How can I get saved and stay saved? Am I saved if I don't FEEL saved? The Bible has the answers to these questions!
You can be saved! Your life can be free from sin and guilt. You can become a new person, with a living hope of an eternal life. You can be a child of God.
You can be saved! God wants you to be saved. He has made all the provisions. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth. Here Jesus lived a perfect life. Here He died to save you and me from the eternal fire of hell. But He didn’t stay in the grave. He rose in victory to give us life. Now, as you read this, He is in heaven interceding with God for us.
You can be saved! Jesus’ blood opens the way for you. Now He wants you to open the way for Him. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). God won’t force you to be saved. But Jesus is knocking, waiting for you to invite Him in. To be saved, you must open your heart to Him.
You cannot save yourself. Neither can you earn salvation, but you will be saved as you, by faith in Jesus, turn from your sins to live for Him.
You must believe. To be saved, you must believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ.
GOD is reaching DOWN. Will you reach up?
“For by grace are ye saved through faith [belief]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). You must believe that God is. You must believe that He can save you. “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 John 5:1). Believing means more than just knowing something. Believing means taking God at His Word and doing what He says!
If you can answer yes to these questions, then you can pray to God, telling Him that you believe in Him and His salvation.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
You must repent. When you believe that Jesus Christ will save your soul, you will repent. To repent is to be sorry for your past sins, and to not return to them. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Sincere sorrow for your sins will move you to confess your sins. You may not remember every one, but as they come to your mind you will confess them. Another part of repentance is making your wrongs right. If you stole a dime, replace it. If you lied, correct the statement. Make restitution.
You must live for Jesus. Receive Jesus into your heart, making Him Lord of your life. Accept Him as your ruler. Obey all His commands. He says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).
As you obey your Lord Jesus, you will do God’s will. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in your heart. His presence there will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22).
The following are an important part of living for Jesus:
You may claim God's promises. “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9–13).
Jesus says, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
Being saved is not merely an emotional experience. Emotions are fickle. Don’t judge your salvation by feelings alone. Instead, obey God’s Word and joy will follow.
If you obey God, you can know you are saved. Knowing this will give you deep peace in your soul. Your conscience will become clear as you make your wrongs right. The joy of the Lord will come upon you as you find new life in Christ.
Lamp and Light Publishers, Inc. 26 Road 5577, Farmington, NM 87401