Holy Bible Online In the Bible, the word salvation means spiritual liberation. God frees us from the power of sin and eternal death when we repent before Him for the wrongs we have committed and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior by faith.
In the process of salvation, there is someone who offers salvation and someone willing to receive it. God offers us salvation through Jesus Christ, and we must accept it. It’s like when you need help to do something: it’s not enough for help to be offered. You must allow the help and receive it to enjoy the result. Otherwise, it won’t serve you much. Therefore, it's not enough to know that we can be saved through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. We must accept it.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
- Ephesians 2:8-9
Salvation, according to the Bible, is a gift from God, one that we did not deserve. And we receive it only by accepting it with all our hearts. Nothing else is needed.
Salvation is Through Jesus
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, a barrier of separation was created between humans and God. God had clearly told them what they could eat and what they could not. They chose to disobey God and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree: they chose to sin (Genesis 3:1-7). That is why, from then on, we have all been born with the tendency to disobey God.
What are the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit?
However, God did not sit back because He does not desire anyone's eternal death. No! God put into motion His perfect plan for the salvation of each one of us.
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
- Ezekiel 18:32
God’s salvation became possible through Jesus, God incarnate. Jesus is the bridge that brings us closer to God. We have access to the Father thanks to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In the book of Titus, in the New Testament, the state of humanity without Jesus and the wonderful change, accessible to all through Him, is explained. God's mercy reaches us and transforms us!
3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
- Titus 3:3-7
Even when passions and sin ruled our lives, God sent Jesus by His own initiative. He did so as a demonstration of His kindness and love for us, to save us and free us from the power of sin. Jesus cleared the way for us to enjoy eternal life with Him. That is our inheritance!
It seems like a very simple concept, but it is one that many people struggle with. “How is it possible that I don’t have to do anything else?” many ask. Others question that Jesus is the only way, the only valid path to being saved, as we read in John 14:6. But in the end, it’s all a matter of faith. Believing that Jesus Christ is enough. His work on the cross was enough, and it is through Him that we are saved.
11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
- Acts 4:11-12
Additional verses to meditate on:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord.
- Romans 6:23
John 3:16-17
16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
- John 3:16-17
2 Timothy 1:9-10
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
- 2 Timothy 1:9-10
Receive Salvation!
What should we do to be saved? The truth is that it’s not complicated, but it is vital. The first thing is to recognize that we need salvation. We must acknowledge that there is evil in our hearts and that by our own means, we cannot remove it.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
- Romans 3:23-24
If we are honest, we must recognize that we have all done things we are ashamed of, things that we know are wrong. Recognizing this without excuses is the first step.
Then, we need to accept by faith the grace of God that has redeemed us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Jesus rescued us, freed us from the slavery of sin, and delivered us from the punishment we deserved for the wrongs we have done. We must accept this immense gift by faith.
Third, we must express with our lips what we believe in our hearts: Jesus is Lord! Romans 10 says it this way...
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
- Romans 10:9-10
A heart transformed by the power of God’s grace will move us to speak and testify about what God has done for us. We will declare that Jesus is the Lord of our lives and of the entire universe. Jesus is God, and through His work, we are saved!
When we are fully convinced of something wonderful, we speak about it and share it with others. There is nothing more wonderful than the forgiveness, grace, and salvation that God gives us! Speak about Christ! Share the message of salvation.
Additional verses to meditate on:
John 5:24
Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
- John 5:24
Romans 10:12-13
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
- Romans 10:12-13
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