“I feel alone. How can I be a part of something bigger than myself?” “There is so much darkness in my life. How can I find the light?” “I know there is something missing in my life. What is it?” "I feel lost, confused, and empty. Where can I find real life?" "I am afraid of what will happen after I die. How can I have hope beyond death?" “I know things are not right between me and God. How can I
have a right relationship with Him?” How can I be saved? Most everyone has asked one or more of these questions at some time.
Where can we find the answers we are looking for? The answer to all of these questions and more can only be found in one place – Jesus Christ. To
really understand what this means takes a little deeper look. Why do I feel the way I do? All people seem to naturally have a feeling of uneasiness, emptiness, confusion, loneliness, fear, or darkness. We have a sense that something is missing, that something is not right. There is a reason for this feeling – all people
are sinners, and sin separates us from God. A person can only have true peace
and fulfillment when they have a proper relationship with God. In the Bible,
Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Even
though we might think we are not as bad as some people are, there is no denying
that all of us, even the “nicest” people, have broken God’s Law. What about you?
Let’s do a quick test with some of God’s Laws from what has been called “The
Ten Commandments” (see Exodus 20:1-17). Have you ever: • put other things in a place of greater importance than God (like money, work, family, friends, hobbies, etc.)? • used God’s name in a disrespectful way? • neglected to give God the time and honor He deserves? • been disrespectful to your parents? • had feelings of hate toward another person? (In God’s eyes hate is the same as murder – 1 John 3:15) • lusted after someone to whom you are not married? (Jesus said lust is the same as adultery – Matthew 5:28)
• taken anything that did not belong to you – even something small? • told a lie or been dishonest or deceptive in any way? • been jealous of someone? These are only a few of God’s Laws, and virtually every adult has broken all
of them. We have all sinned, and we are in big trouble. Sin separates us from
God. So I am a sinner? What is the result of sin? Sin causes us to be condemned. Here is a spiritual truth that is really
sobering: “… the wages of sin is death …” Romans 6:23a We are all under a death sentence because of our sin . Because of our sin, we deserve death. What is much worse, this does not only mean physical
death, but the death of the soul. Those who do not have their sins washed away
will spend eternity separated from God in a terrible place of torment (see
Revelation 20:11-15). What a horrible thought! Is there any way to escape that
fate? Yes! Is there any hope for me? Thank God, there is a way for us to be saved! Here is the best news we
could ever receive: “For God loved the world [you and me] so much that He gave His only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him will not perish [die and go to Hell], but
have everlasting life [in Heaven with God.] ” (John 3:26) Out of love for us, God sent Jesus to save us from this second death, and to give us a right relationship with God . The Bible tells us, “While we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus is God’s Son. He came to earth in a human form and lived a perfectly sinless life. Jesus
willingly became our substitute – He took the punishment we deserved for our
sins. He did this by giving His life on the Cross. He died in our place, died the
death we deserved. Jesus was crucified, died, and buried in a tomb – but He did
not stay there long. After three days, He rose from the dead, proving that He was
more than just a man – He is God! Jesus conquered death, and so can we, if we will place all of our trust in Him . Everyone has sinned, so nobody is right with God on their own. Nobody can be “good enough.” One of the most important parts of forming a proper
relationship with God is giving up the idea that you can save yourself. Once we
realize that we need Jesus to save us, the Bible tells us what to do: “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.” (Romans 10:9) Only Jesus has the power to save us from the punishment we deserve. He is
ready to come to our rescue if we will put all of our trust in Him. What must I do to be saved? The basic principles of being saved and establishing a proper relationship
with God can be easily remembered by this simple formula:
A-B-C: Admit, Believe, Commit Admit : You must first admit to God that you are a sinner. You confess that you have broken His Law, and that you are sorry for it. You confess that you
cannot save yourself, and you need the mercy and forgiveness that God
offers through Jesus. Believe : Second, you believe that Jesus is God’s Son, that He really is who the Bible says He is – God in human form. You believe that He lived a
perfectly sinless life, died to take the punishment for your sin, and rose
from the dead on the third day. Commit : Finally, you commit your life to God, asking Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. You place all your trust in Him, counting only on Him to save
you and guide you. Make a firm commitment that you will live for Him
from now on. How do I do it? In order to go through these steps and receive the forgiveness, love, and life
that God offers, you simply need to pray to Him and tell Him these things. You
don’t have to use these exact words, but here is an example of what you might
pray: “Dear God, I confess to you that I am a sinner. I know that because
of my sin I deserve to be punished. I am sorry for my sin. I do not
want to sin anymore. I confess that I cannot save myself. I believe
that Jesus is your Son, that He died on the Cross to take the
punishment for my sins, and that if I believe in Him I can be forgiven
for my sins. God, please forgive me. I ask Jesus to come into my
life and be my Savior and Lord. I will obey You and live for you for
the rest of my life. Amen.” If you believe that God is working in your heart right now, and that the time
is right, pray that prayer to God . If you prayed that prayer, and truly meant it, I have wonderful news – you are
now a part of the family of God! You have been forgiven of all your sin, and you have a brand new life! God is now your Heavenly Father, and He will always
be with you. You are now a true Christian! What comes next? Being saved is only the beginning. If you have trusted in Jesus as Savior and
become a Christian, there are several things you should do:
1. Tell others about your decision to trust in Jesus as Savior, especially your
family and friends. You may know people who want to make the same decision
you just did. First Baptist Church of Hillsville is ready to help you in any way we
can. You can let us know about your decision to trust in Jesus using the box
below.
