He is known as the Lamb of God.
You see, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from sin or to earn our own salvation. We are stained with a sinful nature and we are not born innocent of sin. Therefore, since all humans have sinned (except Jesus) and all are born with a sinful/Adamic nature, then we are not worthy or clean enough to meet God’s standards for a suitable sacrifice.
That is why (a little over 2,000 years ago) God sent His only son, Jesus, to leave Heaven to come to Earth. John 3:16-17 states: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world – but, that the world, through Him, might be saved.” The wages of sin is death, but Jesus took all of our sins upon Himself and died in our place. That is why the scripture above says that if we believe in Hi
m, we will not perish/die in our sinful nature. He will grant us eternal life with Him!
In Jesus’ earthly life, He was born, and took on human form. He had many challenges in His life and many sorrows; yet, He NEVER sinned or did wrong. Jesus is the ONLY human who has ever been on earth that has NEVER sinned. Even though He was fully human, He also had a divine nature – not a sinful nature. Therefore, He was the only one worthy of God’s approval. He was the only human innocent of sin. Jesus is also referred to as the “spotless Lamb” – He was perfect and had no stain of sin. That is why God deemed Jesus worthy to pay for the sins of all mankind. That is why Jesus was nailed to a cross made of wood and died for us; He was crucified and died in our place.
Even IF God had required us to pay for our own sins by crucifixion, we are stained and not worthy. But, God has so much mercy and love for us that He sent Jesus to take care of the debt we owed. Jesus died and made us worthy of forgiveness, worthy of God, and worthy of eternal life with Him!
Jesus is Alive Forever
After Jesus died, His body was taken off the cross and placed in an above-ground tomb. A huge boulder/stone was rolled in front of the door to the tomb so that no one would steal or harm His body. Over the next 3 days, when everybody thought Jesus was still dead, He was actually alive. 1st Peter 3:18-19 states, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison.” Jesus went to Hades to preach to those who were imprisoned there (Acts 2:31). You see, since He is a fair and just God, it would not be fair for only some people to receive Jesus’ grace, but for the ones who lived before He came to be forgotten. That is why He also gave the imprisoned ones the opportunity to be set free.
Jesus was also resurrected from the dead just as He said He would be before His crucifixion ever took place. Therefore, since He arose from the dead, He also gives us the hope that we shall rise from death! 1st Corinthians 15:20-23 plainly states: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” There are so many benefits of knowing Christ, but the sweetest of all is just that – knowing Christ.
How Do We Become Saved?
So, how do we become saved? The Bible teaches that we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved from our sins
and saved from Hell (Acts 16:30-31). We must obey Him and His Word (Hebrews 5:6). If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). We must also acknowledge Him. Matthew 10:32-33 says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” Additionally, 1st John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But, to put it plainly, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Pray to Jesus with faith and confess Him as your Lord and Savior. Confess your sins and ask Him to forgive you from unrighteousness. The prayer has to come from your heart of faith and from your own mouth; however, if you need a bit of guidance in getting started, please read the sample prayer below:
“Sinner’s Prayer”
I must be careful and not give in to “sloppy evangelism.” I would be lax in the writing of this blog if I did not mention the importance of praying to God for yourself. Many people pray for another person or lead them in a pre-written “Sinner’s Prayer”. However, this pre-written, canned prayer should be used for example purposes only. The person wanting to be saved must be sorrowful for their sins and feel a drawing to come to God. Heartlessly repeating a prayer does not lead to total conversion… It’s a start, but we must seek God, repent, and be sorrowful for our sins.
Many do not have anyone to lead them in a prayer. Pastor Carter Conlon of Times Square Church once said that when he asked Jesus to save him, he did so in his car by the side of the road. He prayed a prayer that went something like this: “Lord, if what my friend has been telling me about you is right, I wouldn’t mind getting to know you.” That was it. He felt no different that day. However, the next morning when his feet touched the floor, he knew he was a new man. The burden of sin had been lifted and he was free. He continued to mature in the ways of God and is now an anointed Pastor of thousands in New York.
So, be aware that a prayer for salvation MUST be followed up by a willingness to turn away from sin and follow Jesus. Find a good Bible-believing church, make time for prayer and Bible reading, then you will mature in the ways of God. Please visit: www.dailyaudiobible.com for a wonderful way to hear God’s word in 30-minutes-a-day format with a devotional at the conclusion. God’s word will keep you strong.
There Is Rejoicing!
What happens after you become saved? There is REJOICING!! In Luke 15:4-10, Jesus said: “…What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance. Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she loses one piece, does not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.”
Video Link:
“What Is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) – Paul Washer”
Sources:
http://www.dailyaudiobible.com
Revealing Truth Today 
EXCELLENT MARANDA!
Thank you, Bro.Randy.