The gospel
The best news you will ever hear
The word gospel means “good news.” Take a few minutes to see, straight from the Bible, how you can be forgiven, made right with God, and given eternal life through Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
God made you to know Him and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has broken that relationship, but God, in His love, has made a way back. Here is how.
Step by step
The Romans Road to salvation
In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul explains the gospel like a road with clear signposts. Walk it one step at a time.
Everyone has sinned
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23Sin is more than doing bad things. It is going our own way instead of God’s: ignoring Him, disobeying Him, and living as if we were in charge. Next to other people, we may look good. But next to God’s perfect goodness, none of us measures up: “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
Sin leads to death
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23Because God is holy and just, He cannot simply ignore sin. A wage is what you earn, and what our sin earns is death: not only the death of the body, but being separated from God forever (Isaiah 59:2; Revelation 20:11-15). That is the bad news. But look at the second half of the verse: God offers a free gift.
Jesus died in our place
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8We could never pay that debt, so God paid it Himself. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, became a man and lived the perfect life we have not lived. Then He died on the cross in our place, taking the punishment our sins deserved. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving that His sacrifice was accepted and that He has conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Salvation is received by faith
“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 10:9You cannot earn this gift; you receive it by faith. Faith is more than knowing facts about Jesus. It is trusting Him: relying on Him alone, not on your good works, church attendance, or religious rituals, to make you right with God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Anyone can come
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13No one is too far gone. It does not matter what you have done, where you come from, or how long you have waited. The apostle Paul once hunted down Christians, and he called himself the worst of sinners, yet God saved him (1 Timothy 1:15). God’s promise is for “everyone.”
You can have peace with God
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1When you trust in Christ, God forgives all your sins and declares you righteous in His sight, because Jesus’ perfect record now counts as yours (2 Corinthians 5:21). Your guilt is gone, and “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
How to respond
Turn to God and trust in Jesus
Jesus summed up the right response in a few words: “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Here is what that means.
Repent
To repent is to turn around. You agree with God that your sin is wrong, and you turn away from it and toward Him. You do not have to clean up your life first; you come to God just as you are, and He changes you.
Believe
To believe is to trust Jesus completely: that He is the Son of God, that He died for your sins, and that He rose again. Like someone who rests their full weight on a bridge, you rest your whole hope on Him.
Receive
Salvation is a gift, and a gift must be received. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Jesus becomes your Savior and your Lord.
“There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. … Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.”
A prayer
Talk to God right now
Saying a prayer does not save you; trusting Jesus does. But if you are ready to turn from your sin and trust Him, tell Him so. You can use your own words, or words like these:
Dear God, I know that I have sinned against You and that I deserve Your judgment.
I believe that Jesus, Your Son, died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead.
I turn from my sins, and I put my trust in Jesus alone to save me.
Thank You for forgiving me and for the gift of eternal life. Help me to follow Jesus as my Lord from this day on.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you have truly put your trust in Jesus, God has kept His promise: you are forgiven, and you belong to Him forever.
Next steps
Did you trust Christ today?
Welcome to God’s family! “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation is the beginning of a new life with Jesus. Here are your first steps.
Tell someone
Tell a Christian friend, a pastor, or us. We would love to rejoice with you, pray for you, and help you take your next steps.
Read the Bible
Start with the Gospel of John, a chapter a day. Ask God to help you understand it, and look for what each chapter shows you about Jesus.
Pray every day
Prayer is simply talking with God. He is now your Father, and He wants to hear from you about everything, big and small.
Join a Bible-teaching church
Following Jesus was never meant to be done alone. Find a church that faithfully teaches the Bible, and get involved (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Be baptized
Baptism does not save you, but it is the first step of obedience Jesus asks of every believer (Matthew 28:19). Going under the water and rising again pictures your faith in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:4).
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13
Questions
Common questions about salvation
- Am I Too Bad To Be Forgiven?
- No. Jesus came to save sinners, and the apostle Paul, who once hunted down Christians, called himself the worst of them (1 Timothy 1:15). The cross shows that no sin is too big for Jesus’ sacrifice to cover, and God’s promise is for everyone who calls on Him (Romans 10:13). What matters is not how bad your past is, but how great your Savior is.
- Isn’t Being A Good Person Enough To Go To Heaven?
- No one is good enough by God’s standard, which is perfection (Romans 3:23). Our good deeds cannot erase the wrong we have done, any more than paying for groceries cancels a speeding ticket. That is why salvation is “not a result of works” but a free gift received through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Good works are the fruit of salvation, not its root.
- Don’t All Religions Lead To God?
- Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Other religions teach ways to earn God’s favor; the gospel says Jesus has already done the work for us. Only Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, and only He can bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
- Can I Be Sure That I Am Saved?
- Yes. God wants His children to have assurance: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Your security rests on what Jesus has done, not on your feelings, and Jesus promised that no one can snatch His sheep out of His hand (John 10:28).
- What If I Still Have Questions?
- That is okay; God welcomes honest questions. Keep reading the Gospel of John, talk with a Bible-believing pastor or Christian friend, or send us a message. We would be glad to talk with you, answer what we can from Scripture, and pray for you.