The Bible teaches that there are two spiritual kingdoms operating in this world, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. Acts 1:3, Matthew 12:25-26
Both kingdoms have a direct influence on every part of planet earth. Both kingdoms are more powerful than natural man can reach.
The Bible teaches that every one of us was born into the citizenship of Satan's kingdom, and therefore comes under his rulership. Ephesians 2:1-3
Because of this we, by nature, have followed Satan's principles and behaviour patterns. In doing so we have sinned, everyone of us. Romans 3:23
It is God's desire that we each transfer from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God sometime during our life on earth, the earlier the better. 2 Peter 3:9, Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
The bad news is that not one of us can make that transfer except through Jesus. It doesn't matter how unfair we may consider such a position, God has declared it so, and so there is no use arguing. Acts 4:12
The good news is that no one is too wicked to make the transfer. God has also declared this so, and so there’s no use arguing about this either. John 6:37, 1 Timothy 1:15-16
God calls this change of citizenship 'salvation'. The process by which we are each saved is called in Scripture - being 'born again'. John 3:3, John 3:6-7
God has made it as simple as possible to transfer into his kingdom, so let us also hold on to that simplicity, and call it the ABC of salvation. There are three stages that we need to go through to make sure we are saved.
We need to come to a place in our lives where we accept that the God of the Bible is supreme above all else. Isaiah 44:6
We need to find out what he says about us, and requires of us, and accept them as true and important. Amongst other things, he calls us sinners and therefore on a pathway to Hell, which he created for Satan and his demon followers, but where we also will go unless we are born again. Romans 6:23, Luke 12:5
We need to accept these truths.
We need to believe that the part of God whom the Bible calls Jesus - God's Son - came to planet earth, became a man, defeated Satan and transferred to himself our sins and their wage, death. John 1:10-12, 1 John 3:8
We need to believe that when Jesus was crucified on a cross, he shed his blood for our sakes, not his own. Galatians 3:13, Romans 5:8-9
We need to believe that he rose again from the dead after 3 days in the grave, and now is back in Heaven with the power and the desire to save us from eternity in Hell. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, Acts 1:9-11
We need to, verbally, and by life style, commit ourselves into God's hands, asking him to become our new and permanent boss (the Bible calls it - making Jesus 'Lord'). Romans 10:9
We need to commit ourselves to doing away with our previous sinful lifestyles, with the help of the Holy Spirit (that part of God which is given to us when we are saved), to live within, guiding and helping us conquer sin. 1 John 1:5-9
Salvation, therefore, is both a once-for-all transaction, and an ongoing lifestyle. Once we have asked God to save us, declared our willingness for Jesus to be Lord and received his seal of the Holy Spirit into our lives, we become what can be titled positionally (once-for-all) saved. From then on God accepts us as part of his eternal kingdom, and we have the assurance of his word that nothing or no one will ever undo our salvation. Romans 8:38-39
Positional salvation is nevertheless only the beginning. We need to adopt a new lifestyle of learning about, and from, God. We need to be willing, on a moment-by-moment basis, to submit to his rulership. Jesus doesn't promise an easy life. It may, in actual fact, become harder as we learn to submit to his standards. This lifestyle of following God can be titled experiential salvation. Luke 9:23-26
The picture given in the Old Testament part of the Bible concerning our salvation is found where God spoke with Moses about the future of the Jewish nation as it was about to enter the 'Promised Land'. Deuteronomy 1:21
Here we have, firstly, the statement of position. God had (past tense) declared that the land was theirs, and as far as he was concerned, it was. He continued on, though, informing them that, secondly, they would need to take physical control over the land in order to actually possess it and thereby enjoy it. In fact, God further related how they would need to walk everywhere, and be willing to fight and sweat, in order to fully achieve his promise. Deuteronomy 7:21-24
The same is true of our salvation. God, through Jesus, has done everything necessary, for his part, to accomplish our salvation; our full transfer from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of God. When we fulfil the ABC as previously written about, we in effect place our signature with that of Jesus, completing the legal, positional offer made by him to us, his part sealed with his own blood shed at the cross.
