How to Receive Salvation
It is my hope that you have arrived at this article because you are searching to find God, and to know that your relationship with Him is in good standing; in preparation for the day when you shall meet Him face to face. God has revealed Himself in the flesh, through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. This article is not meant for those of you which already have been saved through Christ, but for those reaching out to find the peace of God; which only a relationship in good standing with Him can bring.
There are many who do not believe in the places of Heaven and Hell, but this doesn’t make them any less real. When thinking about the actual possibility of Hell, there isn’t a single person on earth who wouldn’t want to be sure that they don’t end up there!
Some people deny the existence of a literal Hell, because they think that God is too loving. Others don’t understand how a God of love could cast anyone into Hell, and they find Him unfair (in their eyes). While we cannot possibly begin to understand the infinite God of the universe and His ways (Isaiah 55:8,9), we can at least rest assured that God never intended for men to eternally be cast into a “Hell.” In studying the account of creation in Genesis chapters 1 & 2, we find no mention of Hell. This place of eternal punishment was created at a later time for Satan, and the angels which rebelled with him (Matthew 25:41). After the Devil had deceived man into disobeying God, Hell became the eternal destination of men who had also rebelled against God, even as those fallen angels (devils) had. Eventually everyone who dies (physically) in rebellion to God, and Hell itself, will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15).
You have come to this article, I pray, with a desire to set things right with your Creator. In fact, that very Creator has already paid for your redemption through His own blood. His name is Jesus Christ. He made the way for us to come to God the Father through Him, and it is the only way that we can!
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
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12
Seek God in prayer. Be patient and thoughtful before taking this enormous step of faith. The way of salvation is indeed a “light burden”, by which you will find “rest for your souls.”—Matthew 11:28-30. Yet you need to understand the nature of what God has done, that your spiritual house may be built on the proper foundation (Matthew 7:24,25; John 12:48). Please enter into this solemn quest with devotion and single-mindedness; as one seeking the greatest treasure ever known.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:45,46
We need to understand our position with God. Mankind exists in a fallen, sinful nature which is unacceptable to God. In God’s eyes, no one is, or can become “good enough” for eternal life in Heaven; we all deserve condemnation in Hell. The Lord tells us in His Word;
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
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:10-12
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Galatians 3:22
The righteousness and justice of God demands that our sin be atoned for, and that there must be the shedding of blood for the remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). This is why there was originally animal sacrifice. It was imperfect, but the shedding of blood is required by God for sin forgiveness, so He used the animal sacrifice system up until the time of the perfect sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews provides more insight;
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:11-15
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 9:28
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Hebrews 10:4
This work of God is priceless beyond all description. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was offered in our place to redeem (save) us from our sins. It was our punishment that He endured. We find in Isaiah the prophecy of Christ’s atoning work;
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:4-6…10,11
Today, many make a mockery of the cross. Elaborate jeweled crosses adorn homes, and are proudly displayed around the necks of some. We have a hard time grasping what the torturous death of the cross must have been like. Please consider the following very carefully…
Prior to the cross, Jesus was scourged. He was given 39 lashes with a leather whip; these whips were usually embedded with pieces of sharp bone and metal. The flesh was being literally ripped off the back of our Savior! A crown of thorns was made, and jammed forcibly onto His head. Those He came to save mocked Him—they struck Him, spit upon Him, and even ripped parts of His beard from His face. He had been awake all through the night, being moved back and forth between jurisdictions. There is no record of Him being given food or water, and it is extremely unlikely that they did. He was being tried at night, which was illegal under Jewish law at the time.
He was too weak to carry the cross; God’s wrath for our sins was upon Him. The soldiers compelled a man of Cyrene named Simon to bear Jesus’ cross. Jesus may have carried the cross for a short distance; the scriptures given do not rule that out.
