1st Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
You just read “THE GOSPEL” (i.e., GOOD NEWS) my dear friend, by which we are saved, if a sinner simply "believes" with childlike faith (trust). There is no need to guess how to be saved. The Word of God in the King James Bible is very plain. The “GOSPEL” is comprised of three things:
- Christ DIED on the cross for our sins according to the Scriptures (as our sacrifice, the Lamb of God)
- Christ was BURIED (officiating His death)
- Christ RESURRECTED from the dead after three days (as our High Priest)
What a precious Savior, Jesus Christ! Please read Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The Gospel is the power of God UNTO SALVATION, to every one that BELIEVETH! Amen!
The only requirement to be saved is to realize that you are a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God. 1st John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” Jesus Christ paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt of sin we could not pay. Romans 5:7-8, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
What does it mean to “BELIEVE”? I'm glad you asked my fine non-feathered friend. Please notice that the Bible calls believing “TRUST” in Ephesians 1:12, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It doesn't get any simpler than that folks, If you hear the Gospel preached, or read it for yourself in the Bible, and you place your trust in that Good News, you are immediately, irrevocably, permanently and forever saved! You have God's written PROMISE of it!
Christians sometimes call it, The Gospel of “free grace,” because we are saved solely by God's grace, but actually it wasn't “free.” Salvation cost God His only begotten Son, and it cost Jesus His very life. God's gift of eternal life has been paid for in full “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1st Peter 1:19). Anyone who adds human effort to the Gospel eliminates grace. This truth is made abundantly clear in Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Dear reader, if you are not saved, but would like to be, simply come to the blessed Savior as a guilty sinner; believing that He DIED, was BURIED, and RAISED UP three days later for your justification. Salvation is received, not achieved. God doesn't save anyone who is trying to be saved, He only saves those who are trusting to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What a beautiful Bible passage!
Salvation is FREE for you and me, because Christ paid for it. There's a wonderful acronym for G.R.A.C.E. (God Riches At Christ's Expense). My friend, God is offering you unconditional forgiveness of all your sins, simply for receiving Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. JESUS PAID IT ALL!
The Savior demands nothing in return. Romans 12:1 says it is "reasonable" that a believer should live for Christ (as a living sacrifice), but it is not required, otherwise salvation could not be a “gift.” You can be saved right now, with no strings attached. You don't have to become religious. You don't have to be water baptized. You don't have to give up your sins. You don't have to forsake the world. That is why eternal life is called a “gift.” All you need to do is completely rest in the Lamb of God, relying upon His name, because of what He did on the cross to pay for your sins! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
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