The need for Salvation

Since the Garden of Eden, people have been separated from a personal relationship with God because of sin. The Bible is the history of how God took the initiative to restore that lost relationship. God brings people back into a relationship with Him because He loves them. God wants people to respond to His love by putting their faith and trust in Him. When they do, God makes an agreement or covenant with them so that they will know what is expected of them in this relationship. Our responsibility in this relationship is given in covenants and laws.

Separation from God

On the day that Adam and Eve sinned, they did not die a physical death but they died a spiritual death. Spiritual life comes from having a relationship with God who is life and the source of spiritual life. When Adam and Eve sinned they were driven out from the Garden of Eden and separated from God.
It was sin that separated God and man in the Garden, and it is sin that continues to separate God and people today. Adam's disobedience brought sin into the world so that all mankind comes under the curse of sin. This sin separates mankind from God and the result is spiritual death.

God's Covenant

The basis of all of these relationships between God and His people was the covenant. A covenant is an agreement. In the Bible such an agreement was like a contract which was entered into by two parties. These covenants are made between God and His people. God made a covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:9), with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), and with Moses (Exodus 20). God's final covenant with man was sealed with the blood of Jesus. Jesus calls this final covenant the "new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20).

  Christ's Death: God's Solution to the Problem of Sin

God solved the problem of sin by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Jesus began his earthly ministry with the announcement of John the Baptist, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." The solution to the problem of sin will be accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Lamb, and his sacrifice on the cross.

In the Old Testament or Covenant, under the Ceremonial Law, there was no forgiveness of sin without the shed blood of a sacrifice. The old sacrifices required killing and shedding the blood of bulls, goats and lambs at various times of the year. The sacrificial animal had to be perfect, in that, it was to be without spot or blemish.

As the Lamb of God, Christ would become the final sacrifice for people's sin. Christ's death as the final sacrifice put an end to the need for further animal sacrifices. This sacrifice of Christ on the cross was to be the sacrifice offered once for the sins of the whole world.
 

Faith: Man's Response to God's Solution

No doctrine of scripture is clearer than the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Mankind can only be saved by God's grace (love) in sending Jesus to die, followed by man's response of faith (trust) in Jesus and what He did on the cross. This doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is concisely stated by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians:

In two sentences the Apostle Paul has given God's plan of salvation. Every phrase is important, so each will be examined separately.

1. "For it is by God's grace that you have been saved."
God's grace is the basis and foundation for man's salvation. "Grace" is God's love for man even though man does not deserve it. God loves man though he is a wicked, sinful, enemy of God (Romans 5:6 and 7). This love for sinful man is grace, the undeserved love of God. Paul describes grace as God's love being demonstrated in Christ's death for sinful people.
 

2. "You have been saved through faith."
Faith is man's response to God's grace. Man's response of faith is directed toward a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. "God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:22). Man cannot be saved by putting his faith in a doctrine, in the church, or in his ability to do good (the law). The only way for man to be saved is by putting his faith in the person of Jesus Christ.
 

3. Salvation is "not the result of your own efforts."
A person cannot save himself by his own strength or effort. There is nothing in people that deserves salvation from God. And "no one does what is right, not even one (Romans 3:11). To believe that man can be saved through his own efforts is to misunderstand the sinfulness of people and the holiness of God.
 

4. Salvation is "God's gift".
Salvation must be God's gift since it cannot be worked for or earned as a result of people's efforts. Something that is earned can no longer be a gift, it is wages.
God's grace caused Him to send Jesus to die on the cross for people's sin. Jesus' death on the cross was the demonstration of God's grace. This death of Christ on the cross was a free gift since there was no one who deserved being died for. "But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)!
Salvation is offered to people as a gift. Those who try to earn the gift will fall short because of their sin. Only those who are willing to reach out by faith will take hold of the free gift of salvation.
 

5. "No one can boast" about their salvation.
There is no room for boasting in salvation because salvation is not earned or deserved. A person could boast or brag about his salvation if salvation came as a result of works or effort. But the Christian message is humbling, indeed. It begins with the fact that all people are sinners and separated from God. The only solution to the problem of sin rests in putting faith in Jesus and His death on the cross. There is no room for pride in a Christian's heart because a Christian is a person who has accepted a gift. The gift is the most important thing in the world, salvation. And this gift is offered to people by his Creator. The gift can be received only by faith. The Apostle Paul's summary of the plan of salvation could not be clearer.

Confession

Confession is simply telling God that you know that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. In confession you are not telling God something that He does not already know. God knows that you are a sinner and what all of your sins are. When you confess, you are simply telling God that you finally realize that you are a sinner in need of a cleansing. If you will confess your sin to God, He will completely forgive you of all your sin.
 

Repentance is turning away from sin and turning toward God. When you repent you are telling God that you want to stop the sin in your life and be the kind of person that He wants you to be. Jesus said that repentance or turning away from sin is necessary for salvation. "I tell you, unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3,5 NASB).

A Typical Prayer of Surrender

Lord, I confess to you that I am a sinner in need of your salvation. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. So I ask you to forgive me of my sin.
Lord, I want to repent by turning away from the sin in my life and turn to-ward you as my Savior.
Lord, I want to surrender my life to you and ask you to make me the kind of person that you want me to be. I want to live my life for you.
Lord, give me your Holy Spirit so that I can have the power I need to live a life that will be pleasing to you.
I thank you that I am now your child. In Jesus' name I thank and praise you,
Amen.

Next Steps?

What you do now is up to you and your Saviour. May we suggest reading The Bible, joining other believers in fellowship, and getting baptized. Contact us for more suggestions and helpful ideas.

pastor@seventhdaybaptist.ca