Salvation, a timeless and universal notion that defies belief systems, encompasses the desire for emancipation from the constraints of human frailty and a search for spiritual connection. It is a guide for those seeking spiritual truth from the Holy Spirit, peace in times of ambiguity, and a more profound relationship to the core of existence.
In a world filled with uncertainties, pursuing spiritual fulfillment[1] remains a constant. The various steps to salvation serve as a guiding beacon in this remarkable journey for each of us, illuminating the transforming process that leads to salvation and providing a road map to a life of meaning and transcendence.
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Can Salvation Be Attained Through Good Deeds Alone?
Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us because of Christ’s act, not because of who we are or what we do. Even our most outstanding efforts will not be sufficient to earn salvation, yet God proclaims us righteous because of Christ. We obtain that grace only through faith. And God even gives us the faith to believe in him. In other words, we are saved by grace through our faith in Christ. Our salvation is solely in the hands of God.
James believes that genuine faith in Christ will result in a changed life and good deeds (James 2:20–26). James is not stating that justification is based on faith plus works, but that a person genuinely justified by faith will live a life of good acts. The actions are an outward manifestation of genuine trust in Christ, and it is this outward manifestation that “justifies” the believer in the eyes of others.
How To Achieve Salvation
It is critical to remember that salvation entails what God has done for us, not what we can accomplish for him. In his plan of redemption, God has taken the initiative, reaching out to us through Christ. The Christian message of forgiveness is simple enough for everyone to grasp but profound enough to warrant a lifetime of study.
7 Essential Steps To Salvation
1. As a human, recognize your need for divine guidance. The Bible says of humanity, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have gone away and become worthless as a group; no one does good, not even one. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:10–12, 23).
The problem of sin is universal. The first step toward rescue from this dire position is admitting that you are a sinner and that it is impossible to withstand the power of evil or save yourself from its fatal consequences in your strength. According to the Bible, “Faith cometh by hearing, and understanding by the message of God” (Romans 10:17).
2. Believe. When you see Jesus die on the cross and realize that he went through that anguish so that you could be saved, you begin to see the wrong side of sin and long to be forgiven, cleaned, and set free. You repent and confess your wretchedness to God. In other words, you turn away from the things that keep you from being with him. By doing so, you embrace God’s promise to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
3. Recognize that God loves you and desires to save you. As the Bible verses say, “God’s word has no desire to punish us.” “God so loved the world that he sacrificed his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God raised his Son into the world to rescue it through him” (John 3:16, 17). God indeed despises sin. Because he is also a God of justice, he needs to punish sin. At this point, the salvation plan’s beauty is revealed.
4. Consider Jesus. Someone needed to save us from drowning in sin. That Savior appeared as the God-Man Jesus Christ. Jesus came to display the Father’s love and to bear our sins. On the cross, he suffered the penalty for our sins.
5. Accept the gift of everlasting life. Each of us must receive Christ as our personal Savior. Otherwise, his gracious deed on the cross will be in vain. Life-saving medication is potentially useless while it is still in the bottle. Christ, and only Christ, can atone for your sins and cleanse you before God. Right now, go to him in prayer and tell him that you are ready to accept his perfect life in place of your sinful one.
6. Confess. We must admit that we believe Jesus is God’s Son. Those who desire salvation must proclaim their faith in Jesus. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus declared, “Anyone who therefore shall acknowledge me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven.” Moreover, in Romans 10:10, the Apostle Paul stated, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto redemption.”
7. Accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. After hearing the message and experiencing conviction and repentance, the final step is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Before any church service concludes, the minister in charge must make an altar call because newcomers who were invited in may be willing to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior after hearing the word of God. As a result, every church service must end with an altar call.
Can Individuals From Different Faiths Experience Salvation?
Yes, God will redeem Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics, Protestants, and individuals of no religion. However, he will not save them as Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics, or Protestants. After all, “there is no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). When God reaches out his hand to save them, they will no longer have a “religion” to follow. They will live a certain way—God’s way.
The entire world will not remain religiously divided. According to the Bible, there is one body, one spirit, one hope, and one religion. When everyone gets their chance, they will all be a part of that body, a part of God’s way of life, and practitioners of the only way of life that works.
Prayer For Salvation
Lord,
I confess that I am a sinner. I need Your forgiveness, and I ask the Holy Ghost for its guidance. I accept Your death as the consequence of my sin, and I understand that Your kindness and grace are a gift You give me out of Your great love, not because of anything I have done.
Cleanse me and adopt me as Your child. By faith, I accept You as the Son of God, my Savior, and Lord. Help me to live for You, with You in control, from now on. In Your beautiful name.
Amen.
What Happens After Attaining Salvation?
We learn to appreciate the enormous measures God took to redeem us and instill his eternal life into us, allowing us to be born again. However, believing in Jesus Christ is only the beginning of our Christian journey. There is so much more to come.
1. Be a baptized person. Believing in Jesus Christ is the core component of our salvation, and baptism is the visible confirmation of that belief. Hence, to proclaim our faith, we must believe and be baptized. These two complement each other. According to Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.”
2. Devote yourself to the Lord. We must also dedicate ourselves to the Lord Jesus after we have been saved. Consecration implies dedicating oneself to God. By dedicating ourselves to the Lord, we become a living sacrifice, entirely entrusting ourselves to God. Previously, we lived for ourselves; now, we live for him.
3. Being transformed is an ongoing process. We begin a lifelong process of Christ extending from our regenerated spirit throughout our entire being, filling us with his spirit after believing and being baptized.
In the Bible, this is referred to as metamorphosis. We are transformed as we allow God’s vitality as living water to soak and expand in us. This remarkable metamorphosis occurs only in our soul, enriching us with all of the characteristics of who Christ is.
4. Get together with other Christians. God does not want Christians to be alone. After being rescued, we are called to seek other Christians to meet, fellowship with, and grow with. We can pray, “Lord, lead me to others who love and follow You.” Gathering with other Christians to fellowship enhances our faith and encourages us to experience more of Christ.
Furthermore, when we assemble with other believers to fellowship and praise the Lord, God can express himself through a group of people, fulfilling his plan. There is so much that awaits us when we believe wholeheartedly in Christ.
Conclusion
The journey to salvation is a personal and spiritually significant activity influenced by diverse faith traditions’ distinctive beliefs and teachings. While the particular stages and criteria for salvation differ among religions, there are fundamental ideas that can lead people on this journey.
We can embark on a meaningful journey toward a deeper awareness of ourselves, our mission, and our relationship to the divine by adopting these fundamental steps. Let the quest for salvation weave a tapestry of our varied views into our united desire for divine fulfillment and eternal peace.