A - Admit that you are a sinner. For we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
**Romans 3:22-25: 22"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of God;"
Look at the Scripture above....notice how it doesn't say "SOME have sinned", it says "ALL have sinned". That means you and me. Some people say, "But I don't do anything REALLY wrong...I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't cuss, etc., so I am alright." But the Bible says in James 4:17: "Therfore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." That means that every time we do something that we know we really shouldn't be doing we are sinning. Therefore, we all sin, resulting in the need for Salvation.
B - Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
**Acts 16:31: "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
"What do you mean 'believe'?" It simply means that you believe that Jesus Christ is the only son of the one true Living God, and that He died on the cross for our sins, and that God raised Him from the dead on the third day so that He could ascend to Heaven and sit on the right hand of the Father (God) forever.
"What does it mean when it says 'and thy house'?" It means that once you are saved you can win your family to God by showing them your new life in Jesus and praying for them, believing that God will save them also. It does not mean that once you are saved your whole family is automatically saved. Everyone has to ask forgiveness on his/her own.
C - Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
**Romans 10:9: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved"
"What do you mean 'confess'?" To confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, simply means that you say out loud what you believe (as was spoken of above in part "B").
D - Dedicate your life back to God.
**Deuteronomy 30:20: "That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days..."
Once you have asked God to forgive you of your sins and have confessed that you believe in God, you need to dedicate your life to Him, because He is the one who gives life and can take it away. To dedicate your life to God means that you live in the way He wants you to live. Find a good Bible-believing church and attend regularly. Read your Bible. Witness to others. Give your tithes of money and time. Pray. These are all things that God wants us to do. He knows we are not perfect, but He does expect us to live differently than we did before we were saved. Phillipians 2:15 says "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world"
E - Endure
**Matthew 24:13: "But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved."
ENDURE (v.) - To carry on through, despite hardships; undergo (dictionary.com)
God wants us to live for Him to the very end. That means to endure. Don't give up. When we go through hard times that is when God is trying to teach us a lesson or prepare us for something that is yet to come. God doesn't want us to be quitters. He wants us to endure!
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Now that you know what it means to be saved, why don't you make that decision in your own life? If you feel God is leading you to come to Him, then pray this prayer with me:
Father God, I know that I am a sinner. I am truly sorry, and I ask your forgiveness. Lord, I want to turn from my past sinful life to you, and I pray that you would help me to keep me from sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ, died for me and shed His blood so that I could be saved from my sin. I believe that He was resurrected from the dead and is now alive forevermore and hears my prayers. I ask Jesus to come into my heart to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, you are now saved. You need to find a church you can attend that believes that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of God, and preaches the need for Salvation. If you would like, you can click on the "email" button below and let us know that you have been saved and we will pray for you on your journey. If you live in Burlington, NC or the surrounding area, please feel free to come visit us at Lighthouse Baptist Church. If you still have not made the decision to invite Christ into your life, I beg of you do not wait too late, because once we die, there can be no second chances.. If you have questions, please email us by clicking the button below and we will do our best to help you. To God be the glory!!
