Biblical Salvation

According to the Bible there are basically 5 things to know about beginning and maintaining a relationship with the one true God.

First, Realize that God love you.

One verse that every child learns in Sunday School is John 3:16. It simply says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." You can personalize this verse by inserting your name in place of the words, "the world" and "whoever".

Second, we must accept that we are separated from God by "sin"

Sin is the Bible's word for the wrong things we think, say and do. God is perfectly holy and without sin, so He cannot have andy connection with it. Romans 3:23 states "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

The Good News

God has already done something to remedy this separation problem! In Romans 5:8 it says, "But God demonstrated His own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus took the judgment for all sins, so through Him, we can receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father!

We can never be perfect.

There is no way for us to earn a relationship with God by trying to be good, going to church, working in our community, etc. That is why Romans 6:23 says that "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The key is that the gift must be personally received. John 1:12 states "as many as received him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door (or your heart) and know, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in."

Finally, we have to be ready to turn away from sin.

Turn towards God daily. The Bible word for this is repentace, and while it is true that no one can ever be sinless, God expects us to be willing to let Him change our hearts and give Him control of our lives. His will must become more important than our own. This brings a lot of changes to our lives. We learn to trust God. Reading the Bible, praying, and being around other Christians become vitally important to maintaining our relationship with God and always being assured of a place in heaven forever.

It can all begin with a simple prayer like this:

"God, I know I need You. I'm willing to turn away from sin and give You control over my life. Please come into my heart, forgive me for my sin, and make me You child.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."