Receiving Christ as Saviour is a central tenet of Christianity and refers to believing that one personally and consciously commits to Jesus Christ as the only right way to receive Salvation, and therefore, eternal life. This work consists in the personal recognition of one’s own sinfulness and inability to be reconciled to God on the basis of one’s own works. It is a spiritual act that has to do with faith, it means believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who provided the means for mankind’s salvation through His death on the cross and His resurrection. “To accept Jesus as your person savior means making a personal and deliberate decision to believe in Him as the only means of salvation, on the basis of what He did through His death and resurrection. Often confession is also followed by repentance- a true turning from sin- and a desire to live in line with the teachings of Jesus. The result of this acceptance is called right standing with God (justification) and the promise of life everlasting (not simply life after death but life-in-relationship-with-God that starts here and now).
This will be addressed—this multi-faceted subject of receiving Christ as Savior for what it is to save and give eternal life. It will investigate basic Christian beliefs about sin and about who Jesus is; what He did on behalf of humanity; and the importance of His death and resurrection. Second, the practical implications of how one receives Christ will be discussed, particularly the place of faith, repentance, and confession. The present and future consequences of such a spiritual endeavor (e.g., justification/sanctification and hope of eternal life) are examined. An analysis of the passages in the Bible which have helped to shape these convictions will be provided, as well as a discussion on the action of divine grace and the Holy Spirit within this process of conversion. Misunderstandings of receiving Christ will also be dispelled to bring further enlightenment. The discussion shall next connect to Christian soteriology as a whole, concluding with responses to related questions on the dynamics of faith and works, eternal security, predestination, denominational viewpoints, and the universal offer of salvation in Christ.
What is Involved in Accepting Christ as Saviour for Salvation and Eternal Life?
Receiving Christ as Saviour is the basic step in Christian faith toward salvation and life eternal. It includes a personal affirmation and an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ who is believed to be the only begotten son of God and the only way in which humans can reconcile with God, be forgiven from their evil deeds and receive eternal life. This is not a mere agreement of the mind to certain convictions, but an effort of the whole soul toward a life of commitment to Jesus. This generally includes a recognition of humanity’s separation from God, the belief that Jesus’s death and resurrection makes amends for the separation, and the individual’s faith that acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior removes the separation. Through this act of receiving Jesus as Lord (see John 12:36; 14:15), a believer is considered to have been “saved” from the eternal consequences of sin, and given the assurance of eternal life (which begins in a spiritual sense now and will become visible upon the return of Jesus Christ for the believer or when the believer dies).
What is the Meaning of Sin and Being in Need of Redemption?
In the sense of requiring a God-Savior, sin is recognized as a primary state of man, which produces a chasm between man and God, leading to death. For the Bible says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sin is not only particular misdeeds here and there, but a condition of rebellion and disobedience to God’s revealed moral and spiritual order. Although such things as lying, stealing, and idolatry are examples of sin, so are attitudes of pride, envy, and hatred. Sin carries consequences, and the principle among them is that of separation from God who is perfectly holy and righteous. Since God is just, sin cannot go unpunished. For the wages of sin is death.”(Romans 6:23) The word death refers to both the physical death, and eternal separation from God. This desperate situation, where mankind is utterly helpless to fix the sinful mess that they have got themselves into and who cannot themselves pay the redemptive price for their own sin, sets the stage for a Savior—a person who can bridge that chasm that sin has created and bring mankind back to God. This lays the foundation for understanding Jesus Christ’s role in offering that same salvation.
Who Jesus Christ is in the Christian Faith?
In the theology of the Christian doctrine, Jesus Christ himself is the only Son of God, being the second person of the Trinity, God the son (Son of God), and God the son of man (Son of Man). He is not just a good teacher, a prophet, or a great man of history — he is literally God in the flesh (God become human), as verses like John 1:1 and John 1:14 make clear. Christians believe that before Jesus’ incarnation, he existed with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of Virgin Mary; a teaching called the Virgin birth. He lived on this earth sinlessly. He worked many miracles, taught with divine authority, and disclosed the nature and will of God the Father. At the very heart of Christian faith is its conviction that Jesus Christ is the long-expected and promised Messiah whom the Old Testament foretold to be the One who would bring to reality the plan of God to redeem. His combined divine status and humanity are deemed necessary for Him to fulfill His role as a Savior, because only a sinless human can atone for human sin, and only God can conquer death and grant eternal life. If we do not know that Jesus Christ is God the Creator and sovereign Lord, we cannot know or accept His salvation.
What is the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus for salvation?
