Why is salvation essential?
God created us and gave us free will to choose where we spend eternity. God will not force us to spend eternity with Him; it is our free choice which we must make during this lifetime. The choice is whether we spend eternity in the presence of God and in His love, joy, peace and light or whether we choose to be separated from Him and His love, joy and peace and in darkness for eternity. It is a choice of extremes because God is light and love and is the source of all light and all love. Salvation is therefore the most important decision of our lives which determines our eternal destiny.
Our sinful nature with which we were born must be replaced by being re-born with the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, who indwells and guides us when we are saved.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the HolySpirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6.19
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the HolySpirit who was given to us. Romans 5.5
The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14.17
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16.13
We cannot enter the next life without being born again spiritually in this life. Salvation is essential for eternal life, for a loving relationship and fellowship with our Father God here and now and for victorious life on earth.
Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see thekingdom of God” John 3.3
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5.17
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10.10
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth 2,000 years ago to give us the only path and way to heaven and to eternal life after physical death.
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. John 3.16
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14.6
Salvation is a free gift, purchased for us by Jesus on the cross of Calvary, which cannot be bought, earned or justified by our good deeds.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2.8-10
Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began 2 Timothy 1.9
Other Salvation Scriptures
John 1.12, John 3.5, Acts 2.21, Acts 16.31, Romans 10.13, Galatians 5.1, Colossians 1.13, 1 John 1.9
HOW CAN I BE SAVED?
Salvation is available to every human being who repents, believes and confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died and rose from the dead.
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. Romans 10.9
THE SALVATION & COMMITMENT PRAYER
God is eager and ready to save when an individual wholeheartedly from the depth of their heart and unreservedly asks to be saved. It is not only a decision of our mind but is a total commitment and surrender of our heart and life to Jesus Christ who becomes the Lord of our life thereafter.
If you are willing to receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your Saviour, Lord and Master and to follow Him all the days of your life, as He will enable you to do by His grace and by the gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling you, pray this prayer now from the depth of your heart believing in faith and you shall be saved:-
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for coming to earth, for dying for me and shedding your blood for my sins and for my salvation, for bearing my sins on the cross, for suffering on the cross of calvary for my healing and for rising again from the dead.
I repent of all my sins, and ask for your forgiveness, Lord Jesus. Cleanse me anew. I ask you to come into my heart now and be the Lord of my life. I give you my heart and my life.
I declare that I am a child of God, I am saved, I am born again to everlasting life, I belong to Jesus; God Almighty is my heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Lord and the Holy Spirit is my counsellor, guide and comforter.
Thank you Lord Jesus for forgiving my sins, for setting me free from the powers of darkness. I now renounce any commitments I have made to them and am washed clean by your shed blood and am set free from any bondages.
The Holy Spirit now indwells me and I am a new creation. I will follow you Jesus all the days of my life and I will be faithful and true to the calling, purpose and plan you have for my life. I love you Lord Jesus with all my heart and give you all the glory for what you will do with my life. Thank you for saving me.
WHAT DO I DO AFTER SALVATION?
Salvation is the first day of your new life in Christ Jesus. You need to be discipled just as the 12 disciples Jesus called were discipled so that you learn scriptural principles and how to apply them to your daily life. Here is a checklist of things to do now that you are following Jesus Christ.
1) Please Contact Calvary Ministries and tell us that you have been saved. Details on the ‘Contact us’ webpage.
2) Join a Christian Church, Ministry or fellowship or, if there isn’t one near you, try to meet together regularly with other believers. Regular fellowship with other Christians and worship together in spirit and in truth (God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4.24) is important as is your discipling. You are welcome to worship with Calvary Ministries where we meet if convenient. Ask God to lead you to the place He wants you to be. You need to be within the Body of Christ, ie the Church of Christ of which Jesus is the head, and under the spiritual authority and guidance of a Pastor or Minister especially so when you are a new, born again, Christian. Talk to your Pastor or Minister about water baptism by total emersion as a public demonstration of your new life in Christ Jesus.
