Foundations For Our Faith Ministries
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Foundations For Our Faith Ministries |
Salvation
Salvation, the most precious gift available to every one of us, and the single most important decision that each one of us will ever make in our lives. But what exactly is salvation, and how does it work? These are basic questions, but they can lead to not so basic answers. Let’s take a close look at this awesome gift of salvation that God is offering to us.
In chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis we have the creation of man and woman who are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). They are created perfect and without sin. However, in Genesis Chapter 3, they eat of the forbidden fruit which caused sin to enter into the world (II Corinthians 5:18). From this point on, mankind and the world were under the curse of sin. No longer could mankind have direct fellowship with God since God is perfect and sinless, and He cannot be in the presence of sin which mankind had become, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (NKJ: Romans 8:6-8) Thus, the need for a Savior, that is, one who can take away our sins. This Savior is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ knowingly and lovingly took on all our sins at the Cross, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (NKJ: Colossians 2:13-14) When he died, our sins died with Him. Everyone is a sinner by nature and falls far short of God’s minimum requirement of perfection, “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NKJ: Romans 3:22-23) It is our sinful nature that has placed us in a position of separation from God, thus placing us in a position of needing to be saved from our sinful state, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” (NKJ: Colossians 1:21-22)
Our sins have separated us from our creator, and have placed us in a position of deserving death, that is, spiritual death consisting of separation from our God for eternity. In the book of Romans we read, “For the wages of sin is death.” (NKJ: Romans 6:23) Wages are what is paid to a person based on the work they have performed. One might try to say that they are a “good” person, and, therefore, do not deserve this spiritual separation from God. What is not realized, is that to be “good” in the eyes of God, one must be sinless all their lives. That means one must never do and/or think about anything sinful. This would include lying, unclean thoughts, desiring things owned by others, saying harsh words, and a myriad of other thoughts and actions (cf. I Corinthians 6:9-10, Proverbs 6:16-19). I once heard a pastor use an analogy that really helped me to visualize my sinful nature from God’s perspective verses my own. The analogy centered around a swimming contest. The goal of the contest was to swim from the shore of California to the shore of Hawaii. All the people of the world were to participate. The winners of the contest would receive as their prize eternal salvation. When the starter’s pistol sounded, everyone jumped in the water. Almost immediately after the start of the race, the elderly and very small children began to drop out of the race. Not long after this, those who were not in good physical condition began to pull out of the race. After a couple of hours, the remaining contestants consisted of the well-trained athletes. Finally, after ten hours, it was down to only a handful of marathon swimmers. Then, in the twenty-forth hour, the final swimmer was pulled out of the water. Who were the contest winners? Was it the marathon swimmers who lasted ten hours, or maybe only the final swimmer who swam the farthest? Well, from the perspective of all the other contestants looking on from the shore, either of these options could be possible since these swimmers did so much better than everyone else. But remember, the contest was to swim to Hawaii. From the perspective of the man with the checkered flag standing at the finish line in Hawaii, there was no winner since all the swimmers ended up far short of the established finish line. Notice the difference in perspectives. Those on the shore were comparing the final swimmers to themselves and coming up with the conclusion that they were the winners since they were better than everyone else. Likewise, those marathon swimmers were probably looking at themselves and admiring themselves on how well they had done and how they were obviously the clear winners of the contest. However, from the judge’s standpoint, the final contestants were not even close to fulfilling the requirements of winning the race. So it is with God and His perspective on sin verses our own perspective. We tend to compare ourselves with other people to determine how good we are; whereas, God is comparing us to His yardstick which is Jesus Christ. We are looking to see how many swimmers we are ahead of in the contest, and God is sitting on the shore of Hawaii with us nowhere in sight. Visually, it would look something like this:
S**************************U***********
S=shore
* =other swimmers
U=us
Based on our perspective, we are ahead of most other swimmers; therefore, we must be doing “good.”
