What does it mean to be saved?
Bodi-wan
Are you like me? I get tired of sitting down in the middle of something like a story, movie, etc. and wondering what’s going on. I think most people feel like this when they hear about Jesus for the first time. I would hear things like:
‘Good news! Good news! Here’s how to get saved: Believe in Jesus!!’
I was thinking…‘Saved from what?...‘’Jesus who?’ …Well obviously there is something behind this so bear with me and let’s see what this is all about.
First off, it’s tough to understand the good news of being saved, if you don’t understand the bad news. So let’s go back to the beginning. In the beginning, God created everything; this includes the heavens and earth [i.e. all physical dimensions of time and space as well as the heaven where the angels reside].
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Did you know that modern science actually confirms the Biblical account, please see:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/qa.asp
Did you know that every alleged Biblical contradiction has been cleared up, please see:
http://www.tektonics.org/TK-GEN.html
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/critics.asp#contradictions
When God created everything He said it was ‘very good’. This meant that everything was perfect. The whole creation was perfect. Man lived in the perfectly created earth [i.e. a paradise] with a perfect relationship with God.
Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day.
Being that it was perfect, there was no death before this. Please see why there could be no death before sin:
http://www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-191.htm
God gave man and woman the ability to have the freedom of contrary choice. The first two people God created were Adam and Eve and they were allowed to eat of from any tree in the Garden of Eden except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and live forever with God. Again, there was no death. But Adam and Eve were tempted by a serpent [being influenced by Satan who had rebelled from God in the heavenly realm] and then they also rebelled against God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thus they sinned [sin is rebellion against God].
Genesis
2:16 And
the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the
garden;
Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will
surely die.”
Genesis
3:1 Now
the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in
the garden’?”
Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the
serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
Genesis 3:3 but God did say, ‘You
must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you
must not touch it, or you will die.’”
Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely
die,” the serpent said to the woman.
Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that
when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.”
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw
that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to
her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
God was not pleased by their actions of sinning against Him. God cursed the creation because man had dominion over it [Genesis 1:28], sentenced man and woman to die a physical and spiritual death to fulfill what was said in Genesis 2:17, cursed the animals, and caused pain and thorns to enter the creation. From this, we [i.e. humans, descendants of Adam] receive ‘original sin’. This means that we are living in a sin-cursed universe and are sentenced to die. In other words, God removed some of His sustaining power so the creation is no longer perfect, but in bondage to sin and death.
Genesis
3:14 So
the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you
above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your seed and hers; he will crush your
head, and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give
birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over
you.”
Genesis 3:17 To Adam he said,
“Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded
you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through
painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:18 It will produce thorns
and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your
brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it
you
were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
God loved us so much though that He said that there would be a way to return to a perfect relationship with Him and gave the first prophecy [of many] regarding the way back. In Genesis 3:15 it says that the seed will be that of a woman. This references the future event of Jesus’ virgin birth being the seed of a woman.
If you have questions about Jesus being born of a virgin, then please see:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2/4262apol_v2-1994.asp
Paul, in the New Testament, confirms what is written in Genesis when he says that the wages of sin is death. For one sin is enough to cause you to die eternally spiritually as well as bodily.
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death…
Since the wages of sin is death, God, in Genesis 3, a life must be taken to cover Adam and Eve’s sin. Therefore, to make atonement [make those sins to disappear], God sacrificed animal lives and covered Adam and Eve with their skins.
Genesis 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
From this point on, people made animal sacrifices to cover up [make atonement] for the sins they committed – an animal life for a sin.
Genesis 4:4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
At this point, people still conversed with God such as many of the patriarchs [fathers from long past] from Adam through Abraham. Therefore, they knew what was right and wrong but in many cases still failed to be sin-free. Because they kept failing to obey God though, He sent the Law [i.e. Law of Moses or the Torah] during the time of Moses for everyone to follow. This outlines what is right and wrong as well as cleanliness rules and what and how to sacrifice animals to cover sins that one had committed. God set up a temple where people were to bring their sacrifices. The temple then became the place where the Lord converses with people such as Moses and the Levite priests [Levites were a special division of the Israelites who were given the privilege of being the priests and keepers of the Temple.].
