What Is Required For Salvation

What are some of the things that have to take place to bring about salvation, or the born-again experience, into a person’s life?  

Is it enough to get all emotional then go to the altar?  I don’t think the Word teaches that. Think about emotions, they’re different every day.  In fact emotions can change momentarily.  We as humans have all kinds of emotions and some are good and some aren’t so good.  One minute we can be up and all excited and it might be a very short time and we are devastated again and feeling down and depressed.

Is it enough to hear God’s Word preached?  I don’t think so, the Word of God can prepare you for the salvation experience and it helps build faith.  The Word says in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” but I think it takes more than just hearing the Word.  Think about this; most, if not all, the cults that exist teach some truth sprinkled in their doctrine.  They may have heard the Word preached or they may have read some verses so they could use them to deceive unsuspecting converts but that is not going to get them to Heaven or to achieve the born- again experience or salvation.  Many sermons are watered down, user-friendly sermons that stir people so they might bring a response because people want to hear what their itching ears want to hear as found in 2 Timothy 4:3,  “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” and they won’t put up with sound doctrine, but those kinds of sermons hinder God’s plan of salvation.

Is believing on the Lord Jesus enough?  Think about this; the Devil and the demons believe, they know that Jesus is the Son of God, but they will never receive salvation or be born again.  I know there are verses that say, “If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved.” Paul said to the jailer in Philippi when he and Silas were in prison, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household.”  Paul my have said other things that weren’t recorded, we don’t know. 

This is a very important topic and I don’t want to go beyond what the Word says.  Let me ask you this, can we take one or two verses that speak of the same issue and make a case?  I think we need to get the overall view of the topic before we can make a true assumption of what is being said.

Now I want to talk about what I think is the biblical way to receive salvation or to be born again.  When I read the Word I see that John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ.  He came to make known who Jesus was.  He proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Also John had another calling, he was to baptize for the repentance of sins.  What does repentance mean?  It means to turn away from your sins.  Then when Jesus started his ministry he preached about repentance.  Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  All down through the Old Testament, God’s people had to repent for their sins because they were a stiff-necked people and continually rebelled against God.  When they repented, God would have mercy on them and, for the most part, forgave them of their sins.  There are so many verses on repentance in the Word that if you read it they can’t be overlooked.  I believe that repentance is a prerequisite for salvation.

John 6:65 says, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”  This I believe is another prerequisite for salvation, God has to draw you to Jesus.  

Another prerequisite is hearing the Word.  The Bible says we are responsible for what we know.  That is why I think the end will not come until the Word has been preached to every nation. Mark 13:10, Matthew 24:14

Another prerequisite would be godly sorrow over your sins.  Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldy sorrow brings death.”  It also says in Romans 2:4, Paul speaking, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance.”  In 1st John 1:9 it says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  I believe we need to confess our sins, just as David did when he sinned against Bathsheba and her husband.  You can find his repentant prayer in Psalms chapter 51.  I think all these things are required for salvation.

And we can do none of these things on our own.  Every one of these things has to come from the Lord before we can say yes and receive Jesus into our hearts and lives.  All we bring to the salvation plan is a humble and contrite heart, God does all the rest.  God resists the proud and draws to the humble, so humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.

To wind this up let me give you two more verses in Ephesians 2:8 & 9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.”  As far as salvation, we have a choice, to receive or not to receive, the rest is brought about by the Lord.  Praise His name!  It is your move I hope the answer will be “yes” and you will respond accordingly.

God bless you, have a great day.