What does it mean to be saved by Jesus? An Uncomplicated Explanation

10:20

Have you asked, "what is salvation?" You may have heard people say they've been "saved." Saved from what? Maybe someone has asked if you would like (or said you need) to be saved and wondered, "why do I need to be saved? Or "why would I consider salvation?" Or maybe you are interested in receiving salvation but would like to know more before deciding if it's for you.

Understanding the meaning of being "saved through Jesus Christ" and why it is important can be puzzling. To complicate matters, Christians sometimes use unfamiliar words, harsh judgments, or pressure that can be off-putting and muddy the simple but profound message of God's loving offer to each person. I encourage you to check things out for yourself rather than letting unattractive presentations of the Gospel influence your decision about what to believe because taking the time to investigate and give thought to salvation is vital...and only you get to make your own choice.

In this article we will look at:

What is salvation?
Why would I want salvation?
What happens if I reject salvation?
How would salvation change my life?
How can I be saved?
Frequently asked questions
My story

Prior to becoming a believer, I had a lot of the same questions. Before becoming curious though, I scorned Christians. I was an atheist who debated with Christians...mainly because I was amused when they became frustrated by questions they could not answer. As I learned more though, my perspective was challenged, my heart softened and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. At the end of this article, I share a little more about my decision to receive the gift of salvation.

What is salvation?

Salvation is escaping the penalty of spiritual death - eternal separation from God. This may not immediately seem significant but go with me and I will do my best to clarify. God is the author of all goodness meaning that without God, there is no goodness, leaving us with only depravity, emptiness, brokenness, suffering, and hopelessness.¹

The penalty of death is imposed on everyone who has sinned, which is all of us. No one is able to cleanse themselves of their sin; only God can erase sin and save us from its penalty. Through His Son, Jesus, God provided the one and only way to be forgiven from sin so we can be reconciled to God.

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, sin is “transgression of the law of God.” God’s law was first expressed through the Ten Commandments. (Jesus later summarized the core message of all of God’s commandments: to love God above all else and to love others as yourself.)

Before Jesus’ crucifixion, God’s people needed to make regular sacrifices to atone for their sins. Then, out of His great love, God sent the Savior of the world to die in our place; and in so doing, He removed the need to make regular sacrifices because Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for sin, which is offered to all people, for all time.

Why would I want salvation?

Because Jesus conquered sin and death when He rose from the dead three days after being crucified, He can save you from death. Receiving salvation is not just about having eternal life in heaven, it is a gift that also impacts the here-and-now by freeing you from sin’s power over your life.

Through Jesus, you can never be condemned for your sins. God’s enemy, Satan, tries to condemn the forgiven, but we do not need to listen to these lies, because, in Jesus, we are not condemned. As a Christ-follower, you would be a new person - your old life would be gone. Instead, you would be able to live out the good plans God has for you with Jesus interceding for you and the Holy Spirit helping you.

What happens if I reject salvation?

God is pure and, therefore, He cannot tolerate sin without defiling His purity.

If we’re honest, I think we can agree that paradise is not paradise if people are mistreating one another. For heaven to be heavenly, there needs to be ongoing love and respect for each other. This can only happen if sin is abolished. Through Jesus taking on the sin of humanity by dying on the cross, sin is put to death. Anyone who chooses instead to hold onto their sin by rejecting forgiveness cannot enter heaven.

God will not force Himself on anyone. Sometimes people ask, “what kind of God sends people to hell?” On the surface, this question seems valid but through digging a little deeper it becomes clear that it is misguided because God doesn't send anyone anywhere...He lets each of us choose to either be with Him or go another way.

How would salvation change my life?

Your life would change. The idea of change is more appealing to some than others. Fear of the unknown is a thing, and it can keep people stuck in a place of predictable (yet false sense of) comfort while robbing themselves of soul satisfaction. For others, there is a strong desire for a change in life's circumstances but the path to peace eludes them.

Salvation would allow you to have peace with God because no longer would sin separate you from Him. You would have a personal relationship with our loving heavenly Father, having assurance that you will always be loved and never rejected by God because His love is unending, unconditional, and complete. You would also have the Holy Spirit guiding and empowering you to follow the path of wisdom and encouraging you in all the ups and downs in life...which, despite what some Christians may say, don't go away, though the types of challenges may change. By having a personal relationship with God, you would have the vision and power needed to make positive changes, and when difficult circumstances are beyond your control, you would be able to take part in a strong fellowship with Jesus amid suffering because He knows suffering firsthand. Ultimately, the most meaningful element of life is to be seen, known, and loved and receiving salvation through Christ meets that need more than can be imagined.

