Salvation
1 John 4:8,9
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
God is love, and love prompted Him to redeem us.
Genesis 1:27-31
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”’ and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God created human beings in His image.
Genesis 3:8
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Sin destroys our fellowship with God so we run from His presence (see also Isaiah 59:1,2).
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Separated from God, we deserve to die eternally.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
All have sinned and are under the penalty of death.
Romans 5:18,19
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Adam brought death, Jesus brings us life.
Galatians 3:13
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).
Jesus bore our curse upon Himself.
Hebrews 2:8,9
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Jesus experienced death for us so that we don’t have to.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus became sin for us(He took its penalty for us).
Acts 3:19
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
As we repent, He forgives.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
As we confess, He pardons.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Receiving Jesus, we are no longer condemned.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
Through grace by faith we are saved.
John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
As we receive Him by faith we become sons of God.
1 John 5:11-13
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Believing in Him, we receive the gift of eternal life.
John 3:16
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.
Salvation is a present experience and gift of God for all who believe.
A commonly-asked question about Salvation
Doesn’t the Bible teach that once you come to Jesus, you can never lose your Salvation? John 10:28 states, “And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of mine hand.”
Coming to Jesus, accepting His forgiveness by faith, receiving His grace, we receive the gift of eternal life (see Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:22-25). Salvation is a free gift. It is not something we earn by our obedience. Salvation is by grace through faith. When the Philippian jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30,31). Belief is a function of the will. The same mind which chooses to believe can choose to disbelieve and unbelief leads to spiritual death (see Hebrews 3:12-14). If we do not hold our confidence in God to the end, we will develop a heart of unbelief. “He that endures until the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). We are saved only if we keep in memory what was preached an live the life of faith (1 Corinthians 15:1,2). It is always possible to return to the old life of sin, have our names blotted out of the Book of Life, and be eternally lost (see 2 Peter 2:19-22, Revelation 3:5, 1 Corinthians 9:27). The word which Paul uses for cast away in 1 Corinthians 9:27 is the same word that is used in Jeremiah 6:30 for those who are burned and ultimately lost. In John 10:28, when we come to Jesus we receive eternal life. Just as His coming into the heart by faith brings life, our unbelief brings spiritual death. We cannot be unborn, but we can die. Nothing can take us from His hand except our own choice.
