Introduction To Salvation

How can I get saved? That is the question on the mind of many these days and rightly so. The stakes are high the consequences eternal. Get it right and the kingdom of God waits for you in the afterlife. Get it wrong and you will spend an eternity in darkness and torment separated from God. This is not something to take lightly.

The one condition for salvation is faith in God.

"knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."   Galatians 2:16

This means belief and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. It also means faith in God that He will keep His promise to raise you from the dead to be with the Lord in His kingdom.

"But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."   Galatians 3:22

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."   1 Thesalonians 4:14

God does not force anyone to accept His gospel. This must be entirely your decision. God did all the work, prepared the way, and He leaves it up to our free will to believe or not.

If you have come to the point in your life that you would like to be saved, and there is no better time than right now, then you must accept and have faith in God.

The foundation for salvation is that you believe in God. People ask, which God? The God of the Bible, the God of Israel, the one and only God, there are no others.

For those who like it short, simple, and to the point here is what you must do to be saved:

1.   ACKNOWLEDGE YOU ARE A SINNER

The first step to real change is admitting that something is wrong and that it needs to be made right. You must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of God's help.

"For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."   Romans 10:10

2.   REPENT OF YOUR SINS

You must feel regret and honestly desire to turn away from sin. It is not enough to simply admit your sins. A person that repents from sin is willing to submit and commit to God's will in their life.

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out"   Acts 3:19

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."   Mark 1:15

3.   BELIEVE AND TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR

The word "Christ" means Atoning Sacrifice. You must acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, He died as a covering for sin, rose from the dead, and now sits as Lord in Heaven.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."   Acts 16:31

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures"   1 Corinthians 15:3-4

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."   1 Thesalonians 4:14

4.   CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart then the Holy Spirit will come upon you and make you a new creature in Christ. You will be born again free from the guilt and penalty of Sin.

"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

5.   ASK GOD TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON YOU

You must be born again, baptized, filled, and sealed by the Holy Spirit to be saved. Ask God to send the Holy Spirit to perform this work and you will become a child of God.

Titus 3:4-7

  4     But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
  5     not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
  6     whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
  7     that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"   Luke 11:13

God is a spirit. We must walk by faith, not by sight.

A Sinner's Prayer

Conversion can be accomplished with what is referred to as a sinner's prayer. If you are ready to be saved then it is time to talk to God:

Heavenly Father I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I confess and repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I ask that you come into my heart, baptize me with your Holy Spirit, and make me a born again new creature in Christ. I have faith in your word and through your grace I know I am now saved in the glorious name of Jesus, Amen.

That is all it takes to get saved. And there is nothing that compares to the knowledge that you have just gained eternal life. Scripture tells us that the mind can not envision what wonderful and glorious things wait for us in heaven.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

God does not waist time. When you trust in Christ for you salvation the Holy Spirit comes to make you into a new creature. You are born once of water in the flesh but at conversion you are born of the Spirit.

It just happens, in a moment, and you may or may not be aware of what is going on. And that doesn't matter. This is not about you having an emotional experience. This is about the work of the Holy Spirit that changes a sinner into a new creature acceptable to God.

By the work of the Holy Spirit a believer is:

  • REGENERATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

    This means you are born again a new spirit into the family of God. A child of man grows old and dies. But a child of God is changed from death to eternal life. This brings an inheritance from God that waits for us in heaven.

    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 3:3

    "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.   Titus 3:4-7

  • BAPTIZED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

    • Baptism by the Holy Spirit puts a believer in Christ and into the church. God's church is not a building confined by walls but the universal body of believers. Baptism means to change an object's character, state, and condition. We are immersed into Christ to the extent that we become identified with Christ. On judgement day when God looks at us He sees Christ covering our sins and we are saved.

    "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."   Mark 1:8

    "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.   Romans 8:1-2

    "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.   1 Corinthians 15:22

    "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.   2 Corinthians 5:17-19

  • FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

    You become a temple of God. The Holy Spirit takes up residence and becomes a guiding light in our lives.

    "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."   1 Corinthians 3:16-17

    "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.   I John 4:13-15

  • SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

    The Holy Spirit secures you with the seal of God and no power is able to take you from Him.

    This is not the end but a new beginning. It takes time for a new child of God to grow in the Word. After a new birth comes development and preparation for spiritual work.

    Genuine faith brings new desires, new priorities, and a commitment of service to God. One sign of a true believe is the desire to share Christ with others. But there are many ways to serve God. Be patient, pray and read the Word. God will prepare you for whatever work He has set aside for you.

