The Way to Salvation

Have you ever wondered what happens to a person after they die? Let’s bring the question closer to home. If you died today, what would happen to you? We all know the common answer to each: the body is put in a grave and if the body is not preserved it will turn to a substance like dirt. After time all that is left is a distant memory of the person who once lived. But, is there life after death? If so, where do we go?

In order to answer the last two questions, let’s go back to the first book of the Bible: Genesis 1:27. It reads like this: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” In order for us to understand this scripture we have to first of all believe there is a God and that the Bible is God’s inspired word to us. How can we believe there is a God?

Look around at your surroundings. Did the tree just happen? Did the land just separate from the sea one day for no reason? Genesis says this about the land and sea: “And God said, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:9, 10. In the next verses we learn that God in heaven made the earth to bring forth grass and other plants. There are many things that historians are excavating that prove the Bible to be true.

So what does this have to do with me, death, and life after death? We know that Adam was not created to die. He was created by God to live forever. In Genesis Chapter three (3) is where things changed for Adam and Eve. Do you remember the story of Eve eating of the forbidden fruit and giving some to Adam? They disobeyed God and were removed from the Garden of Eden. Gen 3:17-24(not quoted). From this time onward Adam was not perfect, but had to live with his sin. This sin was passed on to every person who lived on this earth since. This is the reason we are destined to die.

Now let us go to the New Testament. Jesus said in John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. That was the purpose of Jesus being on this earth: to relieve us of the sin that came from Adam. We first have to agree that we all have sin in our lives. The apostle Paul tells us this in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Paul also said “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 5:12. Romans 6:23 tells us: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Everyone carries sin and death through life, all except those who God extends this ‘GIFT’ of eternal life to. Would you want death or eternal life? There is a choice every person has to make for themselves – death, or eternal life. But how do we attain eternal life? Paul said: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13. Acts 2:21 tells us the same thing. If we call on Jesus Christ we will be saved from death and live forever. The next question is: ‘Do I want to have death forever or do I want to have life eternal?

We can live forever and ever. Even when death from this earth comes to us we can know that ‘I Will Live Forever’. How? There are four (4) things we need to know to gain this eternal life. They are:
1. All have sinned – Romans 3:23
2. The wages of sin is death – Romans 6:23
3. While we were sinners Christ died for us – Romans 5:8
4. Call on the Lord (Jesus) and be saved – Romans 10:13

There is life everlasting here for you today if you can agree on these next points:
1. Admit we are sinners and am in need of a Savior.
2. Repent and be willing to give the rest of our earthly lives to Jesus by turning away from sin.
3. Believe that Christ died for us.
4. Pray to invite Christ Jesus to come and take control of our lives through the Holy Spirit.

This is the beginning of a wonderful NEW life in Christ. Now we need to carry this new life into our daily routine. Calling upon the Lord to save us from eternal death and separation from our heavenly Father will be a waste of time if we don’t apply some attributes in our day to day activities. Some of these are:
1. Read our Bible on a daily basis.
2. Pray every day.
3. Tell others about Jesus.
4. Demonstrate our new life to those around us.
5. Find other people who know Christ and associate with them.

Would you like us to pray for you?