Once at the place of execution, rusty spikes were driven in through the carpal bones of the wrist, not the palms. This was to support the weight of the body. At this time in Rome, the wrist as we think of it was designated to be part of the hand. Of course, His feet were nailed, too. The following is a medical view of Christ’s suffering, given by Gerald H. Bradley, M.D. I want to thank Chick Publications for this information, provided in the comic, The Gift.
“This was the most agonizing death man could face…He had to support Himself in order to breathe…the flaming pain caused by the spikes hitting the median nerve in the wrists explodes up His arms, into His brain and down His spine. The spike burning through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet jerks His body erect, then the leg muscles convulse and drive His body downward…beating Him against the cross.”
“Air is sucked in, but cannot be exhaled until the buildup of carbon dioxide in the lungs and blood stream stimulates breathing to relieve the cramps. Exhaustion, shock, dehydration and paralysis destroy the victim. The heart is barely able to pump the thick blood as each of His billions of cells die at one time…finally in death the blood coagulates and separates into serum and clotted blood cells.”
It should be mentioned that Jesus did not die from the usual cause inflicted by crucifixion, which is suffocation. This is why the legs were to be broken (John 19:31-35); to end the life of those being crucified, their legs would be broken, thus taking away the support necessary to breathe.
Jesus died when His heart gave out, His physical death confirmed by the soldier piercing Him with a spear; the separating of blood being the evidence. This was witnessed by numerous others who were present, not just the soldier. By not breaking the legs, and the piercing of Jesus’ side, two more prophecies were fulfilled (Psalm 34:20, Zechariah 12:10). Even in death, Jesus is still God’s Son, and declares, “It is finished.”
Christ’s agonizing death was what each of us deserves for our sins! The Lord Himself paid our debt. He came to earth in the form of a man, and was tempted in all ways as we are—yet without sin (Hebrews 4:14,15). There is no righteousness in sinful man. Our salvation is only possible due to the finished work of Christ on the cross. His resurrection testifies that He is God, and He is perfect. We find in the Bible our need to receive God’s gift, and the impossibility of saving ourselves through our own “good” works.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
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
Many are the places in scripture that we are promised salvation. It is simple, and it is free. Let’s look at some of them now;
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
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9
To believe on Jesus Christ is to believe that He is the Son of God, and in the way of salvation which only He can provide. All of these scriptures speak well in themselves. It is God the Holy Spirit that must do the work in your heart. Yet there is one scripture verse I would like to particularly focus on, found in Acts 2:38—we’ll start with verse 36, and lead into it;
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:36-38
We must repent. This really is reflected by acknowledging the work Christ did on the cross. We become convicted about our sins; we feel guilt, and are sorry. To repent means that we change our minds about sin. Instead of living a life of deliberate sin, we turn away from it; and long to follow Christ in holiness. We come to see our way of living as vile, because of sin. We realize that Christ atoned for us in a way that neither we, nor anyone else could accomplish, and we love Him for this. We are transformed from being a creature who loves sin, into one that loves Christ, and leaves sin behind. “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”—II Timothy 2:19B Scripture testifies continually about this new life in Christ!
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17
If one is truly repentant over sin, they will also make things right with those they have sinned against, as much as possible. Many times apologies are adequate, but sometimes items or services must be restored. Remember, these actions should result from a new life in Christ, after He has redeemed you. See Luke 19:1-10 for an example.
Consider again the terrible price Jesus has paid, that you might not spend eternity in Hell. He will prepare a place for us eternally with the Father, if you will receive the gift that He has for you! You will not be greatly loved on this earth for receiving Christ. Neither are you promised fame, health, or wealth. Yet of what value are these things when compared to eternity?
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:15-21
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. John 12:25
Are you ready to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? If not, pray continually that God will reveal the truth to you, and prepare your heart to receive salvation. Be patient, and wait for God! Once I had discovered what I needed in Christ, I prayed every night for 6 months that God would save me—and He did. Print this article and keep it nearby, until you are prepared.
