1. Why do we need salvation?

Because of the sin nature we are born with, our spirit is separated from God.

• John 3:3  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
• John 3:5-6  Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
• 1 John 5:12  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 

When we are reborn in our spirit, our sin nature is replaced with God’s nature, and we are made holy, blameless and righteous before God receiving the same status as Jesus himself.

• Colossians 1:22  In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight
• Ephesians 1:4 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love

Sin was a barrier to our relationship with God and had to be dealt with once and for all! 

• Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

We need our sins forgiven (past, present, future)

• Romans 3:23  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 
• Romans 3:10  There is none righteous, no, not one.
• Romans 5:18-19  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

We aren’t justified by our actions, even when we do good, it could never put us in position to receive forgiveness or son-ship from God.  We were separated from God by our sin nature.

It is necessary in order to come into right standing with God

• 2 Corinthians 5:21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
• 1 Peter 2:24  Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Our own self-righteousness or good works could never produce right standing with God.

• Philippians 3:9 And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith
• Isaiah 54:17  “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

God did it!!

2. How do you receive salvation? Is it automatic?

Salvation is a gift of God

• Ephesians 2:8  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. 

You receive salvation by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus.  It’s a choice, an active decision on our part.  Believing what God did through Jesus: What Jesus did, dying your death and taking your punishment by taking your sin, and then resurrecting to raise you up with Him to give you His righteousness with God.

• Romans 10:9-10  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. 

Salvation is not automatic; you must intentionally make a decision to accept what God has done for you for it to take place in you.  By grace, through faith. (Ephesians 2:8)

Faith is our positive response to what God has, by His grace, already done and provided through salvation.

• John 3:16 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. 
• Romans 10:9  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. 
•  Romans 10:10  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 
• John 6:47  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.”

God does not force it upon us and it isn’t automatic, but a choice of repentance. 

• Romans 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Repentance is a change of mind about sin, actively turning from sin to God by the exercise of faith.

• 1 John 1:9-10  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

And again,

• John 3:16  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. 

Because of the first man’s transgression, (Adam’s sin), all men are born into sin, and therefore automatically separated from the God who created him. His spirit being disconnected from the life flow of God’s Spirit.  Salvation is God’s plan to reconcile us back into right standing with Him.  To do this, He had to do away with the nature of sin in man by condemning it once and for all.  He did this by sending a sinless man, His own son to earth, Jesus, and placing all punishment and justice for it on him.  Jesus was the only man who could satisfy the legal conditions necessary for God to carry out our deliverance and salvation.  Salvation is a gift, and the only way to receive this gift of righteousness is to put our faith in Jesus as our savior and redeemer. When we do, we are reunited with God and His Spirit becomes one with our reborn spirit.  We are forgiven, reconciled with God, and receive His nature. 

We receive all the benefits of our salvation including going to heaven. 

For more on the benefits and blessings given to us at salvation, see “Living in the Blessing” article.