S--U-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------H
S=shore
U =us
H=Hawaii (God’s finish line)
Based on God’s perspective, we are not even remotely close to being “good.”
From the time of our birth we are sinners, separated from God because of our sinful nature, and in need of a means to be reconciled to our God.
It is no secret that our physical bodies will eventually grow old and cease to function, that is, we will physically die. Our souls, that is our spiritual being, will continue on for eternity (cf. for souls: Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:20, Acts 2:27). Now there are two, and only two, options for where our souls will spend eternity, with our God in Heaven or separated from God in Hell. There are no other options according to the Bible. Once we die, then we are judged and our eternal future is irrevocably determined, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (NKJ: Hebrews 9:27) Also note that the previous verse refutes the false theory of reincarnation, that is, we will not continually live, die and then come back to live another life or have a chance at doing better.
The choice is ours, and only ours to make. If before we physically die we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we will be saved from spending eternity in Hell. However, if we reject Jesus Christ, then our certain destiny is eternity in Hell, or what is also referred to as the “second death” (Revelation 20:6). When we die without Christ, in essence we spiritually die, which is the second death. The Bible is very clear about these two, and only two, options:
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NKJ: John 3:36)
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (NKJ: I John 5:11-12)
“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (NKJ: Matthew 13:41-43)
In the above verses we can clearly see that there are only two options for our eternal future: everlasting life with our Lord in heaven, or eternal separation from our Lord (spiritual death) in Hell. There is no third option, and there are no second chances. When we die, our eternal destiny is sealed.
In the book of Revelation, regarding Hell, we read, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (NKJ: Revelation 20:11-15) Those who are not found in the book of life, which is a record in heaven containing all the names of those who accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (cf. Phillipians 4:3, Luke 10:20, Hebrews 12:23), will be cast into Hell, or as it is referred to here, the “lake of fire.” However, in the subsequent chapters of the book of Revelation, i.e. chapters 21 and 22, we read of a wonderful place known as heaven. A place where those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life will spend eternity. Where will you choose to spend eternity?
It is our sinful nature that keeps us from God and salvation unto heaven, but it is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross that wipes away our sins and bridges the gap between us and God, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (NKJ: Colossians 2:13-14) We were spiritually dead because of our sins, destined to an eternity apart from God in Hell. But through the work of the cross our sins were washed away in the sight of God. The work has already been done and completed by Jesus Christ. All that is required of us is to accept the free gift of salvation. With our hearts we just accept and receive, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (NKJ: Romans 10:9-10) It is that simple. Jesus Christ has done the work, He has earned salvation for us, and now He is reaching out His hand that contains His gift to us. All that is required of us is to reach out ourselves and receive the gift. Again, we read in the book of Acts when Peter is asked by his jailer (he had been thrown into prison for preaching the gospel) about obtaining salvation, “Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…’” (NKJ: Acts 16:29-31) It is hard to believe that something so precious as eternal salvation would be so easy to obtain, but it is true. What is even more amazing is that God loves us so much that He sacrificed His own perfect and sinless Son to provide us this gift, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJ: John 3:16) God so strongly desires that all of us spend eternity in heaven with Him, and He has made the way to heaven so simple and easy. It does not matter what one has done in the past for Christ died on the Cross for all sins. Simply ask the Lord for forgiveness of your sins, ask Him to be Lord of your life, and believing you will be saved.
The act of receiving salvation is a simple one. The location does not make any difference, the position of your body, e.g. kneeling, sitting, standing, does not make any difference, your past does not make any difference, and there is not a set of specific words you are required to repeat. When you have made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, just, in your own words, ask Him for forgiveness of your sins, and ask Him to be Lord of your life, then you will be eternally saved. Your words do not have to be eloquent for God will know your heart. Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, for what are you waiting? There is no better time than right now to accept the gift of salvation from the Lord.
Who Can Be Saved?