    "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."   2 Corinthians 1:21-22

    "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,"   Ephesians 1:13

    "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."   Ephesians 4:30

    God's Promise

    Salvation is a gift from God that fulfills a promise by God to mankind. God was under no obligation to help us get out from under the penalty for sin. It is only by His grace that we are saved. The promise was made a long time ago when Adam and Eve sinned and lost their standing with God.

    Their sin separated them from God. They were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and their bodies started to age and die. Consequently we are born in sin separated from God by our sinful nature.

    God's judgement was tough but just. But God did not want to leave it there. He loves us and wants us to regain what was lost, specifically eternal life.

    God has a plan to redeem mankind from our fallen state. Part of the plan was a promise to Adam and Eve and their descendants that day in the Garden. The promise was made while passing out judgement to the serpent and Satan.

    "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."   Genesis 3:15

    This speaks of a fatal wound to the head of Satan at the coming Christ, the promised Messiah. Jesus Christ delivered that fatal blow to Satan two thousand years ago when He died and rose from the grave.

    The interpretation of this promise and prophecy is made clear in scripture. God is righteous and holy and so He can not let sin continue forever. The penalty from God for sin is death. But God did not want to see all of mankind die both physically and spiritually.

    "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."   2 Peter 3:9

    And this is the promise that He has promised us-- eternal life.   I John 2:25

    God provided a way to justify and free us from the quilt and penalty of sin. God's way required the shedding of sinless innocent blood as the way to atone for sin. This became the work of Jesus Christ.

    Remember we are born with a sin nature that is passed down somehow from the seed of Adam. So there can be no naturally born sacrifice.

    The proper sacrifice for sin must be unblemished and sinless. This is why God who is a Spirit took on flesh and blood and was supernaturally born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is God incarnate. He is the only descendant of Eve to be born without a sin nature. Jesus was not under the penalty of death because He never sinned. That is why Jesus was able to offer Himself on the cross as propitiation for sin.

    Propitiation is a big word that means an atoning sacrifice. This is what scripture refers to as the Gospel. Jesus reconciled mankind back to God, back to Himself. Jesus performed the work of a Kinsman Redeemer.

    Jesus met all the requirements and performed all the work required to free us from sin. The price was His life. It is a historic fact that Jesus lived, and was crucified, and was seen by many before He rose up to heaven.

    The promise from God is actually many promises. God promised to send a Savior. God promised to send us the Holy Spirit when He rose so that we would not be left alone. God promised to raise believers. God promised to rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years. God promised a blessing for those who read, hear, and keep His Word. You can count on God to keep all of His promises.

    The New Covenant

    Jesus fulfilled God's promise to send a Savior with His death and resurrection. This is referred to in scripture as the new covenant.

    The old covenant was only a pointer to the work of Jesus on the cross, the new covenant. The law and animal sacrifices could not save. The blood of animals can not atone for sin. And the law given to Moses only made us accountable for our sins. Because we all sin the law actually placed us under condemnation and brought in guilt.

    The new covenant replaced the imperfect sacrifices with a single perfect sacrifice in Jesus. The blood of Jesus covered all the sins we have committed and those we will commit before we die. Animal sacrifices and the law were only a pointer to Christ. Our sins, past, present and future, are not imputed to us. The blood of Christ gives full remission from sin.

    • Hebrews 10:12-22

      12     But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
      13     from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
      14     For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
      15     But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
      16     "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"
      17     then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
      18     Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
      19     Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
      20     by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
      21     and having a High Priest over the house of God,
      22     let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

    A covenant is a written agreement or promise under seal between two or more parties for the performance of some action. The covenant between God and us is shown as the redemption scroll in chapter five of the book of Revelation. Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer and with His blood He paid the price for our salvation. That is why He is the only One found in heaven and earth that can open the seals on the scroll.

    Think of this new covenant as God's will and testament for mankind. The will only takes effect after the death of the testator, the one who leaves the will in force at his death.

    Ephesians 1:11-14

      11     In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
      12     that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
      13     In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
      14     who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

    We have done nothing to deserve salvation. It is offered free by God's grace to those who believe. And that is a key point. Although free, the new covenant is not completely unconditional. Jesus died for all sin. But all mankind does not unilaterally become an heir to salvation.

    God left one simple and perfect condition for us to inherit salvation. The one condition for salvation is faith in God. We must believe and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only way to His kingdom.

    Faith Alone Saves

    This is the most valuable knowledge in the world so it is worth repeating. If you want to be saved you must have faith. Anyone that adds or takes away from this is mistaken and not speaking the truth.

    In chapter 23 of the epistle of Luke we read about the dialogue that took place between Christ and the two criminals crucified next to Him.

    Luke 23:39-43

      39     Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
      40     But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
      41     "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
      42     Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
      43     And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

    Notice that this dying man was able to meet all the requirements for salvation while he was hanging from a cross. This man was saved by his faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the way God wants it to be.