The story does not stop here though. It is one thing to be born into a family; it is quite another thing to become an active part of that family. If we care to study the Bible, we will discover that becoming saved is only the beginning. Once having been given new citizenship in God's kingdom, there remains a limitless spiritual country of blessing and joy to explore. An eternal country. One unlimited by time or space. One holding boundless wealth. And above all else, one in which the King of all kings (Jesus) dwells, promising fellowship and love to a degree that we can only guess at. 1 Corinthians 2:9
What we inherit in God's kingdom, indeed whether or not we are even saved in the first place, is our choice. We are invited to become part of God's future - everyone is. But we have to fulfil the ABC to enter into the covenant offered.
Have you?
Will you?
I, .......(my name)....... declare that I have come to the place in my life where I recognise that I need you God. I accept that you, God, are Supreme in the entire universe. I accept that I have fallen short of the standards you expect from me. I accept that you have declared me to be a sinner, and I accept that I have no way of getting to your Heaven by my own efforts. I accept that my only hope is to come to you through Jesus.
I choose to believe that you, God, are made up of three persons called the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I choose to believe that your Son, called Jesus, came to earth, lived here without ever sinning, died on a cross and rose again from the dead so as to make it possible for me to transfer from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God.
I ask you now, Heavenly Father, to please forgive me for all my sins against you. Please save me from my sinfulness and accept me into your Kingdom. I commit myself to the lifestyle of making Jesus my Lord at all times from now on. Please send to me the Holy Spirit so that I may be born again and baptised into the family of God.
Although I do not understand everything at the moment, I choose to trust you to do these things for me, and I thank you for all that you have already done for me.
As a proof that I am genuine in what I say, Lord Jesus, I place my signature below in gratitude for the covenant offered by you to me, and I thank you for your patient love in waiting so long for me.
________________________________________
(Signature)
_______________________
(Date)
________________________________________
(Witness)
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.
Both kingdoms have a direct influence on every part of planet earth. Both kingdoms are more powerful than natural man can reach.
What does it mean to be 'saved'?
The Bible teaches that every one of us was born into the citizenship of Satan's kingdom, and therefore comes under his rulership. Ephesians 2:1-3
Because of this we, by nature, have followed Satan's principles and behaviour patterns. In doing so we have sinned, everyone of us. Romans 3:23
It is God's desire that we each transfer from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God sometime during our life on earth, the earlier the better. 2 Peter 3:9, Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
The bad news is that not one of us can make that transfer except through Jesus. It doesn't matter how unfair we may consider such a position, God has declared it so, and so there is no use arguing. Acts 4:12
The good news is that no one is too wicked to make the transfer. God has also declared this so, and so there’s no use arguing about this either. John 6:37, 1 Timothy 1:15-16
God calls this change of citizenship 'salvation'. The process by which we are each saved is called in Scripture - being 'born again'. John 3:3, John 3:6-7
How do we become born again and so saved?
God has made it as simple as possible to transfer into his kingdom, so let us also hold on to that simplicity, and call it the ABC of salvation. There are three stages that we need to go through to make sure we are saved.
A = Accept
We need to come to a place in our lives where we accept that the God of the Bible is supreme above all else. Isaiah 44:6
We need to find out what he says about us, and requires of us, and accept them as true and important. Amongst other things, he calls us sinners and therefore on a pathway to Hell, which he created for Satan and his demon followers, but where we also will go unless we are born again. Romans 6:23, Luke 12:5
We need to accept these truths.