2. Find a Church nearby that teaches the Bible faithfully. Attend regularly and
become involved. God wants us all to be ministers, helping others in their
spiritual journey.
3. Be baptized to show others that you have become a Christian. You can ask
the Pastor of the Church you attend about baptism.
4. Read the Bible and pray to God every day. If you don’t have a Bible, a local
Church can get you one. If you want to order a Bible, I would recommend a
Nelson NKJV Study Bible for adults and The Explorers Bible for kids. Congratulations on your new life in Jesus!
To print the four pages of “How Can I Be Saved?” on standard 8.5” x 11” paper,
click here to view the document in PDF format, then click on Print. A free
download of Acrobat Reader for PDF files is available here . If you cannot print
for any reason or have special requests such as larger print, please let us know .
© 2011-13 by First Baptist Church of Hillsville, Virginia, All Rights Reserved.
“I feel alone. How can I be a part of something bigger than myself?”
“There is so much darkness in my life. How can I find the light?”
“I know there is something missing in my life. What is it?”
"I feel lost, confused, and empty. Where can I find real life?"
"I am afraid of what will happen after I die. How can I have hope beyond death?"
“I know things are not right between me and God. How can I
have a right relationship with Him?”
How can I be saved?
Most everyone has asked one or more of these questions at some time.
Where can we find the answers we are looking for? The answer to all of
these questions and more can only be found in one place – Jesus Christ. To
really understand what this means takes a little deeper look.
Why do I feel the way I do?
All people seem to naturally have a feeling of uneasiness, emptiness,
confusion, loneliness, fear, or darkness. We have a sense that something is
missing, that something is not right. There is a reason for this feeling – all people
are sinners, and sin separates us from God. A person can only have true peace
and fulfillment when they have a proper relationship with God. In the Bible,
Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Even
though we might think we are not as bad as some people are, there is no denying
that all of us, even the “nicest” people, have broken God’s Law. What about you?
Let’s do a quick test with some of God’s Laws from what has been called “The
Ten Commandments” (see Exodus 20:1-17). Have you ever:
•
put other things in a place of greater importance than God (like money, work,
family, friends, hobbies, etc.)?
•
used God’s name in a disrespectful way?
•
neglected to give God the time and honor He deserves?
•
been disrespectful to your parents?
•
had feelings of hate toward another person? (In God’s eyes hate is the same
as murder – 1 John 3:15)
•
lusted after someone to whom you are not married? (Jesus said lust is the
same as adultery – Matthew 5:28)
•
taken anything that did not belong to you – even something small?
•
told a lie or been dishonest or deceptive in any way?
•
been jealous of someone?
These are only a few of God’s Laws, and virtually every adult has broken all
of them. We have all sinned, and we are in big trouble. Sin separates us from
God.
So I am a sinner? What is the result of sin?
Sin causes us to be condemned. Here is a spiritual truth that is really
sobering:
“… the wages of sin is death …” Romans 6:23a
We are all under a death sentence because of our sin. Because of our
sin, we deserve death. What is much worse, this does not only mean physical
death, but the death of the soul. Those who do not have their sins washed away
will spend eternity separated from God in a terrible place of torment (see
Revelation 20:11-15). What a horrible thought! Is there any way to escape that
fate? Yes!
