THE GOSPEL
WHY DO I NEED TO BE SAVED?
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All the religions of the world teach that we need to be "saved," but each has a different understanding of what we need to be saved from, why we need to be saved, and how that salvation can be received. The Bible makes it clear that there is only one way of salvation (John 14:6). The most important thing to understand about the plan of salvation is that it is not about observing religious rituals, obeying certain commands, or achieving various levels of spiritual enlightenment.
The WHY
Why do we even need to be saved in the first place? We need to be saved because we have sinned (Romans 3:23). Sin is rebellion against God. We all willfully choose to do things that are wrong. Sin dishonors God, harms others, and damages us, and since God is perfectly holy and just, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. According to the Bible, the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eternal separation from God (Revelation 20:11–15). So, without salvation, eternal separation from God in a horrible place called Hell is the destiny of every human being.
The WHAT
We are utterly incapable of saving ourselves. God is the only One who can provide for our salvation. This is why God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Jesus lived a sinless life
(2 Corinthians 5:21) and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice on our behalf (Hebrews 10:10). Since Jesus is God, His death was of infinite and eternal value. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross fully paid for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2) and His resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His sacrifice was indeed sufficient and that salvation is now available to everyone.
The HOW
In Acts 16:31, the Philippian jailer asked the apostle Paul how he could be saved. What was Paul’s response? “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” The way to salvation is through belief in Jesus Christ. Putting your faith in the Son of God is the only requirement (Ephesians 2:8–9). God has provided for our salvation through Jesus and all we need to do is receive it, by faith, fully trusting in Jesus alone as our Savior (Acts 4:12). If you are ready to place your faith in Jesus as your Savior that must include a change of mind about embracing sin and rejecting God. When you receive Christ as Savior you are choosing to reject sin and embrace God instead. If you do this, God’s Word promises that you will be saved (Romans 10:13), your sins will be forgiven, and you will spend eternity in heaven. There is no more important decision you will ever make in this life! Why not make that decision right now?