SALVATION

            Romans 3:23 informs us that “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”.  This lets us know that we need to be saved.  The Bible tells us: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John3:3 Ecclesiastes 7:20 also reminds us “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”  We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as fifthy rags, according to Isaiah 64:6.  Jeremiah makes the statement that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) The prophet Isaiah said: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way.” (Isa. 53:6).

            The Bible let us know that we cannot save ourselves. Titus 3:5 – “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.  Galatians 2:16 says: “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Other verses worthy of note regarding our inability to save ourselves are James 2:10; Proverbs 13:12; and John 14:6 which says:  “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”  “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”, respectively.

            We should know that Jesus Has Already Provided for our Salvation.  According to scripture:  “Who [Jesus] his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.” I Peter 2:24.  Also in I Peter 3:18 we find: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” Then II Corinthians 5:21 (R.V.) states “Him [Jesus] who knew no sin he [God] made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.  And John 3:16 tells us: “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.”

            We should also know that Jesus will enable us to overcome temptation.  Second Peter 2:9 puts it this way: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” “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.” I Corinthians 10:13.  Second Corinthians 5:17 lets us know: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away:  behold, all things are become new.”