Acts 16:31
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
NIV Bible Gateway.com
Do you ever wonder if faith in Jesus is really the only way to be saved? Satan is a crafty liar who will twist God's Word to cause confusion. In order to steer people away from following Christ, he tries to create the impression that eventually everyone will make it to heaven. But that is not what Scripture teaches.
The truth is, we can choose to reject the salvation that Jesus Christ freely offers. John's gospel tells us, "God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God " (John 3:17-18).
The Word of God clearly states that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved (John 3:16). The Bible also stresses that we make this choice during our earthly life - there will be no further opportunities once we die. So if you would like to be sure of your salvation, you can do so by inviting Jesus to be your personal Savior. God, who wants you to spend eternity with Him, offers compelling reasons to make this all-important decision: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life" (John 3:36).
There are no more chances to place faith in the Savior after death. The free gift of salvation is available only in this life - and only through Jesus (John 14:6). Him now, and you will never have to wonder what awaits you in eternity.
Stanley, Charles F. "The Truth About Salvation." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living September 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 22.
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. NIV Bible Gateway.com
Many believers know Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but we should also understand His mission, how He fulfilled it, and what that means to each of us. Christ had a twofold goal in coming to earth: to provide us with a tangible image of who God is, and to die in our place to pay our penalty for sin. What an incredible plan! The omnipotent, omniscient Lord had existed since eternity past (John 1:1; 8:58). Yet for a time, He set aside power and strength that were rightfully His, so that He could become like us. Because God-in-human-flesh lived His life before men, we can better understand our heavenly Father (Col. 1:15).
Through Christ's sacrifice, we are invited into an eternal relationship with God. You see, Scripture teaches that every descendant of Adam is guilty of sin (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23), and the punishment is death ( Rom.6:23). The penalt must be paid by the shedding of blood (Lev.17:11). Yet the Father can accept nothing less than a perfect sacrifice (Deut. 17:1). The Savior - who was fully God, fully man, and 100 percent innocent - died a humiliating, excruciating death to pay the debt we couldn't afford. He is the only one who could lay down His life to save us and bridge the gap between each person and the Father.
There is no possible way for us to earn our salvation. It is an awesome gift that the Father freely offers to each one of us. The only requirement is that we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and follow Him. Have you chosen to accept this amazing blessing fro the Fathers hand?
Stanley, Charles F. "The Savior's Mission." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living August 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 29.
