After listening to a hard Sunday sermon about repentance, we may go home and question our salvation — even Google it, maybe. We may even find ourselves repeating under our breath the salvation prayer as the preacher prayed for the people during the altar call.
What is Salvation?
The term salvation is widely used in church and can sound odd to one who didn’t grow up in one. The dictionary’s definition of salvation is “deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.”
When we talk about the Bible’s definition of salvation, it refers to being saved by God from what we deserve because of the consequences of our sins.
Let me start by explaining who we are as humans. We all have a natural sinful nature that inclines us to “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires.” (Colossians 3:5) Those are just fancy words for regular things we do daily like watching a movie with explicit sex scenes, thinking lustful thoughts about someone, desiring evil towards someone, etc.
When our mind isn’t occupied, our desires are to do evil. If not us, we can read news headlines and see how cruel sin has taken root in some individuals.
With our own desires, works and strength we put ourselves on a path of condemnation. We can try to do good by not breaking the rules and living ethically every day, but it’s impossible to be perfect. Thankfully, God knows His creation and doesn’t require us to meet expectations that are impossible. That’s why He doesn’t promise salvation because of our good works.
We are saved by grace, through Jesus Christ
Instead, we obtain salvation through grace.
“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.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
God knows someone who is perfect — that’s Jesus Christ. God sent His son Jesus to live and meet the expectations we couldn’t.
John 3:16 summarizes salvation for us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice to cover our sins. When we study the Old Testament we can see the significance of having blood sacrifices to cover our sins.
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”
Leviticus 17:11
After Jesus gave His own life as a sacrifice, His blood became the atonement for our sins forever, and we no longer have to do daily blood sacrifices.
His sacrifice was significant because He was and is God. After he was crucified on the cross, Jesus Christ defeated death and resurrected on the third day.
“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades,” says in Revelations 1:18.
When we confess and believe, then we are saved.
“When you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, you are saved.”
Romans 10:9
God’s word assures us that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
John 14:6 says ”Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
Acts 16: 30-31 also confirms what it means to be saved:
“He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’”
We are saved from condemnation
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God,” says John 3:18.
We are saved from going to the place we are destined to go to, which is eternal Hell. The consequences of living in eternal punishment consist of being thrown into a lake of fire, according to Revelation 20:15:
“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Our sinful nature is the one that puts us there.
When we choose to accept that Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice, then we are saying Jesus Christ is my Lord. He is enough, the be-all-end-all, and because of his sacrifice we no longer have to face our eternal punishment.
Additionally, we are admitting that ‘yes’ we are sinners.
Mark 7:20-23 says “He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
We aren’t perfect but that’s okay because our Lord Jesus Christ is. Therefore we choose to confess that Jesus Christ, the son of God, is our savior and He is the only way we can get forgiveness for our sins.
What we are saved to
With that truth, we can live in freedom here on Earth. Freedom from the bondage of sin. We can rest knowing we’re heading to Heaven after we die, into eternal glory.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1
Salvation guarantees us victory through Jesus. Despite the troubles and challenges we face daily, we can live in peace knowing that Jesus fights our battles.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
As you can tell by those verses, God does not promise a problem-free life but a guilt-free life, peace that surpasses understanding, a victorious ending and so much more.
The Lord calls his children blessed in James 1:12,
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
Having Jesus by our side means we can give Him all of our burdens. We don’t have to live in our past or as victims of someone else’s sin. We don’t have to live by our feelings any longer, instead, our identity is in Christ.
1 John 3:20 says “For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
Jesus Christ also promised us to come back and take us with him to a place He has prepared for us!
John 14:3 says “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
What’s the Salvation Prayer?
Here’s the first step you can take to accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior:
“Lord Jesus, Son of God, I confess that I’m a sinner and need your forgiveness. I invite you into my life; I accept that you are Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. You died for my sins and resurrected on the third day. Because of that, today I am made new. I know in my heart that you are alive and your Spirit now lives in me. I ask you to write my name in the book of life and help me live a holy and abundant life. In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Salvation is a lifestyle
Once we are saved, we must continue to seek a life of holiness.
The word says “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,” Hebrews 10:26
We seek holiness by reading the word of God and getting to know his character. In the Bible, we can see how previous generations lived, the mistakes they made, and how God redeemed them. With their examples, we can learn to live for God as well.
Salvation requires us to check ourselves daily so that we may not stumble back into sin. We do that by focusing on things of the Spirit.
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”
Romans 8:5
As mentioned, believing in God is the only step that is required to be saved, but it requires a lifetime commitment. It’s as simple as telling someone you love them, and then having your actions follow through.
Living a life of holiness means we are no longer slaves to sin.
Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
It won’t always be easy, but God will always provide a way out.
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
Final thoughts
To summarize everything, we can say that because of our natural sinful nature, we need a savior to save us from the condemnation we deserve. That savior is our Lord Jesus Christ. He promises eternal life to those who believe in Him. Although we must strive to be perfect like Jesus Christ, we can also live confidently knowing that we are saved by grace and if we sin, we have an advocate that will fight for us.