Salvation

What is salvation? Why do we need it? How do we receive it and when? If salvation results in everlasting life—as Christianity teaches—what will those who are saved do for all eternity? What is the penalty for those who fail to receive salvation? If Christians rely on the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. for their knowledge of these matters, why do we find so many differing beliefs?

What is salvation? Why do we need it?

You need to prove it from the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.— because your happiness and your eternal life are at stake .

Salvation is God’s Plan

Salvation simply means the act of saving. When used in a religious sense, to save means to rescue someone from the eternal consequences of sin. Everyone needs salvation because, as the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. tells us, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and the wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
See All...; 6:23).

God wants every person to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
See All...). God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
See All...)..

The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. explains God’s plan for saving mankind. As the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “From childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
See All..., New Revised Standard Version).

How can we receive salvation?

Eternal life is God’s gift to us. He tells us specifically how we can receive it: "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
See All...). “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
See All...). Jesus Himself said: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
See All...).

Once we sin and place ourselves under the penalty of death, we can do nothing of ourselves that will ever free us from the sentence of death. Rather we must receive forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
See All...).

Redemption means to free or buy back someone or something by paying a price . It is akin to paying a ransom for someone who has been kidnapped. To redeem humanity, the price that was paid for the sins of mankind had to be greater than the total value of all human life . Because He was the Son of God who never sinned as well as the very Creator of mankind (Hebrews 4:15For 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.
See All...; Ephesians 3:9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
See All...), Christ’s life was of sufficient value to purchase everyone and pay the price for all sins (compare Hebrews 2:9-10 [9] But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
[10] For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

See All...).

Sin maintains a claim over us until God redeems us through Jesus’ sacrifice. The apostle Paul writes of our salvation: “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
See All...). Jesus died an excruciatingly painful death through crucifixion, shedding His blood for us. This is why the Father sent Him into the world: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
See All...).

What must we do?

To have Jesus Christ as your Savior you must acknowledge that you have sinned, that your sins have placed you under a sentence of death and that you need forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice. You must then accept Jesus as your personal Savior, recognizing that He died for you.

Regrettably, many people stop right there and think that’s all there is to it. They fail to recognize the crucial necessity of personal repentance .

In recognition of Christ’s sacrifice and with a desire to change our lives to please God, each of us must forsake the sinful ways that brought the death penalty upon us and made Jesus’ sacrifice necessary in the first place. We must undergo a life-transforming change of heart and direction, a process the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. calls repentance.

Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38Then 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.
See All...). Remission means release—that is, release from guilt for your sins. When you are baptized, God forgives your past sins and clears your record.

Baptism pictures the washing away of sins and signifies our faith in the sacrifice of Christ as payment for them. After our baptism, Christ’s ministers are to place their hands on us and pray for the gift of God’s Spirit for us. It is at this point that God gives His Spirit to a repentant, baptized person (see Acts 8:18And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
See All...).

The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. says that, through the Holy Spirit, God seals us, His Spirit serving as a guarantee of or down payment on our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
See All...). The reason for this guarantee is to assure us we will receive eternal life. In other words, our sealing with the Holy Spirit is the proof we belong to God and Christ. “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
See All...), and “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (verse 14).

After baptism and our receiving of God’s Spirit, we are justified—that is, we become righteous in God’s sight. God counts none of our past sins against us (Romans 3:25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
See All...). If we stumble and sin after baptism, we must ask God’s forgiveness and return to Him so that our state of forgiveness is not lost by our return to our old sinful way of life (1 John 2:1-6 [1] My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
[2] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
[3] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
[4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
[5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
[6] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

See All...). When we are justified, God deals with us as though we had never sinned; the death penalty has no hold on us.

We must endure faithfully to the end of our lives. If a Christian at some time during his life, after committing to serve God, turns away and renounces Jesus and God’s way in word or action, he will lose his salvation—unless he repents of his error.

What will salvation be like?

When Christ returns from heaven and our salvation becomes an eternal reality, what will we be like? What will be the form and appearance of those who receive eternal life? Does the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. tell us? Indeed it does! The apostle John writes, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God ! ... Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him ; for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:1-2 [1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

See All...).

This may sound incredible, but when our salvation is complete we will have the same glorious appearance as Jesus Christ (see RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 1:13-16 [13] And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
[14] His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
[15] And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
[16] And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

See All...). Like Him, we will be glorified children of God—though He will forever be greater.

We will reign with Christ (RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 2:26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
See All...; 3:21; 5:10) and help bring peace to the world.

We can live forever in God’s eternal Kingdom. This is what salvation is. This is what God offers you. God’s gift of salvation truly is good newsThe good news of God's everlasting kingdom to be established on earth after Christ's return and how we may be a part of that kingdom. This message was central to the teaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The term is used about 100 times in the New Testament . for all.