What Is God's Plan of Salvation

“Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). The law spoken of refers to God’s divine law that transcends all human manipulation. The first realization one must have is that we "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) because nobody measures up to God’s standard of perfection. It doesn’t matter how good you are, how much you give to charity, or how much you go to church because no amount of morality, giving, or religion can ever purchase the acceptance of God. The moral and immoral; the generous and selfish; the religious and non-religious are all alike. We are all bound to the sinful nature of our flesh. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Sin has separated us from God who is perfectly holy and His holiness requires a righteous judgement upon all sin. No matter how small the transgression might be from a human perspective, all violations of the law have pronounced an eternal death penalty upon every person. As the first part of Romans 6:23 reads, “for the wages of sin is death”.

Once a person recognizes the human condition as a state of sinfulness and death, the need for a Savior becomes clearly evident. Fortunately, God is not only perfect in holiness, but perfect in love and full of mercy, so He has provided a way to be redeemed without having to pay the costly penalty. The second part to Romans 6:23 proclaims, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. The good news of the Bible is that Jesus Christ who is the Son of God became a man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin, and was raised from the grave proving His divinity and the value of His death as our substitute. Christ’s sacrifice not only removes sin, but miraculously makes all those who believe "the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and completely justified before the Holy God.

Salvation can only be given through a true and heartfelt belief in Jesus Christ and what He has done. It is not something that can be earned because it is a free gift to all. As Ephesians 2:8 proclaims, “for by grace are you saved through faith, and not by your own doing: it is the gift of God”. The meaning of grace is unmerited favor, and if it was something that had to be earned, then it could no longer be considered a “gift”. God’s plan of salvation through faith is precisely what sets Christianity apart from all other belief systems which teach that favor can only be attained through works. Consequently, there is no freedom or security in the belief of salvation through works, because a person will always wonder if what they have done will ever be good enough. True happiness can only come from knowing that the work has already been done for us by Jesus Christ because of His great love and that we are “sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30)

A real understanding and internalization of God’s grace will naturally produce a life-changing love for Him and a repentant heart. Repentance is deep regret for past sinful actions and it will inevitably cause a change in behavior. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is only through the power of God’s Holy Spirit working in a person that causes authentic change, and although some changes might be evident immediately, some might take much longer to manifest. The Christian walk is a lifelong process and every person will make mistakes along the way, but when that happens God’s abounding grace is always there to pick us up.

God desires to rescue you not because of anything that you can offer Him, because there is nothing that an impotent being can offer an omnipotent being, but because of His great love for you. Some believe that they have to make everything right in their lives before coming to God, but the truth is that He loves each one of us right where we are and in the middle of whatever mess we’re in. Some might even find it hard to understand how God could love them so much when others don’t seem to, but He is the embodiment of pure love and as the Creator of that virtue, He loves each one of us more than anyone else ever could.

"If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). The decision to give your life to Jesus is the most powerful choice you could ever make and one that has eternal ramifications. If you desire to be saved and have an intimate relationship with the One who gives true love, hope, joy, and peace; then the following prayer is an example of how to make a verbal confession to God expressing the faith in your heart:

Heavenly Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite you Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will. Amen.

“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents”

Luke 15:10