Salvation

The Problem

One of the biggest lies that has spread throughout our generation is the theory of evolution. Today’s educators would have you believe that everything, including you and I, occurred by accident. There are only two ways that this Earth could have come into existence: by accident or by design. Have you ever had a chance to study the intricacies of the human body, the complexities of the ecosystems, or the vastness of the galaxies? Do you honestly believe that this could all happen by accident? Or is evolution just another fairy tale that starts with “Once up a time…long, long ago...” and then gives you a magical ingredient: time? We are taught that the passage of time is the magical ingredient that allowed us (i.e., the accident) to occur. However, if you look around our world today you will find that with time, things are not evolving, but instead, deteriorating before our very eyes.

If evolution is true, then there is no Creator. If there is no Creator, then there is no One we are accountable to. We can all do whatever we want…just as long as we don’t get caught…right? But why then, when we do something wrong, do we feel guilty, thanks to our conscience? Why is the first phrase out of most people’s mouths when tragedy strikes, “Oh, my God!”?

But what if there IS a Designer? What if we DO have Someone that we are accountable to? What will happen to you when you die? The Bible says that there is a Designer and that He created Heaven and Earth. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

The Bible also says that Hell is a real place. "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33)

In the Old Testament God promised that He would destroy humanity's greatest enemy—death. The New Testament explains exactly how He did it.

The Good Test

So, do you think that you are a good person? Do you think that you are good enough to make it into Heaven? Let’s look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:1-22), God’s moral Law, to see if you have broken any of them.

Have you ever stolen anything in your life? (Commandment 8 | Exodus 20:15)
Have you ever lied, even if it was a white lie? (Commandment 9 | Exodus 20:16)?
Have you ever used God’s name in vain? (Commandment 3 | Exodus 20:7)
Have you ever hated someone so much that you wished they would die? (Commandment 6 | Exodus 20:13)

If you have broken any of these Commandments (and these are just four of the Ten Commandments), then God sees you as the following:

a thief,
a liar,
a blasphemer,
and a murderer at heart.

The Bible says that the penalty for sin (or wages) is death or eternal separation from God. In other words, if you die in your sins today, you will end up in Hell for eternity…which means you will be separated from God forever.

It is our sincere prayer that you do not allow this to happen.

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The Good News!

This is the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

Although we broke God’s moral Law, Jesus paid the fine for our wages (or sins) through His death on the cross. He suffered and died for our sins: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Then Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death. He saved us from the power of death and the fear of death that haunts every person. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). We pray that you think upon this information with a serious heart and repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone so that God will forgive you and grant you the gift of everlasting life, eternity with Him in Heaven! “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Now is your chance to make a crucial decision about your life and your future...

Who do you say Jesus is?

Is He the Son of God? Did He live without sin? Did He pay the ultimate penalty for your sins, by paying your sin debt and breaking the curse? Did He rise again from the dead?

Who are you?

Are you a sinner who has inherited the curse placed on all people? Is your sin keeping you from God? Right now, what is your eternal destination: heaven or hell?

The Bible says in John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This means that if you don't believe in who Jesus is and what He has done for you, then right now, you stand condemned to spend eternity in hell.

So what will you do?

If you agree with God and confess that you are a sinner who is in desperate need of having your sins paid for with the ultimate sacrifice, the shed blood of Jesus Christ, then there is good news for you!

In 1 John 1:9-10, God says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”. This means that God can forgive your sins based on the sacrifice of Jesus!

God says in Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”. In other words, it does not matter who you are or what you have done in your past. You do not have to clean up your life first to come to God. Jesus is passionately in love with you!

If you are ready to begin your journey to salvation, you must understand the following:

Everyone is a sinner.

“As it is written, “There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)

Every person on this Earth is a sinner. This includes everyone from the Pope to the President to me…and to you. We have ALL sinned and come short of the glory of God (our Creator).

Sin does not come without a cost.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

When we break or disobey God’s moral Law (i.e., the Ten Commandments), or perfect standard for living, we are sinning. In other words, sins are laws or instructions that have been broken or not followed. Where did the Laws come from? Our Designer, God. He passed down these moral Laws and instructions to us in the Bible. He tells us that if we don’t obey these laws, then we will be held accountable for breaking them.

