SALVATION

RECEIVING AND SHARING JESUS WITH CONFIDENCE

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GOD LOVES US ALL

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

He created each of us by hand, and each one of us is unique. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, so we feel compelled to do the same. All of this wonderful diversity means we hold a variety of views. At Women of Faith we focus on what unites us. We choose to love and to offer grace to one another.

We are here to laugh with you, cry with you, and walk beside you on your faith journey. By having a relationship with God, we choose to encourage you to deepen your spiritual walk with Him. If you are in a different place right now, we choose to introduce you to a community who loves you more than you know.

The bottom line is this:

God loves us. All of us. And He chooses for us all to love one another.

SALVATION - SURRENDERING TO, RECEIVING AND SHARING JESUS CHRIST WITH CONFIDENCE

What is Salvation? In short, salvation is the preservation from destruction, failure, or evil. You might be asking…

What Do We Need to Be Saved From?

We need to be saved from the penalty of sin.
This is a state of “justification.” (“Declared righteous, vindicated, acquitted.”)
– See John 3:16-17; Galatians 2:16.
We need to be saved from the power of sin.
This is a state of “sanctification.” (“Set apart to God, set apart from sin.”)
– See Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4.
We need to be saved from the presence of sin.
This is a state of “glorification.” (“The final state of all believers who, with transformed, imperishable bodies, will live in splendor in the presence of God—a future condition.)
– See Romans 8:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

How Do You Know If You Have Received Salvation?

God wants you to know if you are an authentic Christian or not. In fact, He has devoted one whole book of the Bible to let you “know you have eternal life” or not (1 John 5:13). Read the letter of First John and notice how many times the word “know” is repeated throughout this short book to make this point clear.

Common Questions About Salvation:

Question:
“If I prayed a salvation prayer and I see that my life has not changed, what did I pray? Did I ask Jesus to be my Savior and Lord or did I just pray for fire insurance so that I don’t go to hell?”

Answer:
The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Unless you see your need for Jesus to be your Savior and invite Him into your heart to be Lord and Master, allowing Him to have ownership of you, He isn’t in your life. How do you know if your prayer worked? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There will be a life change where more and more of your character is being conformed to the character of Christ. You will have the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of the spirit of Christ in you producing self control inside you.

“But the fruit of the Spirt is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”

Galatians 5:22-23

Question:
“I have been in a sinful lifestyle all my life and I’m beginning to wonder if I am really a Christian. How can I continue to live like this if I am saved?”

Answer:
You can’t belong to Christ and stay in a sinful lifestyle for very long. Many people intellectually understand salvation, yet they have never yielded their will to God’s will and allowed him to take ownership of their lives. That is why Jesus said,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 7:21-23

STEPS TO PEACE WITH GOD

1. God’s Plan—Peace and Life

God loves you and wants you to experience His peace and life.

The BIBLE says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

2. Our Problem—Separation

Being at peace with God is not automatic, because by nature you are separated from God.

The BIBLE says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

3. God’s Remedy—The Cross

God’s love bridges the gap of separation between God and you. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He paid the penalty for your sins.

The BIBLE says: “He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24).

4. Our Response—Receive Jesus Christ

You cross the bridge into God’s family when you receive Christ by personal invitation.

The BIBLE says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

SCRIPTURE EXPLAINING THE GOSPEL:

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards.

Romans 3:23

The just punishment for our sin is eternal separation from God in hell

Romans 6:23

There’s no way we can ever earn our way into heaven.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Jesus, the Son of God, lived a sinless human life among us.

Hebrews 4:14-15

He died on the cross then rose again, defeating sin forever.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we can be reconciled with God and spend eternity with Him in heaven

John 14:6, Galatians 3:26, John 3:16

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it.

Romans 10:9-10

TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART, YOU NEED TO DO THE FOLLOWING FIVE THINGS:

1. ADMIT your spiritual need and that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior “I am a sinner.”

2. REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin.

3. BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose again.

4. RECEIVE, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life.

5. Commit to live the rest of your life for Him.

Christ Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).

The BIBLE says, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”. (Romans 10:13).

PRAYER OF SALVATION

PRAYING

There are no magical words to pray—it’s more about the condition of your heart.

Some important components can be remembered with ABC:

Admit that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior
Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again
Commit to live the rest of your life for Him

AN EXAMPLE OF THE PRAYER OF SALVATION:

“Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness and please forgive me of all my sins. Make me brand new. I believe Jesus died for me and rose again so I could live for you. I desire to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life.

Fill me with your Spirit so I am able to know you, serve you, and follow you the rest of my life, as my Lord and Savior.

My life is not my own—today I give it to you.

Thank you for new life!

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

CONFIRMING THE DECISION TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR

You prayed the prayer of salvation, committing your life to Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say happened?

1. You are saved.

JESUS said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9).

What did Jesus say about Himself? I am THE WAY (to eternal life).

What will happen when a person enters through the door (receives Jesus Christ)?

The BIBLE says: ”Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
The BIBLE says: “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

2. You are a child of God.

The BIBLE says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

What happened when you received Jesus Christ? I became a child of God.

3. You have everlasting life.