How do I get saved?

No matter what you have done in the past, God has a plan for your life and that plan starts at salvation.  What does it means to be saved? The word "save" is a very common word often used in our language.

We speak of a person rescued by a lifeguard as saved from drowning in the ocean's depths.  The word save means "to rescue", to keep from harm, to rescue from destruction, or to deliver. The word implies that you are in some kind of danger. In order for a person to be saved he must first realize he is in great danger.

Adam disobeyed God when he took and ate of the forbidden fruit offered to him by his wife, Eve.  When Adam, our great, great grandfather, sinned (GEN 2:16-17; GEN 3:6) he received a sin-nature which corrupted his whole being.  God is righteous and can not fellowship with sin. Therefore Adam became separated from God and was doomed for destruction. The sin-nature is the corrupted nature genetically passed down to all mankind. It tempts us to commit personal sins.  We are all born sinners because we all have the sin-nature in our body from birth.  We all inherit this sin-nature from Adam.

God is Righteous - He reject sinfulness.
         For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (ROM 3:23).

God is Just - He must judge sinfulness.
         For the wages [payment] of sin is death… (ROM 6:23a)

Good works, Religion, and morality

Many believe good deeds are the means to be saved.  They may have never broken a human law, never been to jail, and have given large sums of money to charities, and to the poor. Society may look at these individuals as wonderful peoples.  But compared to God's righteousness we all fall short of meeting His standards.  Because we all are born with the sin-nature in our body, there is no one who is perfect as God.  Therefore nothing we do under the control of the sin-nature is accepted by God.  No matter how many good deeds we do, it will not cancel the dept we owe God for our sin.   We are helpless to bridge the gap that separates us from God's perfect Holiness and Righteousness.  Therefore, we need a Savior.

God is Love - He provides a way of escape from His justice or His wrath.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (JOH 3:16.)

Salvation was provided by Jesus Christ.  He was born of a virgin.   He lived a perfect, sinless life and therefore was qualified to be the Savior of the world.

God loves you and wants to share His eternal life with you. Eternal life is available to you right now. In the privacy and freedom of your soul, you can tell God the Father that you are believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior.  At that moment you are rescued and receive eternal life.  God provided everything you need for salvation - the Father sent the Son; the Son went to the Cross.  Now it is up to you to do your part.  You accept the grace of God for salvation through faith in Christ.  Nothing else is required.  It is simply, faith alone in Christ alone.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (GAL 3:26).
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that [salvation] not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (EPH 2:8-9)

Grace is undeserved favor.  Grace is all that God is free to do for mankind on the basis of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.  Faith gives all the credit to God.  It does not depend on you.  Faith is based totally on confidence in the authority, character, and the ability of God to provide salvation. Salvation is the free gift of grace; faith is the means of salvation.  The object of faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, has done all the work.  There is nothing left for you to do but believe in Him.

As Jesus Christ hung between heaven and earth, God the Father put the blame for our sins on Him and judged them.

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross (1PE 2:24).

Jesus paid the penalty of sin. He became our substitute.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf [as our substitute], that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2CO 5:21).

Because of the work of Jesus Christ, salvation is available to everyone.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (JOH 3:16).
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved" (ACT 16:31a).

Your attitude towards Jesus Christ determines your eternal future.  You can either believe in Christ for eternal life or reject Him for eternal condemnation.  God gives you free will.  The choice is yours!  Will you believe in Him now?

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey [believe] the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (JOH 3:36).