What Do We Mean By "Being Saved?"

          Throughout our website and when you attend our services, you will see or hear an invitation to salvation or someone's story of how they were saved.  Sometimes we use words that we as a church understand, but leave others scratching their heads at our terminology.  Understanding that sometimes we can be confusing, we want you to know what it is to be saved, how one can be saved, and what one should do after being saved.

What does it mean to be saved?

          In Genesis 1-3, we read of God creating world and everything in the world.  God creates humans and creates them in the image of God.  God lives in relationship with humans, talking with them, walking with them; something we all do with one another.  It is God's desire to be in relationship with us: His creation.  In Genesis 3, we find out that humans sin, or choose to do something against the will of God, and God can no longer live in the same relationship with them as he had before they sinned.
          Even though humans sinned, God still wanted to live in relationship to them, but there had to be a sacrifice to cover the sins of humans to restore the relationship.  Through the Old Testament, we see God trying to create a way for humans to live in relationship with God; however, humans continue to do wrong and fall short in the relationship.
          To live in relationship with humans, God sent Jesus, God's son, to die as a sacrifice for the sins of humans.  Jesus choose to do this so that we could live in relationship with God.  In John 3:16, we find that God loved the world enough that God gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in relationship with our Creator.  The best part of the story is that Jesus did not just die, but He defeated death as God raised (resurrected) Him from the dead.  Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection (John 19-20) make it possible for humans to be saved to a relationship with God.

How can I be saved?

          Jesus did the hard part to restore the relationship between God and humans. 
          If you want to be saved and live in relationship to God, the best way to do it is found in Acts 16:29-31.  When a Christian named Paul (a follower of Jesus) was asked how to be saved, he said that we just have to believe in the Lord Jesus.
          It is that easy.  To be saved, you must believe in Jesus and what he did for you through his death and resurrection.  Ask him to have his blood and sacrifice cover your sins and to put you in relationship with God.  Once you have believed in Jesus, the journey is just beginning. 
          Once you believe in Jesus and ask him to forgive you of your sins, you are once again in relationship with God.  Nothing can take away your salvation, but you can, and should, continue to grow in your salvation.

How do I grow in my salvation?

          If you have a spouse, a friend, a family member that you have a relationship with, it wouldn't be a very deep relationship if you only talked to them one time.  The same is true with our relationship with God.
          Once we are saved, we are in relationship with God, but we should continue to grow in that salvation.  The first thing you should do after being saved is to tell another Christian and plug into a local church to be baptized.  In the Bible we see a commission to be baptized after salvation and the example of being baptized after salvation (Matthew 28:19 & Acts 8:26-40).
          After you have joined a church through baptism, attend the times of worship with other Christians and grow in relationship to them and God.  Join the Bible Study times and learn more about God and what God is calling you to do with your life.  Pray and talk with God, give God your life decisions and let God guide you to an abundant life.  Read your Bible; if you do not have a Bible, contact First Baptist Church and we will get you one to begin reading. 
          Salvation is more than just a prayer of being saved, it is a continual way of life in relationship with our Creator.
          If you have been saved, please contact us so we can join with you in celebration of your salvation.