Salvation
One of the clearest explanations of salvation in the Bible is in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He wrote:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)
You see, we come to Jesus empty-handed. We can’t say, “Look at all the great things I’ve done,” or “I’m cool, so accept me.” Grace means we get what we don’t deserve. Our sins deserve punishment and death, but the grace of God gives us love, forgiveness, and eternal life. And it’s all a gift. We can’t earn it in a million years.
Salvation begins with saying to God, “I’m a sinner. I need your forgiveness.” Most of us don’t have to be convinced we’re sinners. We are aware of that fact every day: we are jealous, we tell lies, we get angry, we gossip. And some of us have bigger sins that need forgiving. As we realize how great Jesus’ love is for us, we can reach out to him. Here’s a prayer somebody might pray. (It’s not the words that matter. It’s the attitude of the heart.)
Lord Jesus, I need You. I am a sinner, and I need You to forgive me. Thank You for loving me and not leaving me on my own. Come into my life as my Savior and Lord, work deep in my heart, and make me the person You want me to be. Help me to always live in a way that brings honor to You. Amen.
If you expressed that desire to God, you can be sure he answered your prayer because he is faithful. At this moment, many new things happened to you:
- All your sins have been forgiven by Christ.
- You now have eternal life.
- You became a child of God.
- Jesus has become your dearest friend.
- The power of the Holy Spirit is available to guide and strengthen you.
Take time to read the Scriptures. Start with the Gospel of John. Pray and pour out your heart to God and trust him with every need you have. Spend time with other Christians to learn more about Christ. When you struggle with sin, turn from that sin and make choices to do what is good, right, and honoring to God.
A great passage of Scripture is in Colossians. Paul said:
“For [Jesus] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)
You and I were citizens of Satan’s kingdom, but Jesus has rescued us and made us citizens of his kingdom. That’s really good news!
