Salvation & Baptism

In order to get “right” with God, we must first understand what is “wrong.” The answer is sin. “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). We have rebelled against God’s commands; we “like sheep, have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6).

The bad news is that the penalty for sin is death. “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

The good news is that a loving God has pursued us in order to bring us salvation. God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for our sin. Jesus declared His purpose was “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10), and He pronounced His purpose accomplished when He died on the cross with the words, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus was raised to life to save us from sin, give us new life, and bring us into a relationship with God.

Having a right relationship with God begins with acknowledging your sin. Next comes a humble confession of your sin to God. Romans 10:9 says, “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.”

Confess and believe. That’s all it takes to be saved. You can confess to Jesus in your own words, or pray the following:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I’ve fallen short. I’ve sinned and need your forgiveness. I believe that You lived, died, and rose again so that I could be connected to God. I confess you as my Lord and commit my life to You. I give you my past, present, and future. Take my life and use it. I give it to You. Amen."

Salvation is about more than what happens when we die. It’s the way to experience a full life with God here and now.

In deciding to follow Jesus, we’re acknowledging that our way isn’t working anymore. That we’re done flying solo, and we’re giving Jesus control.

From that moment on, we’re never alone. Jesus is the friend who never leaves us or forsakes us. He gives us His Spirit to guide us and access to God, who loves and cares for us.

Congratulations! If you just started a relationship with Jesus, we want to celebrate with you and help you take your next steps. If, after reading about salvation, you're confident that step was taken previously, then it might be that God wants you to repent of your current lifestyle and renew the relationship with Him. True biblical repentance is characterized by four pieces - 1) An awareness of one's own guilt and sinfulness, 2) A taking hold of God's mercy in Jesus Christ, 3) A change of attitude and action regarding sin, and 4) A consistent pursuit of holy living. If this is sounds more like where you're currently at, check the second box below.