God's Simple Plan of SalvationMy Friend: I am asking you the most
important question of life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity
depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a
question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are
you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die? God says
in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus
said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." In the Bible God gives us
the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is
simple! You can be saved today. How? First, my friend, you must
realize you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Because you are a sinner, you are
condemned to death. "For the wages [payment] of sin is death" (Romans
6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell. " . . . it
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"
(Hebrews 9:27). But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten
Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. " . . . He hath
made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus had to shed His blood and die. "For the life of the flesh is in
the blood" (Lev. 17:11). " . . . without shedding of blood is no
remission [pardon]" (Hebrews 9:22). " . . . God commendeth His love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8). Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and
your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became
our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie. My friend, "God . . .
commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). This
repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a
sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross. In
Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and
Silas: " . . . `Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they
said, `Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved . . . .' " Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin,
died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His
resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim
everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior. "But as many as
received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). "For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13).
Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but
shall be saved. Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now,
wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer. In
Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: "God be merciful to me a sinner." Just
pray: "Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my
substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood,
death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my
Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of
salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace.
Amen." Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith.
Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works
can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it! God's simple
plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe
on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If
you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you
receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal
salvation by faith. You say, "Surely, it cannot be that simple." Yes,
that simple! It is scriptural. It is God's plan. My friend, believe
on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today. If His plan is not
perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it
down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the
world. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole
world and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). Be sure you are saved. If
you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God
save you this very moment. God's power will save you, keep you saved,
and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. "There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Do not trust your
feelings. They change. Stand on God's promises. They never change.
After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for
spiritual growth:· Pray -- you talk to God. · Read your
Bible -- God talks to you. · Witness -- you talk for God. You
should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public
testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing
church without delay. "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord . . . ." (2 Timothy 1:8) "Whosoever therefore shall
confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My
Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32).
Copyright: Robert Ford Porter, 1991