Many people I talk to are very new to the Bible and very confused about the basics of salvation. It's very sad to see people so "all over the place" on this most important topic, so I hope to clear it up here.
There is nothing more important than this; don't get this wrong.
In the simplest terms, we are saved by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. There are many verses that state this in a variety of ways and here are just a few.
Acts 16:30-32
"and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house."
- What must you do to be saved? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." This is it. It is that simple.
However, if you believe on a "Jesus Christ" that is not the Jesus Christ as described in the Bible then you are worshipping a self-made idol. Many people do this. Believe that Jesus is who He says He is. Understand that Jesus Christ of the Bible is God in the flesh. You can't believe on Jesus Christ if you reject His Word, the Bible.
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."
We are saved by putting our faith in Christ, and this salvation is specifically NOT by works or else people could have something to brag about. If we could work our way to Heaven then we would get the glory and praise, but in Christianity it is God that gets the glory. He has given His gospel and we are held responsible by how we respond to His call.
Romans 4:5
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
To him that worketh NOT, but by believing we are justified and made right with God. Faith alone saves.
Romans 10:9
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
The bible couldn't be more clear.
It's also important to acknowledge that we cannot lose our salvation. If we can't earn salvation by works then it wouldn't make sense to lose it by a lack of works or by bad works. How can we return that which we never could earn?
Paul hammers this point in the book of Galatians.
Galatians 3:3
"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
Good works aren't required to maintain salvation. Should we do good works and be obedient to what Scripture tells us to do? Of course. But that's a separate discussion from salvation. Salvation happens in a moment when we believe on Jesus Christ.
If we believe, we can KNOW that we have eternal life. We don't have to doubt it or wonder if we're "good enough."
1 John 5:13
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
Please watch this video below for even further clarity on this topic.
