Salvation means "to be saved, or delivered", but what is it that we need to be saved from?

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First of all, the "bad news" is that humanity has broken God's eternal laws, and humans continually disobey and dishonor God! This rebellion against God has caused humanity to "fall" from God's perfect standard, and fall away from righteousness and God's holiness into an existence infected by evil. Each and every one of us is guilty of that rebellion, dishonor, and shame. The Holy Bible calls this infection of evil "sin"- it is spiritual blindness, spiritual darkness, and separation from God.

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     Because God is the Holy Creator and Giver of life, when the first humans turned away from God in sin, the knowledge of Evil came into their being, and the perfect relationship with God was broken. The result was shame and evil tainting the very essence and nature of humanity (Genesis 3). Being separated from God, the Source of life, would bring spiritual death, and eventually physical death as well. This is the natural result of sin, and it is the cause of everything wrong in the world, including things like sickness, pain, hatred, war, and death.  All humans have a fallen and sinful nature, which puts us in a state of rebellion against the One True God. 

 

   Since this broken relationship between God and humanity, all people feel a certain emptiness without that personal relationship with God. Humans have tried many ways to find a way back into that relationship, and fill the emptiness- but there is nothing humans can do, by themselves, to create a way back to God or earn His favor. Some people replace that relationship by creating their own gods, worshipping other things, or other people, and some even totally reject the idea of God's existence! But, real purpose and identity comes through truly knowing the true God, and a restored relationship with Him. 

 

God is a perfect and holy Being, and because of His perfect goodness, righteousness, and justice, He will not accept or allow an existence where the presence of sin and evil go unpunished. Although He does tolerate evil for now, He will eventually judge and punish all things that have the presence of sin and evil within them. In His perfect righteousness He will judge the unrighteous world, because the world has loved wickedness and darkness. 

 

But,...

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God is also loving, and merciful!

In His perfect love He has provided a WAY to receive pardon, clear the shame, restore honor, and to heal the broken relationship between Himself and humanity. That Way is Jesus!

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In the Bible it is recorded that Jesus said “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father [God] but through Me."  and  "whoever comes to Me I will never cast out."  (John 14:6, John 6:37).
The full explanation is described within the Bible how Jesus Christ, as God Himself, entered into humanity and took upon Himself the punishment for our sin, evil and shame. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice by dying on a wooden cross and receiving God's wrath and judgement in our place. He did this so that anyone who repents of their sin (which means "to confess you are sinful, ask God for forgiveness, and turn away from evil") , and anyone who has faith in Him (which means truly believe and trust, with their whole heart and mind, who Jesus is and what He did) then they will be forgiven of the sin, shame, and dishonor, and will be restored unto God!

     The Bible explains that because Jesus IS God, He was resurrected- raised back to life- to prove that He is the One Who has power over life and death, the One Who can punish evil and forgive sins, and the One Who can restore all things! 

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The Gospel is the "Good News" about Jesus- that He has provided a way back to God through forgiveness of sins, by His  sacrificial death and resurrection! Salvation means "to be saved, or delivered", and Jesus has offered to save us from God's punishment, to anyone who acknowledges their sin, turns to Jesus for forgiveness, and follows Him in faith!

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This is how anyone can have an individual and personal relationship with God, their Creator!

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The Bible states these truths about God, humanity, Jesus Christ, and salvation: 

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23)

 

"The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

 

"...God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

(Romans 5:8)

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"...in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away," (Acts 3:18)

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"We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him." (Romans 6:9)

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"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  (Romans 10:9) 

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AND, if you do that,...

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"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

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Repent- confess and be sorry for your sin, turn away from evil, and ask Jesus to forgive you.

Believe- have faith and trust in Jesus Christ, that He is God in human flesh, that He died on the cross to pay the punishment for your sin, and He was raised from the dead to prove His power. 

Declare- Jesus is Lord, the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer of humanity for those who trust in Him. 

Receive- everlasting, eternal life, and look forward to living with God and His people forever! 

Become new- be changed, transformed, and cleansed by the power of God to a new life with Jesus.                                Live a life of breaking-free from the power of evil and sin.  

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Repent, Believe, Declare, Receive & Become New, through the Death and Resurrection,

and Eternal Life of Jesus Christ!

This is the Gospel!