A—Acknowledge You Need to Turn to Jesus Christ and Be Forgiven of Your Sins
The ABCs of salvation starts with the story of Jesus Christ. Almost 700 years before it happened, the Prophet Isaiah said this about the death of Jesus Christ.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6 KJV)
The Bible is clear about who has sinned. It says all have sinned. It leaves no person is excluded, except for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ never sinned, and everyone else falls short of his standard of sinless perfection.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)
The New Testament confirms that the Old Testament prophets were looking forward to a day when Jesus Christ would provide a way for our sins to be forgiven through him.
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43 NIV)
Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. He paid the price for the sins of the world with his death on the cross almost two thousand years ago. He took the wrath of God upon himself and paid the penalty for your sins so you could be forgiven by believing in his name.
And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world. (1 John 2:2 AMP)
The A part of the ABCs of salvation is to acknowledge you have sinned and need to turn toward Jesus Christ. Turning toward God and turning away from going your own sinful way to receive forgiveness of your sins is the true meaning of repentance.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (Acts 3:19 NIV)
Repentance is necessary for everyone to have their sins forgiven and wiped out from God’s records. Jesus Christ came to earth from heaven to call sinners to repentance and change the eternal destiny of their lives.
Jesus Christ said:
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32 KJV)
Turning to God and away from one’s sins is no small thing. The angels in heaven rejoice when someone repents and receives forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
…there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10 KJV)
Turning toward God means you have changed your mind. Instead of walking away from God, you decide to turn toward him and leave your sins behind. When you acknowledge you need to turn to God and repent from sins, you have successfully completed part A of the ABCs of salvation.
B—Believe in Your Heart Jesus Christ Was Raised from the Dead
The B part of the ABCs of salvation is to believe in your heart Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. The first four books of the New Testament in the Bible tell the story of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection from the dead. All four of these gospels are eyewitness accounts of how God miraculously raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Here is the eyewitness account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the book of Mark:
9When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
12Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. (Mark 16:9-14)
God does not want you to perish in your sins. He loves you so much he sent his only son to give you the message of good news that you can be forgiven of your sins, be saved from his wrath, and receive eternal life.
16For 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.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17 NIV)
Being saved means you will not receive the wrath of God you deserve because of your sins. God allowed Jesus Christ to suffer a gruesome death on a cross to pay for your sins so that your sinful nature could be changed from the inside out by believing in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ came to the earth from heaven to show us the way to be reconciled to God. He did not come to condemn the world, but he came to save the world from sin, guilt, and shame. Jesus Christ was the only sinless and perfect man that ever lived. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself and died for you. He took upon himself your punishment so you could experience eternal life by believing in him.
When you believe the good news that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, you have successfully completed the B part of the ABCs of salvation.
C—Confess with Your Mouth Jesus Christ Is Lord of All and You Will Be Saved
The C part of the ABCs of salvation is to confess with your mouth Jesus Christ is Lord. When what you believe in your heart is spoken out of your mouth, it completes the process of faith that brings you salvation. Confessing Jesus Christ as Lord gives you a new heart, and you become born again. You are not born again naturally, but you are born again spiritually by the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit replaces your sinful nature with his holy presence on the inside of your heart.
9If 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.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)
Jesus Christ gives an open invitation to all who do not know his him.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man 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 KJV)
Everyone who wants to be saved can be saved. The word everyone means everyone!
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NIV)
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:6-7 NIV)
Being saved means you become born again. Jesus Christ used the words you must be
born again. He was talking about a new spiritual birth and not a natural
birth.
When you confess Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life you have successfully completed the C part in the ABCs of salvation.
Accept God’s Gift of Salvation Right Now!
Acknowledging that you need to turn to God and turn away from sin, believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord puts the ABCs of salvation into practice.
If you do not already know and trust Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, you now can make the best decision of your life. Right now, you can accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Turn your life over to the one who loved you so much he gave his life for you and died for your sins.
