Salvation
Our Sinful Condition
In the beginning, humanity enjoyed perfect communion and fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. Yet, in willful disobedience to God’s explicit command, humankind chose to sin. As a result, death, pain, and suffering entered the world. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The righteous penalty for sin is death, for the Lord of the universe is infinitely holy and cannot tolerate the presence of sin. God is perfectly just, and true justice demands that sin be rightly punished.​​​
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For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23
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1 John 3:8, Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23, Psalm 51:5, James 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, 1 John 1:8, Galatians 5:19-21, Genesis 3:6, John 8:44, Romans 6:23
God's Mercy
God never desired death, pain, or suffering for humanity. His heart has always longed to restore the perfect relationship He once shared with us, for He loves us deeply and created us to dwell in communion with Him. Yet the price for our sins still had to be paid. Therefore, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, taking on human form. He alone was able to live a sinless and perfect life and thus pay the full debt that we owed.
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In perfect submission and obedience to the Father, Jesus willingly endured one of the most agonizing deaths imaginable, so that His spotless blood might be shed and His life given in exchange for ours—canceling the debt of sin against us. On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of our sins and the righteous wrath of God upon Himself.
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Satan believed he had triumphed when the Son of God was crucified. Yet death could not hold Jesus, for He was the innocent and perfect sacrifice. On the third day, He rose from the grave in victory—death was defeated, and through His resurrection, we are now able to be restored to a right relationship with God.
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But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8
Isaiah 53:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 9:26, 1 John 4:9-10, John 19:30, Romans 8:34, Mark 16:6, Romans 5:8
God's Gift
God now offers salvation—eternal life with Him—as a free and gracious gift. It cannot be earned by our own efforts. No matter how good we strive to be, we will always fall short of God’s perfect standard—and He knows that.
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So how do we receive this gift? God, in His love, gives us a choice. He never forces His love or His salvation upon anyone, for forced love would not be love at all. Scripture teaches that if we believe that Jesus was the Son of God who paid the full price for our sins, and if we repent by turning from our old ways and follow Him—then we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him, for God’s righteous wrath has been satisfied through Christ.
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When God looks upon us now, He no longer sees our sins. Instead, He sees the perfect and precious blood of His Son covering us. Jesus Himself declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Romans 5:9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-10, John 5:24, John 14:6, Romans 5:15-21, 1 John 1:9, John 11:25-26, John 6:51, John 3:16
How to Receive Salvation
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Your prayer to God might look something like this. But it’s not so much about saying the perfect words, but rather the condition of your heart during the prayer.
"Jesus, I believe in You. I believe that you are the perfect Son of God and that you died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. I ask for forgiveness of my sins and choose to turn away from them, with your power. I surrender my life to you and choose to follow you as my Lord and Savior. I thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit now within me, empowering me to follow you. Thank you for the free gift of eternal life with you. Amen."
Now What?
PRAY- Tell God what you need and thank him for all the good he’s already given you. Ask him your questions. Ask Him to help you to follow Him.
READ THE BIBLE - The Bible is God’s perfect, infallible word to us. It’s how He speaks to us. It’s how we learn who He is and how to become like Him.
GET CONNECTED - Come to church and throw yourself into church community. You’re not on this journey alone and you were created to have support and other believers near you to encourage and uplift you along the way as you grow in faith.
PURSUE THE THINGS OF GOD - Think about God in all you do. Fill your mind with scripture, worship music, godly community, and gratitude. As you do these things, God promises that his peace will guard your heart and mind.