In showing that we are saved by grace, and not works, Jesus even gives us an example of how to approach God in prayer. If you are ready to proceed, please read this parable as help in preparation. When you are ready to pray, you will of course be using your own words. God even helps you with prayer! And now, the example;
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14
Will you do it? Will you receive the gift which Jesus God’s Son has provided? If so, you will know the peace of God which passes understanding (Philippians 4:7), finally being free from the fear of death (I Corinthians 15:55-57). Please pray through right now, and receive the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:8-10
Break: Time to pray
Praise the Lord, you are saved! Satan will try to lie, and convince you otherwise, but you are saved according to the promises of God in His Word. There are now steps you should take in order to continue growing in the Lord and His service.
1) Study God’s Word. Be diligent to read the Bible everyday. It is best to use the original King James Bible; it’s the only version which hasn’t been tampered with. Start by reading the books of John—Acts—Romans; then back up, and read the entire New Testament from start to finish (Matthew through Revelation). Incorporate Old Testament books; read Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah. Then go back to Genesis, and read straight through. Pray before your daily reading, to gain help in understanding. And be sure that you are alert enough (not asleep) when reading! If you need a King James Bible, and cannot afford one, we will be glad to send one at no charge.
2) Be Baptized. The Lord instructs us to believe and be baptized (Mark 16:16). Jesus did it, showing us how important it is! Baptism is symbolic with Christ’s death and resurrection, comparing to our new life spiritually, after salvation. The main work has already taken place in your heart with repentance, but baptism is a testimony to others of your new life in Christ. You should do this as soon as possible.
3) Find Fellowship. To be encouraged and grow in Christ, you will need to find other members of the body of Christ. Perhaps you already have an acquaintance or family member that can help. Try to find a church where the Bible is continually looked to for direction. It is almost impossible to find a King James Bible church, but if one is available, focus on it.
As important as it is to find good fellowship, it is just as vital to avoid bad fellowship! By this I am primarily referring to relationships with large groups of non-believers. It is true that you might get to be a witness to some; but as a new Christian, you are far more likely to fall back into sinful practices. II Corinthians 6:14 warns us to avoid such situations. Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5). Opportunities to share for Christ will be best found in one-on-one situations.
4) Pray Always. It cannot be overstated, that you must develop a “prayer life.” God will help you with this, as promised in Romans 8:26 & 27. Take time to pull aside throughout the day, and pray. Always have prayer and devotions first thing, before getting into the obligations of the day. You need God’s strength to lead you, protect you, and to deliver you from sin. That kind of dependency requires that you make time to allow the Lord Jesus to take His rightful place in your life.
Also, don’t rationalize that you will pray instead of reading your Bible. You must do both! When you only pray, without Bible reading, you will be prone to follow “feelings.” These feelings will mostly be of the sinful flesh (Jeremiah 17:9), and not the Lord! The Bible provides a guideline to follow, that you may better distinguish what is truly of the Lord, and what is not. You also cannot read the Word without prayer. Many are the individuals (some are highly respected church leaders) who try to interpret the Bible without the Holy Ghost to guide them. Yet since God’s Word came through the Holy Ghost, it is only correct for Him to lead us in understanding, and applying it to our lives. We will also never fully comprehend God’s Word, for ours is a walk of faith (II Corinthians 5:7).
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. II Peter 1:19-21
There will be times when you stumble and fall (spiritually). As long as we reside in these imperfect bodies, we will wind up coming short of living perfect lives. Don’t give up. It is the perfection of Christ that is our righteousness. When you fall, ask the Lord for His forgiveness, and that He would enable you to overcome in this particular area of your life. Remember that we do not earn our salvation by good works! We are redeemed through the sinless blood of Christ, and expected only to grow in grace toward perfection, as we live out our lives for Him. Please don’t hesitate to call, write, or arrange to meet for spiritual support.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:31-34
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15,16