How to be saved

How to be saved, sure and ready for the Rapture

A darkness is falling on the world and soon the seven-year Tribulation period will begin.  It will be an unprecedented time of sorrow for the entire world. There will be wars, economic upheaval, and unparalleled religious persecution. Governments will fall and wars and death will be common—billions will die. There will be plagues, poison waters, scorching heat, unexplained darkness, painful maladies, great earthquakes, celestial anomalies, animal die-offs and much, much more. However, God in His mercy has provided a vehicle by which one can escape  Tribulation period terrors—His name is Jesus Christ.

The means of escape and rescue from all that is to come is a relationship with Jesus Christ. And as the Rapture event will happen suddenly, there will not be even a split-second opportunity to seek forgiveness and make things right with God when the Rapture event begins. The only way to be prepared to be rescued by Christ in the Rapture is to already be in relationship with Jesus before the Rapture takes place.

Noted below is a simple, four-step plan to receive Christ, forgiveness, and salvation. Some refer to this process as being saved (1 John 2:2; Acts 4:12) or born again (see John 3:3 and 2 Cor. 5:17). Born-again believers are disciples and followers of Christ. The courageous identify as Watchmen (see Ezek. 33:1-9). Those who believe in Jesus Christ, are saved by Jesus Christ. They are forgiven of their sins, assured of eternal life in heaven, and will be rescued by Christ in the Rapture.

Four steps for salvation

• Understand that God has not been first place in your life and ask Him to forgive your sins. Scripture notes that God loves us and that Jesus will forgive the sins that are confessed to Him.  
• The Bible notes: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9)
• Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that He rose again and is alive today.  
• Know that Jesus died and rose again so that your sins can be forgiven. When this happens, you are restored into a right and perfect relationship with the Father. The first step is to acknowledge that you believe in God, that His Son is Jesus, that Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified, rose again and will come again in fulfillment of the Scriptures. The Bible notes:  “If you confess that Jesus is your Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
• Confess your sins to Jesus and accept God’s gift of salvation. Believe that God loves you. Believe that Jesus came and died for you. Believe that God’s grace is greater than your sin. Do not let regret, bitterness, fear or shame keep you from falling into the arms of God.   

• Remember, restoring our relationship with God is not based on anything we do, but on what Jesus already did for us!
• Remember also, that when you confess your sins, your sins are both forgiven and forgotten. Scripture notes that “When we confess our sins to Jesus, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

4. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be Lord of your life.

• It is not enough to believe in Him—the Bible notes that even the demons believe in Him. The call is to love Him and follow Him with áll of your heart, all of your mind and all of your strength.” God’s grace is promised to all who truly believe.
  • “To all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God.”  John 1:12)

You can be sure of your salvation

Those who commitment their lives to God, confess Jesus as Lord, and accept Jesus in their heart as Lord and Savior will receive the indwelling presence of His Spirit and the promise of eternal life. Our new and eternal lives in Christ begin with a spiritual decision to live for Him—not when we die. Your eternal life in Christ can begin now.

In Christ we are born again (John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17). The Spirit ‘seals’ believers in God’s overwhelming and eternal love (Ephesians 1:13-14). Note what the Apostle Paul wrote about this in the book of Romans:

“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:33-39)

Good news! You can be sure of your salvation right now by praying a simple prayer of commitment to God.

A sample prayer is noted below:

“Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me, even when I’ve ignored You and have gone my own way. I realize I need You in my life and I’m sorry for my sins. I ask You to forgive me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Please help me to understand Your love, and Your will for my life, more and more. As much as I know how I want to follow You from now on. Please come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept Your gift of salvation. Please help me to grow now as a Christian. Thank you, Jesus!”

A few supporting Scriptures are printed below:

• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

• “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God…”         (Romans 3:23)

•  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11)

• “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,  but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (1 Timothy 1:9-10)

• “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”  (Heb. 9:27-28)
• “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47)
• “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
• “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5-7)