Next Steps: Salvation

Until you have been saved by Jesus, you’re the walking dead. Trapped in your sins. Spiritually unconscious. Separated from God. 

Jesus came to earth, died on a cross, and was raised to life to rescue you from sin, make you alive, and bring you into eternal relationship with God. Salvation is not only a matter of life after death, but also the way to live an abundant life on earth with Jesus, here and now.

Simply put, Jesus is salvation, and salvation is life (1 John 5:12).  When you are saved, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in you!

Depending on your family background or religious tradition, you may have heard a variety of ideas about salvation.

Perhaps you think it’s what happens when you walk an aisle, pray a prayer or get baptized. Maybe you believe salvation is only for "good people,” or that salvation is something you have to earn with good works or something you can lose if you do bad things.

You don’t have to wonder or doubt. Jesus wants you to know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13). That’s why the Bible — God’s Word to us — is clear about every aspect of salvation:

How Are You Saved?

Jesus saves you when you repent and trust in Jesus' forgiveness for your sins. Your salvation is God's gift to you. It is not earned by anything you do. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Prayer is a way to communicate our belief to God.

Who Can Be Saved?

Salvation is for all people. No one’s sin is greater than God’s grace. Jesus’ desire is for everyone to be saved. (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16).

When is a Person Saved?

God loved us so much that He sent His one and only son into the world so that when we believe, we are given eternal life. We are saved when we believe and receive the truth of the Gospel. You don’t need to be able to remember the time or place of that decision to know you’re saved.

How Do We Know We're Saved?

The evidence of our salvation is what’s happening in us now. Jesus gives every believer the Holy Spirit, which gives us a desire to live for God and the ability to hear, recognize and respond to God’s voice.

To love God, to want to trust and follow Him, to enjoy His presence, to hear God’s voice in Scripture, and to feel conviction of sin and the need for repentance are all common experiences of those who are saved (John 10:3-5).

Do You Want To Be Saved?

Perhaps you’ve felt unworthy of salvation because of your past. Perhaps you’ve thought good works and keeping rules saved you. Maybe you thought you were saved because you were baptized or prayed a prayer, without experiencing a change of heart.

The good news is that Jesus is calling you to trust and believe that he has done all the work. Jesus' death, burial and resurrection means we are forgiven and set free to live an abundant life with God here on earth and in eternity.

If you are ready to believe and receive God's gift of salvation, simply talk to God and commit your life Him:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I’ve fallen short. I’ve sinned and need your forgiveness. I believe that You lived, died and rose again so that I could be connected to God. I confess you as my Lord and commit my life to You. I give you my past, present and future. Take my life and use it. I give it to You. Amen."

If you prayed to meet Jesus, please let us know! If you have any questions, we want to help you take a next step. Stop by Connecting Point this Sunday