On January 6, 2020, we had our first ever meeting, which was entirely focused on salvation and making everyone know 100% sure how to get to Heaven. Over the course of the study we defined faith, sin, the gift of eternal life, and assurance of salvation.
Faith Defined as Believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Some of the most famous verses of the Bible are able to preach the entire gospel in only a couple of sentences. They themselves are so simple and so direct that nobody should ever mistake what they mean. Examples of these are:
John 3:16 "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 5:24 "24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
John 6:47 "47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
John 11:25-26 "25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
John 14:6 "6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Acts 16:30-31 "30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
1 John 5:13 "13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
We see here that the Bible defines believing in or believing on Jesus as believing the statements that Jesus says about Himself when He says He is the only one who can give you everlasting life. From other scriptures, we can see that believing in Jesus is to believe that He has already paid for our eternal life and for our place in Heaven. Therefore, by believing in Him, we obtain eternal life at that instant because the price for sins was already paid for by Jesus on the cross.
How Much Sin was Forgiven When Jesus Died on the Cross?
In short, all of it. Every possible sin that could have ever been committed and could ever be committed by every person who has existed and ever will exist. Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world. This gives every person assurance of their salvation and getting into Heaven when we die because of how gracious God is. Here are the scriptures that back this up.
Every Person is a Sinner, Not by Nature, but by Choice
Genesis 3:22 "22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:"
Romans 2:14-15 "14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)"
Romans 3:10-12 "10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Romans 3:23 "23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Everyone is Guilty of Everything Spiritually Speaking
James 2:10-11 "10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law."
Jesus Paid for Everyone's Sins
Isaiah 53:6 "6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
1 Timothy 2:3-6 "3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
1 John 1:6-7 "6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
When Was All That Sin Paid For?
All of that sin was paid for when God created the world. Biblically, this is called "from the foundation of the world." As Christians, we believe that even though the historical event of Jesus' crucifixion was only 2000 years ago, it was part of God's plan for Jesus to pay the price for our sins from the time the world was made. Since "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance," God made 100% sure that all sin would be paid for on the cross.
Revelation 13:7-8, speaking of the Antichrist "7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Matthew 25:33-34 "33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"
Hebrews 4:3 "3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."
John 19:28-30, during Jesus’ crucifixion "28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."
Eternal Life is a Free Gift From God
This means that we do not have to do anything to earn it. We do not have to do anything to keep it, meaning once a person believes on Jesus Christ, they cannot lose their salvation. We also do not have to do any works to prove that we have eternal life. It is a free gift and no works or good deeds are required to be present in a believer. A person does not have to change their life to get saved and a change of life is not evidence that a person has been saved. A saved person does not have to read their Bible, be baptized, go to Church, repent of any sin, or do anything at all. Believing in Christ alone is enough. This is called Eternal Security of the Believer.
John 4:14 "14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
John 10:28-29 "28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
Romans 3:27-28 "27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 3:23-25 "23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
Romans 4:3-8 "3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."
Romans 6:23 "23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 11:6 "6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
Revelation 21:6 "6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."
Revelation 22:17 "17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
From all of the verses covered, it is easy to see that the only thing a person needs to do is change that one thought in their head. If you reading this have not been saved or are not 100% sure of your salvation, you can choose to put all of your faith in trust in Christ right now and believe on Him who gives us eternal life.