What is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) – Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

In two minutes Paul Washer says what repentance is and what is salvation… nothing is more important then having this correct, your eternity depends upon it.

I’ll Be Honest, will you?
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HeartCry Missionary Society
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I have since heard a lot of people answer that question. The most common answer, even from some “Christians” is “ Well I’ve tried to live a good life, so I hope I will be okay.”

I could not even rely on that hope because I absolutely knew that I hadn’t – AT ALL !!!

When you read the Bible however, that is nothing whatsoever to do with it. In fact, quite the opposite is true. This astonished, enlightened and delighted me.

The Bible tells us that “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)

Therefore there is NOT ONE OF US that can get into Heaven on our own merit, by “living a good life”, not one of us, EVER. According to the bible, the only alternative therefore is hell.

HOWEVER…

God knew this from the beginning and because “God so loved the world… He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

God’s Son Himself became man in order to live the only sinless life possible and then to make Himself the only perfect and acceptable, sinless sacrifice (the only acceptable payment to God for our sins).

Instead of His own sin, of which there wasn’t any, He instead, took all of our sins with Him to the cross. All of our sins were taken by Him, to death and paid for by Him, with his death, in full.

Jesus’ last words before dying according to John’s Gospel were “It is finished.” (John 19:30) In Greek (the original language of the New testament) this word is “Tetelestai” and literally means “PAID IN FULL”.

God accepted this one perfect sacrifice, “the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10b) and proved His acceptance of this sacrifice to us, by resurrecting Jesus from the dead.

This proved that we can be resurrected to eternal life in Heaven too, by believing in Jesus and what He has done for us ”Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16b)

This is a truth that can be wholeheartedly depended upon -.but it gets even better !!!

Knowing what each of us is like better than we will ever know ourselves, God put in place a guarantee, His Holy Spirit, Who is SEALED within us at the very point of belief.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing your inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Although becoming more Christian, becoming more like Jesus Christ, is our lifelong journey and won’t be achieved until we are in Heaven, actual Salvation is an immediate experience at the point of belief.

Jesus said “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent Me HAS eternal life and will not be condemned; he HAS crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24) (emphasis mine)

Further, Jesus said “I tell you the truth, he who believes HAS everlasting life.” (John 6:47) (again, emphasis mine)

So it is belief that saves you. Belief that Jesus is the Son of God (John 3:16 above)

The Apostle Paul explained it to the Romans this way, “That if you confess 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)

It is NOT by living a good life that we are saved. Nothing we could possibly do would impress God enough to save us if we are covered in sins. God hates sin and God does not need anything. He has provided the Way. Belief in Jesus. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.

Jesus Himself told us this: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

The Apostle Paul told us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In fact when Jesus was asked “What must we do to do the works God requires?” (John 6:28), and He had the perfect opportunity to list to the whole world, all of the things that He would like us to do for Him to make us somehow “worthy” or “acceptable” to be saved, He replied simply…..

“The work of God is this; to believe in the One He has sent.” (John 6:29)

So….

It is guaranteed that God will accept us if we ask Him. “Ask and it will be given to you……..For everyone who asks receives” (Matthew 7: 7a + 8a)

It is guaranteed that Jesus has saved us by “Paying in full” (John 19:30) the penalty for our sins “Once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) if we believe that He has.

Our salvation is guaranteed by the placing inside us of God’s Holy Spirit at the point of belief “as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

And…..

He has given us the Bible, His Word, to find out more about Him and His promises to us and to KNOW that once we are saved, we WILL be spending eternity with Him.

This is Truth. This is certainty. THIS IS FOREVER.

If you do not know that you are Saved and going straight to Heaven when you die, then this is the most important thing – BAR NONE – that you will ever do in your whole life.

Read again what is written here and if you understand and believe, then read this prayer through and think on what you are about to say.

THEN PRAY IT !!!

Dear God,

I realise that I am a sinner and that I have done, said and thought things that have displeased You. I know that you hold the keys to both eternal life and eternal punishment.

I realise that I myself, can never do anything to change or pay for these sins and therefore without Your help, I am stuck with them and according to Your Word, I will end up with eternal punishment in hell because of them.

BUT…I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die in my place, for my sins, instead of me. I believe that He did this, once and for all time, to pay the full price for all of my sins past, present and future.

I believe that you accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as full payment for my sins and that you proved this by raising Him from the dead and therefore showing that I can be too.

God, I am sorry. Please forgive me for all of my sins.

Please save me into Heaven for eternity.

Please come into my life, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to know you better.

God, thank you for forgiving me and for saving me.

I pray this prayer in the Name of Your Son, who is now my Saviour, my Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

I URGE you to get to a quiet place where you can privately talk with God and ask Him – BEG HIM – to save you using the prayer above or in your own words. IT IS TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO. If you do, and you mean what you are praying, HE WILL SAVE YOU. “For everyone who asks receives…” (Matthew 7:8)

If you have just said and meant that prayer (in these or your own words) then you are now, THIS VERY MOMENT SAVED FOREVER.

You are now in God’s Family and can talk to Him and ask Him anything. Keep close to Him. Talk to Him DAILY. If you have sinned, then ask Him to forgive you and He will. (1 John 1:9)

He will not lose you (John 10:27-28) You will make mistakes and He knows that.( 1 John 1:9) He has SEALED you with His Holy Spirit who now LIVES INSIDE YOU. (Ephesians 1:13-14) You are a NEW CREATION (2 Corinthians 5:17) and you HAVE eternal life (John 5:24)

Trust in these Truths !!!

Once you know you are saved nothing else really matters. Things do matter, but in the scheme of things they are just a temporary pebble in our sandals, on our journey through eternity.

YOU CAN KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAVED FOREVER !!! (see 1 John 5:13)

HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT?