The Plan of Salvation
The most important question anybody could ever ask you is “Are you 100% certain when you die, you will go to Heaven?” The most amazing thing is that most people will answer that question with a “yes” because they believe that they are not as bad as most people. The problem is, we are not judged by the standard of “most people,” but by the standards of a Holy God.
1) Understand you are a sinner and separated from God.
We all have one big problem that separates us from spending eternity with God and that is SIN. Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Personalize that verse and put your name in that verse instead of the word “all,” because it was written for you.
If you are not sure that you have a sin problem, ask yourself the following questions.
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Have you ever used God’s name in vain? (as a swear word or maybe just by saying “Oh my God” or referring to Him as “the man upstairs”…) If yes, then you have violated the 3rd Commandment.
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Have you ever lied? If you answered “No” then you just lied again. You have violated the 9th Commandment.
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Have you ever stolen anything, big or small? If so, you have violated the 8th Commandment.
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Have you ever committed adultery (or lusted after someone - Matthew 5:27-28). If so, you have violated the 7th Commandment.
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Have you ever murdered someone? You may think this is an easy one to say “no” to, but look at what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22.
We just looked at a few of the 10 Commandments and how do you think you did? Well the Bible also says in James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
2) Recognize God's great love for us.
God did not leave us separated from Him. He loves us so much that He made a way for us to spend eternity with Him.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” That is something we have earned and it is not only physical death, but more importantly spiritual death. But look what Paul continues with “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wow, that is amazing. It is a free “gift” from God to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
So what do you have to do to receive this “free gift”? How can you make yourself worthy enough to receive it? The bad news is, you can’t. The Bible says in Romans 3:10, “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” Thank God again, because look what He did for you. Romans 5:8 says, “ But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Now that is true love, because the Bible also says in Hebrews 9:22, “….without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
3) What must we do to be saved?
We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ only for our Salvation. The Bible says in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
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Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me."
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In John 1:12 it says, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
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Romans 10:9 says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Finally, you must recognize it has nothing to do with your “good works”, it is what He did for you. When Jesus said, “It is finished” on the cross, He meant what He said. The sin penalty was paid for those who would believe in Him. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
4) Will I accept this free gift from God?
We may call it a free gift, but it came at a huge cost. God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for your sins (John 3:16). What will you do with it? With a loving heart I beg you not to delay, but to accept Him today as your Savior.
Here is how you can do that:
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Admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior.
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Repent (turn away) from your sins and ask God to forgive you.
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Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for you on that cross and rose again on the third from the grave.
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Prayerfully invite Jesus Christ to come into your life as Lord and Savior. Repeating my words does not mean a thing. You need to spend time with God and do this part on your own. However, here is a sample prayer to get you started:
Dear God, I know I have sinned against You and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I want to turn from my sins and invite You to come into my Heart. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior for the rest of my life.
