Salvation is a gift from God, given to us by grace through faith. Among the thousands of promises outlined for us in the Bible, the promise of eternal life can be given to anyone who is born again.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
In order to be born again, a person must follow 4 simple steps:
1. Acknowledge in your heart that Jesus is Lord.
2. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.
3. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and that He was raised three days later.
4. Repent (change one’s mind) of sins and get baptized in the name of Jesus.
Once someone has accepted Jesus into their heart by praying the prayer of salvation, they are reborn in Christ! It’s that easy and not complicated at all. There is no secret “script” to stick to, just talk to the Lord honestly and be sure to include all four steps above when praying. An example of what someone may pray would be:
“God I have not lived my life for you up until now and I am sorry for that. I need You completely and want You to be Lord of my life. Today, I repent for my sins and I ask You to come into my heart and into my life forever. I believe that Your Son Jesus Christ died for my sins on the cross and that three days later, He rose again. From this day forward I walk with You and live my life as a representative of You. You are my Lord, my King, and my Savior. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.”
After a prayer of salvation is prayed out loud, the Bible tells us to take the next steps in order to follow-up on our new commitment to Christ:
*Tell others about your new faith in Christ!
*Get baptized.
*Spend time with God each day. Keep in mind that it does not have to be a long period of time. Work hard to develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
*Fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer any of your questions and to support you on the journey.
*Find a local church where you can worship God and where the teaching of God’s word is delivered in a way that makes sense to you. This makes it easier to apply what you are learning to your everyday life!
Additional Verses for Further Study on Salvation
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'” (John 3:3)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – (John 3:16)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)
