SALVATION
Receiving and Sharing Christ with Confidence
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.
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KEYS FOR LIVING - SALVATION
Sharing 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 Would 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 but 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
Using Scripture to explain 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
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 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).
* To receive Christ you need to do 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 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
Here’s 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 CHRIST
You prayed, committing your life to 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 _____ __________ (to eternal life).
What will happen when a person enters through the door (receives Christ)?
He or she will _____ _________.
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 Christ?
I became a ________ ____ _______.
3. You have everlasting 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).
Now that you believe in Jesus Christ, what can you be certain of?
I have _________ _______.
NEXT STEPS
1. Read the Bible daily.
It is God's letter to you. He will speak to you through His Word. If you have never read the Bible, consider starting with the book of John in the Bible.
2. Talk with God.
He wants to hear from you. He wants you to tell Him your hopes, desires, fears and needs. He wants you to invite him into every day.
3. Fellowship.
Begin to meet with other Christians regularly. Join a church that teaches the Bible and believes that people are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.
4. Find a Good Church.
First, ask the Lord to guide you. Identify with a Bible-teaching church for worship, instruction, fellowship, and service. Look for a church where the people love Jesus Christ and serve Him as Lord, and where the doctrine, teaching, and practice of that church are in accordance with the Word of God. The Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, serves as the final authority and source concerning truth, morality and proper conduct.
5. Being free from the penalty of your sin does not mean that you will never sin again.
It does mean, however, that you are no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6). Now, by the power of God in you through the Holy Spirit, you are able to say no to sin and yes to God’s ways. God will not allow you to be tempted to sin beyond what you can handle and He will provide a way of escape when you are tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you do sin, here are steps to take to get back on God's path:
- Confess your sin to God (1 John 1:9)
- Confess your sin to other Christians (1 John 1:7, James 5:16)
- Repent (turn) from your sin and turn back to Christ (2 Timothy 2:22)
- Walk with God daily, don’t run or hide from Him. Remember, God loves you! Because of Christ, you will never lose your salvation (Galatians 5:16, John 10:27-29). Go back to steps 1, 2 and 3 above to reconnect with Him.
6. Tell others about Jesus.
The invitation from Christ to be forgiven and adopted as a child of God is open to everyone in the world. God wants no one to die separated from Him because of sin. People who do not receive Christ as Savior will not be saved from the penalty of their sins. (Matthew 28:18-20)
7. Tap into the Women of Faith Keys for Living resources: RESOURCES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
READY TO LEARN MORE?
Do you or do you know someone who has additional questions or requires help?
If so, please choose Women of Faith's other resources on this and other relevant topics (Quick Reference Guide, Keys for Living Books and e-Books).
Grace Filled Words:
“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. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Matthew 7:21-23
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
John 3:16–18
Additional Scriptures:
John 3:1-21
Matthew 16:24-26
John 5:24
CONGRATULATIONS!
For making the decision to surrender your life to Jesus, let’s celebrate!
Congratulations! You have decided to dedicate your life to following Jesus. You may be wondering what's next on your journey. We want to help! Join us as we guide you toward the next steps in your walk with Christ.
