Salvation according to the Bible

Salvation according to the Bible

If you ask your Christian friends or even friends that are from the same Church, how does a Christian become a Christian.  You will be surprised to hear differing answers.  The main cause of this confusion is the lack of understanding after reading the 4 Gospel books or many have not even finished reading them.  The "Sinner's Prayer" and "Roman Road" does not help too.  The simple act of a prayer can save someone from the clutches of the Devil is something many fundamentalist do not believe (e.g. Pastors John Macarthur, Justin Peters, David Platt).
The misinterpretation of John 3:16 does not help too.

These are the key points that a true Christian must understand and believe

i) We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God
ii) Jesus Christ died on the cross and his blood wash our sins and he resurrected 3 days later
iii) We have to repent from all our sins and turn to Jesus and God .  Repentance means feeling sorry for our sins and we have to try out best to resist all sins

Most Christians are familiar with the first 2 requirements, but it is the repentance part that is mostly missing from many many pulpit calls.  Some erroneously teach that repentance is "turning to God", but sorely missed out the other part about turning away from sins.

So why is repentance so important, which verses in the Bible says we have to repent from our sins.  

  1. Jesus came to call people to repent 
    • From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  . Matt 4:17
    • Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.  Luke 15:7
  2. When Jesus gave these instructions to the disciples before he returned to Heaven,  his instructions was to teach repentance
    • and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:46-48)
  3. The Apostles preached a message of repentance too
    • But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.  Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,  (Acts 3:18-19) 
    • how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:20-21)
    • Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. (Rev 3:3)
But some people will say this is by works and not by faith.  That is wrong, repentance is part of the saving faith.  It is a change of heart and mind, to turn away from sin to turn to God, trusting in faith, the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us of our sins.  Once we trust Christ, the Holy Spirit will work with us to become more and more righteous over time (as long as we make the efforts).  We will also start to show more of the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). We will still have the occasional sin, but we just need to repent and confess our sins and move on.  By the way, the last fruit of the Spirit, self-control, is all about the control ones mind and body to resist temptations.

God Bless

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