God's Plan of Salvation

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

This passage tells us that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son, Jesus Christ. In other words, the way to possess eternal life is to possess God's Son. The question is, how can a person have the Son of God?

Man's Problem: Separation From God

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

According to Romans 5:8, God commandeth His love for us through the death of His Son. Why did Christ have to die for us? The Bible shows us that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). In other words, our sin separates us from God who is perfect holiness and God must therefore judge sinful man.

The Futility of Our Works

Scripture also teaches that no amount of human goodness, human works, human morality, or religious activity can gain acceptance with God or get anyone into heaven. The moral man, the religious man, and the immoral and non-religious are all in the same boat. They all fall short of God's perfect righteousness. The Apostle Paul declares that both Jews and Greeks are under sin, that "There is none righteous, no, not one: " (Rom. 3:10). But there is a way out...

No amount of human goodness is as good as God. God is perfect righteousness. No amount of good living will get us to heaven or give us eternal life. What then is the solution?

God's Solution

God is not only perfect holiness (whose holy character we can never attain to on our own or by our works of righteousness) but He is also perfect love and full of grace and mercy. Because of His love and grace, He has not left us without hope and a solution.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

This is the message of the gift of God's own Son who became man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin, and was raised from the dead proving both the fact He is God's Son and the value of His death for us as our substitute.

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

How Do We Receive God's Son?

Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, the Bible states "He that has the Son has life." We can receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior by personal faith, by trusting in the person of Christ and His death for our sins.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Romans 10:9-10 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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.

This means we must each come to God the same way: (1) as a sinner who knows he is a sinner, (2) realizes no human works can result in salvation, and (3) relies totally on Christ alone by faith alone for our salvation.

If you would like to receive and trust Christ as your personal Savior, you may want to express your faith in Christ by a simple prayer admitting you are a sinner, accepting His forgiveness and putting your faith in Christ for your salvation.

If you have just trusted in Christ, please let us know. Contact us now!