Did you know that God loves you and has a plan and a purpose for your life? It breaks His heart that we are separated from Him by our sin (Isaiah 59:2) and condemned to death and judgment apart from Him (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15). But in His great love and mercy, God did for us what we could not do for ourselves: He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us—to pay the debt owed for our sins so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him in heaven (John 3:16).
All humans, even the “good” ones, are born with sin (Romans 3:23). This sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), and leads to death and judgment (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15). But Jesus paid the price for us! He came to earth, died on a cross, and was raised to life. In doing so, He bridged the gap between us and God, offering us salvation from our sin, new life, and an intimate relationship with God (1 John 3:16; 1 Peter 3:18; John 5:24).
We can't earn this salvation offered by God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can only receive it by believing in Jesus (John 3:16, 14:6), and confessing our sins (1 John 1:9). Once you make the life-changing decision to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will also receive God's assurance of eternal life (1 John 5:12-13), His love for you (Romans 8:38-39), and His presence in your life (Hebrews 13:5).
We believe that anyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in Him will be saved (Romans 10:9). All you need to do in order to be saved is:
Start by admitting that, in God's eyes, you're a sinner.
Believe that when Jesus died, His sacrifice was for you; to spare you from an eternity of judgment, and to give you a new life starting right now.
Ask God to forgive you of your sins, and make a commitment to turn from them.
Pray to receive Jesus, and follow Him as Lord of your life; living His way, doing His will, and enjoying His presence forever. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and I ask your forgiveness. I believe that You lived, died, and rose again so that I could be connected to God. I confess you as my Lord and commit my life to You. I give you my past, present, and future. Take my life and use it. I give it to You. Amen."
When you put your trust in Jesus’ payment for your sins and commit to following Him, you are saved. Salvation is God’s gift to you. You cannot earn it, and you don’t have to "get right" to receive it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Everyone! We all need saving. God’s desire is for everyone to have a relationship with Him.
2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
We are saved when we receive and believe the good news that Jesus came, died, and rose again for our sin. You don’t have to remember the exact time or place you made that recognition to be saved.
The important thing is that there’s a turning point when life started to look different because of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Jesus gives every believer the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us a desire to live for God as well as the ability to hear, recognize, and respond to God’s voice.
To love God, to enjoy His presence, to hear His voice, and to feel the conviction of sin and the need for repentance—these are all common experiences of those who are saved (John 10:3-5).
You didn’t earn your salvation, so you can’t lose your salvation. If you have put your trust in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has changed your heart, nothing and no one can separate you from God.
Romans 8:38-39 promises, "...that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Salvation is about more than what happens when we die. It’s the way to experience a full life with God here and now. In deciding to follow Jesus, you’re acknowledging that your way isn’t working anymore. That you’re done flying solo, and you’re giving Jesus control.
From that moment on, you’re never alone. Jesus is the friend who never leaves you or forsakes you. He gives you His Spirit to guide you, and access to God, who loves and cares for you.