This post is part of a series of core Christian principles for new believers. For more, visit the series archive.
This post covers the foundational aspects of salvation, explaining what it means to be saved by Jesus Christ.
What am I saved from?
Every person is born with what we call 'original sin,' the rebellious behavior genetically passed down from Adam(man), the first human being. (Romans 5:12)
God, The Creator of all, set the ultimate standard for what is right and wrong; this divine law is His Righteousness.
God told us that anything that breaks His divine law a.k.a SIN is punishable by death; this fair treatment is His Justice.
You must understand that God is completely Holy, meaning He is absolute righteousness and justice at the same time.
As a result, nothing unholy can be in His presence without being destroyed.
Illustration: The natural separation of Light and Dark.
Darkness can not exist in the same presence as light; this is a universal law.
Therefore, anyone who has sinned in life, even once, can not come near God who lives in Heaven.
After their body dies, their soul would have to go to a resting place called 'Hell' for eternity. Not because God doesn't love them, but because He is unconditionally fair to everyone.
If you're thinking...
"Since we are born in sin, then we are destined for Hell, forever being separated from God!"
You would be correct; however, Jesus Christ has saved you from this, which is salvation.
How did Christ save us by dying?
God, in His divine law, established guidelines for sacrifice, redemption, propitiation, and atonement. (which we will get into later)
Simply put, Jesus Christ satisfied all those guidelines by living a completely sinless life. (Matthew 3:17)
His choice to obey God qualified Him to take the punishment of sin on our behalf.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:23 (KJV)
Illustration: Imagine a boy playing in the office and he breaks his dad's computer.
Even though it was an accident, he still has to face a fair punishment.
The older brother comes in and tells the boy not to cry because he will save up his own money and pay for a new computer.
Jesus knows you can not possibly live a sinless life, no more than the little boy can afford a brand new computer.
That's why eternal salvation is a free gift, that is already paid for.
You can choose to face the punishment of sin on your own or you can let your big brother help with His acceptable gift.
What made Jesus so special?
Jesus was not born with a sinful nature, neither did He commit any sin in life, making Him completely innocent.
1) Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit of God. (Matthew 1:20)
God: The Son became a man to accomplish the will of God The Father (John 1:1-3)
Jesus is a part of The Trinity (God: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit) (1 Corinthians 8:6)
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." - John 17:3-5 (NASB)2) Jesus was born of a virgin woman named Mary. (Matthew 1:23)
The unfertilized egg of a woman is pure, and without sin. Jesus did not inherit the sinful nature of Adam.
Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God in one body. (more on that later)
In Matthew 4, the devil, a.k.a Satan, tried his hardest to get Jesus to sin, but when his plans failed, he used humans to kill Jesus by crucifixion.
Satan did not understand, at the time, what God was doing, or he would not have killed Jesus.
"which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." - 1 Cor. 2:8 (AKJV)Because Jesus died sinlessly, He was not subject to eternity in Hell like the rest of us.
So when Jesus descended after death (Ephesians 4:8-10),
He went to a part of Hell known as 'Abraham's bosom'/Paradise (Luke 16:22),
(Where the souls of faithful people like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Job, David, etc. went to rest)
Jesus took the keys from 'Death' which is the power to hold the souls captive in Hell (Revelation 1:18).
Christ released all those faithful souls in Abraham's bosom to now dwell in Heaven with Him.
"and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." - Matthew 27:52-53 (AKJV)As you can see, Jesus not only died for you and me, He died for the sins of the whole world; past, present, and future!
Can anyone be saved?
Can someone at the point of death be saved?
Can someone who has committed a cruel crime be saved?
The answer is Yes! Anyone can be saved if they genuinely believe in the finished works of Jesus Christ. (John 6:40)
Christ's shed blood covers ALL the sins (wrongdoing) of the whole world, not just the socially acceptable ones, like lying and teenage rebellion.
"And He [that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world." - 1 John 2:2 (AMPC)Even though a SAVED soul won't go to Hell, every soul has to face the consequences of their actions while living and breathing.
As a Christian, do not fear the outcome of your mistakes in life, because God will be with you through it all. (Matthew 10:28)
And God will not place any hardship on you that you can not handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
There is a time restriction on salvation!
The opportunity to be saved by Jesus Christ only exists while you are alive; once you die, your chance of salvation is gone!
Scriptures:
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6 (ESV)
Songs:
"Please save me
I know that You have paid the ultimate price
By laying down Your life
And You're alive, and I know You're the Christ..."
"The prostitute, the lying ones
The destitute, the dying ones
The wicked ones and the wayward sons
He came for everyone..."
Sermons:
Jesus, Your Life - Part 1 (25 mins)
Jesus, Your Life - Part 2 (25 mins)
by InTouch Ministries
God provided for us what we could not provide for ourselves. He laid down His life so we could be set free by His ultimate crucifixion and glorious resurrection...
Now that you understand that you are saved from eternal damnation, let's explore the PROOF of salvation in [Step 2] Understanding My Salvation.
I'm so so thankful Jesus Christ paid for my sins, I don't know anyone who could've satisfied God's perfect will. No God is greater & I don't want to abuse His forgiving grace. I am forever grateful!