How can I be saved?

Once a decision is made to receive salvation through Jesus, Scripture says to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

That means to believe that it is only Jesus’ death that can pay the price (death) for your sin; and that sin and death were conquered for you when God raised Jesus from the dead. The only way for your sins to be forgiven is by receiving Jesus’ gift of salvation through His crucifixion and resurrection. Receiving that gift happens simply by believing that God sent His only Son, Jesus, the Messiah so that you can take hold of the righteousness of God. Confess to God that you have sinned and you want Him to be the Lord of your life. It may sound something like, “Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. I have been [divisive, dishonest, violent, selfish, etc.]. I know that you died on the cross for my sins, and I am asking you to forgive me. I want to live for you.”

Frequently asked questions

Will Jesus forgive me if I have done horrible things? Yes! "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." - Colossians 2:13-14, NIV

Is there anything else I need to do to be saved? No. Sometimes people mistakenly believe that we are saved by doing good works; doing good works is the natural outflow of salvation not the source of salvation. Another misguided belief is that baptism is required to go to heaven. It is true that Jesus instructs believers to be baptized but rather than it being the path to salvation, it is an act of faith and obedience after receiving salvation. Luke 23 records an interchange between Jesus and a criminal while they were both being crucified. The criminal asked Jesus for salvation, to which Jesus replied that the man would enter heaven.

Do I have to "clean up" my life before going to church? No. Going to a biblical church that lovingly shares the truth is a great way to learn more about Jesus. Nobody lives perfectly; we all live under God's grace. People at church will always continue to grow in their faith.

My story

I was saved by Jesus after a period of atheism. At a time in my life when I needed to know if there was anything more to this life than what I could see, I took a risk by speaking aloud into the air saying, "God if you exist, you need to show me..."

In that moment, a warmth and very real sense of God’s presence came over me. I knew immediately that God loves me, and Jesus became my best friend whom I talked to everyday about almost everything. It wasn't until about a year later that God impressed upon me that Jesus is meant to be not just my Savior and friend, but also the Lord of my life. This was a big change in thinking because I was accustomed to doing what I wanted, how I wanted, and not interested in having anyone tell me what to do. But God gently asked me if I could trust Him by accepting His Lordship, explaining to me that His guidance comes from a place of love. I chose to accept Jesus as the Lord of my life, was baptized, and began to ask God to guide me in my daily decisions. I still make mistakes and sometimes rush ahead instead of asking God for direction. Each time, I confess my sins and receive forgiveness.

Takeaway

Anyone that seeks God with an open heart will find Him. If you have more questions or reservations about being saved through Jesus, talk to God about it; you don't need to use special words, just talk naturally. You can ask God to reveal Himself to you in a way you can understand, and He will! Seeking input from Christ-followers can also be helpful. Remember too, that the Bible is God's Word² so you can get answers from reading it. A good place to start is by reading the accounts of Jesus' time on earth - they are found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which are the first four Books of the New Testament. Another option is to use a Bible index to find passages about topics of interest.

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Footnotes:

1. If you don't credit God with being the source of goodness or even being real, I encourage you to search the Scriptures where you will find many examples of grace upon grace bestowed on humanity and ample descriptions of unexplainable occurrences that could only be credited to a being outside of people. And, before discounting the Bible as a reliable source for answers, please understand that it has more evidence of credibility than any other historical document.

2. On the topic of reading the Bible, it is important to be aware that, while there are 50+ reliable English Bible translations, there are sects with their own books they falsely call Bibles which mix some biblical truths with heresy and preach an incorrect path to salvation. Reliable versions of Scripture (like those that can be found at BibleGateway.com) have a couple things in common. One is that, though some wording varies, the meaning remains the same. And the second is that they share the same originating source: 5,000+ ancient Greek manuscripts, of which consistently corroborate each other regarding the accounts in this historical document. To learn more, read: 4 Sects Mistaken as Christian & How they're Unsound.