You can be forgiven. You can be washed clean from your sins. You can make peace with God. You can experience a new joy, and peace in your heart that cannot be described by words. Accept the gift of forgiveness of your sins by believing in and confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord. Please pray this prayer out load.
Pray the Sinner’s Prayer for Salvation
Dear Heavenly Father, I turn to you now and turn away from my sins. I believe you sent your Son, Jesus Christ to die in my place to be punished for my sins. I believe in my heart that you raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus, I want to make you Lord over all my life. I now give my life to you. I want to live for you and please you from this day forward. Amen.
Congratulations!
After you prayed this prayer out loud and sincerely meant it in your heart, you became a new person in Christ Jesus. You have been changed from the inside out, and you will never be the same again. You have been given a chance to start a new life with Jesus Christ coming to live with you inside your heart. Rejoice! You have been saved from God’s wrath against sinners. You were given new life in your heart and a new eternal destination.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)
Remember, it is your faith and not your feelings that makes you right with God. Faith overcomes doubt and fear and receives the promises of God’s salvation. You can be sure God will give you the salvation you asked for because he is a good Heavenly Father, and he keeps his promises. God’s word never fails to accomplish his purposes.
Make a Public Commitment to Follow Jesus Christ and Obey His Commandments
After you prayed to Jesus Christ to save you, you need to acknowledge you have chosen to start a new life of faith by being baptized in water. Water baptism is an act of faith that demonstrates your sins have been forgiven and washed away. Baptism is also a public commitment that lets others know you are turning away from future sin, and you want to continue to obey and follow God’s commands.
Your faith to be saved pleases God. He will reward you for your faith and your continuing walk of faith with him.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)
Faith works because of God’s grace toward you. God’s grace means you do not deserve salvation because of your good deeds or works, but you receive salvation as an unearned gift from God.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)
Faith and not feelings enable you to follow the ABCs of salvation and be reconciled to God and receive eternal salvation and his peace from God.
Jesus Christ said:
31… “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin]”
(John 8:31-32 AMP)
Pray Often, Read Your Bible Daily and Find Your Place in the Family of God
You are beginning an exciting new journey based on the eternal principles of God, and you have a great destiny in front of you. You do not have to take this journey of faith alone. Other believers can help you grow in faith and show you how to experience more of God’s grace in your life.
You should begin to set aside time to pray and seek God for his wisdom and guidance in your life. You should pray and ask God to show you where you belong in the family of God.
It is important to read the Bible on a regular basis. A good place to start in the Bible is the book of John. This book contains many promises and has beautiful word pictures about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You will also receive the help of the Holy Spirit, who now lives on the inside of you, to show you things in the Bible. You should also seek out the help of other born-again believers and learn how to take your place in the Body of Christ.
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them. (Matthew 18:20 KJV)
Gathering regularly to worship God gives you a chance to demonstrate your love and devotion to him. You should also praise and thank him for all his blessings he has provided to you through his son, Jesus Christ. It also gives you the opportunity to experience his loving presence together with others.
It is not God’s plan for you to continue to live in your old ways. He wants you to live an abundant and fruitful life. He has provided the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and an earthly Christian family of believers to help you continue to grow in your new life of faith.
Continue to Follow Jesus Christ, Love and Worship God, Love People, and Grow in Faith, and Do Good Deeds that Bring Glory to God
Jesus Christ wants you to live your life and be an example for others to follow. Share your faith in Jesus Christ with others, and you will continue to grow in faith. God’s purpose for you is for you not to live your life only for yourself. God has a wonderful plan for you to find happiness and fulfillment by living a life of faith by loving God and others through your words and actions. If you do this your life will bring gory to God and please him, and you will experience his joy and peace.
Be Wise. Be a doer of Jesus Christ words—don’t only be a hearer. Talk your walk and walk your talk!
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ABCs of Salvation—How to Have Faith in Jesus Christ ©2024 James Strand, Word Catcher Press. Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible: King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NIV® are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. The scripture quotation marked AMP is from the Amplified® Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. lockman.org.