Is there any hope for me?
Thank God, there is a way for us to be saved! Here is the best news we
could ever receive:
“For God loved the world [you and me] so much that He gave His only Son
[Jesus], that whoever believes in Him will not perish [die and go to Hell], but
have everlasting life [in Heaven with God.]” (John 3:26)
Out of love for us, God sent Jesus to save us from this second death,
and to give us a right relationship with God. The Bible tells us, “While we
were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus is God’s Son.
He came to earth in a human form and lived a perfectly sinless life. Jesus
willingly became our substitute – He took the punishment we deserved for our
sins. He did this by giving His life on the Cross. He died in our place, died the
death we deserved. Jesus was crucified, died, and buried in a tomb – but He did
not stay there long. After three days, He rose from the dead, proving that He was
more than just a man – He is God!
Jesus conquered death, and so can we, if we will place all of our trust in
Him. Everyone has sinned, so nobody is right with God on their own. Nobody
can be “good enough.” One of the most important parts of forming a proper
relationship with God is giving up the idea that you can save yourself. Once we
realize that we need Jesus to save us, the Bible tells us what to do:
“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.” (Romans 10:9)
Only Jesus has the power to save us from the punishment we deserve. He is
ready to come to our rescue if we will put all of our trust in Him.
What must I do to be saved?
The basic principles of being saved and establishing a proper relationship
with God can be easily remembered by this simple formula:
A-B-C: Admit, Believe, Commit
Admit: You must first admit to God that you are a sinner. You confess that you
have broken His Law, and that you are sorry for it. You confess that you
cannot save yourself, and you need the mercy and forgiveness that God
offers through Jesus.
Believe: Second, you believe that Jesus is God’s Son, that He really is who the
Bible says He is – God in human form. You believe that He lived a
perfectly sinless life, died to take the punishment for your sin, and rose
from the dead on the third day.
Commit: Finally, you commit your life to God, asking Jesus to be your Savior
and Lord. You place all your trust in Him, counting only on Him to save
you and guide you. Make a firm commitment that you will live for Him
from now on.
How do I do it?
In order to go through these steps and receive the forgiveness, love, and life
that God offers, you simply need to pray to Him and tell Him these things. You
don’t have to use these exact words, but here is an example of what you might
pray:
“Dear God, I confess to you that I am a sinner. I know that because
of my sin I deserve to be punished. I am sorry for my sin. I do not
want to sin anymore. I confess that I cannot save myself. I believe
that Jesus is your Son, that He died on the Cross to take the
punishment for my sins, and that if I believe in Him I can be forgiven
for my sins. God, please forgive me. I ask Jesus to come into my
life and be my Savior and Lord. I will obey You and live for you for
the rest of my life. Amen.”
If you believe that God is working in your heart right now, and that the time
is right, pray that prayer to God.
If you prayed that prayer, and truly meant it, I have wonderful news – you are
now a part of the family of God! You have been forgiven of all your sin, and
you have a brand new life! God is now your Heavenly Father, and He will always
be with you. You are now a true Christian!
What comes next?
Being saved is only the beginning. If you have trusted in Jesus as Savior and
become a Christian, there are several things you should do:
1. Tell others about your decision to trust in Jesus as Savior, especially your
family and friends. You may know people who want to make the same decision
you just did. First Baptist Church of Hillsville is ready to help you in any way we
can. You can let us know about your decision to trust in Jesus using the box
below.
2. Find a Church nearby that teaches the Bible faithfully. Attend regularly and
become involved. God wants us all to be ministers, helping others in their
spiritual journey.
3. Be baptized to show others that you have become a Christian. You can ask
the Pastor of the Church you attend about baptism.
4. Read the Bible and pray to God every day. If you don’t have a Bible, a local
Church can get you one. If you want to order a Bible, I would recommend a
Nelson NKJV Study Bible for adults and The Explorers Bible for kids.
Congratulations on your new life in Jesus!
To print the four pages of “How Can I Be Saved?” on standard 8.5” x 11” paper,
click here to view the document in PDF format, then click on Print. A free
download of Acrobat Reader for PDF files is available here. If you cannot print
for any reason or have special requests such as larger print, please let us know.