    Salvation is not about what we can do to earn eternal life. Like the criminal on the cross we all have sinned and deserve to die. But God in His righteousness provides a way for us to be free from the penalty of sin.

    God took our place and shed His blood as a sacrificial covering for our transgressions. If Christ had stayed in the grave there would be no salvation for mankind. But Jesus Christ rose up with power and glory to Heaven. Never forget that the work of Jesus Christ was not only His death but His resurrection also.

    The work has been done. The door has now been opened. The way has been prepared. God offers mankind a new covenant. For His part, because of His love and grace, God promised a place in His kingdom forever to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. All God asks in exchange for this gift is that we have a little faith in His ability to keep His promises.

    God knew what He was doing when He made faith the only condition for salvation. If salvation were based on works or human merit it would not be fair to all, and people would boast of their own works. Once again, salvation is not about our works or what we deserve. This is about Gods work, His righteousness, His grace, what God has done and can do.

    Faith is the one thing a human can obtain at any time from anywhere no matter what a person's past or present situation may be. You can get saved while floating in the Space Station, while diving in the ocean waters, while in prison, in a boardroom, or even while dying on a cross. Faith was the perfect gift from a perfect God for an imperfect and condemned human race.

    The conversion of the criminal on the cross is a good example of having faith in God. One criminal blasphemed Jesus. He was only interested in the here and now and wanted only to free himself from his current judgement.

    The other criminal was concerned about his soul and the afterlife. He acknowledged he was a sinner and confessed with his mouth that Jesus was God by saying Jesus did nothing wrong and calling Jesus Lord. He believed that Jesus would be resurrected from the dead and would enter into His kingdom. Then he showed his trust in Jesus by asking to be remembered.

    Both criminals had only a few hours to live yet only one used the time wisely. One put his faith in Jesus Christ and will have a place in the kingdom of God. The other man lost more than his life. He lost his soul for eternity. What would be on your mind if you were in the same situation?

    God knew what was in this mans heart. And there is a difference between saying you have faith and actually having faith. James the brother of Christ addressed the issue of lip service verses genuine faith when he said, "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Sounds like it was hard to pull one over on James.

    This brings us back to the key issue. If salvation depends solely upon faith then it becomes critical to properly define what it means to have faith in God.

    Understanding Genuine Faith

    It is important to understand the full meaning of faith. Many in the clergy throw the word faith around like a beach ball without ever explaining what it is to have faith. This is because they don't know themselves. There are many imposters in the pulpit today.

    It is virtually impossible to fool God. He knows your heart. There is recognizable evidence of genuine faith that distinguishes a true believer from those that only say they have faith but have none.

    The two major components of genuine faith are belief and trust.

  • Belief

    To believe means you have certitude and conviction in some person or thing whether there is objective and visible evidence or not. Faith in God means you believe Jesus is the Christ, His innocent blood reconciled us back to God and His resurrection is evidence that God keeps His promises.

    "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."   John 3:16

    "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."   1 Thessalonians 4:14

    If you truly believe something then you are not ashamed to confess it with your mouth in front of others.

    But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 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 10:8-10

  • Trust

    To trust is to have assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Trust is also confidence on something future or contingent. Faith in God means you put complete and exclusive trust in His promise of salvation in Jesus Christ.

    "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."   1 Timothy 4:10

    "Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,"   2 Corinthians 1:9-10

    When you put trust in God you put your reliance in Him, that means submitting and committing yourself to His will and promise.

    Water Baptism

    The point is we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and nothing should take the focus off of that.

    The baptisms of Apostle Paul, Cornelius the Roman Centurion, and the Ethiopian were significant because they represented salvation for the three sons of Noah. The passage of the Israelites with Moses through the Red Sea also symbolically represented baptism.

    • Ephesians 4:4-6

      4     There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
      5     one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
      6     one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

    Ritual water baptism does not save. Only God can put us in the body of Believers. But I do think it is a good for people with faith in God, that have reached the age of accountability, to be baptized through immersion in water as a public witness of their new life in Christ.

    Gifts Of The Spirit

    The Christian Church started in Jerusalem on Pentecost and was comprised of less than two hundred Jews. By the end of the day the Church swelled to a few thousand. God used visible signs and miracles to quickly bring new converts to Christ.

    We believe in the same gospel but we live in a different time on God's master schedule. The Gospel has already spread around the globe. There are no prophets or Apostles at this time. The Holy Spirit convicts and contains evil but we do not see the signs and miracles of the early Church. This will change soon with the coming of the Seventieth Week of Daniel.

    For His purpose God wants our generation to walk by faith. That should be enough for Christians. Why seek signs? Where is the faith if it comes only through things seen?