There are no qualifications for salvation. Everyone and anyone who desires to be saved can be saved:
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (NKJ: Romans 10:13)
“That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.” (NKJ: Acts 2:21)
If you are a “whoever”, then you can be saved. What is more, the Lord actually desires that all of us should come to Him and be saved:
“God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ” (I Timothy 2:4)
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (NKJ: II Peter 3:9)
This is actually the only place in the Bible where God’s will will not be done. He desires for all of us to come to Him and be saved, but He has chosen to allow us to make the choice (See Bible Study on “Free Will”). Everyone in this world can be saved, but only some will make the personal choice to be saved.
Baptism: What Role Does It Play In Salvation?
The first step in studying the role of baptism in salvation is to understand that there are two general types of baptism: water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 3:11, John 1:33). Each baptism is separate and distinct. Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs when we are saved. There is some debate on whether this occurs at the moment we become saved, or at some later date. The main point is that when we are saved, we will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who will remain with us throughout our lives (cf. John 14:16-17). In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we read, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (NKJ: I Corinthians 6:19) When we are saved, we are given the Holy Spirit as an additional gift. Even more than a gift, the Holy Spirit is God’s mark or seal on us to show that we are His for eternity, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (NKJ: Ephesians 1:13-14) Baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the actual event in a Christian’s life of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Water baptism refers to an external event symbolizing what has already happened on the inside. It is an outward public expression of what has previously occurred. Water baptism occurs subsequent to being saved. God calls us to be baptized as a witness to the world of what He has done for us, that is, the death of our old nature and our rebirth as a new creation in Christ, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 5:17) In water baptism, we also symbolically share in Christ’s death and burial, i.e. being submerged under water, and His resurrection on the third day, i.e. being raised up from under the water. This is exemplified in the book of Romans when Paul writes, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (NKJ: Romans 6:3-4) Paul writes in his letter to Colossus, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (NKJ: Colossians 2:12)
We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (NIV: Ephesians 2:8). This faith comes through the Word of God, that is, the Bible, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (NKJ: Hebrews 10:17) This is why Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (NKJ: I Corinthians 1:17). Paul’s mission from God was to bring the gospel, the good news, to the people, and provide them the path to salvation. If the act of baptism was required for salvation, then it would have been part of Paul’s mission from God. However, baptism was not part of Paul’s mission; therefore, it is not a requirement for salvation.
In the book of Acts, we are given further insight into the act of baptism. In chapter eight of Acts, we have Phillip, one of the disciples, being asked the question of what is required to be baptized, “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” (NKJ: Acts 8:36-38) To be baptized, one must believe in Jesus Christ, that is, believe in Him who is the Son of God. We further read in Acts about a crowd of people hearing the gospel preached by Peter. Upon hearing the Word of God they believe and receive the Holy Spirit. Only those that are saved receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Then, after they are saved and receive the Holy Spirit, Peter calls on them to be baptized, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, ‘Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (NKJ: Acts 10:44-48). Here we have a clear example of salvation before baptism. The people heard the gospel, accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, were saved and received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and then were baptized lastly as a symbol of what they had already received. The water baptism was subsequent to salvation, and, therefore, not a requirement for salvation.
What then do we say regarding baptism. Baptism is an external witness to what has already happened inside the heart of a believer. It is an act of obedience to the Lord for He has commanded that all those who receive the gift of salvation should be baptized.
The word “works” used in a biblical context refers to those things that we do in our life which are done to serve God. These works could include such things as feeding the homeless, donating one’s time and/or money to their church, evangelizing to others, or helping your neighbor paint their house. The list is endless. An often asked, and debated, question regarding “works” is, “what role do our works play in salvation?” There are basically two views regarding works and salvation (There are actually three views, but the third view, that is, that we can be saved by works alone, is without any merit and is completely refuted in the other sections of this study). The first view is that we must have good works along with our faith in Jesus Christ to be saved. The second view is that we are saved through faith alone irrespective of our works. Of these two views, which is correct?
