What do I have to do to be saved?
Salvation belongs to God—there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We are saved by grace, through faith in the ministry of Christ Jesus: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9.
The Bible tells us we are saved only through the ministry of Christ: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Do you wonder why?
Our Creator God became a human man to save us (Philippians 2:6–8; John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16–17; Hebrews 1:2–3). Man was not destined to sin, but in His foreknowledge, God knew what would happen when He created mankind. He had the Calvary Plan in mind before He created the world. In anticipation of the crucifixion, Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8.
To satisfy His righteous judgment, our righteous Creator became a man to redeem us from the penalty of sin, which is death:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Christ’s blood is the blood of the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20), and it is by His precious blood that we are redeemed from the penalty of sin:
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” 1 Peter1:18–20
Righteousness by faith is the everlasting gospel of God, and it’s the only righteousness there is in the eyes of our Creator. Once the purity and righteousness of human nature was lost, there was nothing we could do to restore our righteousness on our own. The best effort a human can make to clean himself of sin results in nothing more than spotted garments and filthy rags in the light of God’s righteousness:
“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags….” Isaiah 64:6.
Legalism—the teaching of salvation by works—is the hallmark of a cult. But obedience is not legalism. Obedience is love for God, and His reasonable expectation for those enter into covenant relationship with Him:
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:3–6
Three Stages to Salvation
There are three stages to salvation:
Justification by faith to deliver us from the penalty of sin
Sanctification by faith to deliver us from the power of sin
Glorification by faith to deliver us from the presence of sin.
Let’s take a quick look at these:
Justification by faith is an act of God. When we believe in Christ’s ministry and accept Him as our Savior (Romans 3:24), His righteousness is imputed (credited) to us. The imputed righteousness of Christ occurs when His record of complete conformity to God’s commandments is credited to us. Justification is the first stage of salvation. God declares us “not guilty” and delivers us from the penalty of sin. This puts us in right standing with God, and reconciles our relationship with Him. When justified, we can correctly say, “I have been made righteous and saved from the penalty of sin.”
Sanctification by faith is a work of God, and happens when we respond to Christ as the Lord of our lives. The imparted righteousness of Christ occurs as His perfect moral character is infused in us by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16–20; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 1:6, 2:13; 4:13). The Spirit empowers us to live according to God’s will, separated from sin. Sanctification is the second stage of salvation: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God delivers us from the power of sin. As we remain in this lifelong process, we remain in covenant relationship with the Lord, and can correctly say, “I am being made righteous and saved from the power of sin.”
Glorification by faith is the third and final stage of salvation. This will happen at Christ’s Second Coming, when He returns for His faithful covenant people who have endured to the end. He will then deliver to us the promise of immortality:
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” 1 Corinthians 15:52–54.
We will receive glorified bodies as His, and live with Him throughout eternity in the New Earth where there will be no more death, sorrow, or crying (Revelation 21:1–5).
When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” 1 Peter 1:23. We get new spiritual DNA, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:3–4. We become children of God:
”But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12–13
To enter into this covenant relationship with our God, we must “lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:21–22. We must also “submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:7–8.
As we yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit, cooperating with Him, He will help us put to death the misdeeds of our flesh nature:
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:13–14
It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we will endure till the end (Matthew 24:13), following in Christ’s footsteps:
“Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” Psalm 85:13
“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:6
As a child of God, we can trust our Heavenly Father’s faithfulness to complete the good work He has begun in us:
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24