How Salvation Works

This is the most important Bible study of all…how to receive the gift of salvation. We hope that you will be inspired to help us share this message everywhere. These simple message has the potential to make the biggest difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. I wish someone had laid it all out there clearly like this for me. We’re going to go over the steps to receive salvation according to the Bible, common misconceptions about salvation, a little bit of important history to build context, the amazing benefits to choosing to believe in and follow Jesus, and a little background on the heart of God. Then we’ll end with some very simple next steps you can take at your own pace. Once you see all of this information come together in this short Bible study, you’ll better see the true loving heart of God and hopefully want to learn more.

Steps to Receive Salvation

Many people make this a complex endeavor, but it is actually so very simple. Here are all the steps:

Believe in Jesus. That’s it. Give him your heart and the rest will come.

John 3:16-17 – 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

That’s right, just one simple step.

Common Misconceptions About Following Jesus

You don’t have to have it all figured out and you don’t have to be concerned that you’re not good enough to accomplish following Him or that you’re too far down a path. Paul was a man that persecuted Jesus… you can’t get any further from God than that! But he later turned and followed Jesus and led many others to do the same. Paul is a great example that we can’t be too far down a bad path to turn and be received by Jesus when we choose to believe. Let’s look at what Paul says:

1 Timothy 1:15-16 – 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

In addition, following Jesus is not a miserable and restricted life like you may have been led to believe. Actually you’ll never feel more free and happy with the joy and contentment He provides when you follow. And moving forward, you’ll be free from the consequences of doing things the world’s way that you have now turned away from.

Here’s how it works in a nutshell. Jesus came and lived on earth and died at the hands of corrupt people. But then a couple days later, when everyone thought all hope was lost and Jesus may not be the real deal… Jesus rose from the dead. When everyone saw Jesus walking around after His death, of which there are multiple independent eye-witness accounts, there was no longer any doubt that Jesus was in fact the messiah prophesy had spoken of, literally God in a bod, who had come to save us. That was the ultimate irrefutable confirmation. In effect, Jesus died as a sacrifice for our imperfect and sinful nature and then rose from the dead confirming He is indeed the Son of God as He had said. Because of that, we imperfect messer-uppers have an opportunity we don’t deserve – that if we believe in Jesus and what He did for us, then we are washed clean of our sins and have the opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven we would not have otherwise. The reality is, nobody can possibly be good enough without this gift to stand before God without the stain of sins and receive salvation on their own… We can’t fabricate our own righteousness. It’s a fallen world and we simply need Jesus.

Romans 10:9 – 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 3:23-24 – 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

John 14:6 – 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

God Will Start Working In Your Life

There’s a very simple sequence of events that naturally happens when you choose to follow the one step above.

We believe in Jesus and give Him our heart. When you give Him your heart, you’re whole-heartedly committing to following Him. He will help you overcome the temptations of the world because you believe.

1 John 5:1-5 – 5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Lord will begin to renew your mind as you start following Jesus and make it where you want to follow him and turn away from sin, or that bad things we’re tempted to do in this world.

Romans 12:2 – 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 4:23-24 – 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

We WILL still mess up. That’s okay because we are not perfect and it’s a broken world. But if we mess up and our heart is in the right place, we’ll be sorry and sad that we messed up, so we’ll ask Him to forgive us, and Jesus will forgive us. You see, it’s all about where your heart is. At the same time, you can’t just keep sinning thinking you’ll ask for forgiveness each time…your heart wouldn’t be in the right place doing that.

Galations 6:7-8 – 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

The Benefits of Having Faith

When we choose to take this simple step of believing in Jesus and therefore following Him and giving Him our heart, we receive amazing gifts we don’t deserve, with the best being that we get to spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord God Almighty and Jesus. Jesus is preparing an awesome place for us, but first we have to let Him lead us through this crazy life.

John 14:1-3 – 1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Revelation 21:1 – Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Revelation 21:4 – 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Another great benefit is that we have a clear instruction manual showing you how to walk the path of following Jesus – the Bible. And as you study the Bible, God will work in your life more and more.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

We are also not alone in our struggling through this life, Jesus sent a helper also known as the holy spirit, to help us and lead us down the path of following Jesus. This is a huge benefit because the holy spirit helps you discern things more and more as you learn to abide in and follow Jesus.

John 14:26 – 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 14:15-18 – 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In following Jesus, you will get to enjoy a fulfilled life to a whole new level, even through tough times, knowing that it’s not all for nothing, you’re now living out a purpose for the Lord. At the end of your life, the thing that will most likely matter most to you is that you did something to leave a legacy, and that’s exactly what you’ll have the opportunity to do.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

As you follow Jesus, you might be giving up some things in this life, but God will bless you beyond what you can imagine both in this life and after. It’s important to realize that you won’t always fit in or be able to go with the flow of the world. We’re different, and we should be proud to be different. When we let go of the ways of the world and follow the ways of the Bible, we will definitely stand out. But that is a good thing! It won’t always be comfortable or easy, but God will bless us beyond measure when we trust Him and choose to follow.

Mark 10:29-31 – 29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

How It All Works – Abide in Jesus

I love the unquestionable clarity that comes through this explanation of how it all works. You may have heard about the trinity…the father, the son, and the holy ghost. Jesus explains and gives us a very clear image of how it all works:

John 15:1-8 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Let’s look at the definition of the word abide in this context:

Abide: to dwell, to stay, to remain

I can’t express how I wish someone had shown me this from the start. Jesus is saying that if we abide in him on the vine, then He is our direct connection with our Father in heaven. Jesus also abides in us as the Holy Spirit and helps us have the ability and strength to follow Him and bear “fruit” through our actions. We are absolutely not left hanging…no no, we have help straight from Jesus who dwells in us and helps us every step of the way. Now you have an understanding that many believers continue to struggle with – an understanding of how the Father, the son, and the holy spirit work. Many believers continue to be confused with this, but Jesus’ explanation clears that right up. So, now you’re ahead of the game with a solid foundation of understanding.

Next Steps To Follow Jesus

So you’re ready to believe in Jesus…now what? Here are a few simple first steps to get started.

Say a simple prayer to our Father in heaven in Jesus’ name like this: Father, I believe Jesus died for me to wash away my sins and I know I don’t deserve that as one who has messed up so many times. I give you my heart. I want to follow Jesus. I pray that you would come abide in me and help me follow and abide in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen. That’s it…so simple, and it’s done!
Tell someone! If possible find a mentor to help you get on a path to learning more every day! (I want to know so I can celebrate with you and help you find resources! Email me here: [email protected])
Find a good church, Bible study, or group of believers to join
Start a daily discipline of giving the Lord a little time before you start your day, even just 10 minutes. Pray and study the Bible or a devotional every morning to start your day off right and with purpose. The Bible is an instruction manual teaching you the wisdom of how to follow Christ.
Watch God work in your life! And remember, there is no such thing as coincidence!

Our goal is to sufficiently convey the amazing gift that Jesus is offering to us as the irresistible win-win opportunity that it truly is. If you have questions, need resources, or want to tell us you’re ready to receive the gift of salvation, we want to hear!