Why do I need to be saved?
God leaves no doubt about our condition. We set our standards of right and wrong by society’s values. God’s standard for us is His own holiness. How do we measure up? “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It’s only fair that God demands holiness; that’s 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 6:23). 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. But 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 infinitely. His love provides a way for us to be saved from this punishment. How is this possible? Another was willing to suffer what we deserve. Our substitute had to be a sinless man, able to suffer the infinite anger of God against our sin. The only one able to take our place was God’s only 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, Jesus Christ lived with His creation. Unwilling to sin Himself, yet He showed compassion to sinners all around Him. However, men hated Him because His holiness revealed their sinfulness. 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 infinite punishment we deserve for our sin. The darkness was broken when Jesus Christ called out with a loud voice “It is finished”. He had accomplished the might work, God’s great plan of salvation.
After three days in death, Christ Jesus rose from the dead. This is evidence to all that saw him afterwards 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). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
There is only one way to escape hell! Believe upon Jesus. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and to cover your sins with His blood. You will not perish but will have everlasting life with Jesus in Heaven. Click here to pray the sinners prayer and escape Hell.
The following are some chapters that clearly explain our need and God’s plan of salvation. [John 3] [Romans 3][Romans 6][Matthew 7][John 1][John 4][John 5][John 6][John 10][John 14][Luke 15]
These chapters describe the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. [Matthew 27-28][Mark 15-16][Luke 22, 23, 24][John 18, 19, 20, 21]
How To Begin…
A Personal Relationship With Jesus Christ
1. God Loves You
God loves everyone and he desires us to have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And, John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I(Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
2. You Are A Sinner In Need Of Forgiveness
You have sinned by choosing to go your own way instead of God’s way. Through His Holy Spirit, God wants you to know that you are separated from God and will face His judgment. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,”. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And, Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
3. God Wants To Forgive You
God demonstrated His love for you by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus took your judgment and made it possible for you to be forgiven. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And, 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
4. You Must Turn Away From Your Sins
You cannot save yourself or earn God’s forgiveness as a result of being good enough. Just as you change directions when you realize you’re walking the wrong way, you must repent, or turn away, from your sins. Luke 13:5 says, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” And, Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: — Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. You Must Place Your Faith In God’s Son, Jesus Christ
When you realize you are walking in the wrong direction, you turn to find the right way. Jesus is the right way. As you turn away from your sins, place your faith in Jesus to receive forgiveness and eternal life. Acts 20:21 says, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” And, John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
6. You Receive Jesus Christ Through Prayer
Because Jesus is alive, He stands ready to come into your life. Revelations 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Through prayer you can:
– Admit to God that you are a sinner and that you are turning away from your sins;
– Believe in Jesus by thanking Him for dying on the cross and rising from the dead for your sins;
– Commit your life to Jesus by asking Him to come into your life as your Saviour and Lord. Click here to pray the sinners prayer and escape Hell.