Salvation: Simple But Deep
The Christian message of salvation is simple enough for everyone to understand, but deep enough to entail a lifetime of study. Salvation is very much interconnected to other aspects of theology such as the meaning of Christ’s Atonement, the human condition, God’s attributes such as His justice and holiness, our eternal destiny and more. “Jesus is Lord” is a simple statement of faith, but in relation to salvation it’s important to know who Jesus is, who He claimed to be and what it means to believe and follow Him.
The Apostle Paul summarized the message of salvation – the Gospel – in 1 Corinthians 15, where he wrote, under divine inspiration: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve” (1 Corinthians 15:1-5 NIV).
Christ the Center of Salvation
But we are not expected to “just believe” and be saved, without any appeal to proof or reason. Certainly faith plays a part in salvation, but there is a difference between blind faith and justified faith. Even Acts 1:3, for instance, observes of Christ, “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive,” while in Acts 26:25, Paul states that his Christian beliefs are “true and reasonable.”
When Paul and Silas said to the jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved …” (Acts 16:31 NIV), they understand the centrality of Christ in salvation. The word translated as “saved” is charged with deep theological implications, meaning “to save, rescue, deliver; to heal … to be in right relationship with God, with the implication that the condition before salvation was one of grave danger or distress” [3]
Christ’s death and resurrection offers every one of us an opportunity for salvation. When is the right time to accept His offer? Today is the day.
God Saves Us because He Love Us
John 3:16-17 – 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
1 Timothy 1:15 – Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
God’s Plan of Salvation from the book of Romans:
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9-10 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:13 – For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Pray These Things from Your Heart
If you want this hope, you can pray right now to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It doesn’t need to be anything scripted. Just pray these things from your heart:
- Admit you are a sinner in need of forgiveness.
- Confess your sins.
- Thank Him for Jesus’ death on the cross that paid the price for those sins.
- Ask Him to be Lord of your life.
If it helps, here is an example of what you could pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I’m sorry for the wrong things I’ve done. Please forgive me. I believe your Son died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead, and because of this I will enter into heaven when I die. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I willingly give you my life. Now, Father, help me do your will. Thank you again for saving me! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.