Did you know that many people say that they are already saved? This is good news. God said that He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9).
But today, let’s look into what it means to be saved biblically.
What Does The Bible Say About Being Saved?
Can you imagine that there are thousands of religions around the world that preach salvation? If all of these religions offer salvation, which one is it? If all of them are correct, then all of us are saved, and so, we don’t need to be confused. The thing is, there is only one way to be saved. And that makes it impossible to know the truth if we only rely on human knowledge.
The Word of God, compiled in one book that we call the Bible, is the only source of truth and absolute authority over all matters in which salvation is paramount. Why? Because all things start with salvation. If our understanding of salvation is not correct, no matter how right we are in all areas, they are all in vain.
Let’s start by knowing 4 important truths.
1. All of us are sinners.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Ecclesiastes 7:23
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6
Everyone has sinned, and no one can claim that they never did something wrong, such as lying, stealing, lusting, and disrespecting God. Moreover, the Bible says that “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:(Romans 5:12). We inherited our sinful nature.
Every good thing that we have done is filthy rags in the sight of God.
2. The penalty of sin is hell.
“For the wages of sin are death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
All sinners will go to hell—that is an absolute.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
3. God gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay for the sins of the world.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
We could never pay for our sins and earn our way to heaven unless we are perfect and without sin, which is impossible based on Romans 3:23. God gave His Son, so we don’t have to do anything, but according to John 3:16, believe that only Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross made it possible for men to be saved.
4. To be saved, trust and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone for your salvation.
“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:30-31
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
If you knew these truths and, by faith, you have trusted Jesus Christ and nothing else for your salvation, then you are biblically saved.
Common Misconceptions About Salvation
Salvation has been a cause of many arguments since many religious theologians tried to define it. In the first half of the 19th century, based on history, there were so many printed books defining and redefining what salvation is. This is where the reformed theology started to pave its way up, and many people, without biblical knowledge, stopped searching for the truth and just relied on many preachers and books to believe what they believed.
The reason for this is that many people took verses from the Bible and used them out of context, or people simply believed what others told them. A lot of people just put their trust in what they read from books, social media, and other sources without validating the facts both biblically and historically. Our Christian faith is not a blind faith—it is based on the truth tested by time.
Here are some common errors in attaining salvation:
- Repent of sins/ turn from sins.
- Accept Jesus into your heart.
- Commit your life to the Lord.
- Surrender your life to the Lord.
- Baptism.
- Good works.
- Being born into a Christian family.
- Being morally upright.
- Discipleship.
- Prayer.
- Faithful attendance in church and ministry.
- Faith is a gift, and God gives it to a person.
These things are not requirements for salvation, but most of them are products of salvation that may or may not be evident in the life of a believer.
I will discuss these errors in the next articles.
God is a loving God, and if He wants everyone to be saved, He won’t give us a tricky way to be saved. In the simplicity of the Gospel, we only need to respond in faith—believe and trust that the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. Salvation is a gift that we need to receive.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
I pray, dear friends, that God will touch your heart and ponder these things in your heart. If you are saved biblically, then know that I am rejoicing with you.
Photo: ctto (unsplash.com)
Leave a Reply