Salvation, God's Original Plan For Man

In the beginning, God and mankind enjoyed daily intimate fellowship together. God placed within their habitation, the Garden of Eden, everything they could ever want or need. God only had one rule; they could eat from every tree in the garden, except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told Adam that the day he ate the fruit, he would surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

As we see in Genesis 3:6, both Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Immediately, life departed out of their spirits, their souls were filled with fear and although it took several hundred years, their bodies began to die. When Adam sinned, he caused every person born after him to bear the nature of sin.

Man's Need for Salvation

Man's status as a sinner is due to the sin nature we are born with, not because of any particular thing that we have done (sinful actions are only the fruit of the inward corruption). Because of this, we cannot earn our Salvation. (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:12-15)

The only way to return mankind back to his original status with God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:30-31, John 14:6)

What Does "Born-Again" Mean?

To be "born-again" means to receive the life of God into your spirit. It literally refers to your spirit man (the real you) being delivered from death to life. (I Thessalonians 5:23-24, John 3:1-8, Ezekiel 36:26, II Corinthians 5:14-21)

What Does Salvation Mean?

Salvation comes from the Greek word, "Soteria". Soteria literally means preservation, soundness, safety, and deliverance from all temporal and spiritual evils. This has to do with both God's place in you and your place in God. It encompasses the rebirth of a man's spirit, the renewing of his mind, and the redemption of his body.

Receiving Complete Salvation

Receiving salvation is an easy process. There are five understandings necessary to receive Complete Salvation:

1. You must realize and recognize that you are a sinner.
   (Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:23, I John 1:8)
2. You must repent of your sin.
   Repent literally means to change your heart, mind and direction. It is a 180-degree turn from the world and lordship of Satan towards the light and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Acts. 2:38, I John 1:9, II Corinthians 7:10, Acts 26:18)
3. You must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth.
   This is the central act of the Salvation process. Through confession, we establish the personal Lordship of Jesus. Through belief, we establish our position as the righteousness of God in Him. (Romans 10:9-10, II Corinthians 5:21)

THE PRAYER "Father God I realize and recognize that I am a sinner. Therefore I make a decision to change my heart, mind, and direction and reject Satan's Lordship and receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. And I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord over my life"

Congratulations you are saved. These three steps in action produce the "Born-Again" experience.

 

4. Receive Water Baptism and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
   1. The Baptism in Water
      This is an outward expression of an inward change; symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and our old man/life.
   2. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
      This is the accompanying gift of Salvation that adds power to our lives and witness.
5. Live a life of obedience.
   1. Get in the Word of God. Romans 12:2, II Timothy 3:16-17
   2. Establish a prayer life. Luke 18:1, Philippians 4:6-7, I Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18
   3. Get into a Bible-based church. Jeremiah 3:15, I Corinthians 12:18, Hebrews 10:25, Ephesians 4:11-12
   4. Fellowship with other believers. I Corinthians 15:33, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Proverbs 27:17, Proverbs 24:6
   5. Be a witness to others. Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:18-20, II Corinthians 5:18

This is the beginning, not the end. There may be times of temptation and sin. If you fall down, get back up and keep on going. (Philippians 1:6, Mark 4:1-24, I John 1:9)