Salvation | touchingthebible

Understanding Biblical Salvation

Thank you for landing on my page. My name is Paul Szydlowski, and my desire is to help people understand the Bible, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the lands of the Bible. Over the years, I have studied Scripture, taught Bible lessons, and visited many biblical sites. One burden that has grown in my heart is helping people clearly understand the gospel and what the Bible actually teaches about salvation. I will do my best to share with you what Biblical salvation is and how you can be saved.

Before continuing, I would encourage you to pray right now, even if you are unsure how to pray, and ask God through the Holy Spirit to open your heart and understanding as you look to Him for answers. The Bible teaches that God lovingly seeks sinners and draws people to Himself through His grace. If you can, find a Bible or an online Bible such as www.esv.org. If you are new to the Bible, I especially encourage you to begin with the Gospel of John or the Gospel of Mark.

I would like to personally share with you what the Bible teaches about salvation. Salvation is God’s gracious gift by which sinners are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Left to ourselves, we could never earn forgiveness, pay for our sins, or make ourselves right before a holy God. Yet because of His great love and mercy, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and save the lost.

Through the perfect life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, God forgives the sins of those who turn to Him in repentance and faith. On the cross, Jesus willingly suffered and died in the place of sinners, taking upon Himself the punishment we deserved. He paid the debt sinners could never pay, grants eternal life, and reconciles believers to God. Jesus fully accomplished the work necessary for salvation on the cross. Through His grace, all who trust in Christ alone are forgiven, reconciled to God, and adopted into His family as His children.

The Bible teaches that all who truly repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally secure in Him and will spend eternity with God. Those who reject Christ and die in their sins remain under God’s judgment. Salvation is not something we deserve or achieve through human goodness, religious effort, wisdom, or good works. It is entirely the gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ alone. Therefore, our hope and confidence are found not in ourselves, but in Christ crucified and risen.

I have summarized key elements of salvation below. I encourage you not merely to read these words, but to open the Scriptures for yourself and consider what God says. If you are interested in learning more about the “Big Picture” story of the Bible, within this website under “Touching the Bible Lands Books,” I also offer a completely free book that explains salvation from a whole-Bible-story viewpoint.

1. Understand the Problem: Our Sin
Every person is a sinner before a holy God and stands guilty apart from His grace. Sin is not merely mistakes or imperfections, but rebellion against God in heart, mind, and actions.
READ: Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
READ: Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2. The Holy Spirit Convicts and Opens the Heart
The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to convict people of sin, pierce the heart, and help them understand the truth of the gospel. Apart from the Spirit, people do not naturally understand or embrace the things of God.

READ: John 16:8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”
READ: Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart…”
READ: 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them,…”

3. Understand Who Jesus Is
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for sinners, and rose again from the dead.

READ: John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
READ: 1 Peter 3:18 “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God”

4. Understand What Christ Accomplished
On the cross, Jesus bore the punishment sinners deserve so that those who trust in Him may be forgiven and reconciled to God.

READ: 1 Peter 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.…”
READ: Romans 5:8 “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

5. Repent
God calls every person to repent, which means turning from sin and turning to Christ in humble surrender and faith.

READ: Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out”
READ: Mark 1:15 “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

6. Trust in Christ Alone
Salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by human works, religious activity, or personal goodness.

READ: Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…”
READ: Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
READ: Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”

7. The Gospel Invitation
The gospel invitation is this: repent of your sin and place your faith completely in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, and call upon Him for mercy and salvation. True saving faith receives Jesus not only as Savior but also as Lord. A prayer itself does not save; Jesus Christ saves. Prayer is simply one way a person confesses sin, expresses faith, and calls upon the Lord from the heart.

READ: Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
READ: Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Example Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. Please forgive me, have mercy on me, and save me by Your grace. I turn from my sin and place my trust in You alone as my Savior and Lord. Help me to follow You and live for You. Amen.”

8. Follow Christ
Those who are truly saved begin a new life in Christ and grow in obedience and holiness through the power of God. It is important that all believers find and become part of a faithful evangelical church that believes and teaches the whole Bible as the fully inspired Word of God.

READ: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
READ: James 2:17 “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
READ: 1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”
READ: Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Another reference from Southern Baptist: Link to How to Become a Christian

the bible: Scripture, LANDS, AND HISTORY

by Paul Szydlowski

Understanding Biblical Salvation