God made it simple for a person to become a Christian.
But by using vague clichés and by embracing misconceptions of the steps one must take to become a Christian, some make salvation seem to be something that is difficult…even complex. Some infer that becoming a Christian is the result of a person’s having done something. This is not a new problem. Since the days of the early church false teachers have made salvation seem to be something much more difficult than it really is. The Apostle Paul dealt with this problem repeatedly.
False teachers in the church of Paul’s day were proclaiming a “gospel” that said that genuine salvation was something that had to be earned through rigid obedience to a complex system of religious laws. Listen to Paul’s response to this erroneous teaching in the church in Galatia:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to distort the gospel of Christ.”
This problem also popped up in the church in Ephesus. Here is Paul’s response:
“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
These passages tell us that in the days of Paul’s ministry there was a great deal of confusion over what had to happen in order for a person to be come a Christian. And even today, almost 2,000 years later, there are those who twist the truth of scripture and make salvation appear difficult or complex. So this morning I want us to correct some misconceptions about salvation by taking a basic look at what Salvation is not and what it is.
Let’s begin by looking at what salvation is not:
1. First of all, salvation, becoming a Christian is NOT related to physical birth
In other words, I was not born a Christian. Now my parents are Christians and they took me to church all my life. They even taught me Christian principles. But that did not make me a Christian. A person does not become a Christian as a result of being born in a Christian home, because salvation is not related to physical birth. You cannot be BORN a Christian. In fact, Jesus taught that you must be RE-BORN a Christian!
2. Secondly, salvation is NOT reformation.
It is not turning over a new leaf — acting like a Christian — trying to do better. Now everyone should try to live a moral life. We should be good people. And this should be a result of the new birth that we experience when we become Christians. But turning over a new leaf and trying to do the right thing… simply trying to live a moral life…these efforts do not make you a Christian.
3. Then, thirdly, salvation does NOT come by way of any external religious action….such as baptism, partaking of communion, or church membership.
Please understand–church membership is important. All Christians should publicly join a local church and get involved in its ministry, but church membership is not salvation. You can join a church and follow all its rituals faithfully, but church membership is for people who have already become Christians. And, the ordinances of Baptism and Communion are also important. They are object lessons that Jesus commanded us to observe so that we would never forget some vital truths. Whenever we partake of Communion we are reminded that Christ died for us. And whenever a believer is immersed he or she is using this experience as a way to proclaim that they are committed to making Christ Lord of their lives. So of course we should follow Jesus in baptism…we should regularly observe communion…but participation in these precious symbols does not make you a child of God.These observances are tools God gave us to teach. They are not actions that save us or make us more pure and blameless in God’s sight. Becoming a Christian is not ever the result of anything we do. It is our simple act of faith in what God has done.
But enough of the negative. What IS salvation?
Well, first of all, salvation IS a personal experience. YOU decide. You respond to God. No one does this for you. Remember the third chapter of John records that Jesus said to Nicodemus “YOU must be born again!” Salvation is a personal experience. Your parents can’t do this for you. Your deacon can’t do this for you. Your pastor can’t do this for you. NO ONE CAN! You have to respond to God personally!
Secondly, Salvation IS a transforming experience. Becoming a Christian makes a new person out of you! The word “CONVERSION” literally means “a turned-around life”. When you are converted, you turn from going one way and go the opposite. And this is what salvation is. Your life is transformed. You become a new person. Your goals are changed. As it says in II Corinthians 5:17 : “If any one is in Christ he is a new creation….old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW.” Becoming a Christian is not reformation, but transformation. You do not change, but you ARE changed from within through the power of God.
Thirdly, and most importantly, Salvation IS an act of God’s grace. Grace means that salvation is something we are given that we could never hope to deserve or earn. And maybe that is the hardest thing for us to swallow. We would expect to have to do something to make ourselves somehow worthy of God’s love. But this is a misconception. The Bible clearly teaches that salvation comes from heaven downward–not from earth upward. God’s gift of salvation was God-given, God-driven, God-empowered, and God-originated.
The gift is not from man to God through our efforts. It is from God to man.
4. I John 4:10 helps us realize our need to keep this straight. Listen to what it says,
“It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us in sending His Son to be the way to take away our sins.” On the basis of this point alone, Christianity is set apart from any other religion in the world.”
No other system, ideology, or religion proclaims a free forgiveness and a new life to those who have done nothing to deserve it but deserve judgment instead. All of us were bankrupt before God. Our sin separated us from Him. So out of His gracious love, He sent His only Son to die for us on the cross of Calvary. And in doing that, He took our sin upon Himself.When we confess our sin and ask for God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ we are saved.
It’s as simple as that! Salvation is not something complex. Becoming a Christian is so simple that even a child can do it.
Becoming a Christian is as simple as ABC…
- Admit you are a sinner separated from God.
- Believe that Jesus Christ was God’s only Son…that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead on the third day…
- Commit your life to Him. Make Him your Lord.
A, B.C…what could be simpler? Won’t you simply respond today?