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There is much confusion in the religious world concerning this question. Yet, it is a vital question that must be answered accurately. Despite the confusion in the world, God’s word is implicitly clear on this matter. We are saved only when we die to ourselves and live for Jesus, as He died and gave His blood to save us. The Bible clearly states that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We cannot work off the debt of our sin. We cannot do deeds of righteousness that will overcome the debt of our sin. Our salvation rests entirely on the grace and mercy of God (see Romans 5:6-9, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16). The fact is salvation is a gift from God. So, how does one receive this gift from God?
The Bible tells us many times that grace is received and salvation is given when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Placing faith in Jesus involves several clear activities explained in the Bible. For convenience, we will condense those activities into a simple five-step approach.
HEARING THE GOSPEL: The first step is to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Put simply, that gospel message concerns the death, burial, resurrection and glorification back to heaven, of Jesus the Son of God. God asks that we hear the teachings of His Son, and that we accept Jesus as the Lord of the universe. By accepting His lordship, we surrender our will to His will and begin to live daily to please Him.
BELIEVING THE MESSAGE: Believing takes us beyond simple intellectual assent. It means that we accept the message of Scripture to be true concerning Jesus, and we accept our own lost position and need to be saved by Jesus. It means we understand that there is heaven and hell, and only those saved by Jesus will inherit heaven. It means we understand that we are helplessly lost without Jesus with no hope and no way to save ourselves. Believing is in Jesus and His power to save.
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