So this is my first “official� blog post, aside
from the standard (and mandatory) “about me� post. Because it’s my first post, I thought it would be good to go
back to the basics. I’ve recently
begun to think more about the gospel message- its importance, what it consists
of, and how is should be
shared/explained. I found this excerpt
in a book recently and thought that it hit the nail on the head and helped
answer the universal question of……..What must I do to be saved?
Note: I know its kinda lame that I’m basically stealing this passage, but don’t
worry my friends you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy my writing
abilities (or lack thereof) in the upcoming months!
What must I do to be saved?
No one gets out of this world alive, so this
is beyond a doubt the most important question you can ever ask yourself! In fact, the Bible was written, “so
that you may know that you have eternal life� (1 John 5:13).
First, according to Scripture, you need to realize that you are a sinner. If you do not realize you are a sinner,
you will not recognize your need for a savior. The Bible says we “all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God� (Romans 3:23).
Furthermore, you must repent of your sins. Repentance is an old English word that describes a willingness to turn
from our sin towards Jesus Christ. It literally means a complete U-turn on the road of life- a change of
heart and a change of mind. It
means that you are willing to follow Jesus and to receive him as your Savior
and Lord. Jesus said, “repent and
believe the Good News.� (Mark 1:15).
Finally, to demonstrate true belief means to
be willing to receive. To truly receive is to trust in
and depend on Jesus Christ alone to be the Lord of our lives here and now and
our Savior for all of eternity. It
takes more than knowledge (the devil
knows about Jesus and trembles). It takes more than agreement
that the knowledge we have is accurate (the devil agrees that Jesus is
Lord). What it takes is to trust
in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. The requirements for eternal life are not based on what you can do but
on what Jesus Christ has done. He
stands ready to exchange his perfection for your imperfection.
According to Jesus Christ, those who realize
they are sinners, repent of their sins, and receive him as Savior and Lord are “born
again� (John 3:3)- not physically but spiritually. The reality of our salvation is not dependant on our
feelings but rather on the promise of the Savior who says: “I tell you the
truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and
will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life� (John 5:24)
“ 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