B = Believe
We need to believe that the part of God whom the Bible calls Jesus - God's Son - came to planet earth, became a man, defeated Satan and transferred to himself our sins and their wage, death. John 1:10-12, 1 John 3:8
We need to believe that when Jesus was crucified on a cross, he shed his blood for our sakes, not his own. Galatians 3:13, Romans 5:8-9
We need to believe that he rose again from the dead after 3 days in the grave, and now is back in Heaven with the power and the desire to save us from eternity in Hell. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, Acts 1:9-11
C = Commit
We need to, verbally, and by life style, commit ourselves into God's hands, asking him to become our new and permanent boss (the Bible calls it - making Jesus 'Lord'). Romans 10:9
We need to commit ourselves to doing away with our previous sinful lifestyles, with the help of the Holy Spirit (that part of God which is given to us when we are saved), to live within, guiding and helping us conquer sin. 1 John 1:5-9
Salvation, therefore, is both a once-for-all transaction, and an ongoing lifestyle. Once we have asked God to save us, declared our willingness for Jesus to be Lord and received his seal of the Holy Spirit into our lives, we become what can be titled positionally (once-for-all) saved. From then on God accepts us as part of his eternal kingdom, and we have the assurance of his word that nothing or no one will ever undo our salvation. Romans 8:38-39
Positional salvation is nevertheless only the beginning. We need to adopt a new lifestyle of learning about, and from, God. We need to be willing, on a moment-by-moment basis, to submit to his rulership. Jesus doesn't promise an easy life. It may, in actual fact, become harder as we learn to submit to his standards. This lifestyle of following God can be titled experiential salvation. Luke 9:23-26
The picture given in the Old Testament part of the Bible concerning our salvation is found where God spoke with Moses about the future of the Jewish nation as it was about to enter the 'Promised Land'. Deuteronomy 1:21
Here we have, firstly, the statement of position. God had (past tense) declared that the land was theirs, and as far as he was concerned, it was. He continued on, though, informing them that, secondly, they would need to take physical control over the land in order to actually possess it and thereby enjoy it. In fact, God further related how they would need to walk everywhere, and be willing to fight and sweat, in order to fully achieve his promise. Deuteronomy 7:21-24
The same is true of our salvation. God, through Jesus, has done everything necessary, for his part, to accomplish our salvation; our full transfer from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of God. When we fulfil the ABC as previously written about, we in effect place our signature with that of Jesus, completing the legal, positional offer made by him to us, his part sealed with his own blood shed at the cross.
The story does not stop here though. It is one thing to be born into a family; it is quite another thing to become an active part of that family. If we care to study the Bible, we will discover that becoming saved is only the beginning. Once having been given new citizenship in God's kingdom, there remains a limitless spiritual country of blessing and joy to explore. An eternal country. One unlimited by time or space. One holding boundless wealth. And above all else, one in which the King of all kings (Jesus) dwells, promising fellowship and love to a degree that we can only guess at. 1 Corinthians 2:9
What we inherit in God's kingdom, indeed whether or not we are even saved in the first place, is our choice. We are invited to become part of God's future - everyone is. But we have to fulfil the ABC to enter into the covenant offered.
Have you?
Will you?
Here is a suggested prayer
I, .......(my name)....... declare that I have come to the place in my life where I recognise that I need you God. I accept that you, God, are Supreme in the entire universe. I accept that I have fallen short of the standards you expect from me. I accept that you have declared me to be a sinner, and I accept that I have no way of getting to your Heaven by my own efforts. I accept that my only hope is to come to you through Jesus.
I choose to believe that you, God, are made up of three persons called the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I choose to believe that your Son, called Jesus, came to earth, lived here without ever sinning, died on a cross and rose again from the dead so as to make it possible for me to transfer from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God.
I ask you now, Heavenly Father, to please forgive me for all my sins against you. Please save me from my sinfulness and accept me into your Kingdom. I commit myself to the lifestyle of making Jesus my Lord at all times from now on. Please send to me the Holy Spirit so that I may be born again and baptised into the family of God.
Although I do not understand everything at the moment, I choose to trust you to do these things for me, and I thank you for all that you have already done for me.
As a proof that I am genuine in what I say, Lord Jesus, I place my signature below in gratitude for the covenant offered by you to me, and I thank you for your patient love in waiting so long for me.
________________________________________
(Signature)
_______________________
(Date)
________________________________________
(Witness)
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.
