There are a lot of great church websites and christian blogs out there that provide solid content. One of the things that is often hard to easily find however is a straight-up post on what salvation is and how someone can become reconciled with God.
Since an entire library could be filled with all the books on this topic, what follows is not exhaustive. You’ve got the rest of your life to mine the depths of the finer points of the issues raised in this conversation. Here are the seven basic things everyone on planet earth needs to know:
(1) God Exists- There is a God. He’s the Creator and we are His creation. All of creation is a testimony to God’s power and awesomeness.
(2) God Loves- God loves us and desires to be in a relationship with us. He gave all of creation to us, to enjoy and manage. God literally walked with man on the earth in the beginning of creation but due to man’s sin, God withdrew His physical presence because God cannot be in the presences of sin.
(3) Sin Separates- Sin separates us from God. God is holy and we are not. Our wrongdoing is done in-the-face-of and against God. When we disobey, it is a direct offense against our Creator.
(4) Jesus Saves- God the Father sent His only son Jesus to be our Savior. He sent him to be born as a baby and to live a perfect life without sin, so that he could become a living sacrifice for our sin. No other act could pay for our sin nor convey the depth of God’s love for us, then Jesus sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus was born so he could die, so that we could have eternal life.
(5) Eternity Is Forever- Eternity is forever. Everyone will spend it somewhere. If Jesus had not died for our sins, upon our death we would stand before God guilty of sin with no way for our offenses to be paid for. Because sin cannot be in the presence of God, without Jesus’ sacrifice we would be forced to spend eternity separated from God.
(6) We Respond- When we understand and acknowledge who God is and what He has done for us through sending His only son to die for our sin, it forever changes things. No longer are we complete fools without understanding. This knowledge forces us to make a choice: ignore what God gave and Jesus did for us, or respond to it.
If we ignore it, we will spend eternity separated from God. If we respond to it then we allow Jesus to become our Savior. Jesus gave His life so that we could have eternal life. When we allow Him to be our Savior, we acknowledge God’s ways are higher than our ways and we surrender and submit to them. We act in response to God’s love because He first loved us!
(7) Practically Speaking- Following Jesus has many interpretations and variations. There are many denominations and churches that claim to guide people in God’s ways and that Jesus is their Savior. My encouragement to you is to find a church that teaches out of and honors the Bible above all else. The Bible is where Christians turn to interpret life questions and situations.
Salvation begins in one’s heart and grows into maturity through community with other Christians, knowledge of God’s Word and ways, and the presence of God’s Spirit with us.
Once you surrender your heart to God, confessing your sin and allowing Jesus to be your Savior, your sins are forgiven and you can have confidence about spending eternity with God.
Here’s a checklist of things that one will experience in the process of becoming reconciled to God and having your sins forgiven. It’s an imperfect checklist, but one that will serve you well:
- You become aware of who God is, how much He loves you and what Jesus did for you.
- You become aware of your sin.
- You confess your sin and accept Jesus as your Savior.
- You begin to grow in your knowledge of God and begin to worship him in community with other Christians.
- You begin to commune with God through prayer, time alone with Him, and His Word.
- You participate in the rites of baptism and communion.
- Your worldview, heart, mind and actions change. You no longer live for yourself but with the purpose of your Creator.
- You begin, and other people begin to see the work of God in your heart and life.
- You continue to sin, but you are aware of it and confess and repent of it. You surround yourself with other believers who can walk through the highs and lows of life with you.
- You daily surrender your life to God and strive to serve him with strength that comes from him.
- As God’s Spirit leads, you obey.
Much more could (and should) be said or elaborated on here, but if you were to have no other guidance then this simple post, you would know the essentials and basics of what it means to be saved. If this is new to you, I encourage you to find a trusted friend who is a Christian to talk with you. Schedule an appointment and meet with their pastor to continue the conversation.
Wishing you the very best in life and in Christ,
Michael
