The Gospel Invitation
HOW TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN or HOW TO BE SAVED
1. Each individual is a sinner and therefore stands separated from, and condemned by God (Rom 3:23; 5:12; John 3:18).
2. Christ died in the place of each individual sinner to pay for their sins (1 Tim 2:6; Mark 10:45; 2 Cor 5:21).
3. Each individual must personally believe (trust) in Christ's payment for their sins in order to be saved (Acts 16:31; John 5:24). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone and not by any human works (Eph 2:5, 8, 9).
A
CLARIFICATION OF THE TERMS OF THE GOSPEL
Above is a typical gospel presentation that is often misunderstood in our
postmodern culture. The following is an explanation for what some of these words
mean as defined in the Bible. Just what is sin? How did all men become sinners?
What does it mean to be separated from and condemned by God? Who is Jesus
Christ? Why did He die in my place? What does it mean to believe? What does it
mean to be saved? And what am I being saved from?
WHAT IS SIN?
Sin is anything that is not compatible with the character of God. God’s
character has many aspects, all of which are infinite. Let’s review some basic
attributes of God. God is sovereign; He controls, but is not held
responsible, for all that comes to pass. God is righteous; His moral
character is the absolute standard for what is right and wrong everywhere in the
universe all the time. God is just; His attitude toward evil is
uncompromising regardless of who might be involved. God is love; He
unconditionally gives Himself to those whom He loves. God is omniscient;
He has total knowledge of all things actual and possible—even the what if’s of
history. God is omnipotent; He can do anything compatible with His
character. God is omnipresent; He is completely present at every point in
space. God is immutable; His character never changes, His character is
perfectly stable. God is eternal; He has always existed, He does not have
a beginning or end. Anything that is not compatible with God’s character is sin.
Are you a sinner?
Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Prov. 16:9, 33; Rev. 16:5-7; Rom. 2:11; 1 John 4:16; Matt.
11:21-23; Ps. 33:6-9; Ps. 139:7-12; Mal. 3:6; Rev. 1:8
HOW DID ALL MEN BECOME
SINNERS?
All men became sinners by two mechanisms. First, all men are born sinners
because Adam, the first man, represented the entire human race. When our
representative sinned, all those whom he represents somehow also sinned. This,
of course, is not talking about personal sin, but that when Adam sinned the
human race sinned “in him”. Second, all men are born sinners not only because
Adam was our representative but also because we somehow participated in the sin
of Adam, albeit unconsciously. This is because all men are natural descendants
of Adam, all men were seminally in Adam so that the sin nature of Adam is passed
on from parent to child from generation to generation. The fact that we sinned
in Adam and that the sin nature of Adam was passed on to us from our parents
results in our separation from and condemnation by God. Are you a part of all
men?
Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE
SEPARATED FROM AND CONDEMNED BY GOD?
To be separated from God means to not be able to have relationship or
fellowship with God. God cannot have a relationship or fellowship with sin
because sin is anything that is not compatible with His character. Since all men
are born sinners then no one has a relationship or fellowship with God. As long
as we remain out of a relationship with God we are condemned by God. Since God
cannot have fellowship with sin then He must prepare a place for those who stand
condemned. This place is eternally separated from God and the Bible calls this
place Hell.
1 John 1:5; Mark 16:16; 1 Cor. 11:32; Matt. 25:31-46; John 3:18
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died in the place of each individual
sinner to pay for their sins. But who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is not a
persons first and last name. Jesus is a man’s first name. The Jesus we are
speaking about is the name Mary gave to her son. Jesus means “God saves” Christ
is the title of the Jewish Messiah, which means “Anointed One”. So, his name and
title mean “the Anointed One of God saves”. Jesus Christ is therefore a person,
both God and man who was sent to save (a word we will explain below). He is God
come in human flesh. He was 100% God and 100% man, untainted by sin because of
the virgin birth. I know this is hard to imagine because we have nothing in our
world that corresponds to this by which we can draw an analogy. He had to be God
so that the payment He made would be of infinite value to pay for the sin of
every individual. He had to be man so that He would be able to sympathize with
human weaknesses and be tempted to sin. Yet He was without sin.
Mark 10:45; Matt. 1:21; Titus 2:13; Heb. 4:15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:20-25; 2 Cor.
5:17-21; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:2
WHY DID JESUS CHRIST DIE
IN MY PLACE?
Jesus Christ died in your place because He loved you. He wants to have
fellowship with you but since you are a sinner and condemned because you are a
sinner He cannot have fellowship with you unless your sins are forgiven.
Remember God’s character? He has to deal with sin justly, He cannot overlook
evil, evil must be judged. God’s character is immutable, it never changes, so
that He cannot compromise His character and forgive sin arbitrarily. Sin must
actually and objectively be dealt with in reality if we are to have fellowship
with God. God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die in every
individual’s place and to make full payment for all sins past, present and
future. He did this so that we could have fellowship with Him. That is how much
God loves us, that He would give Himself for us.
John 3:16; Rom. 3:21-26
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO
BELIEVE?
According to the Bible, believing or having faith (the same Greek word)
means to be fully convinced and assured in one’s mind that something is
objectively true. It does not mean that something is unreasonable or that there
is no evidence for a thing. It is not a weak knowledge of something. It is sure
knowledge that you have been convinced of in your own mind that Jesus Christ
died in your place to make full payment for all your sins.
Heb. 11:1ff
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE
SAVED?
When we say the word “saved” we are talking about being restored to
relationship with God. We are born in sin out with no personal relationship with
God. To be saved means to be restored to that relationship with God. The moment
we believe the good news we are brought into relationship with God. Jesus Christ
imparts eternal life to the one who believes at that very moment. This
relationship is secure forever no matter what sin we may commit after we believe
because Christ died for all sins past, present, and future.
John 5:24; 1 John 5:13; Rom. 8:31-39
WHAT AM I BEING SAVED
FROM?
Some ask, what am I being saved from? We are being saved from eternal
separation from God. Man is not purely material. He is composed of both material
(body) and immaterial parts (spirit and soul). The material part of man is
mortal but the immaterial part of man is immortal. From the moment an individual
is born the immaterial part of man lives forever. Every individual, whether
saved or not will be given a newly transformed body along with his spirit and
soul which will live forever either with God or in eternal separation from God.
Gen. 2:7; Matt. 25:31-46