In Christian theology, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events on the path to salvation. Christ’s death by crucifixion is understood as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of mankind. In Christian theology, since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, some penalty is due. Jesus was sinless, but He willingly sacrificed His life in place of ours, receiving the punishment that we had earned (Romans 5:8). This satisfied the justice of God, so forgiveness and reconciliation with God was now made possible for those who believe. His death is also described in theological terms with terms such as propitiation (satisfying God’s wrath against sin), expiation (removal of sin), and redemption (purchase or emancipation from slavery to sin). The resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ, three days after His death, is of equal importance. It is God’s ultimate answer to Jesus, a confirmation of His identity as the Son of God and the acceptance of His atoning death. The resurrection is a declaration of hope for all who believe in Christ that their own resurrection and eternal life is assured in Him. Without that resurrection, Christian faith would be in vain, as the Apostle Paul insists in 1 Corinthians 15. So the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are both essential to the Gospel; His death removes sin, and His resurrection imparts life to us.
What Does It Mean to Personally Accept Christ as Savior?
It is by a personal act of faith that we receive Jesus Christ as Saviour, or claim Him as our personal Saviour. 3 It is not simply an intellectual assent to facts but a response of the heart. Although these experiences may differ in type and intensity, the basic components usually include an awareness of personal sin and the need of a Savior, belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for the sin and rose again, and a decision to “turn away” (repent) from sin and “turn to” Christ in faith alone. That process invariably involves several elements: faith, repentance, and often confession of that faith.
The Place of Faith in Receiving Christ ..
Faith is instrumental to receiving Christ as Savior; in fact it is the means of accepting salvation. Biblical faith is far more than just agreeing with a set of propositions, rather it is a trust in Jesus Christ and a reliance upon His atoning work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. For it’s by God’s grace that 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.*” This statement reinforces that faith is itself a gift of God’s grace. Faith means understanding and accepting that Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God – and that His death and resurrection provide salvation. It is this, committing one’s eternal fate to Christ and renouncing trust in one’s own works or goodness. Faith on the part of a person is what brings one into vital relationship to Him and applies the benefits of His saving work to that person. Saving faith results in good works, but works are not the means of salvation but the proof of it, so true saving faith, many theologians argue, is going to yield a transformed life.
What is the Definition of Repent and Repentance in This Context?
Repentance which, as accepting Christ as Saviour, is a genuine turning from sin to God. It includes an acknowledgment of one’s sinfulness, a true sorrow for that sin, and a determination to turn from sin and to live accordingly to God’s will. In Acts 3:19 people are urged to “Repent therefore and turn back that your sins may be blotted out”. It’s not just regret over past wrongdoing: it is turning away from a life of sin and turning to Christ as Lord. It is the counterpart of faith; we cannot genuinely believe on Christ for salvation while continuing to indulge the sin that separates us from God. Even if the ability to repent is regarded as the result of God’s grace, repenting nevertheless remains a human action, a personal reaction. It continues to be a part of the Christian life – as Christians recognizing and repenting of their sin – but it is essential to the expression of a saving faith in Christ.
Must we stand and confess in public to be saved?
Other Christian theology also has varying views on the degree to which public confession is required for salvation, with this idea sometimes being based on the interpretation of Bible verses such as Romans 10:9-10: “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.” May be that’s.”9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Many theologians (and denominations) also believe that it is by grace through faith in Christ that salvation is ultimately obtained (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that saving faith that justifies is what is ultimately needed. In this view public confession is an evidence and confirmation of an antecedent internal faith, not as a condition for salvation itself. T his is a necessary step in obedience, a testimony, and an outworking of genuine faith. Some believe that in the culture in which Romans 10 was written, to make a public confession of being a Christian was also to invite brutal conflict, and that to do so was clear evidence of a conversion experience. Others might emphasise confession more as part of the salvation process. Yet, the general consensus is that as belief of the heart is what saves, so also confession with the mouth is a profession and an act of discipleship after a real conversion. It is thus, audible confession though necessary for Christian living and testimony, is not universally regarded as a sine-qua-none of the initial reception of Christ and salvation,—which is first and foremost a matter of the heart.
What Are the Implications of Accepting Christ as Savior, Immediately and in the Long Run?
Receiving Christ as Savior impresses immediate and eternal indelible marks on a believer’s relationship to God. These results range from initial legal declarations of God to an ongoing process of sanctification to future hope. The chief immediate consequence is justification, a divine act whereby the believing sinner is made righteous because God is imputed the righteousness of Christ. This brings with it forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God (from a state of being condemned to one of being at peace with God (Romans 5:1)). A second immediate consequence is being adopted into God’s family (John 1:12), where the believer is instantly made a child of God and receives the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence in him, sealing him for the day of redemption and enabling him for a new life.
