Salvation What must I do to obtain it?

The Universal Need for Salvation

The first fundamental aspect of salvation is the universal need to be saved due to the sinful condition of all humanity. The Bible teaches that sin affects all human beings without exception.

In Romans 3:23 It states: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

This biblical truth highlights that sin is not just a series of bad actions that people commit, but an inherent condition that dates back to the fall of Adam in Genesis 3. From that time, sin has passed on to the entire human race, affecting the very nature of people, meaning that by nature they are spiritually dead and separated from God.

The biblical teaching on sin shows that everyone is incapable of seeking God on their own. This is crucial to understanding that salvation cannot be achieved by any human effort. Romans 3:10-12 He emphasizes this inability: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks God.” This state of alienation places humanity in a desperate situation, in which only divine intervention can reconcile man with his Creator.

Repentance and Faith: The Doors of Salvation

Repentance and faith are indispensable to receive the salvation that God offers. Jesus himself declared: “Repent and believe in the Good News” (Mark 1:15). These two actions are not mere external acts or religious rituals; they represent a profound transformation in the heart and mind of the individual.

Repentance implies a radical change of direction in a person's life. In the original language of the New Testament, the Greek term metanoia Repentance means a change of mind, a complete turning from sin to God. This is not simply superficial remorse, but an internal work of the Holy Spirit in which the person turns away from sin and seeks to live in obedience to God. Repentance is an essential component of a person recognizing his need for a Savior and abandoning the path of disobedience.

Faith, on the other hand, is more than just an intellectual belief in the existence of God or in the historical facts of Jesus’ life. James 2:19 teaches that “the demons believe…and tremble,” showing that superficial belief is not sufficient for salvation. True faith involves fully trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

This means relying solely on His work on the cross for salvation, recognizing that His sacrifice alone is sufficient to reconcile humanity to God. John 3:16 expresses this truth clearly: “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.”

Justification: Being Declared Righteous Before God

One of the most fundamental aspects of salvation is the justification, an act of God by which He declares a person who puts his or her faith in Christ to be righteous. Justification is a legal term meaning that although human beings are guilty of sin, God declares them innocent through the work of Christ.

This act of justification is not based on one’s own merits or good works, but exclusively on what Jesus did through his perfect life and sacrifice on the cross. Romans 5:1 states: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This process of justification is possible because Jesus, on the cross, exchanged his righteousness for the sin of mankind. This divine exchange is explained in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That is, the sins of believers are imputed to Christ, who bears them on the cross, and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers. In this way, God can declare righteous those who have put their faith in Jesus.

The New Birth: Being Made New Creatures

The new birth, also known as regeneration, is a central concept in biblical teaching on salvation. Jesus explained this truth to Nicodemus in John 3:3: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This new birth is not a physical change, but a spiritual transformation, in which the Holy Spirit gives life to what was spiritually dead.

The new birth is not a voluntary act of man; it is a sovereign work of God. John 1:12-13 explains that those who believe in Christ “were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” The Holy Spirit works in the human heart to regenerate it and give it a new nature. This new birth enables people to live according to God’s will and to persevere in faith.

The Exclusivity of Salvation through Jesus Christ

Salvation, according to the Scriptures, is exclusively through Jesus Christ, without the mediation of any other factor, whether human or ritual. Jesus Himself stated this truth categorically when He declared: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This verse establishes that Christ is the only means of reconciliation between God and humanity, excluding any other way, intermediary, or human effort.

The gospel teaches that no human work is sufficient to attain salvation. Isaiah 64:6 says that “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Good works, though the fruit of faith, have no power to justify anyone before God. Salvation is not something that can be earned or merited through actions, but is a free gift from God received through faith in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it clearly: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Furthermore, no ritual or sacrament, by itself, can grant salvation. Although sacraments, such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are important within the Christian life as acts of obedience and reminders of the work of Christ, they do not have the power to save. They are external symbols of an internal reality already established by faith in Jesus Christ. In this sense, Peter emphasizes in Acts 4:12 that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” referring only to Jesus as the Savior.

The only mediator between God and men is Jesus Christ. Scripture is clear that there are no other valid intermediaries between man and God. 1 Timothy 2:5 states this unambiguously: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Neither saints, nor angels, nor religious leaders can act as mediators of salvation. Only Christ, who died and was resurrected for the sins of mankind, has the power to intercede before the Father on behalf of those who believe in Him.

In short, salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Any attempt to add works, rituals, or intermediaries to the completed work of Christ contradicts biblical teaching and denies the sufficiency of His sacrifice. It is through His death on the cross and His resurrection that forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God are granted. Only those who place their faith and trust exclusively in Jesus Christ can experience salvation and eternal life.

The Security of Salvation: Guarantee of Eternal Life

Once a person has been saved, the Bible clearly teaches that your salvation is certain. Jesus assures us in John 10:28-29: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” Salvation does not depend on human faithfulness, but on the work of God. It is God who sustains believers, ensuring that they remain in faith until the end.

This doctrine does not mean that believers cannot temporarily sin or stray, but that God preserves them in His grace. The assurance of salvation is based on God’s faithfulness, not on the believer’s efforts. Romans 8:38-39 reaffirms this assurance, declaring that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come…will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This promise assures that eternal life is guaranteed to those who have trusted in Christ.

The Certainty of Salvation: Confidence in God's Promises

The final crucial aspect of salvation is the certainty with which believers can live, knowing that they are saved. 1 John 5:13 states, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” The Bible leaves no room for doubt about the salvation of those who have put their faith in Christ.

This assurance is not based on emotions or on the believer's daily conduct, but on the objective promises of God revealed in the Scriptures. Confidence in salvation comes from the finished work of Christ and from God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises. Believers can be confident of their salvation because God has promised it and because their salvation depends entirely on what Christ has done, not on what they can do.

The important thing to remember

Salvation, in its fullness, ranges from the recognition of sin to the assurance of eternal life. People, in their natural state, are lost and separated from God because of their sin. However, God, in his love and mercy, offers salvation through Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation. only way. Repentance and faith are the human responses to this offer, while justification, the new birth, assurance and certainty of salvation are the works of God in the life of the believer.

Every aspect of salvation demonstrates that it is an undeserved gift that depends entirely on the grace and power of God, and that it guarantees eternal life to those who trust in Him.