The Bible declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3v23). Because of our sin we are under the curse, separated from God and are destined to die because of our sins “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6v23)
Because of this we need a Savior. That is why God sent His Son Jesus to be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1v29). When Jesus died on the cross He took upon Himself our sin, shame and punishment “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2v24).
None of us are good enough to save ourselves. We do not have the power to keep the law of the Old Testament, and our good works are not good enough. In the sight of a holy and righteous God all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isa 64v6)
Leviticus 17v11 says that “it is the blood that makes atonement” and therefore Christ shed His own blood that we may be saved and forgiven “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1v7)
As we come to Jesus we must come with repentance “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2v38), “He commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17v30).
We are saved through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We can not earn this salvation, it is the gift of God (Rom 6v23), all we have to do is put our faith in Jesus: Acts 10v43, Eph 2v8, Rom 1v16.
Salvation is only found in Jesus Christ. He Himself declared “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14v6)
The moment we put our faith in Jesus we are saved from our sin and our names are written in the book of life. Salvation is available to all no matter who they are or what they have done “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3v16)
When we are saved, we are born again (John 3). This means that we have died to our old way of life and have become new creatures in Jesus “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corin 5v17). The new birth is a work of the Holy Spirit upon our believing the gospel and turning to Jesus “I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3v5-6)