What must I do to be saved?
He must be ready to pray the only prayer a sinner can pray and expect to be heard. "God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). A man must recognize that there is a God—that he has sinned against God—and that God is the Moral Governor of the world. He must acknowledge that God is merciful—that man has no merit, of his own— and he must trust in God's forgiveness.
Who saves me from my sin?
But someone must pay the sinner's debt before the Divine law, for he is helpless and powerless to pay it himself. "The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus, God's Son, died upon the cross in the sinner's place. God has accepted the sacrifice of His Son—our Lord Jesus Christ—on our behalf. Therefore, it remains only for us—free moral agents that we are—to admit our sins and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Romans 10:10 says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
- Believe with the heart—no mental reservations. We just throw our helpless souls on Him.
- Confess our sins to Him, and confess our faith in Him.
- Call upon God in prayer.
Let nothing hold you back
Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Let nothing hold you back. Let no person, or thing, keep you away from the loving Savior. Some who have been church members for years have never found salvation. They live merely formal Christian lives. But you are dissatisfied if you are not a real Christian. And there is something better for every dissatisfied heart.
Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Take the Gospel of John and read it slowly—and pray as you read. Your faith will increase. Faith comes by hearing the voice of God in His Word. God will hear your prayers, and the Holy Spirit will come into your heart.
Salvation: God's power or my power?
Don't say, "others don’t know how hard it is to break my habits—they have never experienced them.” That's not the question at all. The question is: Does God know how hard it is? Can God help me? Can God give me the victory? Does God know how hard it is for me to break with sin?
Of course He knows! He has delivered thousands who were in a worse state than you are. And He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20). God has power. Do not worry about His ability to save you. The big question is: Are you willing to surrender to Him, and to ask Him, in the name of Christ, to set you free? Are you willing to let go and let God?
Pray to God
If so, will you bow your head right now and pray this prayer with me—pray it from the bottom of your heart:
O God, I surrender. In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, forgive my sins. Make me what I should be. Take my life—all of it—and use me in Your holy service. In Christ's name. Amen!
Now, privately—alone with God—kneel down and tell God all your problems—confess your sins to Him—talk aloud to Him, as a little child—and believe He has forgiven you. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Have you confessed your sins? Yes, you say. Then, has God forgiven you? Has He? Why, of course He has, and you are to rest on this promise and believe it—no matter how you feel. And, remember, the we are praying for you.
"Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
—E. A. Hoffman
