How can my sin be forgiven?

Many people seek to please God by their good works, service, or commitment to their religion. God has made it clear from the pages of Scripture that on our very best day, our righteous deeds are merely filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). God will only be satisfied to forgive sinners through the death of His Son Jesus Christ in their place (Isaiah 53:10).

The Scripture says that we must recognize that we are guilty and call out for mercy and salvation (Romans 10:13). Sin has to be paid for, and Jesus Christ came and died for sinners on the Cross (Luke 19:10, 1 Timothy 1:15; Isaiah 53:11-12). Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on earth (completely fulfilling the law of Moses), and was killed on a Roman cross in the same way criminals were put to death. In fact, Christ died between two guilty criminals. Following His death, He was placed in a tomb. Three days later, Christ was resurrected from the dead and appeared to many witnesses (Matthew 28:6, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Has God humbled you and brought you to the point to where you see your need for forgiveness? Call out for mercy and grace to God, and you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10; 13).

What is repentance?

Repentance is necessary in order to be saved. Acts 3:19 explains that repentance is necessary for salvation. Repentance is the act of admitting that you are a sinner who deserves the condemnation of Holy God. True repentance is when you admit this before God and turn from your sin and turn to Christ in faith for the forgiveness of sin. Repentance is turning away from the old ways and turning to Jesus Christ by faith in His death, resurrection from the dead, and ability to forgive you and cleanse you of your sin (John 14:6).

Is Jesus Christ the only way?

Yes! Jesus Christ is the only way to receive Salvation. Jesus Christ Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus Christ is the only One to ever die for guilty sinners (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1-2). Buddha, Muhammad, and all of the other religious leaders of world history never paid the debt of sin of their followers. These individuals were all sinners themselves, but Jesus Christ was not a sinner, and He died to pay the sin debt of every person who would come to Him for salvation. Some people believe that mere sincerity in some religion will be good enough to get them to Heaven, but based on John 14:6, there is no other way outside of Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 tells us, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Therefore, in order to be delivered from your sin and taken out from under the wrath of God – you must turn to Jesus Christ and plead for Him to forgive you and save you.

How do I call on the Lord for Salvation?

In order to call on the Lord for Salvation, you must believe that He truly died for your sin, rose from the dead, and is willing to forgive your sinful condition. By praying to the Lord in a personal way, you can call on Him and admit you are a sinner who needs to be saved, and ask for forgiveness. There is no special or magical prayer that must be spoken. God hears and answers the prayer of a repentant sinner. You simply need to speak to the Lord like you speak to another person. He will hear you and He will save you. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37) What that means is that if you call upon the Lord for salvation – He will not turn you away! This is also said in Romans 10:13 – “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” No matter what you have done – if you are willing to repent and turn to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – He will save you.

What should be done following Salvation?

Baptism

Baptism is not salvation. Baptism is obedience following salvation which is a picture of what took place in your heart when the Lord saved you. You died to your old life, and you were raised to walk in a new life in Christ (Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Join a local Church

Growth is very important to new Christians. God has ordained a special way for that to take place, and it occurs through a local assembly of Christians (Acts 2:1-47; Hebrews 10:25). God never intends His children to be isolated.  He designed us to be a part of the local church – the family of God.  Through this family of faith, we encourage one another, pray for one another, serve one another, and work together to tell others about the good news of Jesus.

Evangelism

As a Christian you are commanded to tell others about the wonderfully good news of Jesus Christ. This takes place by sharing the gospel of Christ with people who are not saved. Evangelism is sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and new Christians can start immediately. In John chapter 4, a wicked woman was saved, and she went back to town and immediately began telling people about Jesus Christ. How do you start? The easiest place to begin is with your own personal testimony. People like to hear about how a person was once lost and how they were saved out of that condition.