What does it mean to “Be Saved?”
God wants to heal all of you... body, soul and spirit.
That is called Salvation! Being Saved! Being Born Again!
He wants to have a relationship with you, based on mutual love and affection.
Deep down inside we all know that we are sinners and deserve punishment for it. We are guilty before God. And it is that guilt, and the inner knowledge of it, that is the greatest hindrance to believing that God will accept us or forgive us. Guilt is like a cancer eating at our souls. We do whatever we can to be free of it. We deny it. We suppress it. We transfer it to others. We perform religious rites. We pay psychologists and psychiatrists large fees to "help us understand it" and "work it out". But, the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death!” Rom. 6:23 As long as we are guilty of sin, there is no escape.
The knowledge of our guilt makes it impossible to approach God's throne of Grace with confidence. And so, God in His infinite mercy and boundless love has provided a way to eliminate our guilt and save us from the penalty of sin. The good news is that "the gift of God is eternal life". Romans 6:23 That means saving your soul! By eliminating your guilt, God is able to set you free from the inner source of all of your stresses, so that you can be healed: made whole, spiritually, emotionally, and physically from the inside out!
How does God eliminate your guilt? Does He just forgive it and forget it? No. That would not be right! That would not be just! Because God is Holy, He can not allow sin to go unpunished. But, wonder of wonders He has arranged for someone else to take upon Himself the punishment you deserve. "The wages of sin is death".... "But, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.
Sin can not go unpunished. The question is, who takes the punishment. God laid upon Jesus Christ the punishment we all deserve for sin. In a moment of time, on a rough wooden cross, some two thousand years ago God caused the sin of the world (your sin and mine) to be placed on His shoulders. But, because Jesus was sinless and did not deserve the punishment, God did not allow "the wages of sin" to hold Him forever. And, so "God raised Him from the dead." Acts 4:10
Now, here is the great good news! The Gospel of Salvation. God loves you! And believe it or not, God wants to have a close, personal relationship with you, based on mutual love. That’s what the apostle John was referring to when he said, “We love Him (God) because He first loved us.” 1John 4:19 God knows that a relationship of love is built on faith and trust. Guilt ruins relationships. It makes love, trust and faith impossible. You can’t believe God loves you when you are filled with guilt. So, to make that relationship possible, He eliminates your guilt. How? By simply allowing you to believe that your sins are forgiven. Forgiven, NOT because of any good thing you have done but, because, Jesus Christ has taken your punishment. Romans 10:9 says it this way.... "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." You will receive Salvation and all it includes.
Now, if you understand that, and believe that, you can pray to God with faith and confidence. This confidence is not a self-confidence, which can so often fail us. But, a confidence in the work of Jesus Christ, accomplished on our behalf, when He died for us on the cross. You can know (with certainty) that God loves you! After all, He gave His Son to die in your place. "For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16 What more proof of His love could you want? And, if you know and believe that God loves you, then you can "Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:16.
Pray like this...
Father in Heaven, I am a sinner.
I am sorry for my sins and I want to change my ways.
I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins.
I know He loves me and gave His life for me.
So, I confess Him as Lord and Master of my life.
Father, I thank you, that because I believe that Christ took my punishment and I have made Him the Lord of my life, my sins are forgiven. I ask that you teach me by your Holy Spirit, how to live my life for your pleasure and Glory. Amen.
Now, if you prayed that prayer and truly believe in your heart that Jesus took your punishment and died on the Cross for you, Rejoice! Your sins are forgiven and you have received salvation and eternal life in Christ.
