Salvation

Last week, I had a doctor’s appointment at 11:00 a.m. I knew from driving the same road the previous day that it took one hour and seven minutes to get to the hospital. So, being the consummate procrastinator, I got in the car at 9:53 a.m. and started driving.

The road was pretty clear and I was making pretty good time, zipping past all kinds of cars and trucks. I just followed the road where it led. My mind and car both drifted into cruise control.

At one point, about thirty minutes into the trip, it struck me. The trees all seemed to be in the wrong place. The town names didn’t sound at all familiar. Then I realized.

I was on the wrong highway.

So I’d been making great time…but I was going in totally the wrong direction. I turned around, but needless to say, I missed the appointment.

Today, all of us are driving on this road of life. Every day, we’re one day closer to the end of our journey. After we die, most of us want to end up at one destination: eternal life.

But most of us are taking different directions to get there. There are thousands of thousands of different religions and Christian denominations telling you that theirs is the one way to go. There are thousands who will even tell you that it doesn’t matter which way you go—we’ll all end up at the same place.

How can you be sure you’re saved?

If you read Scripture, you’ll notice that there is just one way. It’s there in black and white and repeated over and over again.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Tit 3:4-7)

All Christian churches preach the truth about how God sent His only Son to earth to die for our sins. Most Christian churches preach the truth that we are not saved by our works, but due to God’s grace. But that’s where many churches stop. If we simply confess Christ, according to most churches, we are saved.

But the Bible doesn’t stop at that. God’s grace was to provide us with the way of salvation. But it is up to us to choose whether to accept and follow the way that He provided us.

Imagine if someone had a map, and gave you precise directions of how to get to your precise destination. It wouldn’t be enough to simply confess with your mouth, “I know that I will reach my destination”.

No, you would have faith that the directions are sound, but you would also put that faith into practice and follow the directions. “Go straight for fifteen miles on Route 10.” “Turn left at the gas station.” “Follow the signs to Route 45.”

It’s the same with the way of salvation. By grace, the one way of salvation has been prepared for us when Christ died on the cross for our sins. But rather than stand still, it’s important for us to listen clearly to the precise instructions that God gave us in order that we may take the path He has prepared for us.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (Tit 3:5)

Scripture clearly says that we are saved through the washing of rebirth (i.e. water baptism) and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This is the way of salvation. It is no different today than when Peter spoke to the thousands of people who asked, “What shall we do?” His reply:

Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

If you’d like to learn more about this way, please contact us at the True Jesus Church, and we’ll be happy to share with you more about the gospel of salvation.