Salvation Message

If you clicked the link to get to this page, it may be because you’re not sure of salvation and have some troubling questions about where you will be in eternity. Well, before I address the way to be saved and the way for you to be assured of a home in heaven, let me first point out a certain principle which the Lord Jesus used to illustrate a spiritual truth.

In Matthew 9:12 He said: "They that are whole (well) need not a physician." The ones to whom Jesus spoke these words were self-righteous religious people who did not see themselves as sinners in need of a Saviour. They thought because they were religious and moral that they were better than others and had no need as others.

Now let’s look at what the Scriptures say and see if you have a spiritual need. Just as no one will go to a doctor when he is well, people won’t come to the Lord Jesus because they fail to see the sin-sick condition they are really in. Notice the Bible says that we are all sinners and that there’s absolutely nothing we can do to earn salvation. It doesn’t matter how many good works we might do, how sincere we might be, or even what religious affiliation we might have. The Bible says:

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6)

The Bible also says that God must punish sin and that the penalty for sin is death:

"For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)

"... the soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4)

Notice death means separation and the Bible mentions two kinds of death. First, there is physical death when the soul and the spirit leave the body. And everyone of us is going to experience physical death because we all sinned when Adam sinned, being in his loins, and the penalty for sin is exacted from each of us. Romans 5:12 says:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned."

The Bible mentions a second kind of death and that is spiritual. This means for a sinner to be separated from God, who is holy, for all eternity. Notice what Revelations 21:8 says:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

At this point you should be able to see that you definitely need a Saviour if you are not already saved, because we all stand condemned as sinners with no way to atone for our sins. Here's what is so wonderful about the gospel message. The word gospel means "good news" and so it is. The Bible says that God loved us in spite of our sins and showed that love in giving His Son to die for our sins. Notice what Romans 5:8 and John 3:16 say:

"But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

"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."

The song-writer expressed this wonderful truth when he wrote Love Found A Way:

Wonderful love that rescued me, sunk deep in sin
Guilty and vile as I could be, no hope within
When every ray of light had fled, O glorious day
Raising my soul from out the dead, love found a way
Love found a way to redeem my soul
Love found a way that could make me whole
Love sent my Lord to the cross of shame
Love found a way - O praise His holy name.

- Avis B. Christiansen

Now the Bible says that the Lord Jesus came, died on the cross, and shed His precious blood to pay our sin debt. Peter said:

"Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree..." (I Peter 2:4)

Notice now as a result of Christ's death for sinners, there is only one sin which will send a person to hell and that is the sin of unbelief or failure to believe in the Lord Jesus and trust in His atoning work. There's no other means of atonement:

"...without shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22)

This means also, there is only one way to be saved and that is to believe in the Lord Jesus and receive Him as your personal Saviour. The question then is not what you've done wrong or how much wrong you've done, it is a question of what will you do with Jesus Christ. This question confronted Pilate, the governor of Judaea, and it confronts every other person as well. Now some imagine to miss heaven is a matter of going out and committing some terrible act of sin such as murder or fornication, but the Bible says, if you have never received Jesus Christ you already stand condemned. Notice what John 3:18 and John 3:36 say:

"he that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

"he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

This means to believe on the Lord Jesus is the way to have eternal life and failure to believe on Him will mean eternal death in a place called hell. Notice the Bible says:

"he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)

"...for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24)

Now the way to be saved and assured of heaven is to come to repentance as a sinner or have a change of heart and mind about your sinful condition and desire forgiveness that comes from receiving Christ. Luke 13:3 says:

"but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

This is God's stated will for all sinners. II Peter 3:9 says:

"The Lord... is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

"... but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30)

Then, there's the matter of believing in the atoning work of Christ and receiving Him as your personal Saviour. Notice also that faith and repentance are inseparable. Until a person sees his sinful condition and has a change of heart, he will have nothing to do with the Lord Jesus. But for those who are convicted, have a change of heart and receive Christ, they will be saved and taken into God's family as His children. John 1:12 says:

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power (privilege) to become the children of God, even to them who believe on His name."

Now if you have never come to repentance as a sinner and called upon the Lord Jesus in faith, I hope you will settle this most important matter right now. The Bible says:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9,10)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

If you want to go to heaven you've got to be saved and there's only one Saviour and only one way to be saved. The Bible says:

"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be 'saved'." (Acts 4:12)

I trust if you're not saved, you'll receive Christ right now. And then I trust you'll write me and share this great news with me. God bless you to believe this truth and be saved and I hope I'll see you in heaven someday.

When you have made this all important decision, then find yourself a local church that preaches and teaches the five S's of the Scriptures:

  1. Sin
  2. Salvation
  3. Separation
  4. Soul-Winning
  5. Second Coming - meaning the rapture of the church before the revelation of Jesus Christ.