The answer is actually given clearly and concisely in the book of Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (NKJ: Ephesians 2:8-9) In this verse, God actually answers the question twice. The first part of the passage, verse 8, says that it is by “grace” that we are saved, and “that not of yourselves.” What is grace? Grace refers to a gift, that is, something we have not earned or really even deserve. If someone gives you a gift and then turns around and requires you to do something to earn the gift, then it is really not a gift, but something you have earned. For salvation is a gift from God (cf. Romans 5:15-18,6:23; II Corinthians 9:15). Verse eight then says, “and this not of yourselves”, thus accentuating the gift quality of grace, that is, having nothing to do with one’s own actions. Now some may try to debate the interpretation of verse eight, and I believe that the apostle Paul, the writer of Ephesians, foresaw this potential dilemma. Therefore, we have in the next verse, Ephesians 2:9, the clarification and amplification of verse eight. In this verse, Ephesians 2:9, he says that salvation is a “gift” and “not of works”. How much clearer can he be than this, “not of works”, thus, saying directly and specifically that “works” have nothing to do with obtaining eternal salvation.
The simple fact is that Jesus Christ did 100% of the work required for salvation when He died on the Cross. Not 90% or 99% or even 99.99999%, but 100%. The disturbing truth is that by taking the view that we must add our own works to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, we are in essence saying that His crucifixion and excruciating death on the Cross was not good enough. In the book of Galatians we read, “’I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.’” (NKJ: Galatians 2:21) The “law” refers to good works in the way of adhering to the rules of conduct laid down in the Bible. What this verse is saying is that if we can gain our salvation, that is righteousness before God, with our good works, then Jesus Christ died an excruciating and humiliating death on the Cross for nothing.
We are saved through faith apart from our good works. As Paul said in his epistle to the church in Rome, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (NKJ: Romans 3:28) Again, Paul writes in his epistle to Timothy, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (NKJ: II Timothy 1:9) Our Lord saved us not because of our good works, but because of His love for us, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (NKJ: Titus 3:4-5) The disciples of Jesus even asked Him directly, “’What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’” (NKJ: John 6:28) Jesus answered them directly and simply, “’This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” The only “works” that God requires of us for salvation is that we believe in and have faith in His son, Jesus Christ.
Scripture clearly teaches that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works that we may do on our own. But why then do some believe that works play a role in our salvation. Based on the above verses, it is readily apparent that our works have absolutely nothing to do with the gift of salvation. What then is the basis for the opposing belief that good works, to varying degrees, are required for salvation? The confusion is generally due to several misunderstandings/mistranslations of what God’s word says. The first misunderstanding is based on the confusion between salvation and rewards. These two things are distinctly separate and different. We have been discussing the gift of salvation which is just that, a gift. In contrast, there are rewards that are given in heaven to those who received the gift of salvation. Based on our actions here on earth, when we die and go to join the Lord in heaven, we will each receive gifts. Exactly what the gifts are, we do not know, and there is no profit in trying to speculate on what they might be. In the book of II Corinthians, Paul tells us, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 5:10) We, that is, we who are saved and will inherit salvation, will stand in heaven before Christ and have our lives laid out before us. Based on our faithfulness to Him, we will receive some form of reward.
