God’s Answer to Eight Vital Questions About His Plan of Salvation
1. Who is Jesus Christ?
John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus Christ) and the Word (Jesus Christ) was with God and the Word (Jesus Christ) was God.”
John 20:28 – ” And Thomas answered and said unto Him (Jesus), ?My Lord and my God.’ ”
2. Why did Jesus Christ come into the world?
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
I Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
3. What did Jesus Christ do for the redemption of lost mankind?
Romans 5:6,8 – “For when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
I Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
4. What do you need to be saved?
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Isaiah 59:2 – “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you that He will not hear you.”
5. Upon what basis does God receive sinful men?
Romans 3:24 – “Being justified (declared righteous by God) freely by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
John 3:16,17 – “For God so loved the world that He gave (on the cross) His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”
I Peter 1:18-21 – “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ…through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”
6. Does God receive men on any other basis?
John 14:6 – “Jesus said: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’”
Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby ye must be saved.”
7. How does one obtain the salvation freely offered by God through Jesus Christ?
John 1:12 – “But as many as received Him, (Jesus Christ) to them He gave the right to become the sons of God, even to them which believe* on His name.”
John 5:24 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth* on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”
*There are three distinct elements involved in saving faith. See below.
8. Can one really know he has eternal life?
I John 5:11-13 – “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son…He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life…These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
1. Belief – Wherein I say “I believe the truth about Jesus Christ as it has been revealed by God in the Bible.” This is intellectual assent (I Cor. 15:1-4).
2. Appropriation – “I take Jesus Christ as my Savior” (John 1:12). The word translated “receive” means not merely to accept, but to take. This is an act of the will.
3. Committal – “I commit myself to God on the basis of what Jesus Christ did through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.” This too is a purposeful act of the will (2 Tim. 1:12).
Many make their commitment to the Lord through a simple prayer such as:
Dear God, I believe the truth about Jesus Christ as you have revealed it in the Bible. I have sinned and have come far short of your glory. I believe that Jesus was God come in flesh, that He died for my sins, and that He rose from the dead. I take Him as my Savior and Lord and I commit myself to you on the basis of what Jesus did when He died on the cross. Thank you for receiving me as your child.