How do I get saved?

First the obvious, we must believe that GOD exists. You may not comprehend who He is; but you realize that He is out there somewhere.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.¹

Next lets look at an example from the Bible. The apostle Peter is speaking to a crowd who has gathered on the morning of Pentacost. After hearing what Peter has spoken, they ask the question 'what shall we do?'. And Peter tells them.

Acts 2:37-39 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.²

Now you are probably asking what is Repenting and Baptizing?
Repenting is turning away from your sins and turning to GOD. Baptizing is when a church leader publicly dips you beneath the water. Baptism is a symbolic act which we will explain later.

What is sin?
Sin is breaking GOD's law. Sin first entered humanity through Adam and Eve in Gen 3:1-24. And sin has been with mankind ever since. Everyone who has lived since then (except Jesus) has sinned Rom 3:23. We all need a savior (the One who can save us from our sins, Jesus).

Why must I turn away from sin?
GOD is Holy, that is He is without sin and sin cannot remain in His presence. So we must turn away from sin Luke 13:3 Without a savior we would be judged and sent to hell when we die. Trust me nobody wants to be separated from GOD in hell forever!

So turning away from sin makes me right with GOD and then I can go to heaven?
Turning from sin is right. But we must be cleansed from our sin to please GOD and be able to come into His presence in heaven .

How do I get cleansed from sin?
When we repent we also must ask Jesus to forgive us and cleanse us of our sin Rom 10:9. We must also believe Jesus is who He said He is and that He was raised from death on the third day.

How can Jesus cleanse us of our sin?
After sin came into the world, GOD setup a method for the forgiving of sin. And that is a sacrifice (another life must be given to cover our sin). This sacrifice must be without sin to cover the one who has sinned. Jesus, GOD's Son came to earth to make a way for our sins to be forgiven. He lived His life without sin. He died on the cross for forgiveness of our sins. GOD raised Him from the dead on the third day. GOD's plan has always been that He would give His Son, a sinless Son, to cover our sins thus making us clean and able to come back to GOD. Jesus came into the world for that exact purpose, to forgive us our sins. Not only did He come to die for our sins, He also came to give us everlasting life. After Jesus died for our sins, He rose from the dead on the third day. And is still alive forever more. He has prepared a place in heaven for us to be with Him forever.

Well if Jesus died for my sins, why do I need to ask Him for forgiveness?
GOD has given the supreme offering for us. That He gave His only Son so that we may come to Him. He also requires something on our part. We must believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive us our sins (cover our sins). Now that isn't too much to ask of us is it? (the red letters below show that this is what Jesus said)

Jn 3:16-18
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 he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son³.

OK, lets sum up what you need to this point (Repentance)

• You need to believe that GOD exists
• You need to realize that you are a sinner and want to turn from your sins
• You need to realize that Jesus is the only One who can save you

So whats next?
You need to Repent. Turn away from sin and ask Jesus to forgive you. You can do this by praying to Jesus. Just repeat the example prayer below.

Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and that You arose from the grave. I now ask You to forgive me my sins and to save my soul. Amen.

Now if you have prayed that prayer, you should say another prayer of thanks and commitment. Repeat the example commitment prayer below.

Dear Jesus, thank You for saving my soul. I do not want to be ashamed of You. Instead, I want to publicly stand for You before my family, my friends, and my coworkers. I also want to stand before Your church, with other Christians, as soon as possible. Amen.

Why do I need to do this publicly?
Jesus publicly died for us and He wants us to profess Him publicly before others and GOD. He also pointed this out in Luke 9:26.

Why do I need to go to a church?
Jesus has called all believers (thats you now) to gather together to worship and learn about Him and His purpose for your new life. I strongly urge you to find a Bible believing church and talk to a church leader to let him know that you have recently accepted Jesus as your savior. There are several reasons listed below.

• This is where Baptism comes in, the church leader will setup a day for you to be Baptized.
• You will be taught so much more about Jesus and what His wonderful plans are for you.
• You will be taught how to pray, how to study the Bible and so much more.
• You will meet other Christians who will welcome you and help you.
• You will learn to worship Jesus and that is so wonderful!

Baptism
Baptism is a public sign of your dying to sin and being raised to your new life in Christ Jesus. The church leader will be able to explain this better.

Welcome into the family of GOD!
May our LORD and Savior richly bless you!