SALVATION

Many people have zeal for God but not according to knowledge. People have been held in ignorance concerning the righteousness of God and how it is obtained. Righteousness or right standing comes with salvation. But one would ask, what is salvation? How do I get saved? What is wrong with simply attending church and doing good works such as, giving to the poor, never cursing or smoking or drinking, attempting to live by the ten commandments, singing in the choir, or visiting the sick? Why isn’t this salvation?

First, Jesus said, in John 14:6, No man can come unto the Father but by me. That means, your good works will not bring you to God. Though each of the acts mentioned above are good and should not be avoided, they alone cannot save you. Salvation is a spiritual work.

Many people have walked into the doors of a church, heard a message, were convicted in their hearts but received absolutely nothing from that church but religion. Religion is, as the word of God says, giving to the poor and visiting the widows and the fatherless (James 1:26-27). They are handed a card to fill out and asked what they want to do in the church. Or in other places, they confess their faults to some man and are given penance. But neither of these acts gives you the new birth.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.

Verse 5 Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

Verse 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

How is a person born again or saved?
How do we enter into the kingdom of Heaven?
How do we make Jesus Lord of our life?

Jesus said you must be born again. Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can a man enter into his mothers’ womb again? He was looking at the things that he understood by his natural understanding. This is why Jesus said what he said in verse 7 - Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again. The wind blows where it listeth (where it wants or where it pleases or where it wills), and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell where it comes, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus was making the point, you have been born of the flesh, that is, came through the birth canal of your mother. Of this you are old in age. But there is something else. It is new and marvelous. It is beyond your natural understanding. The mind of man cannot comprehend this thing. And it is marvelous in God’s sight. This is the birthing of the spirit of man. It is when the spirit of man comes alive as the Spirit of God gives birth to it.

Remember Jesus said, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Like produces like. Flesh cannot produce spirit and spirit cannot produce flesh. A peach tree cannot produce bananas. A grape vine cannot produce oranges. If you plant an apple seed, you will get an apple tree.

John 4:24 describes God. It says, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. God is a Spirit. He does not have flesh. He has no beginning and no ending. Before anything else existed, He was.

Another scripture which comes to mind is found in 1 Corinthians 2:14. It says, But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I personally find this great to hear. This gives me hope. If I don’t understand God or the word of God, it does not mean I can’t or that God’s word cannot be understood, it simply means I must allow the Spirit of God to open up my understanding. That is liberating.

Now that we have found this out, I think it is important to know God loves you. God can’t help but to love you, because God is Love (1 John 4:8). But his love is not the kind of love the world has taught us, or even the kind some religions have taught us. It is an unconditional love. It is a love that transcends what you have done. It goes beyond what you have become. He loves you so deeply, he thought about you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He thought about you way back before the year 1 A.D.

The Lord had a plan. That plan was to send his only Son into the earth. God had one reason for doing this. That reason was to lay your sin upon him and for him to die in your place, carrying your sin. Would you be able to do that for someone who would and could turn his or her back on you, and curse you, and treat you as though you did not exit? No! I don’t believe you would. Personally, I would have a problem sending my children into a situation in which I know they will not live long, and they were going to die for someone who would not appreciate them or even believe they exit. But God saw you through the portholes of time and had compassion on you and me. He saw the way you were treated and rejected. He saw they way people abused you and treated you like you did not exist. He saw you when you raped that young girl or that boy. He saw you when you murdered that person. He saw that one physically abusing their loved one and did not know why they were doing it. But he still loved you. He said, I must make a way for them to come to me. I must make a way to make to bring them into right standing with me. He cried for you and longed for you long before you were conceived. He saw how sin had gotten a hold of your family long before you were thought of. He saw your great- great- grandfather abuse your great-great grandmother and your great-grandmother. He saw the drunkenness of your forefathers and knew you would have to suffer from it if something was not done. So he sent his Son here to make a way of escape for you. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so ever believeth in him should not parish but have everlasting life.

The other great part to this is found in verse 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. That was one of the liberating things that brought me to God. The Lord was sitting back with a big stick looking for a way to get me for all of the stuff I had done. He was not sitting there trying to find a way to put sickness on me or put me in a situation where a semi-truck would hit me to teach me a lesson. No! He did not come to condemn me or to put me down or to remind me of all the dirty things I had done but through him I could be saved. How deep is that love he has for you and me. His love is so unlike ours. Wow! Someone loves me even though they know what I have done and said and been. He is willing to give me a brand new start. He then tells us the way to him. John 14:6 says, No man comes to the Father but by the Son. Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus is the way to the kingdom of God. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). In John 10:9, Jesus says of himself, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Romans 10:9 tell us what we have to do to be saved. That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. Verse 10 explains what has been said. It says, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So if you believe, in your heart, that Jesus is the Son of God, and that Jesus died on the cross for you, and that God raised him from the dead. If you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, then you shall be saved. Glory to God! That means everyone has to come the same way. There are no exceptions. It is not determined by how many good deeds you have done. It done not matter what color you are, what side of the tracks you were raised. Nothing else matters. You can actually leave this web page knowing you are saved. There will be no questions about it. You don’t have to go door to door to earn your way to God. You don’t have to do anything to be saved except really believe, then confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth. You don’t have to understand any of this. It will come later. But if you believe this, I can help you. Simply Confess this:

Jesus, I am a sinner. And I know that you’re the one who came to take away my sins. You are the only begotten Son. I believe you died and rose again just as the bible says. Jesus forgive me of my sins and come live in my heart today. Thank you Lord I am saved. I am saved. Amen.

Praise the Lord! You are saved. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. You are a new creature or a new creation in Christ right now. Old things has passed away. Your sin has passed away. Why? 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells you how it happened. For he (that is God the Father) has made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin (Jesus never sinned. He was not acquainted with sin. He was not a sinner); that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (meaning in Christ). Isn’t that good news? Jesus was made sin in your place and now that you have asked him into your life, you have become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is so good!

Your home in heaven has been made secure. Your name is written in heaven. Does that mean you can go and continue to live as your were before you asked Jesus to come into your life? Well, let me ask you a question. Do you want to continue to get what you have been getting from life before you asked him in your life? If the answer is no, then you can’t continue to live as you have. If you do, you will walk straight out of your salvation. Remember this, God will never leave you. If you find yourself back out there, it will be because, you left him. So you would ask, “What do I do?”

Well, there are 3 things you will need to do. Start Praying. Pray daily. Prayer is simply talking to God. You do not have to get strange in the way you talk to him or find some formula. The Lord heard you talking before you got saved. He knows you. Just talk to him out of your heart.

Read your Bible. If you do not have a bible, go buy one or let someone know you need one. Before you start reading it, pray and ask the Lord to help you to understand what you are reading. Start reading the Gospel of John.

Find you a good church home. A good church that preaches the word of God. A church where the Spirit of God is alive. I believe if you pray about it, the Lord will show you what church to join and get involved with. If you need help, please contact us at &Sprit Filled Chat and we will see if we can assist you.

These are three things no one can do for you. You must do them for yourself. You are well on your way. Now I do want to tell you. God is beginning to work in your life, but don’t expect everything to change in a twinkling of an eye. You did not get like you are in a flash, and it will take some time for things to make 180 degree turn. The Lord will quicken things for you. Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

God Bless you in your new life and your walk with God. I can guarantee you, nothing will ever be the same again.