God offered us a way out of our sin debt (bondage to sin).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

God loves us, but He has given us free will to decide what we will do. We must believe in Him by faith. What is the cost to us? Nothing! Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, paid the debt for us. All we must do is trust in Him and in the finished work of the Cross. Once we do this, God will increase our faith. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He went to be with His Father in Heaven and is seated on the right-hand side of Him. Before Jesus departed for Heaven, God provided us with His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to help us navigate through our life on this Earth. (John 14:16; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7)

Questions About Salvation

If you cannot find an answer to your specific question, please reach out to us at imperialpm@gmail.com.

What if I choose not to believe or to decide later?

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:17-18)

How much time do we each have on this Earth? None of us know. If you go to bed tonight, you could die in your sleep and wake up in one of two places for eternity: Heaven or Hell. If you choose not to believe or wait too long to decide, the Scripture says that you are condemned already.

Is there another way? How about my good works?

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven. He was our propitiation. Our righteousness will not get us there.

So how do I get saved?

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

You must confess to Jesus that you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and believe in your heart that He died for you. That’s it! Here’s an example prayer that you could offer to the Lord. Friend, please remember the specific words you use don't matter as they will not save you. It’s the believing in your heart and the ACT of confessing and repenting or turning away from your sins and turning your life to Jesus Christ that is the most important aspect of your testimony.

A Sample Prayer:

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I know that I have sinned, and I am truly sorry. Right now, I want to turn away from my past sinful life to You and You alone. Please forgive me. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead three days later. I believe that He is alive and hears this prayer from my heart. I invite Jesus to enter my heart and to save me from my sins. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.”

Are you sure I can be saved? I’ve done some bad things…

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if ANY MAN [emphasis added] hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

ANY MAN can be saved. Does this mean that all the problems in your life will now all of a sudden go away? No, a sinful life leaves wounds and scars. Does this mean you will be perfect? No. You are not perfect, and you will never be perfect in this life. You have a sinful nature which is why you need to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, to communicate with Him, pray to Him, and continue to ask for repentance when you sin. But you ARE forgiven! You are still a sinner, but now you are saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How can I be sure I’m saved?

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 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.” (1 John 5:10-12)

Do you believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that His shed blood alone can cleanse you from your sins? Have you confessed to him that you are a sinner? If you said “Yes” to those questions, then you are saved!

Will I sin again?

“I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (I John 1:8-10)

Yes, you will sin again. Your soul is now saved, but your flesh still has its sinful nature. In eternity, you will be given a new sinless body, but unfortunately, while you are still here on this Earth, you will have to contend with your flesh and its sinful nature. If we continue to confess our sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive us, He promises to do so.

Can I lose my salvation?

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (II Timothy 1:12)

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

The Lord Jesus Christ will keep YOU until the day of redemption. You are sealed. You cannot lose your salvation.

So now what do I do?

This is a great question! Every new believer must take the three following action steps to continue an active pursuit of and relationship with Jesus Christ:

1.) Attend a Bible Believing Church!

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)

2.) Read and Study the Bible Every Day.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (I Corinthians 1:17-18)

3.) Tell Others About Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;” (II Timothy 1:8)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

This is a helpful acronym to remember as you mature in your faith:

Suggestions for Christian Growth

G—Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7).

R—Read God’s Word daily (Acts 1:11) by beginning with the Gospel of John.

O—Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).

W—Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8).

T—Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).

H—Holy Spirit—allow Him to control and empower your life and witness daily (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18).

First Baptist Church of Hemlock

Salvation

How to Know Jesus

The Problem

Would you like prayer?

The Good News!

Who do you say Jesus is?

Who are you?

So what will you do?

Everyone is a sinner.

Sin does not come without a cost.

God offered us a way out of our sin debt (bondage to sin).

Questions About Salvation

Salvation

How to Know Jesus

The Problem

Would you like prayer?

The Good News!

Who do you say Jesus is?

Who are you?

So what will you do?

Everyone is a sinner.

Sin does not come without a cost.

God offered us a way out of our sin debt (bondage to sin).

Questions About Salvation

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