Salvation

The gospel is the good news that Christ died for our sins and God raised Him from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, ESV). This message offers hope and redemption to all who believe.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (1 Corinthians 15:1–8, NKJV)

If Christ died for our sins, this implies we are sinners deserving the death penalty. The Bible clearly states, 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, ESV). 

Sin separates us from God, and the consequence of sin is death. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, ESV).

This separation and penalty emphasize our need for a Savior.

Christ’s death for our sins means He has met God's righteous demands against our sin. God’s justice requires that sin be punished. Jesus, being sinless, took our punishment upon Himself. 

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV). 

By doing so, He satisfied God's justice, making forgiveness possible. 

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7, ESV).

God can now forgive us of our sins and save us from eternal damnation without compromising His justice. God's holiness and justice were not set aside; rather, they were fulfilled in Christ. 

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, ESV). 

This act of love ensures that God remains just while justifying those who have faith in Jesus. 

"To demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26, ESV).

God raised Christ from the dead, demonstrating that He is the Son of God. The resurrection is a powerful declaration of Christ’s divine nature. 

"And was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:4, ESV). 

This event confirms His identity and authority, providing a solid foundation for our faith.

Through Christ’s resurrection, we can have eternal life. Jesus said, 

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26, ESV). 

This promise assures us that death is not the end for those who trust in Christ. 

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:5, ESV).

The gospel offers hope and salvation. It calls us to respond in faith, acknowledging our sin, and trusting in Christ's finished work on the cross and His resurrection. 

"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" (Romans 10:9, ESV). 

We're not saved by confessing with our mouth, but calling on the name of the Lord to save you is evidence that you are trusting in Christ's atonement to make you right with God. Salvation through faith in Christ brings us into a restored relationship with God, giving us eternal life and the assurance of His presence forever.

When God saves you through faith in Christ, this includes salvation from the penalty (Romans 6:23), power (Romans 6:14), and presence of your sin (Romans 8:21). 

Justification

Salvation from the penalty of sin is often referred to as justification. Justification is when God declares that you are right, through faith in Christ. When you trust in Christ, God puts your sin to Christ's account, Christ's righteousness to your account, and clothes you in His righteousness (Romans 3:22; Romans 4:5-6). Christ's propitiating atonement allows God to do this without compromising His justice (Romans 3; 1 John 1:8-2:2). God also makes a judicial decree that you are right in Christ (Romans 5:1; Galatians). Justification in Christ saves you from the penalty of eternal damnation. When God makes and declares you right through faith in Christ, it frees you from condemnation.

Sanctification

Next, Christ also saves you from the power of sin in your daily living (Romans 6:14; Titus 2:12). This is called sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3; Romans 6:19, 22). In your calling and position in Christ, when you trust Him as Savior, He makes you a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24). He gives you a new, regenerate nature and heart that loves God (Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 7:22). He makes you perfectly sinless in your relationship to God (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:1). In your daily walk,(Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:13-14), God enables you to gain victory over the power of sin in your daily living. This involves knowing you have died with Christ to sin (Romans 6:6-7; Galatians 2:20), risen with Him to newness of life (Romans 6:4; Colossians 3:1), counting this to be true (Romans 6:11), then yielding to the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:16). This part of sanctification is progressive (Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2). It includes walking worthy of the position and calling in which you have been sanctified in Christ (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12). When Christ saves you from the power of sin in your daily living, that is referred to as sanctification.

Glorification

Finally, when you trust Christ as Savior, He delivers you from the very presence of your sin nature in glory (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:30). This is the hope believers walk in, of being set free entirely from the presence and influence of the old sin nature (Romans 8:21, 23-24; Revelation 21:4). Although the believer does not experience this until death (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23) or the return of Christ for the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52), God refers to it as an accomplished fact in His sovereign plan (Romans 8:30; Ephesians 2:6). No one gets justified through faith in Christ, then fails to end up in glory. It is a predetermined and accomplished plan, that God will glorify everyone He has justified through faith in Christ (Romans 8:29-30; Philippians 1:6). If someone doesn't end up being glorified, then they never trusted Christ to begin with (1 John 2:19; John 10:27-28). Salvation from the very presence of your sin nature, is referred to as "glorification". This is the hope of Christ's return and glory, which has motivated so many believers to endure trials and persecutions in confident hope.

However, rejecting Christ's atonement has serious consequences. The Bible warns that Christ will return to judge the world. 

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31, ESV). 

This judgment will be thorough and just. Those who reject Christ will face eternal punishment. 

"In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, ESV). 

This sober reality underscores the urgency of accepting the gospel and turning to Christ for salvation.

We do not know when Christ will return to judge the world. It could be at any moment. What's more, we don't know how long we have to live. We may live 10 or 20 years, or we may die in the next breath. After you die, it is too late to trust in Christ for salvation:

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV)

So I urge you now to trust Christ's death and resurrection to make you right with God. Right this moment, call on the name of the Lord to save you from your sins. Ask Him to do this on the basis of the atonement Christ made for your sins:

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:8–13, ESV)