Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one ...."
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God ...."
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation cannot be earned. Everyone is a sinner and deserves
death, but God gives eternal life. So how can we receive God's gift
of eternal life?
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth ...."
To be saved, we must believe the gospel. The word
"gospel" means "good news". But before we can
believe the good news, we have to know what it is.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 "Moreover, brethren, I
declare unto you the gospel ... that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures
...."
This is the gospel which we must believe in order to be saved.
Now, how does believing this gospel save us?
Romans 5:8-9 "But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him."
Romans 3:22-26 "Even the righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them
that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God
hath set forth to be a propitiation (appeasing sacrifice)
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
We can be saved from the wrath of God, because Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins and rose
from the dead. He paid the price for us, and we are justified in
God's eyes through our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "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."
There will be no boasting in heaven. We cannot be saved by our
own righteousness, but only by God's grace, through faith.
Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with
that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto
the praise of his glory."
Once we believe the gospel, we are sealed with God's Holy Spirit.
This is God's deposit, that guarantees he will redeem us, whom our
Lord Jesus Christ "purchased with his own blood"
(Acts 20:28).
Studying the Bible is an essential part of the growth of every
believer. New believers should begin by reading the letters of our
Apostle Paul (Romans 11:13), starting with Romans and then
continuing through all of Paul's letters. Also, reading The
Basics of Understanding the Bible would be helpful.
