Find Hope in Jesus
What does connecting with God look like?
Many people know of God or know things about him but having a relationship with God goes much deeper than that. I’m sure we all have people in our lives that we know of but have no relationship with. A personal relationship with God is like a relationship with anyone else in your life. It involves communication, love, and trust between you and God. Communication is a vital component of every relationship. The way we communicate with God is through prayer and worship. The main way God communicates with us is through his word (the Bible). The main issue that hinders our relationship with God is our sin. God sent His son, Jesus, to earth to save us from the penalty of our sin and to restore us to a right relationship with God.
What is Salvation?
Salvation refers to receiving deliverance from the consequences of our sin against a holy God, which include death and separation from God.
The Bible is clear that every person has sinned (Romans 3:23, Ecclesiastes 7:20). These sins separate us from God and deserve death (Romans 6:23). Those who die apart from Christ receive eternal separation from God in hell (Matthew 25:46). The difference between being saved and not being saved is the difference between eternity with the Lord in heaven and eternity apart from Him in hell.
Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took the consequences we deserved (John 3:16-17) Salvation is not based upon whether you go to church, read your Bible, or pray. It is based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
How can I be saved?
In the New Testament, a jailer at Philippi also asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Being saved comes through faith, not works. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Salvation is a free gift available by God’s grace through faith. Being saved involves accepting Jesus as God’s Son and faith that Jesus has been resurrected from the dead.
If we say that Jesus is just one of many ways to receive salvation, we are not really acknowledging that He is the only Lord and Savior. The Bible clearly tells us Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).
Salvation also entails repentance – a sincere willingness to change our behavior (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Mark 6:12; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38).
By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you not only are getting saved from eternal judgment and spending eternity in hell but you get to be adopted into the family of God. (John 1:12)
There is no special prayer to pray to be saved. However, the following is a sample prayer you can use to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior:
“Dear God, I realize I am a sinner. Right now, I place my faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son who died for my sins and rose from the dead to give me eternal life. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to live for you. Thank you for accepting me and giving me eternal life.”