God’s Plan of Salvation

“And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21

Since mankind was created in the beginning, men and women have been separated from God because of a spiritual condition called sin & death.  Adam, the first man, brought sin into the life of every human being. We were made sinners because of Adam’s disobedience to God (Rom 3:23, 5:19).  Sin that separates from God is NOT something that we do. It is a condition of our spirit, and because of this spiritually dead condition, we have no relationship with God.

There is nothing we can do on our own to save ourselves.  We must freely receive salvation as a free gift from God (Rom 5:16, Titus 3:5). 

“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.” Eph 2:8-9

God, our Father, sent His Son, Jesus, to save us or to undo the sin and death in our spirit.  Jesus was born of a virgin so He would not have the spiritual death that comes from every natural born father (Matt 1:20-25).  Jesus was the sacrifice to pay for Adam’s sin and to make it possible for every person to be saved from the sin that brings spiritual death.

God offers the free gift of salvation to anyone who will receive it (John 3:16, Acts 2:21, 1 Tim 2:3-4).  By giving His own Son, God paid the highest price possible in order to provide salvation freely to us. 

What must we do to receive this free gift?

“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.” Rom 10:9-10

Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord.  To make Jesus your “Lord” does not mean to believe there is a god out there somewhere.  Jesus is your “Lord” when you make Him your boss, master --- the one you will serve and obey.  You are giving your life to Him and making a commitment to follow the Bible.

What does it mean to be saved?

The Bible word saved or salvation means --- to deliver, to protect, to heal, to preserve, or to make whole.  So when you are saved, your spirit is born again.  It is no longer in a state of “sin” but has been made alive by the Spirit of God living in you.

“God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” Eph 2:4-5

You begin a new life with God (2 Cor 5:17).  When you are born physically, you began a new life with no past history.  You were a baby.  So when you are born again spiritually, you begin a new life with God…no past history.  Your sins have been cleansed and forgotten by God (1 Pet 2:2).

What are some results that will take place when you commit to follow God?

• Right actions or Better Choices (Matt 3:8, 1 John 2:29)
• Loving God is expressed in your worship, works, and how you treat others (1 John 3:24).
• Spiritual understanding of the Word of God (John 8:43,47; Luke 24:31-32, 45)
• Hunger for more of God, church, spiritual things, and relationships.
• A Diminishing desire for old habits, lifestyles, and sin (Prov 28:13, 1 John 3:9, 5:18).
• Obedience to the commandments of Christ (1 John 5:1-3).
• A God-given strength to overcome the world and its tribulations (John 16:33, 1 John 5:4).