Saved!
This is a message about salvation and how to get saved. It is a Bible study about the word "saved" as it is used throughout the Bible. Though this tract deals with a very basic Christian doctrine, it is very thorough. We hope that you will be blessed by it's message!
Dear Reader, let me ask you the most important question that you will ever face. All eternity will depend upon your answer. Are you saved?
“ Saved?” You say. “What is that?”
Saved is a very important Bible word. It is used many, many times in the Word of God. In fact, in just this one short but serious pamphlet, I will show you sixteen different passages from the Bible which use this very important word. If you will stay with me, by the time we get done, you will know what being saved means and whether or not you are saved. Most importantly, I will show you from the Bible how to be saved!
So Simple That A Child Can Understand
When I was a boy in Sunday School, we used to sing a little song that went like this:
If you’re saved and you know it, say Amen!
If you’re saved and you know it, say Amen!
If you’re saved and you know it,
Then your life will surely show it.
If you’re saved and you know it, say Amen!
You see, the concept of being saved is so simple that a child can understand it. Even a little child can know whether they are saved or not. Unfortunately, many adults do not know if they are saved. Listen to what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verses 2-3. “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
And again, in Mark 10:14 Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily, I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”
My friend, my prayer for you is that you will read this little pamphlet to the end, and then, as a little child, receive this soul saving Bible message and be saved.
Saved From What?
“Well,” you may say, “ Saved? Saved from what?” And, you would be right in asking such a question, for the very idea of being saved implies a certain ‘lostness’ or impending peril. It suggests that we are in the grip of something that can harm or even destroy us. All of these definitions of being saved are actually taught in the Bible.
Lost In Sin!
In II Corinthians 4:3 the Apostle Paul wrote, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
You see, the Bible teaches that we are lost and in dire need of a Savior because of our sin. Sin is the breaking of God’s law. It is comprised of the multitude of our selfish and wicked acts which we have committed against God. The Bible is very clear about this, and we are all guilty. In Isaiah 53:6 we read: “ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
All means everyone; you, me, and every person who has ever lived. In Romans 3:23 the Bible again indicts all when it says: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
And again, in Romans 3:10 it says: “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”
Oh friend, it is so necessary for each one of us to own up to the fact that we have sinned against God. I have sinned. You have sinned. We have all sinned against our holy Creator. Because of our sins, we are under condemnation and in need of being saved.
In Romans 6:23 we are told what the punishment for our sin will be when it says:
“For the wages of sin is death!”
This death is twofold. It is first a physical death, However, the Bible also teaches us that this will include a second or spiritual death as well. In Hebrews 9:27-28 the Bible says: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Saved From The Wrath of God
This “after death judgement” is referred to in the Bible as the second death or hell. We read about this in Revelation 21:8. It says: “But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
This is what the Bible means in Romans 5:9 when it says: “Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Oh thank God that Jesus came to save us from the wrath to come! Dear reader, Jesus will either be your judge or Savior. It all depends on what you do with His gospel message. This difference can be clearly seen in II Thessalonians 1:7-10: “And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”
Go back and re-read this passage of scripture. Do you not see yourself as one or the other. You cannot be both. Jesus Christ will either be your Savior or judge. He died on Calvary’s cross so that you might be saved from the wrath to come. Do you not now begin to see that being saved is the most important thing to get settled in your entire life?
You Cannot Save Yourself!
Perhaps, you agree with the Holy Scriptures that we have been discussing. Perhaps God’s sweet Spirit is already pricking your heart with His saving love. Perhaps you are saying, “I must do something in response to what the Bible says.”
This is all good. But, we must also recognize that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Just as a pauper cannot pay his own debts, so we are helpless to pay for our sins. We have no righteousness with which to atone for our sins. Our only recourse is to throw ourselves upon the mercy of God and the salvation that only Jesus can bestow. This is what the Bible means when it plainly explains why God saves people. In Titus 3:5 we read: “ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”
We see this again in II Timothy 1:9 when Paul tells why God saves us. He wrote: “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
This is again made abundantly clear in Ephesians 2:8-9 where we read: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.”
In all three of these passages of scripture, we see some variation of the words “ not of works”. This is because, as lost sinners, we can do nothing to save ourselves. We are already ruined. We have nothing to give in exchange for our soul. This is why we need, “ A Savior”!
Jesus Christ Came To Save Sinners.
