By Cindy Wyatt
It is easy to be saved because Jesus did the hard part because of his great love for us. All we have to do is believe and receive it. There are many false prophets in the world today who pervert the gospel and complicate it by saying you have to do more than just believe, that that is too easy. Galatians 1:6: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Salvation is easy. It's as easy as depositing money in a bank when you put your trust in Jesus. In the bible salvation is likened to eating bread or opening a door. How hard is it to eat a piece of bread or open a door? John 10:9a: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. John 6:51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: That's why John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The false prophets say you have to give up your sins or try to quit sinning and make Jesus Lord of your life and commit to following him completely and living for him or you're not saved. That is so unbiblical and is actually a false gospel that will cause many to go to hell because instead of trusting alone in Jesus and what he did, they are trusting in what they do. No one can stop sinning; that's why we need a savior in the first place. You just need to come to Jesus as a lost sinner that can in no way stop sinning and put your trust in what He did for you to keep you out of hell; how he died on the cross, shed his blood to cleanse us from our sins, and rose again the third day. He paid the price for our sins so we wouldn't have to pay for them ourselves and go to hell for all eternity, where Jesus doesn't want us to go, which is why he purchased salvation for anyone who will put their trust in Him only. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
False teachers have a false definition of repent. They say repent means to repent of your sins, but the bible never says to repent of your sins. In the bible, God is the one who repents the most, so clearly repent does not mean repent of your sins because God has no sin. What the word repent means according to the bible is changing your mind about God and Jesus and the only hope of ever receiving eternal life. What it means is to turn from unbelief to believing on Christ and trusting only him for your salvation, not trusting in anything you can do like giving up sins, turning over a new leaf, going to church, etc. It means to stop trusting in your religion and put your trust in Jesus. It is not trusting in your own self righteousness, for the bible even says our own righteousness is like filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Salvation is a totally free gift; all you have to do is receive it. It is free because Jesus paid for it over 2000 years ago when he died on the cross for our sins to pay for them, and then he arose from the grave three days later. All you have to do to be born again is receive the free gift of salvation that is offered to anyone who will receive it. Jesus died for everyone, but only the people who personally receive the free gift for themselves will go to heaven. 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: Repenting is when you admit that you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell for your sins, but you will now accept Jesus' payment for your sin and apply his payment to your heart. When you do that, that is when you are born again. You are then made a new creature. II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. That is why it is called being born again. It is putting 100% faith and trust in what Jesus did for you and putting 0% trust in anything you could ever do to earn it. We don't deserve salvation, we cannot earn it. It is only through Christ's sufferings and shed blood that he gave us because he loves us so much. It is all through mercy that we can be saved. Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
It's easy to be saved because Jesus did the hard part, not us. Please don't listen to false teachers, who are wolves in sheep's clothing, like John MacArthur, who wrote a book called "Hard To Believe". For a more detailed article on John MacArthur click here. People like that will say it is too easy to just believe, that you must do more than that or you're not saved. That is so untrue. They just confuse people and complicate the gospel. The gospel is not complicated. You either believe on Jesus for salvation or you don't believe on him. John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Just listen to what the bible says, not false teachers. The word believe means to trust. You just need to put your trust in what Jesus did for you. John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It is not hard to believe. The way to be saved is just to look to Jesus. John 3:14-15: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. It is clear, clear, clear that whosoever believeth on him receives the gift of eternal life. It is not trying to live it, it's believing. There will be no one in Heaven boasting about what a great Christian they were and how they lived it and did so much for Jesus. No, the people in Heaven will be saying "I'm only here because of God's amazing grace and saving a poor sinner like me who doesn't deserve it." Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Here are a couple stanzas from the hymn called "At Calvary" that pictures what salvation is. Calvary is where Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
O the love that drew salvation's plan
O the grace that brought it down to man
O the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary
Mercy there was great and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary
Our pardon was purchased by Jesus at Calvary. He did the hard part with all his suffering he went through for us so that we could go to Heaven on a free pass. If you think that believing is not enough, that you also have to live right, etc., then that is saying Jesus' sacrifice for us was not enough; but it IS enough. His sacrifice is sufficient. Our salvation is fully paid for by Jesus alone. If we had to do anything more added, other than just believe, then that would mean Christ died for nothing. Why would Jesus go through all that suffering if we could be saved by what we ourselves do. Galatians 2:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If you have never received this free gift, I hope you will do so right away because we never know how much time we have left on earth. You only have two choices of where you will spend eternity and the choice is up to you. You can either pay for your own sins and go to hell forever, or you can receive the free gift of salvation that was paid for by Jesus and live eternally with him in Heaven. Jesus loves you and longs to save you. Just trust him and put your faith in him alone. There is a wonderful song called Only Trust Him and one stanza says "Only trust Him; only trust Him, Only trust Him now, He will save you; He will save you, He will save you now."
If you would like to put your trust in Jesus now, you can tell that to God, and pray something like this, remembering that it is not mere words that save you, but the faith in your heart.
Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I know I deserve to go to Hell, but I believe you died on the cross and rose again the third day to pay for my sins. I am now putting all my trust in you and what you did for me. Please save me now. I am only trusting you Jesus, to receive your gift of eternal life, Amen
