How To Receive Salvation

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9 KJV)

Salvation is the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin in man through Jesus Christ's death and glorious resurrection. The process of receiving God's free gift of salvation and everlasting life is simple. But in order to receive this gift, you must, without any doubt whatsoever in your mind, accept some basic truths.

1. Sin is deliberate disobedience (rebellion) to the known will of God. (1 John 5:17)

2. All of us are sinners. There are no exceptions. (Romans 3:23)

3. God is perfect in holiness and righteousness. Since sin is against His nature, He cannot tolerate sin -- any sin! (Deuteronomy 25:16)

4. Because of the original sin in the Garden of Eden, man is alienated from God and must be reconciled to Him. (Psalm 66:18)

5. It is impossible for man to reconcile himself to God, either by works or by attempting to live a "good" life. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Any attempt to do so is bound to fail.

6. But God loves us so much -- and earnestly desires that no one be lost -- that He sent His Son Jesus into the world as a person that was fully God and fully man, a perfect sacrifice for our sin. He suffered and died horribly on a Roman cross. Three days later, Christ rose from the dead, thereby saving believers from the sting of spiritual death (also called the "second death"), and giving us the blessed hope of everlasting life in Heaven. (John 3:16-18) (1 Peter 2:24)

These things we must believe in order to be saved. There are no shortcuts. There is only one path to Heaven.

God makes it abundantly clear what we must do to be saved. We must confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord, repent and confess our sins to Almighty God, accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, and submit ourselves to His will. This means:

1. We must trust Christ in all things.

2. We must be obedient to Him at all times.

3. We must study Scripture diligently.

4. We must pray every day, not only for ourselves but for others.

5. We must listen for His voice.

6. We must turn away from the world and dwell on spiritual things.

7. We must obey the "Great Commission" (Matthew 28: 19-20) and spread the Good News of salvation to others at every opportunity.

If you can set your mind and heart to do all these things, then say the following prayer out loud.

Father, it is written in Your Word that if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and if I believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead, then I will be saved. Therefore, Father, I confess that Jesus is my Lord. I believe that You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand. I make Jesus Lord of my life right now. I give up my old life, repent of all my sins, close the door to the world, and put on my new life in Jesus Christ. Jesus, I invite You to come into my heart and live Your life through me.

I thank You Father God for forgiving me of all my sin. Thank You for my new life. Jesus is my Lord, and I am a new creation. Old, sinful things have passed away and everything has become new in Jesus' holy Name. Amen.

Now, by the grace of our loving, merciful God, you are living the first moment of your new life in Christ. The person that you were is dead -- crucified with Christ. You are reborn!

Rejoice and be glad. But be also warned. Satan has just lost you to his Mortal Enemy (who is God) and he is going to try to get you back, to discourage you, and to make you feel as if you are unworthy to be a Christian. Here's some practical advice that you can use in your new life in Christ.

1. Find a Spirit-filled Christian to help you over the rough spots. (If he is truly Spirit-filled, he will welcome the opportunity to minister to a new Christian. If not, then seek another. Pray about it and trust Jesus to lead you to the right person.)

2. Read your Bible whenever possible and meditate of what you read, asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and understanding. Start to become familiar with Scripture, especially that found in the New Testament.

3. Pray whenever you can. Find an out-of-the-way room (even a closet) in your home with a door that shuts (and preferably locks). Pray to God in secret. Ask God to hear your prayer. Be sure to confess all unforgiven sins every day each time you pray. Ask God to send His Holy Spirit to teach you to pray. If you are sincere, He will do just that and the Spirit will save you a lot of time fumbling around and being tongue-tied.

4. Find a Bible-based church and attend services faithfully.

5. Whatever you do, be persistent. Never become discouraged, no matter what happens. And don't be shy about going to Jesus for help. He's available 24 hours a day and He loves giving you a helping hand.

You are saved and all the angels in Heaven shout with joy. (Luke 15:10) You can count yourself among the redeemed.

If you have questions or experience difficulty, please do not hesitate to write me. I will be happy to help you as the Spirit gives me direction. The Lord bless you and keep you. And welcome to the family of God.

In His Name,
Pastor Ed Price

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Ed Price spent 35 years in print and broadcast journalism. He is author of 15 books. After becoming an ordained minister he settled with his wife on a farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, to study God's word and to write. Ed and Patty are the parents of three girls, have one grandchild, and cater to the every whim of two spoiled cats.
© 2008 Ed Price - All rights reserved. Visit his website, The Loving Heart.

This column is used with permission.