Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
What is Salvation?
Jesus was born in Israel around 4 to 6 BC. At the age of 30, he gathered his disciples and began preaching and teaching the world how God wanted us to live. For around three years he taught and performed many miracles, including healing disease, making the lame to walk and the blind to see. He even raised some from the dead. He is believed to have died around 33 to 36 AD. He is the one that was often prophesied about in the Old Testament and the man who the entire New Testament of the Bible is written about.
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. He is also God in the flesh. He is the Savior of the world. The creator of the world. He is the only way to eternal salvation! He died by crucifixion and rose from the dead on the third day.
First let us look at what John says about Him in the book of Revelation when Jesus is prepared to return in the Second Coming.
Revelation 19:11-13 (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
He is called the Word of God! Now look what John says about the Word in the first three verses of his gospel...
John 1:1-3 (NASB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
If you replace the Word with Jesus, you will get a better understanding of what this scripture is saying.
1 In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. 2 Jesus was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Jesus not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
Man was cut off from God. Nobody would ever be able to enter heaven because ever since Adam sinned, everyone ever born was born with a soul that is already stained with sin. Throughout the old testament, God would allow man to sacrifice animals for the forgiveness of his sins, but that was just a relationship thing. The real problem was that his soul was tainted by sin. THough an animals blood was enough to forgive sins, it would never be enough to wash a soul clean. Only one thing could ever be pure and holy enough to cleanse a soul. That would be the blood of God Himself.
Mankind was created through the Word. The Word loved us. So the Word chose to take on flesh and shed His blood and be the sacrifice that would be pure and holy enough to wash us clean. However, He could not be born through a man because then He would be a descendant of Adam and His soul would also be tainted. So he was born through a woman. A virgin, so that there was no human father. His only father truly being God. In doing so, He literally became the only begotten Son of God.
When the night came for Him to be taken by the guards, to be crucified the next day, His disciples drew swords and attacked the soldiers. One of them struck at the slave of a Jewish High Priest and cut off his ear. However, Jesus put a stop to the disciples and had them put their swords away and then He performed one of His last miracles. He healed the mans ear. Then Jesus went quietly with the soldiers. In doing this, Jesus made it clear that he was not a martyr being taken against His will to be killed. Even though He knew exactly what would be done to Him, He went willingly to lay down His life as a sacrifice. A sacrifice that was pure and holy enough to wash everyone's soul clean.
From that day forward, God has offered salvation (the washing of our soul) as a free gift to anyone who will accept it. But it is not a physical gift. It is a spiritual gift. The only way to receive it, is to truly believe in your heart that it is real, for how can you possibly receive a spiritual gift you don't even believe is real?
According to the Bible, which I would attest with my life is the true Word of God, Jesus is the only way to heaven. Anyone who believes these things will be saved when they die.
1) Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.
2) Jesus willingly died for us on the cross.
3) God raised Him from the dead.
4) You must believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
One must believe these things enough that they are willing to tell someone else that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, and they must mean it.
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. He is also God in the flesh. He is the Savior of the world. The creator of the world. He is the only way to eternal salvation! He died by crucifixion and rose from the dead on the third day.
First let us look at what John says about Him in the book of Revelation when Jesus is prepared to return in the Second Coming.
Revelation 19:11-13 (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
He is called the Word of God! Now look what John says about the Word in the first three verses of his gospel...
John 1:1-3 (NASB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
If you replace the Word with Jesus, you will get a better understanding of what this scripture is saying.
1 In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. 2 Jesus was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Jesus not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
Man was cut off from God. Nobody would ever be able to enter heaven because ever since Adam sinned, everyone ever born was born with a soul that is already stained with sin. Throughout the old testament, God would allow man to sacrifice animals for the forgiveness of his sins, but that was just a relationship thing. The real problem was that his soul was tainted by sin. THough an animals blood was enough to forgive sins, it would never be enough to wash a soul clean. Only one thing could ever be pure and holy enough to cleanse a soul. That would be the blood of God Himself.
Mankind was created through the Word. The Word loved us. So the Word chose to take on flesh and shed His blood and be the sacrifice that would be pure and holy enough to wash us clean. However, He could not be born through a man because then He would be a descendant of Adam and His soul would also be tainted. So he was born through a woman. A virgin, so that there was no human father. His only father truly being God. In doing so, He literally became the only begotten Son of God.
When the night came for Him to be taken by the guards, to be crucified the next day, His disciples drew swords and attacked the soldiers. One of them struck at the slave of a Jewish High Priest and cut off his ear. However, Jesus put a stop to the disciples and had them put their swords away and then He performed one of His last miracles. He healed the mans ear. Then Jesus went quietly with the soldiers. In doing this, Jesus made it clear that he was not a martyr being taken against His will to be killed. Even though He knew exactly what would be done to Him, He went willingly to lay down His life as a sacrifice. A sacrifice that was pure and holy enough to wash everyone's soul clean.
From that day forward, God has offered salvation (the washing of our soul) as a free gift to anyone who will accept it. But it is not a physical gift. It is a spiritual gift. The only way to receive it, is to truly believe in your heart that it is real, for how can you possibly receive a spiritual gift you don't even believe is real?
According to the Bible, which I would attest with my life is the true Word of God, Jesus is the only way to heaven. Anyone who believes these things will be saved when they die.
1) Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.
2) Jesus willingly died for us on the cross.
3) God raised Him from the dead.
4) You must believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
One must believe these things enough that they are willing to tell someone else that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, and they must mean it.