Salvation

Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. 1 Peter 1:16 says: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Scripture tells us that everyone is guilty of sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). This does not mean we are incapable of performing acts of human kindness, but rather, that we are utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).

God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s why simply changing our patterns of behavior cannot solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.

Romans 10:9 says: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice, and Christ’s perfect life satisfied the demands of God’s holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).

In addition to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), one evidence of true and saving faith is an ongoing repentance from sin. Repentance is: Agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), pursuing Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3), and obeying Him (1 John 2:3). It is not enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the True God (James 2:19), but they do not love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).