Question: I know that I need Jesus in my life. I want Jesus to forgive me for my sins, and I want a personal relationship with Him. How can I be saved from my sins?

Foremost, know that God wants an intimate relationship with you. God loves you, and you are priceless to Him. In fact, to the heavenly Father, you are worth His Son, Jesus, going to the cross and sacrificing His life for yours.

That’s why Jesus came into the world, to take upon himself the punishment that man’s sins deserve and to give eternal life to whomever receives Him.

Sin separates us from God and there is no one who merits salvation. Every person has sinned and fallen “short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “There is no one righteous, not even one . . . there is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:10-12).

In your own ability, there is nothing you can do (without Jesus) to establish a relationship with God. Actually, you rightly deserve the opposite. For “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

A wage is something earned, or deserved. So, the wages of your sin, and mine, should be an earned retribution of death and everlasting shame. That would be justice on us.

God’s justice requires that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). And, God’s holiness demands justice be carried out. Therefore, your sin must be accounted for by the shedding of blood and death.

That’s why Jesus went to the cross at Calvary – to take upon himself the rightful penalty for our sin, which is death. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21)

Through His death, Jesus took all our sins upon himself and bestows His righteousness onto whoever receives Him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Rom. 4:25).

There is no one so wicked that Jesus can’t save him. “The blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). There is no sin beyond what Jesus will forgive for those who receive Him by faith. “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).

Are you included in “everyone?” . . . Yes.

God’s gift of salvation is freely given to whomever calls upon Jesus under conviction, repentantly confessing their sin, and accepting Him as Savior and Lord. Through Jesus’ mercy you can be forgiven, and through His grace given eternal life in Him.

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If you have a Bible, I encourage you to open your own Bible, find a quiet place where you shouldn’t be interrupted and read Romans 10:8-11. I recommend reading these verses aloud to yourself.

(Romans 10:8-11) “But what does [Scripture] say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’”

What do these verses say? And how do these verses apply to you personally?

Read Romans 10:8-11 again, and this time, when you read “you,” or ‘your,” substitute the words “me, “my,” or “I,” to personalize these verses to yourself. You may even insert your own name into these verses, for salvation is meant for each person individually.

According to the Bible, salvation is entirely by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is entirely dependent upon what Jesus did for you, and whether you will receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior. “The work of God is this, to believe in the one in whom he has sent” (John 6:29).

Salvation can’t be earned. It is God’s undeserved, free gift available to all who call upon Jesus; solely because of God’s grace, mercy, and lovingkindness. It is available to all because God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

Notice in says in Romans 10:10, that it is “with your heart that you believe and are justified.”

We don’t typically think of “belief” as stemming from our heart. Instead, we associate belief with reasoning within our mind. However, to “believe in your heart” requires an acceptance whereby you are wholly given to, and dependent upon, what Jesus did for you.

The Bible assures us, “yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). That’s the relationship that God desires to have with you.

Would you like to submit your life to Jesus now, and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior?

There is no need to wait. Jesus has been waiting for you. If this is the sincere burden of your heart, you may pray a prayer like this:

Jesus. I am a sinner. I know I am lost without you and there is no hope for me apart from you. I believe you are the Son of God and you alone are able to save me from my sins. I believe you died on the cross, taking my sins upon yourself. I believe that you rose from the grave, showing your death is acceptable to God as full payment for all my sins. Forgive me for my sins. I receive you as my Savior. I commit my life to you as Lord. Thank you for saving me. I love you, too. Amen.

If you have prayed similar words with sincerity, on the authority of the Word of God, you can know you have eternal life in Christ. We have the Lord’s assurance. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). “To you who believe in the name of the Son of God . . . you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

You are a child of God, and your salvation is securely held in His hands! Rejoice.

If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please reach out and connect with a local church that preaches Jesus and teaches the Bible!

I would love to hear from you too. If you are willing, please contact me and tell me about it.