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The ABC's of Salvation
Admit.......Believe.......confess
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THE DOORWAY TO ETERNAL LIFE
● Admit – First, we must admit our sin and recognize our personal need for a Savior. Admission of sin must accompany repentance (turning away from our life of sin and toward God). True repentance is present when a person becomes truly sorrowful over his/her sins and in humility changes the course of their life direction toward God’s ways. “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) Everyone has sinned; we are all in the same boat. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) We have all sinned; as sinners, we are all damned to eternal separation from God in Hell. We cannot come to God by our own strength or means. This is bad news, because if God's standard is perfection (no sin), then we are without hope. However, God had mercy upon us, and made a Way for us. We have been offered an escape from our coming damnation through the gift of eternal life, via the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This gift is free through humble repentance. We don’t deserve it, and there is nothing we could ever do or accomplish to earn it; in fact, it is an insult to God if we try to earn His favor or grace through our own good deeds/good works instead of simply accepting His free, perfect gift of salvation (the only way to get right with God). Why? Because it is all about Him, and not about us or anything good we could ever do. This is why we must lose our pride, and in complete humility accept His Proposal for payment of our Debt.
• Believe – We must believe in Jesus and put our trust in Him as our only hope of salvation. “…believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (see Acts 16:31). This isn’t merely head knowledge…this is a heart-belief, transforming our life, which results in leaving the path of our own selfishness and instead embarking upon the path of God’s truth.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
So what, exactly, are we supposed to believe?
“…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8) Although originally none of us loved God, He nevertheless loved us enough to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die a horrific death in our place…even while we were still living in opposition to God as enemies toward Him. Jesus’ death on the Cross became our own death's substitution, the only payment capable of satisfying our Debt and providing us an entrance into Heaven. Since He had never sinned or opposed God in any way, He was the only One worthy and qualified to die in our place. This provides a glimpse into the indescribable nature of God’s True Love for us. There has never been a more selfless act of true love in history. “Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Regarding all other world religions, it’s interesting to note that A) some form of good works/earning of favor is required in order to achieve reward/good favor in the afterlife, and B) Jesus Christ is seen as less than God (i.e., a prophet, a great teacher, etc.). However, the Bible states the following facts: a) Jesus Christ is God (stated in both the Old and New Testaments – see Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 23:5-6, John 1:1-18, Hebrews 1:1-13, Revelation 1:12-18, to name a few), and b) That He came to earth as God in human form (see John 1:14). Therefore, the full Deity of Jesus Christ (as equal with God/God in human form) must be recognized; this is why there is no way to reach God except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; see also 1 Timothy 2:5), Who came to earth to redeem mankind as God in human form. NOTE: The reason God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) are differentiated is to showcase their different roles, even though God is one Being (yet revealed in plural form/roles – see John 10:27-30). When Jesus came down to earth as God in human form, He took the role of Servant and submitted Himself to God the Father, in order to show us the perfect example of submission to God (even though as God, He was nonetheless equal with God the Father at all times – see Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 1:5-12, etc.).
● Confess – Verbally affirm our allegiance and life to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
In humble repentance, we must openly declare Jesus as LORD and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead after He died on the cross. This is how our Debt was paid, once and for all.“For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:13)
So when we follow Romans 10:9-10, in accordance with the basic principles of the A-B-C’s of salvation (as listed above), we are given a new identity as a child of God, along with His Holy Spirit Who now lives inside us as our Guide, effective immediately. Permanently. The difference between eternal separation from God in Hell vs. an everlasting, perfect union with Him in Heaven following this life on earth. * * * * * * *
So…where to begin? Simply activate Romans 10:9-10 (see Believe section, above). Many people do so with a simple prayer. In your own words (or using this sample prayer) you could pray something like this: “God, I admit that I’m a sinner, and I cannot live up to Your standard of goodness. I need You to forgive my sin-Debt. I believe that You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to live the perfect life that I couldn’t, and that He became the sacrifice for my sins when He died on the cross; I also believe that You raised Him fully alive from the grave, and He is therefore my only hope of being freed from my Debt, since He died in my place. I fully accept Jesus as my Savior, and choose to follow Him as the new leader of my life. Amen.”
What next? Now that you are a child of God, it is important to guard your new identity from temptation and to grow in your faith. First, get a Bible and begin reading a little bit each day. The Holy Spirit of God who now lives within you will help you understand what you are reading and guide you in practicing your faith. When you read, pray for God to give you wisdom in understanding His Word. He promises to give you wisdom if you simply believe it when you ask (see James 1:5-8). Second, start attending a local church regularly. Meet other believers, and join a Bible study/small group if possible. It is amazing how much dedicated believers encourage and sharpen each other in following God’s Word (the Bible). They will also be able to explain different aspects of our faith, and answer many of the questions you will have. Finally, share your new faith and hope with others who may not yet believe. You may be the only believer certain people in your life will ever know, and they need their Debts forgiven also. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to explain things or if you find it difficult to answer certain questions. The Holy Spirit living within you will give you the right words to say at the right time. After all, it is God Himself who will ultimately pursue their hearts.