In the book of I Corinthians, Paul gives us another picture of this rewards process, “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 3:13-15) In this passage, we have several revelations. First, we are told that each persons’ work, that is, their actions here on earth, will be judged as if being thrown in a fire. Whatever was done in our earthly life that was of eternal value will be like gold and silver, and will endure the fire; whereas, those deeds which have no heavenly value will be like hay and straw and will be burned up and consumed in the fire. Our rewards will be based on what deeds endure through this heavenly fire. The second point to note in these verses comes in the last part of the passage where Paul says, “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Literally, what he is saying is that if someone’s life deeds, that is, someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life, are thrown on the fire and everything is burned up, leaving nothing, this person will receive no rewards in heaven, but they will still be saved. More clearly stated, a person who has received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, but with no good works in his life, will receive no rewards in heaven, but they will not lose their eternal salvation. Throughout the New Testament, there are verses referring to rewards and prizes (cf. “Reward” - Matthew 5:12,6:1-6,16-18,10:41-42,16:27; I Corinthians 3:8; Colossians 2:18,3:24; II John 1:8; Revelation 11:18,22:12: “Prize” – I Corinthians 9:24-25; Philippians 3:4). These rewards and prizes have nothing to do with salvation, but are in addition to our gift of salvation based on our faithfulness to the Lord during our lives here on earth.
Similar to the problem of confusion between salvation and rewards/prizes, is the misinterpretation of some verses that use the words “work” and “salvation” both in the same verse. Most often when these words are appearing together, the reference is to a person externally exhibiting works which are an outward manifestation of what has already occurred inside the person. A good example of this can be found in the book of Philippians. Here Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (NKJ: Philippians 2:12) In the context of the passage, what Paul is referring to is that these believers should be doing good works which would reflect what has already occurred in their hearts, that is, receiving the gift of eternal salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (cf. Ezekiel 36:26-27; II Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6). He is encouraging them to have their actions be a positive witness to the world and to be glorifying to God. The works are a result of our new hearts and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, not the other way around.
As Christians, we are called by the Lord to live our lives as a testament to His gift to us (cf. II Corinthians 3:2-3), and our works, or good deeds, are to be a reflection of this gift and a light to others leading them toward the Savior (cf. Matthew 5:14-16). But our works are not a means to salvation in any way, shape, or form. For all the work required for salvation has already been completed on the cross.
Basic to the Christian belief, and a distinguishing difference between true Christianity and that of Christian cults or false religions, is the foundational belief that there is only one road, or way, to salvation which is through Jesus Christ. Scripture clearly teaches that all other roads, no matter how appealing or alluring they may be, will lead to eternal separation from the Lord, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (NKJ: Matthew 7:13-14) The wide gate represents all the false roads that pretend to lead to heaven and/or some eternal place of bliss; whereas, the narrow road represents the only true road to heaven, that being Jesus Christ. For the road to salvation is a narrow one, that being Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.
In the book of Acts, chapter four, we see Peter addressing the chief rulers in Jerusalem. During his discourse to these people, Peter speaks regarding Jesus, “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (NKJ: Acts 4:11-12) What a powerful statement, “Nor is there salvation in any other.” There is no other person, past, present, or future through which we can obtain salvation. True eternal salvation has only one source, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (NKJ: John 14:6). Jesus identifies himself as the only path to salvation. There is no need to search any other place but in Him.
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying to the Father. Jesus knew full well of His impending crucifixion and the pain He would suffer on the cross, both the physical pain and the spiritual pain of being temporarily separated from the Father (Jesus, on the Cross, became sin for us which separated Him temporarily from the Father which is why He cried out on the Cross, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘ My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (NKJ: Matthew 27:46).). While praying, Jesus Himself asked the Father if there was any other way that mankind could be saved besides His crucifixion, “ He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’” (NKJ: Mark 14:35-36) If there were any other way for a person to be saved, whether it be through works and/or through another belief, then that would have meant that God the Father did not answer the prayer of His Son Jesus. It would also mean that Jesus Christ did not have to die on the Cross, for there already existed other means by which a person could obtain salvation. The simple fact that Jesus Christ did ultimately die on the cross denies any notion that there was or is any other way for salvation except that which was freely given to us through our Savior’s death on the Cross.
There is only one way to obtain eternal salvation, and this way is simple. By believing in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross, and by accepting Him as Lord and Savior of our life we will be saved. All other ways lead to eternal separation from God.
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? If not, why? There is no better time than the present to secure your eternal future.