Dear Skeptics: What is Salvation?

At True North Church we welcome skeptics with open arms. We know that for many believing in God seems hard, that it's easy to wrestle with questions, difficult to find answers, and hard to overcome doubt. But that's the beauty of faith. Once you take the leap, Jesus gives us the confidence we need.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" - Isaiah 1:18

We are here for you during your exploration of Christianity and what it means to follow Jesus. Whether you read the blogs, email us, or join us on a Sunday, we are here to help you process and answer questions. In a previous blog we answered, WHO IS JESUS? Next, we answer another important question:

WHAT IS SALVATION?

Have you ever heard someone tell you they are “saved”? You might have asked after, “saved from what?” - A bear? Saved from an attack? What exactly is someone saved from? The answer is our sin, because the truth is we are sinners.

The Bible shows us throughout that God loves us unconditionally. We were created in His image and he desired deeply to share eternal life with us… and He still does. But because of sin (disobedience to God's perfect standards), God needed to provide a way for us to be saved from the penalty of that disobedience: Death.

So how was this accomplished? God sent his ONLY son to be sacrificed on the cross to pay the penalty himself. He was “God in the flesh,” which meant not only was He the only one who could do it, but He was the only person who could defeat death by dying and then be resurrected. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8

Jesus gave His life, a life of perfection and without sin, so that we, sinners, could be saved. The technical term for this is that he "imputed" his righteousness on us and takes our sin upon himself. It is a gift that God gives us and there is nothing we can do to earn it.

So simply put, salvation means to be saved/delivered from the result of sin which we know from the Bible is eternal death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We now know from this that sin is what separates us from eternal life. God wants nothing more than for us to be with Him. He sacrificed his only son, remember? Salvation is only possible through that sacrifice and believing in it. It is the gift of accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Accepting with our hearts and mind that He has redeemed us, and now made us new. It is necessary for us to seek salvation in order to claim our place in the Kingdom. Don’t miss your chance.

SO HOW DO YOU RECEIVE THE GIFT OF SALVATION?

Through repentance and true belief. Repentance, meaning that we are changing our minds about God and about ourselves. We are laying down our own foolish ways to save ourselves from the darkness that sin produces. By turning away from self-sufficiency and diving into a life of Christ-centered obedience. We ask for forgiveness of our sins and we trust that He alone is the only one who can save us. We are entrusting ourselves to Him. We believe in His authority that He has over all.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” - Acts 3:19

"If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9

The Bible shows we need to fully believe in His sacrifice and also repent and turn from sin. To live more like the image we were originally created in and show others the importance of the Gospel and salvation.

SO WHAT'S NEXT?

Again, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9

If you have more questions or if you feel you are ready to take the leap and receive salvation through faith, then reach out to us via the contact form or email us at info@truenorthpgh.org. We believe that every person, no matter what they have done, will experience tremendous life change once they feel and experience the amazing love of Christ.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" - Ephesians 2:8