Making Jesus Christ Your Personal Savior

[Thomas Green]

How to be saved -- Why does man need to be saved?
How to be saved is the most important quest of any human life. This
quest begins when a man or woman first realizes their true state
before a holy God.

The intimate and sweet fellowship that the Father longed for with man,
the crown of His creation, was lost when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s
commandment in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned they lost
their right to eat of the tree of life which would have enabled them
to live forever. They were expelled from the garden and as such denied
the loving relationship that God desired to have with them. Their
sinful state made them unfit to linger in the presence of God. Far
from being a minor event, this Fall and expulsion of man was the
cataclysmic turning point of history and set humanity on a descent
which continues to this day.

Man without God makes his own plans, follows his own counsels and
lives by his own rules. Nevertheless, because man was created for
fellowship with God, there remains a dissatisfaction and longing
within man that can only be fulfilled by God Himself. As man is now
hopelessly decadent and God is perfectly holy, there exists the need
for God and man to be reconciled so that the fellowship may be
restored.

How to be saved -- What has God provided for man’s salvation?
How to be saved has been outlined for every man in the preaching of
the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ. “For God
was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting
people's sins against them. . .” (2 Corinthians 5:19). God, fully
knowing that man would fall, provided a means of reconciliation for
man; He knew that there was nothing that a man could do to make
mankind acceptable to God.

God sent Jesus Christ, who provided restoration for man with God by
giving His own life, shedding His own blood. There was no other way to
eradicate the effect of sin except by blood. “. . .Without the
shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22).
This shedding of blood indicated that the penalty for sin had been
paid; a life had been sacrificed for the lives of all who have sinned.
Jesus Christ’s willing submission to the massacre on the cross paid
the price for our sins and affected the means of reconciliation.
“Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But
because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in
God's sight” (Romans 5:19).

How to be saved -- What must a man do to be saved?
How to be saved is within the reach of every human being on the face
of the earth. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He provided
salvation for all. “‘And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw
everyone to myself.’ He said this to indicate how he was going to
die” (John 12:32-33). Salvation has been provided; it now must be
accepted. Once a man or woman recognizes the need for salvation and
realizes that God has provided for their salvation through Jesus
Christ, he or she must go on to embrace it.

Salvation is simply a process of confessing and believing. A man must
confess that Jesus is Lord, which signifies his realization that
Christ must have full rule over his life with all of His righteous
requirements. This confession of Christ as Lord also assumes that it
is Christ who will work and fulfill His own righteousness within man.

Next, he must believe that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
This belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus carries with it the
realization that the penalty has been paid for sin and power is
provided for man to live a life free from sin. Thus man’s relationship
to God is restored. “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made
right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are
saved. As the Bible tells us, “For if you confess with your mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you
are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that
you are saved” (Romans 10:9-11). Do you feel unworthy to “go to
heaven”? Peace with God is within your reach.

Do you understand that you are a sinner, and you believe that Jesus
Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin? Are you ready to
receive God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If so, believe in Christ,
repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him as Lord:

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have
separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away
from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me
avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my
sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I
invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my
heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me
obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name
I pray, Amen.”
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

If you decided receive Jesus today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a
way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our
commitment.
Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of
time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His
Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the
Bible.
Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of
believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
Find a local church where you can worship God.