Long-term consequences involve sanctification, an ongoing process of the Holy Spirit shaping the believer’s character to look increasingly like the character of Christ. It is growth in holiness, growth in intimacy with God, it’s yielding fruit. The final long-term outcome is glorification, which consists of eternity – the full conscious joyous existence with God after death or Christ’s return, in a glorified body. This is also an inheritance in the eternal kingdom of God.
What is the motif of justification in salvation?
Justification, in relation to salvation, is a forensic (legal) act of God by which He declares a sinner to be righteous. It is not an internal on-going action of making someone righteous (that is sanctification), but rather an external forensic declaration of a new status in relation to God. And this announcement is not upon their own goodness or merit, nor their works, but only upon the faith that they have in Jesus Christ and the work that He accomplished. When a person receives Christ as Savior, God credits to the believer the perfect righteousness of Christ, which becomes, in turn, the believer’s title to eternal life; the believer’s sins are imputed to Christ, who has paid for sins through His sacrificial death on the cross. Romans 3:24 notes that “being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” it is the believer. The effect of justification is that the believer is forgiven all of his sins (past, present, and future), reconciled to God, and is no longer subject to the punishment of sin. God did it instantaneously, and you receive it by faith without works (Romans 5:1). This is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity, especially in Protestant churches, which holds that the grace of God is the sole ground on which anyone can be made right with God.
What is the relation between sanctification and receiving Christ?
Sanctification is the acceptance of Christ of the believer entrusted to him, a gradual and lifelong process of making a believer holy and perfect, through the work of the Holy Spirit. Whereas justification is a onetime forensic declaration that the sinner is “not guilty” (Is God just because He says so? ) sanctification is a process that takes place in the heart and lives of the believer over the course of a lifetime. When the believer comes to Christ, he receives the Holy Spirit, who begins this process. This is a process of being reserved for the uses of God and to increase in spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness (Ibid.:199). This involves mortifying sin (putting to death sin in one’s life) and cultivating spiritual virtues and fruit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The believer’s sanctification is a cooperative effort, God the Holy Spirit being the sole agent in the progressive transformation of the believer, yet is the believer’s responsibility to exercise the means God has provided to renew himself (obedience to the word, prayer, fellowship, service, confession, and yielding to the Spirit). It’s not a means to gaining salvation, which already comes by grace through faith, but a natural outcome, a predictable byproduct of genuine salvation and a growing relationship with God. This process of change continues as long as the believer is still on earth, the goal being total likeness to Christ.
What is the Hope of Eternal Life for Believers in Christ?
The hope of the immortal life for those who are nonbelievers, is a basic and fundamental hope in the Christian faith. Eternal life is viewed not as endless life following physical death, but as quality of life which starts in the present upon accepting Jesus and goes on forever, living in complete communion with God. The Scripture verse John 3:16 put it: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This gift of life is from God and is received by faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 6:23). 3Jesus Himself, in John 17:3, defined eternal life when He said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” This brings out the relational dimension of eternal life — an intimate relationship and communion with the living God. And many people (understandably, some may say) think the neighbours are all coming together to offer some consolation along the lines of, Well, at least we know they’re hopefully joining with that free from sin, suffering and death creation of God – we call it resurrection reality. It is an image of a totally restored relationship between humanity and God in which joy, peace, and being with God will be for all eternity.
Is There a Certain Bible Verse that Sets Forth How to Accept Christ as Savior?
Yes, there are a number of key bible verses when it comes to understanding how to accept Christ as your savior. These passages present to us the essence of God’s love, the nature of human sin, the provision of Christ, and the response of faith called for. Some of the most commonly referenced are:
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” All God’s incentive (love), His provision (His Son), our response (belief, and the outcome (not perishing but having eternal life) is wrapped up in this verse.
- Romans 10:9-10: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Here we see such faith in the resurrection of Christ (within), and such confession of Christ’s Lordship (without), as are the conditions on which man is saved.
- Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye 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. This passage emphasizes that salvation is the gift of God that is received by grace through faith, and not through human effort or works.
- Acts 16:31: “And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'” And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,.
- Romans 3:23-24: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” This passage sets forth the common need of salvation because of sin and that justification is the free gift by the redemption of Christ.
- Acts 2:38: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” – (Acts 2:38) This statement in Peter’s Pentecostal sermon emphasizes repentance and baptism as part of receiving forgiveness and the Holy Spirit.
- 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Typical of the use outside of the above context is, though it is generally in reference to believers for continuous forgiveness, but the point is the fact of confessing sin and His truthfulness in forgiving.
