What does it mean to be "saved"? The answer to that question will be the difference between life and death. To find the answer, I need to take you to the very beginning of the human race in the book of Genesis.
God created Adam and Eve and everything else perfect. They had everything they needed. Satan, however, encouraged Eve to doubt God's goodness and she ate of the fruit of the tree which God had forbidden. To think that Adam and Eve had a huge "Yes" and could eat from all of the trees in Garden of Eden and had one single "No" that was not allowed. They thought that they could act independent of God and decide for themselves what was good and evil. When that happened everything changed. Adam and Eve knew they had done wrong. Sin and death had entered a once perfect world. Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden and cursed. They were separated from God.
God is holy and He cannot tolerant sin. Adam and Eve were now stained with sin and could not fellowship with God as before. It was as if there was a huge gap between Adam and Eve and God. There was nothing that they could do to "make things right". They couldn't try to do a bunch a "good works" to outweigh the "bad" they had done. Never in their life time could they ever do enough "good works" to earn their way to heaven. The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All is very inclusive. That means you and me. No matter how hard we try; whether it is going to church, putting money in the offering, taking the sacraments, getting baptized, being a good person, helping other people who are going through hard times; none of these things will make us good enough or earn us a way into heaven.
This looks like a rather bleak picture, but God provided a way for ALL to get to heaven, (John 14:6, "I,(Jesus), am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me"). That way is provided in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to earth in the form of a man and lived a perfect life. He willingly went to the cross and died for ALL of us. His death on the cross and his shed blood paid the penalty for ALL of our sins. He did this for us because He loved us and does not want anyone to perish and go to Hell. This is a gift from God that has to be accepted by me and you. It doesn't automatically happen. You have to admit to God that you are a sinner.
What do you think a sinner is? Who determines what is right and wrong? Again, we need to go to the Bible and look at Exodus 20 where the 10 Commandments are written. The first commandment says, "You shall have no other Gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Does God have first place in your life? Is there anything in your life that you value more than God? The second commandment is "You shall not make yourself any graven image" (Exodus 20:4). Do you worship objects or idols? Do you create a god in your own image that is not consistent with the Bible? Commandment 3 is "You shall not take the Name to the Lord in vain" (Exodus 20:7). Do you use God's name in a thoughtless and meaningless way? Do you use it as an oath? God wants you to use His name reverently and regard Him above all others. The fourth commandment is "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy". Do you take the time to gather with Bible believing believers to worship the Lord and learn more about Him? Commandment 5 is "Honor your Father and Mother". Have you always honored your parents and obeyed them? The sixth commandment is "You shall not kill" (Exodus 20:13). Murder is wrong as well as getting angry at someone. God is concerned about our thoughts as well as our actions. The seventh commandment is "You shall not commit adultery". The Bible says that if you even look upon a woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery (Matthew 5:28). Commandment eight is "You shall not steal". Have you stolen anything regardless of the value? You are a thief! Commandment 9 is "You shall not lie". Have you ever told a lie whether it is pink, blue, or white? You are a liar! The tenth commandment is "You shall not covet". Have you ever wanted something that belongs to someone else? You are coveting if you do! So, how do you compare to the 10 Commandments? You must realize that if you have broken one, you have broken ALL the commandments and stand guilty before a righteous and holy God! What are you going to do?
You can try really hard and do good works so that your "good" outweigh the" bad", but you will come out short in the end. Romans 3:23 says, "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Picture yourself standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. If I were to challenge you to jump across it, you would probably be able to jump further than me, but you still wouldn't make it. We both would plunge to our death. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". The only other option is to cry out to God and ask Him to save you from the wrath and the judgment to come. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast". You must do what Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation".
I would encourage you to consider what I have written and check out the scriptures to see if what I have said is really true. Contact me if you have any questions, please!
