Salvation is being saved or rescued from the penalty of separation from God. To be saved from your sin, take these three steps:
- Ask forgiveness for your sins.
- Be willing to turn from your sins.
- Believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, that he died for your sins and rose again on the third day.
If you have done these things, you are saved! You have salvation, which means you have accepted God’s love and forgiveness, are adopted into His family, and have fellowship with His people—your fellow Christians. You are free from the power of sin—a child of God! The Bible promises you eternity in heaven (Romans 10:9-10).
How are we saved?
John 3:16-17 and John 10:10 tell of the great love God has for us. Because of His love, He wants us to come to Him just as we are. He wants to have a personal relationship with us and longs for us to talk to Him freely about our sins and our needs. God revealed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus understands us because He lived as a man on earth for 33 years. He lived a sinless life and paid the price for our sins by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. He rose from the dead three days later and went up into heaven, where He intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus has all power and authority over sin and evil (Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8), and through Him we can also live victorious lives. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” The Bible also says in 1 Corinthians 15:57: “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
To be saved, admit to God that you are a sinner. We are all sinners, and because God is holy, He cannot tolerate sin. Yet because He loves us, He forgives our sins when we ask for forgiveness. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, but it is only by God’s grace—His undeserved mercy—that we can be saved.
That doesn’t mean we should go on sinning, relying on God to forgive us later. God is holy, and our sin is a direct rebellion against His holiness. We should take it seriously, realize we were wrong, and actively try to turn from our sins—that’s called repentance. Repentance carries with it the idea of confession, remorse, and changing our ways to become more like Jesus.
Once you repent and ask forgiveness, recognizing Jesus as your Savior, experience the joy that comes from knowing Him personally.