How can I be saved?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

How can I be saved? This is the most important question a person can ask. Salvation is found only by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” showing that trusting in Him—not good works or religious rituals—is the way to receive forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who died in our place to pay the penalty for sin and rose again, defeating death. To believe in Him means to trust that this is true, to repent of your sin, and to recognize your need for Jesus as your Savior. To call Jesus “Lord” is to acknowledge His authority, accepting Him as the promised Messiah, who alone can reconcile us to God. When we place our faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we are made right with God, and we enter into a restored, personal relationship with Him that lasts forever.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament points to salvation as God’s deliverance from sin, judgment, and death, and it lays the foundation for understanding the need for a Savior. Believers were called to trust God’s covenant and obey His commands, showing reliance on Him, rather than their own works (Genesis 15:6—Abraham believed God, and it was counted as righteousness).
• The offering of sacrifices for sin symbolized atonement and pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice that would remove sin (Leviticus 17:11).
• The Old Testament contains multiple promises of a Messiah who would redeem God’s people (Isaiah 9:6–7; Isaiah 53:4–6; Micah 5:2).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In the New Testament, a jailer at Philippi also asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).
• Believing in the Lord Jesus means that being saved comes through faith, not works. Ephesians 2:8–9 clearly teaches, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Salvation is a free gift available by God's grace through faith. To believe, you must accept that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who died as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, and three days later, He rose from the dead. When you do, your sins are forgiven, and you receive eternal life.
• To say Jesus is Lord (Acts 16:31b) means that you are acknowledging Jesus as Lord. Lord was a term that referred to Jesus as the promised divine Messiah that God the Father would send to earth. Believing in Jesus as Lord means accepting Jesus as more than a good example or even a prophet—it is accepting His claim to be God's Son, the Messiah.
• Acts 16:31 tells us that we will be saved if we believe in the Lord Jesus. What will we be saved from? The Bible is clear that every person has sinned (Romans 3:23). These sins separate us from God and deserve spiritual death (Romans 6:23). Those who die apart from Christ receive eternal separation from God in hell (Matthew 25:46). The difference between being saved and not being saved is the difference between eternity with the Lord in heaven and eternity apart from Him in hell. As a result, every person stands in desperate need of salvation.
• The essential message one believes to be saved can be found in Romans 10:9: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." It involves accepting Jesus as God's Son and faith that Jesus has been resurrected from the dead.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

If you are wondering how to be saved, you are asking a wonderful question. As mentioned above, we are all sinners whose sin separates us from God with both eternally and temporally devastating consequences. However, God, in His great love for us, sent Jesus to die in our place. His death was sufficient to atone for all the sins of the world, since He was fully God and fully man, and His resurrection proved that He conquered sin and death, once for all. Everyone who repents (recognizes that they are a sinner in need of a Savior) and trusts in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins—believes in Him—will be saved.

Are you willing to place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and receive this free gift of eternal life? If so, follow through with the decision right now. There is no special prayer you must pray to do so. However, the following prayer is one you can use to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior:

"Dear God, I realize I am a sinner and could never reach heaven by my own good deeds. Right now, I place my faith in Jesus Christ as God's Son who died for my sins and rose from the dead to give me eternal life. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to live for you. Thank you for accepting me and giving me eternal life."

Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, please click on the "I have accepted Christ today" button below.

UNDERSTAND

• Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, not by works or human effort.
• You can be saved by trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.
• Faith in Jesus restores our relationship with God, forgives our sins, and gives us eternal life.

REFLECT

• Do you truly recognize your need for Jesus as your Savior and acknowledge that your own efforts cannot save you?
• How does understanding Jesus as Lord, and not just a good example, change the way you view your faith and your response to Him?
• How does trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection change the way you approach your relationships with God and others?

ENGAGE

• How can we help others understand how they can be saved?
• What does it look like for us to live out faith in Jesus in practical ways, especially for those who are not saved?
• How can we encourage each other to deepen our understanding of Jesus’ authority and lordship in our daily lives?