The Plan of Salvation
The one quest all people have in common is the quest for tremendous inner peace and personal satisfactionin their lives. It seems as though there is a gap in the human mind or heart and our senses tell us there is something terribly important that is missing. We each, consciously, or not, seek for knowledge or even an experience that will bring us hope and real purpose and meaning for being. This is normal, for each of us was created by God to have purpose and our lives were structured to bring meaning. Deep inside ourselves we long to know and please God and we may not even be aware of it all the time, but, it is a universal quest of the soul of man. C. S. Lewis stressed that inside every person there is a void, an emptiness or, a vacuum, which he called a God-shaped void, one which only knowing God on a personal scale will remedy. First, there are some basic things you must know, namely, what we call God's effective, yet simple Plan of Salvation.
1. The first thing we need to come to grips with is that man is totally sinful. In spite of who we are or what we have done, or what we have neglected, God loves each and every person in this world. He proved that when He sent His Son into the world to demonstrate it. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16); “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
2. Man has a problem, he is sinful, whose heart is set on sin, desperate for its own way. That way is under the curse of God upon sin. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12); “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
3. Through His divine plan and by the willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who died our death to pay the penalty demanded by sin in our hearts, God made a way to be free from sin and its need for judgment and the demand of eternal punishment, by faith, in Him alone. This is His divine grace. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:4-9)
4. All of us need to recognize these truths and pray to Him to confess to Him alone our recognition that we are sinners and outside of His fellowship. We need to ask Him to forgive us our sin and to be our Savior. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Romans 10:8-11)
5. Believe with all your heart, mind and trust. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13). This is when eternal life begins.
If you have made a decision for Christ or have questions about salvation, please contact us. We would be glad to answer your questions and to help you!
< Compiled by Rev. C. David Coyle, DRE
All Scripture from the KJV
Gateway Baptist Church
34 Academy Drive
Cleveland, Georgia 30528
Telephone: (706) 865-7845
Email: pastorsparks01@gmail.com
