If a stranger came up to me asked, “How are you saved?” The answer is quite simple.
However, there really is no fun in doing that. My question to such a person would then be; “What does it mean to be saved?
Luckily, the Word of God gives us a clear understanding of what that is.
Let’s dive into it together, shall we?
To be saved means to be delivered from condemnation and judgement. We were all once in sin, utter darkness and shame. Who could save us? Who could help us? How could we be saved?
Then came Jesus. The light of the world. He came to save the world. To redeem the world.
Colossians 1:13-14 teaches us that “he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”.
Jesus has brought us out of darkness, we now see the light. We can now live in the light. In essence, we have been from darkness into light.
One may ask, “What is that light?”
Beautiful question!
Apostle Paul explained it in 2 Corinthians 4:6 which says, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
So, what light shines? The light of the glory of God. Oh, how amazing is that?
“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 [NKJV]
The word of God makes it clear that one is saved through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him. By him.
For there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. Salvation is in no one else but Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12)
God made an open path by which we can all be reconciled back to him.
No killing of cows or goats; no offering of grains and meat. No sacrifice of bulls and sheep; none of that is needed.
One just has to believe! Thus, we can say with great confidence that we are saved the moment we put our faith in Christ Jesus. It’s not fake, it’s not false. It is our reality in Christ Jesus.
And this truth does not apply to one or two; it applies to as many that believe!
The gospel is that Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected. And in that we believe that which he has done, we are now saved.
How can you be saved?
By believing in the finished works of Christ. What a thrill! Oh, such great news.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”– Romans 10:9-10.
So, what do a man need to be saved? To believe in what Jesus has done. In believing, we receive that which Christ has freely given to us. We receive his forgiveness.
We receive his spirit. We receive his gifts. We receive JESUS.
He has already done the work. He had already conquered the grave for us. He has already granted us the victory.
Oh death, where is your sting? It can’t be found! Why? Because Jesus rose from the dead.
Paul speaking in 1 Corinthians 15:14 said, “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is empty.”
But that’s not true, Jesus is alive!
And do you know what is even more interesting?
We are now alive in him! We are in him; he is in us. For he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17).
In that while we were still in sin, he died for us (Romans 5:8).He gave himself for us before we could even come to him. This is true love. God was not responding to man’s actions in salvation.
Rather, he had already given himself for us. That we may be reconciled back to him. Surprisingly, it does not end there. We have also been given the ministry of reconciliation.
For as many of us who have put our trust in Jesus, it is our call and responsibility to tell people about Christ.
We cannot afford to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God at work unto salvation (Romans 1:16).
The gospel has saved us, it can save many others.