God's Simple Plan of Salvation
By Ford Porter
My friend: I am asking you the most important question of your life.
Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer.
The question is: Are you saved?
It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member,
but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?
God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7,
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again."
In the Bible, God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means
to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?
First, my friend, you must realise you are a sinner. "For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Because
you are a sinner, you are condemned to die. "For the wages [payment]
of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation
from God in Hell. "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
But God loved you so much he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear
your sin and die in your place. "For he hath made him
[Jesus, who knew no sin] to be sin for us ... that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus had to shed his blood and die. "For the life of the flesh
is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11) "... without shedding
of blood is no remission [pardon]" (Hebrews 9:22). "But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Although we cannot understand how,
God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and he died in our place.
He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.
My friend, "God ... now commandeth all men every where to repent"
(Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that
one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the cross.
In Acts In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas:
"... Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... ."
Simply believe on him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place,
was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures
that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Saviour.
"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" (John 1:12).
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"
(Romans 10:13). Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe,
nor can, but shall be saved. Surely, you realise you are a sinner. Right now,
wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer. In Luke 18:13,
a sinner prayed: "God be merciful to me a sinner."
Just pray:
"Oh, God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when
he died on the cross. I believe his shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection
were for me. I now receive him as my Saviour. I thank you for the forgiveness
of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of your merciful
grace. Amen."
Just take God at his word and claim his salvation by faith. Believe,
and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you.
Remember, God does the saving. All of it!
God's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless
you believe on Jesus who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell.
If you believe on him as your crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, you
receive forgiveness for all of your sins and his gift of eternal salvation
by faith.
You say, "Surely, it cannot be that simple." Yes, that simple! It is
scriptural. It is God's plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive him
as Saviour today.
If his plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over,
without laying it down until you understand it. Your soul is worth more
than all the world. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).
Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all.
Please! Let God save you this very moment. God's power will save you,
keep you saved and enable you to live a victorious Christian life.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye
are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God's promises.
They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice
daily for spiritual growth: Pray you talk to God. Read your Bible God talks
to you. Witness you talk for God.
You should be baptised in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, as a
public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing
church without delay. "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord ..." (2 Timothy 1:8). "Whosoever therefore shall
confess [testify of] me before men, him will I confess also
before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32).
Additional Helpful Verses
- John 3:16, 1 Peter 2:24
- Isaiah 53:6, James 1:15, Romans 10:9-10
- Ephesians 2:8-9, Proverbs 27:1
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, John 10:27-31, 1 John 5:13
If you are saved through reading this tract, send us word so we may
rejoice with you.