The above quoted verses, along with others, should give us a full image of the theology and the individual response of acknowledging Jesus Christ as our Saviour and receiving salvation and eternal life.
Does Grace Play a Part in Receiving Christ as Saviour?
Grace is the premise upon which we come to accept Christ as Savior; it is the undeserving, unearned favor of God toward unrighteous man. To comparisons, the Bible itself proclaims that salvation is completely a grace work from start to finish. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. This means that the possibility of coming to Christ, Christ’s atonement, the faith to believe, and eternal life itself are all manifestations of God’s grace. By sin, we cannot work out or merit our own salvation, or make ourselves pleasing to God even by our best moral doings. In salvation it is God who takes the first step. Grace is shown in God’s love toward the world in that He gave His only Son for our sins (John 3:16). And in the drawing of people to Christ by the Holy Spirit and by repentance and faith. No one could believe in Christ to be saved without the grace of God, for sin had made mankind spiritually dead and unable to come to God. Therefore, faith is not a human accomplishment; it is a response to God’s prevenient and enabling grace. The entire process toward salvation and eternal life is a road of divine favor.
HOW DOES THE SPIRIT OF GOD HELP TO RECEIVE CHRIST?
The Holy Spirit plays a diverse and critical role in bringing about the salvation of Christ. Before a person can receive Christ, the Holy Spirit will need to convict him of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). This belief provides them with the knowledge they need a Savior. The Holy Spirit also reveals the truth of the Gospel, causing one to comprehend and respond to the good news (1 Corinthians 2:10-14). It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates the person, bringing them new spiritual life in being “born again” (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5). This regeneration is a required prerequisite for the Kingdom of God. In addition, the Holy Spirit gives faith so that the individual can trust in Jesus Christ. Even faith is called a gift (Ephesians 2:8) and the Spirit works it in our hearts. When an individual receives Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within that person as a down payment on our salvation, the proof of our salvation as well as a promise of getting our final endowment (Ephesians 1:13-14). He enables the Christian to live a godly life, leads him in truth, comforts him, and makes intercession for him. Accordingly, the entire process of recognizing a need for salvation, comprehending the Good News, exercising belief in Christ, and undergoing renovation is wrought under the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit.
What are Some Misapprehensions regarding Receiving Christ as Savior?
There are a number of false beliefs concerning what it means to receive Christ as savior and how one can be saved and born again. One of the most common misconceptions is that when we accept Christ, we are, in effect, simply agreeing with certain facts about Jesus, such as His historical existence or moral teachings. But biblical salvation is part of a personal trust and relational commitment to Christ as Lord and Saviour—not just the assent of historical or theological issues. Another mistake is believing that trusting in Christ requires being good enough beforehand, or being “good enough” to come to Him, or that you have to clean up your life before you’re good enough. But scripture says Christ came to save sinners of whom I’m chief, and I’m not saved by my works or how good I think I am, but by God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). People are asked to come as they are. A third is embracing Christ is a one-time deal without any further changes or commitments. Although the decision to say “yes” to Christ is a one-time action, real faith, if it is a salvific kind, will result in a changed life, demonstrated through continual repentance, increasing holiness, and ongoing obedience to Christ’s word. It’s also occasionally misconstrued that receiving Christ means no more trials or persecution! Herein is Jesus’s testimony that the Christian life will be marked by persecution… And believes are not only promised God’s presence, peace and sure victory, but scripture speaks of discipleship as involving potential hardship, persecution. Some may assume that going to church, having Christian parents, or doing Christian things means that they are a Christian. These may be elements of the Christian life, but the act of receiving Christ is a matter of personal faith and repentance. Another is that by simply repeating a certain prayer (aka “sinner’s prayer”), one is saved without any real faith or repentance. While these prayers can be uttered in sincerity, it is heart attitude of belief and repentance that are key, not the words themselves. Finally, some may even think they can work their own way to heaven or help work it by their good works in some way, and that will undermine the all sufficiency of what Christ did, and what grace accomplishes. Christianity says one is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Clearing up this misunderstanding is important because people need to know that this act of faith is a deep, personal, transformative decision to receive God’s grace for salvation and eternal life—subsequently establishing an ongoing relationship with Him.
What Manner of Doctrine is Soteriology, Pertainin‧to the Accepting of Christ for of Saviour?
