Chafer Lewis said, “Salvation is the work of God for man; it is not the work of man for God” (1). American Heritage defines “salvation” as being delivered from sin and evil (College Reference). This is powerful because as soon as a person accepts salvation, they will be delivered from evil. Salvation is important because in the world today, people go through so many obstacles. The only way they can have comfort is through understanding that life does not end with pain but paradise. This paradise, which comes from salvation, is connected with Jesus Christ.
Understanding this concept is quite simple. Romans 10:8-10 says, “But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith that 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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Nelson Study Bible). These verses have given us the key to obtaining salvation. Now that the basic foundation of salvation has been laid, it can be evaluated clearly.
When people evaluate salvation, they have to understand that there are three basic steps to salvation. These three words are faith (belief), confession, and acceptance. Understanding these three steps will open up the understanding of salvation. These three steps always have to be wrapped up with Jesus Christ in the center. Many times people get caught up with thinking that salvation can be obtained without Jesus. This is a big misconception, because Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Nelson Study Bible). The biggest principle is that it does not matter what you do; if you are not connected to Jesus, you cannot receive salvation. So how do people receive salvation? This is the question many people ask. The three steps discussed earlier will teach people this concept.
Faith is the first and most important step to salvation. The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith is needed in order to be connected to Jesus. People have to grasp the point that when they let go of all their false beliefs and let God have His way, things will come together. Many times in life, individuals put so much trust in things and end up hurting more than they have to. However, when you have faith in God, life begins to open up and you have a problem solver. Faith in Jesus shows that a person understands that there is nothing they can do to obtain salvation. Salvation only comes through an inner a faith in Christ. The faith that is inside of a person’s heart motivates and drives them. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”(Hebrews 11:1) Faith is a key step to salvation.
After a person has established their faith in Jesus Christ, then all they have to do is confess to the Lord Jesus. This is the simple but yet most complex phase to salvation. Many people believe that you do not have to confess. The Bible clarifies in 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” (Nelson study Bible). People have to confess that Jesus is Lord; they must believe He died and that the power of God raised Him from the dead. The average person might ask, “What does this have to do with salvation?” The answer has everything to do with salvation. This step is important because people are claiming their faith in front of the world. God wants His Son Jesus Christ to get glorified. Confessing to Jesus is what brings this glory and everlasting connection between God and man. The result of this is salvation.
Faith brings on the confession to Jesus, which brings the final stage of acceptance. Accepting is making the decision that Jesus is the way to life and living according to that. Many people try to fake the first two steps, but the third is a direct result of the first two. When a person truly accepts Jesus, they will live their lives with Jesus as the core. These individuals will not do whatever they want without a conscience of right or wrong. They will, in fact, live their lives in a manner that will glorify God. God wants glory. Giving it to Him after confessing your faith in Jesus Christ is the key to salvation.
People in the world live by their own agendas with no direction of their eternal destination. As individuals who go through so much day to day, they have to get out of that mindset and let God have His way. Salvation is the reward of giving your life to God. When they go through the process of salvation, it does not matter where they have been or what they have done because salvation is the ultimate forgiveness. When people evaluate their lives, they have a decision to make before they die. Do they want to die in pain or live forever in paradise?
Works Cited
“American Heritage” American Heritage Books. 2001.
Lewis, Chafer. “Christian Quotes.” http://dailychristianquote.com/dcqsalvation.html Page 1
“New King James Study Bible” Thomas Nelson Inc. 1982.
This essay really shows your passion for your faith, Desmond.
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