Leviticus 1:3 “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that he will be acceptable to the LORD.
Remember each sin is worthy of death and at that time it must be covered with the sacrifice of another life – an animal life in most cases. It must be a male without defect. It must be the best you have – the one you prize the most. Then it will be a sufficient sacrifice.
The Law of Moses [i.e. Genesis-Deuteronomy] outlines what is sin [i.e. rebellions against God]. Even with the Law though, people kept messing up and turning away from God. As people increased in number on the planet there would surely be a time when there wouldn’t be enough animals to sacrifice for all the sins man commits. God loved everyone so much that He did the unthinkable. He sent one final perfect sacrifice –greater than any animal sacrifice.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Yes, God sent His son [i.e. part of himself], Jesus, to lower Himself to come into a sin-cursed world and to live a servants’ life on earth just like one of us. He entered the world just as He prophesied – through a virgin – Mary.
Jesus was without sin and did everything perfect according to the Law because no one else could do it. Then man would sacrifice him on the cross. Jesus would be the final sacrifice because he made no mistakes and was without defect. His death was even outlined many years before in Psalm 22. He was the perfect sacrifice [even better than the most perfect animal] because He was a perfect man and also a perfect God. He was the one who would fulfill the Law He sent to man because we couldn’t.
Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
When God stepped into His creation he did what is called ‘grace’. Grace means that we were rightly punished for our wrong doing and then the one, who sentenced us to that punishment, takes that punishment upon himself out of love for us. This is what God did. We rightly deserved death, and God took that punishment upon Himself by dying in our place – Jesus Christ. He exercised grace, because of His love for us.
Jesus didn’t come to the world to sentence it to death but save everyone from the second death that we are already sentenced to. The second death will still be the punishment that God will give to those who do not come back to Him.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
The second death is separation from God – being completely separated from all that good – no friendships, no love, no fun, only pain. Even Satan himself has no power there. (Yes, the popular media doesn’t seem to understand that). Jesus came to be the final sacrifice to allow us to come back to a correct relationship with God. All people will die once by returning to dust [Genesis 3:19] but Jesus came to save you from the second death.
All you have to do is believe in him as your savior – your final sacrifice. Then you will be saved from the second death. You are saved by the free gift of God through His grace by sending Jesus to die in your place. When Jesus rose, we no longer need to go to the temple to present a sacrifice [It is also a sign that death has no power over God but God has power over death.] Jesus was the sacrifice and now the body (yes, even your body) is now the temple for the Holy Spirit that God will give you if you accept Jesus.
Matthew 26:61 and declared, “This fellow [Jesus] said, `I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Once you accept Jesus you will receive the Holy Spirit in you and as you grow in the Spirit it will help you discern right from wrong and help you understand things about God.
Mark 1:8 I baptize you with water, but he [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Once you receive the Holy Spirit, things become increasingly clear. The Bible warns that the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. All other sins can be forgiven.
Matthew 12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is rejecting the Holy Spirit. The only way to reject the Holy Spirit is to reject Jesus as your savior. This corresponds to Jesus saying that He was the only way back to God.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus, being the perfect sacrifice, was God’s way to let people come back to Him by forgiving ALL your sins. God loves you so much that He sacrificed His own unblemished son to suffer and die and all He asks of you is to love Him back. To love Him back means to obey Him and accept the sacrifice that God gave you out of love.
Mark
12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind and with all your strength.’ [Deuteronomy
6:4-5]
Mark
12:31 The second is this: `Love your neighbor
as yourself.’ [Leviticus 19:18] There is no commandment greater than these.”
The Bible is clear in several passages how to get saved. It doesn’t mean your perfect after you are saved, but forgiven and accepted by God. The common theme is believing in Jesus.
Acts
16
30He
then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved--you and your household."
Whoever believes
and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned.
John
3
16"For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans
10:9
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
10:10 For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are
saved.
It is a simple and free gift. It doesn’t matter how many steps you’ve taken away from God, it is only one step back. If you are not a Christian and are interested in getting a right relationship with God then please take a few minutes to pray to God in the name of Jesus to forgive your sins and to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life.