A blog series on finding Salvation in Christ Alone
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14
THE ROAD TO ASSURANCE IN CHRIST
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be Saved." Romans 10:13
What does a promise me to you? Is it a frail attempt to follow through with a word, action, or agreement? Or maybe to you, a promise carries more weight. Maybe when you give or receive a promise you view it as a pledge, vow, or contract never to be broken. Maybe you are somewhere in the middle of these. I am sure if I asked how many have seen life as you know it unravel and fall apart due to a broken promise, it would be many of you. Unfortunately, I know all too well how you feel. I have been the one shattered because of broken promises and ashamedly I will tell you I have been the one to break promises and hurt the ones I love because of the lack of commitment to keep my word or my promise.
Over the past several weeks we have covered the Roman Road to Salvation; verse by verse. In an attempt to summarize the past four weeks; the Bible tells us that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). A Holy God cannot look upon sin and because of that our sin separates us from Him. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He took our sins upon us and offered us forgiveness. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23. But we have a choice to make –refuse to repent and continue to live in our sin which will lead to separation from God or repent and turn towards Christ and new life in Him. God loves us so much that even while we were still sinners, He sent His son to die for us. You see He knew that we could not defeat sin on our own, therefore “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. After recognizing your need for a savior and repenting of our sins the Bible tells us that “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” (Romans 10:9). The belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the remission of your sins should move you to a place of confessing that He is Lord over your life.
One of the saddest verses in the Bible for me is found in Matthew 27: 45-46 when we see the intense sacrifice that Jesus made to offer us eternal life. This sadness had to occur in order to bring about our greatest hope when death was defeated by Christ.
“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
For the first time ever, God had turned around from His son who had become the perfect sacrifice for the world. Why? Because as you read earlier, a Holy God cannot look upon sin. And at that moment on the cross, Jesus paid the cost for our sins when He took them upon Himself and suffered the punishment that we deserved. You see, He loves us that much. His death was not an unplanned accident. He knew it, accepted it, and walked willingly towards that unimaginable suffering to fulfill what God’s Word promised from the very beginning. His death brought forth the most beautiful promise of the Bible.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13)
It is not exclusive to the deserving or the worthy –because none of us are. We are all broken and in need of rescue. And unlike the wavering confidence that we may have for the promises we have given or received in the past, this is one that is certain. We can place our total hope and assurance in this promise from God the Father. The impact of this promise changed the world forever through one man. His death promises us forgiveness and newness of life and it is offered to anyone who would repent, confess and believe.
Maybe this life has led you to an inaccurate understanding of the gravity of a promise. Or maybe you have never known the meaning of unconditional love –A love that stays and never leaves. A love that offers hope instead of hurting. A love that offers healing instead of destruction. My hope is that if you have never trusted Christ as your Savior that today would be the day that you would run to Him in faith, trust, and surrender. Here you will find unimaginable peace, love, hope, and joy.
If you are ready to surrender your life to God here is a sample prayer that you can pray.
Dear God, Today I recognize my need for you in my life and proclaim the truth that “apart from you, I can do nothing.” I humble myself before you and confess to you that I am a sinner and in need of your grace. I believe that you are the One True God and that you sent your one and only son to die on the cross to save me from my sins. I believe that because of this I can have eternal life with you. I ask you now that you would cleanse me from these sins and create in me a clean heart. From this day forward I want to live my life solely for you as my Lord. Thank you for hearing my prayers, saving my soul, and making me a new creation.
-Amen
If you have questions or would like someone to pray with you or for you, please click the contact button below.
Our Bible Reading plan this week will cover Jesus' sacrifice for our sins.
Questions?
If you have questions or things that you don't understand, please email them to me and I will add them to the Q&A section. I can't promise you that I will have all of the answers, but I can promise I will do my best to find them if I don't have them.
Growing in God
Would you like a tool to encourage your growth in God? Check out my newly released 12-month spiritual disciplines book/journal. This journal will give you a brief understanding of 8 tangible spiritual disciplines as well as give you a space to implement these disciplines into your daily walk with God.