“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)
The word “salvation” is commonly used to describe the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 14:13). Generally, it means delivering or rescuing from evil or danger. In the New Testament, it is specifically used with reference to the great deliverance from the guilt and pollution of sin—‘the great salvation’ (Hebrews 2:3) made possible by Jesus Christ.
On the day of Pentecost when Peter spoke about Jesus of Nazareth, he said, “…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). These words struck the listeners strongly; the Bible says, “they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37). There was only one sure answer; Peter responded, “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). After Peter’s sermon, three thousand people were baptized and added to the church. It is understood that through their obedience to God’s commands, they were saved; they received salvation. In Acts 4:12, the Bible says, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Clearly, “salvation” is the same as “being saved,” and to be saved occurs when one is baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27).
Note the following points:
► Salvation comes by the grace of God. We cannot save ourselves.
► We are saved through our faith in God.
► Jesus died to save everyone in the world.
► God has given us His Word, which we must believe.
These are the steps to Salvation:
- Hear the Gospel, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
- Believe the Word, for “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
- Repent of your sins, for God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
- Confess Jesus as Lord, for He said, “Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
- One must be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit—or in the name of Jesus Christ (water baptism) for the remission of sins (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38).
It is important for us to understand that the five steps will provide us with salvation, but there is another essential step to get to Heaven—“ …be faithful until death…” (Revelation 2:10). Being saved is not enough by itself, but staying in that saved condition is critical to our eternal and heavenly rest.
A large section of the religious world follows a complex theology that says man is saved unconditionally, or in other words, if God wants to save you, He will and you cannot resist Him. This teaching contradicts what the Bible teaches about salvation. Men can resist God and have been doing so ever since Adam and Eve sinned through their disobedience. We can choose not to be saved, as some are doing. God’s plan, however, provides salvation for all men. First Timothy 2:4 says, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
