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What does it mean that Jesus is 'saviour'?

God loves us and wants to be in a relationship with us. But when the first people on Earth (Adam and Eve) disobeyed God, sin entered the world. From there, all people have sinful natures and, because of their sin, are separated from God (Romans 3:23). This separation leads to spiritual emptiness, a longing for purpose and the sadness we see in the world today. A true sense of purpose can only be filled through reconciliation with our Creator, God (Colossians 1:21-22). 

As humans, we could never do enough to achieve this reconciliation with God on our own. This was why God – through his Son Jesus – put into action a rescue plan. 

First, Jesus was born into the world – something we remember at Christmas time. He lived life on Earth to experience the heartaches of humanity and show us a new way to live. Then, he died on the cross to take the blame for our sinful natures so we could approach God blameless. We remember this sacrifice of Jesus’ life at Easter on Good Friday.  

However, Jesus didn’t stay dead – he rose again, to offer us the promise that we can have an everlasting relationship with God in Heaven after we die. Because of his love, we can have eternal hope and a deep sense of purpose to our earthly lives.  

Salvation is the act of saving or protecting from harm. Jesus saved us from the penalty of our sinful nature when he died on the cross. He is our saviour from a life separated from God. 

What is a salvation prayer?

A salvation prayer is not complicated. It is simply talking to God, recognising our sinful natures and letting him know we are thankful Jesus died as our saviour. It ends with asking Jesus to be part of our life.  

A salvation prayer gives us hope for the future. Because Jesus rose from the dead, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we can live forever with him in Heaven after we die. 

Jesus also gives us hope for our earthly lives, especially when life seems hopeless. Jesus says he came to the world to give us a life that is full and good: “I came to give life with joy and abundance” (John 10:10).  

How do I accept salvation and hope for the future?

Here are some words you may like to use in a salvation prayer: 

Dear Jesus,

I believe in you and I want to have a relationship with you.
I know I have sinned. Please forgive me and help me to live my life more like you.
Thank you for dying on the cross and paying the price for my wrongdoing. Because of you, I now have hope and eternal life. As a Christian, I want to follow you. Fill me with your power through the Holy Spirit so I can live my life for you.

Amen

How do I know I am saved?

The Bible gives us assurance of our salvation.

It says: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)

The Bible also says we will know we are saved because we will have the Holy Spirit living in us. “You heard the true message, the Good News about the way God saves you. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he promised” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

What do I do now?

We would encourage you to start communicating with God and Jesus daily in prayer and reading the Bible so you can hear from him through his Holy Spirit. If you don’t have one, the Bible is available online in lots of translations. One good source is biblegateway.com, or you can install a free Bible app on your mobile device.

We also encourage you to connect with other Christians so you can feel supported in your journey as a follower of Jesus.

Find your local Salvation Army church using the button below or visit your closest Christian church. Many of these churches have an in-person and/or online presence. Some offer discussion groups for new Christians.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord smile down on you and show you his kindness. May the Lord answer your prayers and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

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