Study of salvation Christian soteriology is the study of the doctrine of salvation. It deals with the total activity of God in effecting the salvation of man from sin and its consequences, and giving him a right standing before Himself, resulting in his ultimate glorification or eternal life. Questions of soteriology include: Why is salvation needed (what is the human sin and depravity)? What has God done to bring about salvation (the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially the atonement)? What do people do to turn and be saved (the means of grace, faith, repentance and the Holy Spirit)? And what is the end and fruit of salvation (justification, sanctification,glorification,eternal life)? Belief in Christ for salvation is fundamental to soteriology and is the personal appropriation of the salvation God offers to mankind. Christian soteriology is the study which deals with the all encompassing salvation in Jesus Christ that has been earned by his atoning sacrifice and the subsequent atonement which represents a reconciliation between the sinner who repents and also the sinned against God who is unconditionally loving.
What Other Relevant Questions are Raised Regarding Christian Soteriology and Faith?
Christian soteriology and the character of faith give rise to various related theological questions about the details of God’s saving activity and human response. Down PaymentThese are questions of the relation between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, the guarantees of salvation, and the end-point of God’s redemptive purpose. A closer look at these questions gives a deeper insight into the path to salvation and immortal life that starts by coming to Christ.
Faith and Works in Christian Salvation: How Are the Two Related?
In Christian salvation, faith is the only instrument by which a person is justified (declared righteous) before God; however, the concept of justification is often confused with other terms having to do with salvation. It is from Ephesians 2:8-9 that it is quite clear salvation is by grace…through faith…not by works.” Yet, James 2:17 states ”faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. These are not competing ideas; rather, they complement each other and should never be at odds: salvation is not through works, but true faith will produce works as a matter of course from a changed heart.
Can you lose your salvation after you have been saved by accepting Christ as your personal Savior?
Christian perspectives on salvation Some Christian denominations believe that once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour, they are assured of their salvation and will not lose it. One view (sometimes associated with Arminian theology, which holds that salvation can at least theoretically be lost) is that believers are free to commit voluntary acts of unrepentant sin, and will forfeit their salvation if they do so. A different stance, common to Reformed (Calvinist) theology, is the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (or eternal security) asserts that since God is sovereign and His will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else in creation, those who have once been accepted can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and they will be eternally saved, and all those whom God has predestined unto life will be raised again at the Last Day. Both sides turn to scripture in defense of their position.
What is the Difference between Predestination and Salvation?
Predestination, in Christianity, the doctrine that God has eternally chosen those whom he intends to save. It is a notion principally held by Augustinian and Calvinistic theological systems. Scriptures such as Ephesians 1:4-5 and Romans 8:29-30 are often pressed. The details of how such predestination issue in-and-relate to, human free will, along with questions of what is divinely intended, or not, in permitting human free will to need an accommodation/trichotomy, and how to interpret God’s love as universal or select, remain controversial and subject to extensive theological dispute. Some positions emphasize the selection (or election) by God of who will be saved; others attempt to integrate God’s election with human freedom to respond to or reject God’s offer of salvation.
What is the Believing / Accepting Jesus?
This is all to be taken as the general concept of receiving Christ by faith and the specifics will vary among the various Christian sects. For example, Evangelical traditions generally focuses on a personal decision for Christ and a datable conversion experience marked by repentance and faith in Christ as Savior and Lord, which is verbally expressed through a “sinner’s prayer.” Mainline Protestant denominations also uphold salvation by grace through faith and believe salvation involves a more gradual process and may not require a moment as dramatic as the crisis experience of conversion. ” The Catholic Church teaches that one is saved by Christ through grace by faith (accidentally, I quoted the 1534 Confession, not the 1559 one), but also emphasizes that sacraments (like Baptism, which washes us into Christ, and Penance for continued forgiveness) are the ordinary ways that God bestows grace. Orthodox traditions also understand salvation, (notably theosis and deification) as a transformation and an ongoing process but not in the Protestant sense of “getting saved.” This transformation is also a process of growing in our union with God and the course of a Christian life. Such a salvation is possible only in Christ. It is the work of the Holy Trinity, made manifest in the life of Christ, and made available to us through our reception of the Gospel in baptism, and participation in the Church through the sacraments, through the prayers and praises of the Church, through the virtues, through voluntary hardship, fasting, vigil, prayer, and through self-denial and ascetic struggle.
What is the Universal Salvation Offered Through Christ?
The offer of the gospel is the Christian doctrine that God offers everyone, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, Old Testament and New, forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ. Thoughts such as John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world…”) and 1 Timothy 2:4 (“who will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth”) are frequently used as proof texts for this. The good news is meant for all nations to hear (Matthew 28:19-20). It’s deal to everyone, but up to his or her faith and repentance to be its recipient. Systematic theologians disagree on the scope of the atonement (i.e., did Christ’s death really do something for all, or only for the elect), but the gospel call really does go out to all who hear.