We now come to the greatest truth in all the Bible. We have arrived at the very heart of the gospel message. Jesus came to save us! Jesus came to save you! This is the sum and substance of the good news of the gospel. Time and again, Jesus himself told us why he came. In Luke 19:10 Jesus said: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”
In Luke 9:56 Jesus said: “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
In John 3:17, the verse after the familiar and world famous John 3:16, we read: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Even the very words of Jesus were spoken for the purpose of saving us. In John 5:34, Jesus said: “But these things I say, that ye might be saved!”
When the archangel, Gabriel, gave instruction to Joseph concerning the birth of Jesus through the virgin Mary, he said: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Perhaps the great Apostle Paul summed it up best for all of us when in I Timothy 1:15 he said: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
Your Lost Soul Is Important To God.
Dear one, time and time again Jesus expressed the importance of your lost soul. In Mark 8:36-37 Jesus said: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
In the fifteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus told several stories, each illustrating the importance of our soul to God. In the first story, Jesus tells how the good shepherd leaves the ninety and nine to go and find the one lost sheep. When the shepherd found it, Jesus said: “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than ninety and nine just persons, that need no repentance.”
My friend, your soul, like the helpless lost sheep, is important to “God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4) This is why Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
In the next story, the story of the prodigal son, we see our souls, which, though wasted in riotous living, as being very dear to the Father. Jesus tells us what happened when the broken and disgraced prodigal returned home. In Luke 15:20-24 we read: “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”
Oh friend, your soul is very dear to the Heavenly Father, and he has provided for your salvation. But, the cost was also very dear!
Salvation Cost God His Son!
The cost of your salvation was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In what is probably the best known verse in all the Bible, John 3:16, we find: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Oh no, salvation was not cheap! The redemption of man was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, for nothing else would do. In I Peter 1:18 we read: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
During the last supper, Jesus gave the cup to the disciples which pictured his own shed blood. In Luke 22:20, Jesus said: “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
In Colossians 1:14 the Bible speaks of God’s dear Son and then says: “In whom we have redemption, through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” And later in verse twenty, the same chapter says that God, “Made peace by the blood of his cross!”
Rejecting Christ Leaves Us Condemned.
You see dear reader, the cross of Jesus Christ and His shed blood is the only way to God and forgiveness. The Bible is adamant about this! In Acts 4:12, Peter preached this boldly when he said: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved!”
The Bible gives many unmistakable and very clear warnings about rejecting Christ. In Hebrews 10:29 it says: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
It is a very serious thing to reject the offer of salvation. In fact, the Bible makes clear, that in view of the salvation freely offered by God, rejecting Christ is ultimately the reason that men remain condemned. In John 3:18 we read: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
The Man In The Middle
On the front of this little pamphlet is an 1854 woodcut by the famous French artist, Gustave Dore’, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. True to the Bible account, we see that two thieves were crucified with Christ. The eternal destiny of each of these men was determined by what they did with the man in the middle.
Of the first thief, we read these words: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
This man mocked Jesus, using the word “if”, indicating unbelief. Do you know what Jesus said to him? . . . Not a single word! This is because God never responds to unbelief! To obtain salvation, we must embrace the truth of the gospel, based on God’s word, by faith! Hebrews 11:6 teaches us: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Today Thou Shalt Be With Me In Paradise!
Now look how different the encounter was between the second thief and Christ. In Luke 23:40 we continue the narrative: “But the other answering, rebuked him saying, Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
You see, the second man believed and called upon Jesus, saying Lord! Oh how differently Jesus responsed to the second sinner! Notice what Jesus said: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise!” (verse 43)
How To Be Saved
This brings us to one of the most prominent promises in all of the Bible. In Romans 10:13 we read:“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Just as the man on the cross called upon the name of the Lord, so may any man, woman, boy or girl today. Salvation is just that simple! Jesus did the hard part. Jesus did the dying. So too, Jesus will do the saving! The only thing we have to do is to repent of our sins, and call on Christ to save us. He will do the rest. For: “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved! ”
You see, salvation is just a prayer away. All you have to do is to call upon Christ Jesus to save you, for he promised: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!”
Do it now, this very minute. The Lord is listening, and will do as he has promised. Pray a simple and sincere prayer of faith something like this:
“Dear Lord, I am a sinner, and I need the Savior. I believe that Jesus Christ was Your Son and that He died on the cross and shed His blood for me. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. Lord, please come into my heart and life and save my soul. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.”