And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
For those who have questions:
What is being saved?
Being saved is a spiritual state where God has legally declared you righteous because of your acceptance of the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the cross as payment for your sins, as the final and only payment acceptable to God, and you have chosen to repent of those sins. For it is by faith and faith alone, that we declare with our mouths that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead for our sins. Because of this, God restores to us a spirit of life, for we are spiritually dead because of our sin nature.
What about works?
James says that faith without works is dead. So what place does works have in our walk with God? Works are the outpouring of our lives in gratitude for what God has done and is doing inside of us. It is a visible manifestation of the change of heart we have towards God and sin. Works do not make us any more acceptable to God than we already are – for it is Jesus’ righteousness that makes us acceptable. God has prepared works in advance from before the foundation of the world for us to do in order to glorify His name, not to earn our way into Heaven.
Who can be saved?
ANYONE who calls upon the name of the Lord. And His name is The Lord Jesus Christ. For all who would come to the Father must go through the Son. Jesus said that if He was lifted up, He would draw ALL men to Him. The Greek word translated “all” means exactly that – “ALL.” Just because you are drawn doesn’t mean you have arrived. If you are drawn to go to the Superbowl, but instead go bowling, it doesn’t matter how much you wanted to go; YOU WEREN’T THERE. God says that He does not want anyone to perish. But the wages of sin is death, so respond if you feel God tugging at your heart today. For God so loved the world, He sent His one and only Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
What does it cost to be saved?
EVERYTHING! It is like a drug addict on the verge of overdose coming to a methadone clinic. They want to be healed. But the only way to do so is to GIVE UP THEIR WAY OF LIFE FOR A NEW ONE. If the drug user gets clean but refuses to stay clean, what good was it to them? God cleanses us of our unrighteousness, and give us the righteousness of Christ. We can then, with the power and help of the Holy Spirit (think AA with a multi-billionaire as your sponsor) you are able to live a life free from being enslaved to sin. Sin is a drug – once it gets its claws into you, it is very hard to break free of its grasp. And what you thought you could control, now controls YOU. But God is merciful and full of grace, and is faithful and just to forgive us when we sin if we repent.
The good news is, just like the drug addict, when you come to God, He gets rid of your addiction, and then gives you His wealth and strength to crawl out of the hole you dug for yourself. God says He owns all the gold and all the silver. And He is more than able to give you what you need, for He created everything, and can create some more if He wants. Not only that, He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in you to empower you, encourage you, direct you, and keep you clean and sober from sin. But because the world is like Bourbon Street, with bars lining both sides, it is hard to not walk in and have a drink. When we do, the Holy Spirit becomes our advocate, and urges us to get sober, and gives us the strength to do so – no matter how embarrased we feel for falling off the wagon. And as God helps us to grow in strength, it gets easier to say no to sin. Whatever you feed inside you will grow. Make sure you don’t intentially feed the monster by sinning…
When you come to God in intial repentance, you are basically saying that you are morally bankrupt. God then fills your account with Christ’s righteousness until it is astronomically large (for you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing). Who cares if you come to the table with 23 cents in your pocket? God owns all the banks! What’s 23 cents compared to immeasurable riches? Change is never easy, is it?
How do I become saved?
Click here for more information.
Am I saved?
Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead as payment for your sin by faith and faith alone? Then you are saved! Read the Bible. Pray to God. Beg God to help you to live righteously for Him and to get rid of all the things in your life that are displeasing to Him. God is faithful and will joyfully answer those kind of prayers! Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Having put on the helmet of salvation, (experentially) know that you are saved!
A short prayer of preparation:
Father in Heaven, You show us in Your word how good You are. For You are a just God, and must punish sin; yet being filled with mercy and grace, have given us a way to be reconciled to You. Father, forgive me for my sins. I deserve to go to Hell, but you have given me a way to be with You instead. Help me to live this life in obedience to You. Carry me when I cannot walk. Strengthen me for the battles ahead. Provide all that I need physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, that I may be equipped to do Your will. Guide me in the way I should go. This I ask in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
CHRIST ALLIANCE CHURCH 