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What is salvation?

What is the Christian doctrine of salvation? Salvation is deliverance from danger or suffering. To save is to deliver or protect. The word carries the idea of victory, health, or preservation. Sometimes, the Bible uses the words saved or salvation to refer to temporal, physical deliverance, such as Paul’s deliverance from prison (Philippians 1:19).

More often, the word “salvation” concerns an eternal, spiritual deliverance. When Paul told the Philippian jailer what he must do to be saved, he was referring to the jailer’s eternal destiny (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus equated being saved with entering the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24-25).

What are we saved from? In the Christian doctrine of salvation, we are saved from “wrath,” that is, from God’s judgment of sin (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). Our sin has separated us from God, and the consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Biblical salvation refers to our deliverance from the consequence of sin and therefore involves the removal of sin.

Who does the saving? Only God can remove sin and deliver us from sin’s penalty (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5).

How does God save? In the Christian doctrine of salvation, God has rescued us through Christ (John 3:17). Specifically, it was Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that achieved our salvation (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 1:7). Scripture is clear that salvation is the gracious, undeserved gift of God (Ephesians 2:5, 8) and is only available through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

How do we receive salvation? We are saved by faith. First, we must hear the gospel (listen to the entire Gospel of John) —the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ephesians 1:13). Then, we must believe—fully trust the Lord Jesus (Romans 1:16). This involves repentance, a changing of mind about sin and Christ (Acts 3:19), and calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

A definition of the Christian doctrine of salvation would be “The deliverance, by the grace of God, from eternal punishment for sin which is granted to those who accept by faith God’s conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus.” Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is dependent on God alone for provision, assurance, and security.

How to be saved

1. Ask God to forgive you of your sins.  Be honest and specific with God as you ask for forgiveness, after all He already knows everything about you and what you have and haven't done.  So, humble yourself before Him and ask Him to forgive you.

2. Next, ask the Lord to become the Lord of your life.  That means, you give up control over your life, and turn yourself over to Him and begin following Him. 

3. Now, the Bible tells us to "confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Prayer of Salvation

Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner.  I am sorry for my sins. I believe that Your Son, Jesus, died on the cross to take away my sins and I also believe that He rose again from the dead so that I might be justified and made righteous through faith in Him.  Right now, I repent and turn away from everything that You and the Bible call sin.  I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be my Savior and Lord of my life.  Jesus, I choose to follow You and obey Your Word.  Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit.  I declare that I am now a born-again child of God.  I am free from sin, and full of the righteousness of God. I am saved in Jesus' name.  Thank you. "Amen"

4. Thank Him for forgiving you and saving you from eminent eternal damnation.

5. Now, it's very important that you tell someone about your decision, (Revelation 12:11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.  You can let us know as we would love to celebrate with you and to let you know what your next steps are.  You can let us know by emailing us your "testimony."

6. As you are able, you want to be water baptized.  "Baptisma" (Greek): Dip, immerse, the focus is on the result of the act rather than the act itself.  In Christian water baptism, the emphasis is on the baptized person’s identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection (Revelation 19:13).  Water baptism is an exciting prophetic declaration that we are making to the kingdom of darkness.  We are declaring that Satan’s power over us is no longer legal because we are coming out of sin and entering into the promise land of righteousness.  Contrary to some teaching, water baptism is not necessary for salvation but is done because of salvation.

7. You need to find a Spirit Filled Bible believing church and request a mentor who will teach you what you need to know.

God Bless!!!

Your Next Step

So you prayed the prayer above deciding to follow Jesus but you have baggage from the past and doubts about the future. How do you cope? The answer lies in knowing the truth about Jesus and about yourself. The New Believer's Guide is designed to show you just how much Jesus has saved you and how to walk in His new life--a life of faith and freedom. It's 30 lessons, each with a short video, Bible teaching, thought question, and application for everyday life.

You can go at your own speed. Take your time, answer all the questions and use these lessons as an opportunity to focus on your relationship with God.

If you're still checking things out check out these resources:

God has a great life for you. You can be sure of that because of what He says in Jeremiah 29:11 -- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

So how do you find this life? The answer lies in relationships -- relationships with God and with people. You are not meant to go through this life alone!

We want to help you grow and have a fulfilling life. You can find people to pray with you here, caring Christians to help you with your problems, and practical steps to help you deepen your relationship with God and with others.

Please explore this site - God's Life For You; it was created to help improve your life! We would love to help you with anything you need. Just click Connect at any time to be connected with a caring Christian. And if you’re looking for a quick, easy way to jumpstart your relationship with God, click look to Jesus!

If you are a woman check out this site designed specifically for WOMEN: Jesus for Women

(Note: For MAC users download Firefox browser to listen to the above audio; iPad2's use Skyfire VideoQ)