5 steps to get "saved."
Although I was raised attending church on Sundays, I often found it hard to understand as a young man what it meant to be “saved.” For people that were not born into a family that went to church, it may be even more confusing on what is meant when people say they are “saved.” It can be intimidating and sometimes confusing when you ask a Christian what this means. My goal here is help you understand how to give your life to Christ and why it is important to do so. To understand this, you need to understand the importance of the Bible. Though the Bible is composed of many books and letters written by many men, you must understand that it was divinely inspired by God. Just as I am using my computer to write this article, God used men to write the Bible. Men were merely the tool that God used to accomplish the task of writing the Bible. Every word in the Bible is important. Believing this concept is fundamental in understanding how to “saved” by the grace of God.
1. You must admit that you are a sinner.
The Bible tells us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV). This means that all people are sinners. Even Christians sometimes struggle with certain sin. The first step in being saved is to admit to God through prayer that you are a sinner, what your sins are, that you are ready to submit to Him, and then turn away from your sins. If you want to know more about what sin is, you should reference the “moral law” or what is known as the ten commandments. Throughout your whole life, have you broken a commandment such as lying, stealing, using God’s name in vain, etc.…? Of course, we all have broken a majority of the ten commandments. Recognize that you have sinned and be willing to turn away from those sins. This is called repenting.
2. You must believe that Jesus died for your sins.
The second thing that you must do is believe that Jesus died for your sins. Romans 5: 8 says, “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV). Throughout the Old Testament, we see Israel (God’s chosen people) sacrifice certain animals as atonement for their sins. For an unknown reason, blood is the thing that will cause God to forgive sins. However, we also see throughout the Old Testament that the blood sacrifice of the animals only made atonement for their sins temporarily. Israel was a sinful people and was continuously breaking God’s law. Therefore, he sent Jesus (his son) to die on the cross for permanent atonement of sin. This was not just for the atonement of Israel’s sin, but for that of all people. I am sure you have heard the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3: 16. But did you understand what it meant? I hope that you have a better understanding now. The verse says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3: 16, ESV). This means that Jesus died on the cross to make a permanent blood atonement for our sins. Step two is to not only understand this concept, but to believe it in faith.
3. You must believe that salvation is a gift from God.
We read in the Bible, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6: 23, ESV). This means that when you live in sin, you find death and after death your soul spends eternity in hell. However, God gave us the gift of salvation. To receive this gift, you should repent and put your faith in Jesus. The wonderful thing about this gift is that it is free! It does not cost a thing. Friends, I urge you. Repent and put your complete faith in Jesus and your life will become fruitful in ways that you cannot imagine. This will not necessarily make you rich or successful, but it will fill your life with more joy and understanding than you can ever imagine.
4. You must confess that Jesus is Lord.
The fourth thing you must do is confess that Jesus is Lord. We read once more in the Bible, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10: 9, ESV). After Jesus was crucified and died for our sins, God raised Him from the dead on the third day. This “resurrection” is why we celebrate Easter. You need to confess that Jesus is Lord and believe it. In understanding that he died and was resurrected, you will be saved. This brings us to the fifth thing you must do.
5. You must pray.
In doing these things, you will be “saved.” What Christians mean by this is that you are “saved” from spending eternity in hell. Instead, you will spend eternity in heaven. By the grace of God, your sins will be forgiven, and you will be in the Body of Christ. There are many generic “sinner’s prayers” that you can google. However, I want to teach you how to pray. All you do is bow your head (put your chin on your chest) and close your eyes. Now, without speaking out loud you can speak to God. Simply confess the sins that you have committed, ask for forgiveness for those sins, that you understand that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and was resurrected on the third day, and that Jesus is Lord. Do all of this in your own words. After that you close your prayer by saying, “Amen.” Once you have done this, thank God Almighty because you are saved by the grace of God.
It is important to understand that no matter how many sins you have committed or how serious those sins are, that our merciful God will forgive you. You are not forgiven for anything that you have done, but you are forgiven and saved because of God’s grace. This should give you a basic understanding of what is meant in terms of being “saved” and how to get “saved.” But to have a full understanding of Christianity, you need to read the Bible in its entirety. It is also particularly important to know and understand that your path is not over. In fact, the hard work has just begun. Stay tuned for my next blog on what to do after you are saved. I urge you, do not wait another second. Repent and put your faith in Jesus and you will be saved. It is urgent. The way you spend eternity is at risk.