3) Read the Bible regularly and even daily whenever possible. It is essential to read the bible because it is the word of God and is truth and life and spirit. (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1. 1-2) A study bible or ‘spirit-filled bible’, as it is termed, are excellent bibles containing valuable teaching material supporting your study of the scriptures. The bible can be read and searched now on the internet: http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible/ Perhaps start by reading the gospels: the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in which you will see Jesus teaching the 12 disciples who walked with Him. It is possible to buy the bible on audio tape and CD etc which increases the opportunities to hear the word of God when doing other things. Also satellite TV may have a bible channel in your area.
Your faith needs to and will grow as you hear and receive the word of God into your spirit and not just in your mind. (So then faithcomes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10.17) Meditating or pondering on scriptures in our heart is how we renew our minds daily (And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12.2) and allow God to transform us progressively into the likeness of Jesus which is the purpose of our Christian walk and life. (My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4.20-22)
4) Pray daily to your Father in heaven in the name of your Saviour, Jesus. Speak to your heavenly Father from your heart. You now have a spiritual relationship with your Father God and regular fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit, who is a person, and who now indwells you, is essential. Your prayer life will grow and mature, indeed we never stop growing and maturing. Seek specific discipling for your prayer life which is a powerful weapon in our hands when used aright both for our needs and for the needs of others. (The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5.16)
Start often by praising and thanking God for what He has done for you. You discover yourself and your rights in Christ as you develop your relationship with Him and through prayer we learn to stay on the path He has set out for us to follow. Put Jesus first in your life, as scripture shows, before all men and all things and you will be blessed, such that you can be a greater blessing to others. (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6.33)
5) Speak out declarations of faith regularly. These may be scriptures which relate to current issues in your life or positive assertions of faith. What we say, even casually, has power and we need to guard both our heart and our tongue! (Death and lifeare in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18.21 ) Essentially, you get what you speak!
6) Live out your faith Let others see Jesus manifested in your life so that they might come into the knowledge of life and truth. (For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2.26)
(“The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1.17)
7) Share your faith and testimonies with others. Share the good news of Jesus Christ. (Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28.19)
8) Access Christian satellite television Christian television is available now in almost every part of the world by satellite. There is much good teaching available to encourage you and to build up your faith and Christian walk.
http://www.god.tv http://www.thebiblechannel.org
WHAT CHANGES WILL I NOTICE IN MY LIFE?
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ Philippians 1.6
The born again believer will begin to notice and will want to pursue the development of the following as spiritual maturing takes place:-
1) Increasing knowledge and receipt of God’s love, joy and peace which manifest in our lives as a witness to others.
2) Increasing love and demonstration of love for Jesus and those in our lives. Our love for Jesus is demonstrated by our availability, willingness and obedience to do His will.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
3) A desire to be, and a becoming more, like Jesus, ie holy, and an increasing distaste for sin of any kind, especially self-centredness, as the heart is focused on God who is love. Instant repentance and immediate forgiveness received of any known sins.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6.33
4) Increasing desire of the heart to share Jesus with others, to share the good news and to see others set free from the powers of darkness and from ignorance of spiritual law and of scripture
5) Ability and desire to forgive others and not to take offence. Fast forgiving of others is essential. Reduction in anger and increase in joy
6) Knowledge of your inheritance, blessings, authority, rights, freedom and duties in Christ, as a child of God, and how they are accessed and deployed, which empower you to live the victorious life now as Jesus promised (John 10.10 – see above)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
Psalm 111.10
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6.8
7) Greater ability to pray and worship from the heart and spirit rather than from the mind
CAN I LOSE MY SALVATION?
Yes. Jesus in Matthew 7.21-23 is transparently clear: "Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
A Christian is obedient to God’s will for their life. Persistent disobedience or backsliding, as it is often termed, negates the salvation commitment and requires repentance and re-commitment.
Jesus clearly warns of the consequences for those who are saved, and have indeed received gifts of the Holy Spirit but “do their own thing” and not God’s will. God requires Christians to remain in relationship and fellowship with Him so that they can achieve their individual and specific purpose, walking the path He has prepared for them, within His total plan for all creation.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15. 5-7
Scriptures above are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible
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