10 STEPS TO GETTING SAVED.

Here are 10 steps to getting saved. Many people don’t know what it means to “get saved” or to be “born-again“. These mean that regeneration takes place in a person’s spirit, which causes the individual to become connected to God.

Now, there is no hard and fast way to get into God’s good graces. However, it is important that we all know where we stand with him. Getting saved or being born-again is the only way to ensure that you are connected to God in your spirit and are in right standing with Him.

STEP 1

Do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in Heaven?

If God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” what would you say? You don’t know? Then here’s the best news you could ever hear!

The few minutes it will take you to read this may be the most important time you will ever spend. Did you know that the Bible tells how you can know for sure that you have eternal life and will go to be with God in Heaven?

The Bible says there are five things you need to know about eternal life:

“These things I have written unto you . . . that you may know that you have eternal life . . .” (1 John 5:13)

STEP 2

The Bible says, “ . . . the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). And because Heaven is a gift, like any other genuine gift, it is not earned or deserved.

No amount of personal effort, good works, or religious deeds can earn a place in Heaven for you.

“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

WHY is it that no one can earn his/her way to Heaven? Because . . .

STEP 3

Humans are sinners. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Sin is violating God’s law and includes such things as lying, lust, cheating, deceit, evil thoughts, immoral behavior, and more.

And because of this, man cannot save himself. If you wanted to save yourself by good deeds, do you know how good you would have to be? You would have to…

“Be therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

With such a high standard, no one can save himself.

However, in spite of our sin . . .

STEP 4

God is merciful, and therefore doesn’t want to punish us.

This is because “ . . . God is love” (1 John 4:8). And He says, “ . . . I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

However, the same Bible which tells us that God loves us, also tells us that God is just and therefore must punish sin. He says “. . . (I) will by no means clear the guilty . . .” (Exodus 34:7). And “. . . the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

We have a problem! BUT, God solved this problem for us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

STEP 5

Who is He? The Bible tells us clearly that He is the infinite God-Man (100% God & 100% man).

“In the beginning was the Word (Jesus). . . and the Word (Jesus) was God. And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . .” (John 1:1,14).

Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a sinless life, but while on earth, what did he do? He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the grave to purchase a place for us in Heaven.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity (sin) of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Jesus Christ bore our sin in His body on the cross and took its penalty. He now offers you eternal life (Heaven) as a free gift.

This gift is received by faith alone.

STEP 6

Many people mistake two things for saving faith:

Saving faith is not mere head knowledge, like believing certain historical facts. The Bible says that the devil believes there is one God, so believing that there is one God is not saving faith.

Saving faith is also not mere temporal faith, that is, trusting God for temporary crises such as financial, family, or physical needs. Now these are good, and you should trust Christ for these, but they are not saving faith!

Saving faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. It means resting upon Christ alone and what He has done rather than in what you or I have done to get us into Heaven.

“. . . Believe (trust) on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . .” (Acts 16:31).

The question that God is asking you now is would you like to receive the gift of eternal life?

STEP 7

Because this is such an important matter let’s clarify just what it involves.

It means that you need to:

Transfer your trust 
From what you have been doing to what Christ has done for you on His cross

Accept Christ as Savior
Open the “door” to your heart and invite Him in.

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 . . . .” (Revelation 3:20)

Receive Jesus Christ as Lord
Give Him the “driver’s seat” and “controls” of your life, not the “back seat.”

Repent of all sin
Be willing to turn from anything that is not pleasing to Him. He will reveal His will to you as you grow in your relationship with Him.

STEP 8

Now, if this is what you really want, you can go to God in prayer right where you are. You can receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ right now.

“For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:10,13).

If you want to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, then call on Him asking Him for this gift right now. Here’s a suggested prayer:

“Heavenly Father, I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is your son and that he died in my place. I know I’m a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But You loved me so You sent Him. I believe that He also rose from the grave to secure a place in Heaven for me. I now repent of my sin and trust in You alone for eternal life. I thank You for Your gift of eternal life. Please take control as Lord of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!”

If this prayer is the sincere desire of your heart, look at what Jesus promises to those who believe in Him: “. . . I say unto you, he that believes on Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).

STEP 9

If you have truly repented (forsaken, turned away) from your sin, placed your trust in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death, and received the gift of eternal life YOU ARE NOW A CHILD OF GOD!

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name”(John 1:12).

If you did that for the first time, then today is your spiritual birthday—a day you will always want to remember! The Bible speaks of those who receive eternal life in these words:

“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).

STEP 10

Just as a newborn baby grows physically, in a similar way you can grow spiritually.

Read the Bible
Starting with the Gospel of John, read a chapter each day. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word (of God), that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

Pray Everyday
Spend time each day talking with God. “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).

Worship
Regularly attend a church that honors Jesus Christ and teaches you the Bible. “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1). “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

Fellowship
Join with Christians who will help you grow in faith. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

Witness
Tell someone what Jesus Christ means to you! “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me . . .” (Acts 1:8).

These “10 steps to getting saved” were adapted from Evangelism Explosion. They have outreach and discipleship ministries throughout the world.

A LICENSE TO SIN???

The following scripture draws a contrast between something earned or due to be paid and something not earned or freely given. Let us examine this and see how it applies to my topic.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 KJV

The word “wages” is translated from the Greek word OPSONION (Strong’s G3800). It refers to that part of the soldier’s support given in place of pay [i.e. rations] and the money that he is paid (Luke 3:14). It is also a metaphor for wages: hire or the pay of sin.

The word “gift” is translated from the Greek word CHARISMA (Strong’s G5486). It refers to a favor someone receives without any merit of his/her own.

This means that death is the pay for sin but eternal life is unmerited favor through Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, telling them they had been freed from sin and it’s pay. He explained that they should not yield to sin since they were under grace.

This also means that sin still affects the recipient of eternal life and may even affect this unmerited favor. Why else would Paul caution them and us so fervently. He said anyone who yielded to sin was a servant of sin and that sin led to death. We discussed this death in the previous post: WILL GOD LET PEOPLE GO TO HELL.

Paul asked a most important question: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” Romans 6:1 KJV.

Paul had previously told them: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 KJV. He was saying the law came so that the wrongdoings might be multiplied. He also said where sin had multiplied (abounded) grace had increased beyond measure (did abound). He used two different Greek words for these two words.

Now in 6:1 he was asking them if they thought they had a license to sin since grace increases beyond measure when sin is multiplied. He answered with: “God forbid” and issued a command in 6:12-16.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”