JOHN 3:36 (ESV)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life”
The joy of eternal salvation is simple: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! Salvation is not a reward earned through religious works nor good behavior; salvation is the free gift of God’s grace received by trusting in Jesus Christ to atone for your sins through His death and resurrection (Eph. 2:8).
Yet our human nature argues within us: “it can’t be that simple; I must strive to work this problem out; I must prove myself worthy to be saved!”
This way of thinking only leaves us insecure about our salvation while striving to vindicate ourselves before God. Jesus Christ is our only anchor of hope (Heb. 6:19-20), the One who says to us: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (JOHN 14:6)
The Problem of Sin
Imagine telling a judge after being caught stealing, “Your honor, last week I fed the homeless, therefore I should not be punished for my crime.” A just judge would condemn such a remark.
No amount of good deeds erases convicted crime.
In the same way, salvation cannot be earned by helping others, becoming a better person or trying to sin less often.
And yet, all of us have sinned—we’ve missed God’s perfect mark as we rebel against Him by our actions (similar to a person missing a target while shooting an arrow)—and have fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Our willful disobedience leads us to a disastrous fate: a penalty of death (Rom. 6:23)! Sin ultimately brings everlasting judgment (Is. 59:2; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:14-15).
Scripture compares our attempt to be righteous to that of filthy rags when measured against the splendor of God’s sinless perfection and eternal holiness (Is. 64:6). Our situation is truly dire: we have willfully sinned and stand condemned before a holy and perfect God who justly punishes evil. We need a Savior!
You Must Believe
Jesus tells us plainly:
JOHN 3:3,16,18 (NKJV)
“unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… 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… He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Jesus says nothing about bettering one’s self, helping others or sinning less often to achieve salvation. Likewise, we read an account by a jailer asking, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (ACTS 16:30-31)
Notice the simple response to God’s gracious offer: believe!
ROMANS 4:5 (NKJV)
“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…”
Jesus describes the response God requires for eternal life: believe in the One He sent (Jn. 6:29). Jesus emphatically warns us, “unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins” (JOHN 8:24).
Believing in Jesus is how we are saved!
What Does It Mean to Believe?
Many people claim to believe in Jesus but confuse knowing facts about Jesus with putting their entire trust in Jesus. The Greek verb translated “believe,” pisteuō, means in this context to believe, trust, or entrust oneself to another.
To believe in Jesus means trusting in Him securely for salvation from the eternal fires of judgment just as one trusts a parachute while jumping out of a plane thousands of feet in the air. You hold on to Christ for life and nothing else!
Scripture explains four areas of belief regarding Jesus Christ:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-5 (NKJV)
“…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.”
Our belief concerns:
- Christ dying for our sins.
- Christ being buried.
- Christ rising again.
- Christ seen by eyewitnesses.
This is entirely different than believing, “Jesus was a historical figure” or “Jesus was a prophet.” Jesus asked His disciples plainly:
MATTHEW 16:13-16 (NKJV)
“‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ 14 So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
15 He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’
16 Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
Putting your trust in Christ to save you from the punishment you deserve results in receiving the salvation He freely secured for you by His blood:
EPHESIANS 1:7 (NKJV)
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
What About Repentance?
Jesus started out His ministry preaching, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (MARK 1:15) and many teach that repentance means “turn from sin to God”. But we must be careful not to interpret this as, “Clean yourself up before turning to God” which is impossible to do in our sinful state.
The Greek word for “repent” is “metanoeō” meaning, change of mind. This consists of an inward change of mind and heart: we recognize that our former unbelief and self-reliance were wrong and accept God’s testimony concerning His Son.
We see this illustrated with the thief on the cross next to Jesus, where at first he viciously mocks Jesus (Matt. 27:44) but later changes his mind, asking Jesus: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (LUKE 23:42)
Repentance is an inward change of mind and heart; turning from sinful conduct is the fruit following repentance as the Holy Spirit transforms the believer (Rom. 12:2; Gal. 5:16). Scripture distinguishes repentance from its resulting works: John commanded people to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (MATTHEW 3:8), and Paul preached that people should “repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (ACTS 26:20). In both cases, repentance was not the works but the product by which the works later resulted.
We are not saved by reforming our behavior or performing good works but by believing in Jesus Christ.
Saved by Faith, Created for Good Works
The Greek verb translated “justify,” dikaioō, means to declare or pronounce someone righteous. Since no unrighteous person can inherit God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9), we need a righteousness that is not our own. God declares us righteous through faith in Christ:
PHILIPPIANS 3:9 (ESV)
“…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…”
But what about James who says, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (JAMES 2:24) James addresses how faith is demonstrated while Paul addresses how faith declares a guilty sinner righteous before God. Works do not replace faith as the basis of salvation; they reveal faith’s living fruit:
JAMES 2:21-23 (NKJV)
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’”
ROMANS 3:28 (NKJV)
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
James is writing of the fruit faith produces whereas Paul is writing of the standing position before God faith produces:
ROMANS 5:1-2 (NKJV)
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Titus explains both sides succinctly:
TITUS 3:3-8 (NKJV)
“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 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.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”
Notice the order given:
- Rebellion and sin separate us from God.
- God’s grace apart from our works saves us.
- We are justified and given the hope of eternal life.
- Now that we are saved, we should maintain good works.
Can I Know That I Am Saved?
If your salvation is based upon your deeds, you will never be secure in your salvation. Yet Scripture remains clear:
1 JOHN 5:13 (NKJV)
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…”
ACTS 10:43 (NKJV)
“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
Christ’s sacrifice for us is completely sufficient and the believer can possess genuine assurance of eternal life in Christ. This assurance is found in Christ and never independently of Him. This is why Scripture calls us to continue believing and abiding in the Savior in whom eternal life is found:
1 JOHN 5:13 (NKJV)
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
We must remain (abide) by faith in Christ. Scripture’s warnings are profound: if a person abandons faith in Christ, he abandons the only Savior in whom eternal life is found:
JOHN 15:5-8 (NKJV)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
1 TIMOTHY 4:1 (NKJV)
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”
But if your faith is in Jesus Christ, you have redemption by His blood making you righteous before God:
Hebrews 9:12 (NKJV)
“…with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
When you put your trust in Christ, your eternal redemption is secured and paid for by His blood, working on your behalf: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21)
Jesus makes you righteous by His blood; Jesus saves you by His sacrifice; Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith (Rom. 5:9; Heb. 10:10; Heb. 12:2)!
And that is good news.
So what must you do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in who He is and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. Receive God’s free gift of eternal life, and begin following the Savior who gave Himself for you.
Jesus now invites you to receive Him:
JOHN 1:12 (NKJV)
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…”