    We live in a very material world. Add to this the fact that people find it so easy to lie today that even the liars don't know when they are telling the truth. The media calls our time the information age. I call it generation "L" the liars age.

    Put this all together and you have a recipe for fake healers and fake evangelists to take advantage of new converts. They know how to make a buck off of people in need.

    The tricks of the trade are gold dust falling from the ceiling, crying and bleeding icons, stories of gold fillings in teeth, fake healing, "slaying in the spirit," and speaking in tongues.

    Don't be fooled. Like all con artists they feed off of your weakness to get their hand in your pocket. God works miracles but these lost souls use tricks to impress you into giving them money. Jesus and the Apostles never peddled the gospel or miracles for "love gifts."

    Don't look for signs but walk by faith and you will avoid being deceived.

    The most prevalent fraud I see today is tongues. I have never heard anyone speak in tongues and I doubt that anyone truly is today. Sure, I have listened to people pretending to speak in tongues. Babbling like an infant with a few "Greek sounding" words thrown in once in a while does not qualify as speaking in tongues.

    There is not a single example in scripture of any person speaking in an unknown tongue.

    The purpose of tongues was for the witnessing of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and ease of spreading the Gospel. Pentecost was a one-time event that started the Church and it will never be repeated.

    The gift is not just about speaking. This gift is about hearing also. People hear the Word of God in their foreign language and particular dialect.

    Acts 2:4-11

      4     And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
      5     And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
      6     And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
      7     Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
      8     "And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
      9     "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
      10     "Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
      11     "Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

    When the promised Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles to start the Church it came with a mighty sound like a tornado that could be heard from far away. Tens of thousands of Jews from all over the ancient world were gathered at Jerusalem to observe Pentecost. They came to the source of the sound and heard the Apostles in their own language. The list of countries shows they also heard in their dialect.

    The ability to be heard by locals in their own dialect helped the early church to quickly spread the gospel throughout the known world. That was the purpose of tongues.

    Remember there is no such thing as an unknown tongue when it comes to gifts of the Spirit. The next time you hear someone speaking in tongues ask a simple question, "What dialect are you speaking?" When you don't get an answer refer them to story of Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:18-23.

    Summary

    At any conversion in scripture you will find a man of God using the Word of God to help the believer get born again in Christ by the work of the Spirit of God.

    It is important for a new convert to mature in the Word. This takes time. Pray and read the Holy Bible continuously. It is important to seek help from mature Christians. Get involved with a local church or Bible study meeting. I prefer home church but that may not be right for you.

    The first step is always the most difficult. All you need is faith in God. He has done everything else.

    A true convert has a new family and new desires. You might find it difficult to have the same relationship with old friends and even some family members. This is why Jesus said:

    Matthew 10:32-40

      32     "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
      33     "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
      34     "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
      35     "For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';
      36     "and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'
      37     "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
      38     "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
      39     "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
      40     "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

    Don't be ashamed to be called a Christian. Some today say the word "Christian" has taken on a negative connotation. So these people believe that we should not use the word Christian but to refer to ourselves as "followers of Jesus." This they believe makes Christians more palatable to non-believers. I don't agree.

    The fact that the world hates the word Christ and therefore dislikes Christians should be of no surprise to anyone. To avoid using the word Christian because of this is not the proper reaction.

    The Apostle Peter said concerning Jesus Christ, "... there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

    There are some things that you should never water down or compromise. To be labeled a Christian is an honor. It identifies you in Christ, the Savior and Atoning Sacrifice. If that offends some people then that is their problem. You should always refer to yourself as a "Christian."

    Some Christians refer to themselves as a Messianic Jew, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Adventist, Lutheran, and so on. In God's eyes there is no difference between any group of true believers and that includes Jewish believers and Gentile believers. Man made denominations mean nothing to God. To be saved you must be "in Jesus Christ," a Christian.

    There may be many religions but there is only one gospel that saves and its message is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Only Christians have a place in the kingdom of God. God will give everyone a chance to hear the gospel. Reject Christ and God will reject you on judgement day.

    The Disciples of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch. To be a Christian simply means you are identified with Jesus Christ. The term "Christian" only goes back less than two thousand years. But the coming of "the Christ" or the Savior of the world goes all the way back to a promise given by God to the first man and woman on earth.

    As a child of God we can get up every day with joy knowing that His promise waits for us.

    Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.   2 Peter 3:13

    Galatians 3:26-29

      26     For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
      27     For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
      28     There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
      29     And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

    Revelation 21:1-8

      1     Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
      2     Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
      3     And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
      4     "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
      5     Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
      6     And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
      7     "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
      8     "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

    Have a little faith in God, that is all it takes.

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