Question on Salvation

[Christianjune]

Dear fellow Christians,
I am a 14 year old boy. Today is the first time I actually found a place to go to for religious help. I just wanted to ask the senior Christians a question. In my life, I have lived a sad and sinful life. I have sinned multiple times. Such as, cursing at the lord for making my life so miserable, cursing at people, stealing, breaking the hearts of others. Although I turned Christian a year ago, I really believe I haven't given Jesus my full love. I ask you today, as a Christian. Can I be saved? With every sin that I have given on to Jesus, can I still be saved in his glory? I know I have comitted horrible sins. But I don't want to go to hell. I know everything I wrote seems ignorant and stupid, but please. Help me out. I am willing to devote my future life for God, my savior.

 

[vespasia]

Christ is perfect- we as his followers simply are not.

We do however have the option to go back to Christ and ask for his help to live as his followers every single time we realise we have messed up or if we face serious temptation and needs support and strength from God.

Do you have access to a church fellowship that can teach you more about Jesus?

 

[joey_downunder]

Yes if you have faith in Jesus Christ you are saved. The Book of Romans is a wonderful one for explaining why Jesus had to die to save sinners. It is through faith alone that we - you, I and every other christian dead or alive - are saved.

I've got a few Bible verses for you to hold onto now:
...because, 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
(Romans 10:9-11)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

God will do in you what you cannot do for yourself. It is wonderful that at 14 you are already humble enough and hungry enough for God that you realise that you need Him and can't do that in your own strength.

[Jesus said] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)

I had this good book explaining the Book of Romans when I was a teenager. Amazon.com: How to be a Christian Without Being Religious: Discover the Joy of Being Free in Your Faith (9780830727896): Fritz Ridenour: Books

It helped me realise that God made me OK in his sight by Jesus dying for me, that He forgave me for all that I had done (and would do) and no matter how much I tripped over or stuffed things up God would still love me because I believed in Jesus (and I did that a lot!). It is just the same for you.

Lots of hugs from your big sister-in-Christ.

 

[Thusia Zao]

Dude, don't sweat it man. Everyone that has questions, this is a great place to voice it. There a lot of friendly and helpful Christians here.

I'm going to answer your question straight from the Bible. There's a story I want you to remember (I know it's kinda long, but read it it's pretty awesome):

Luke 23:32-43

"Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." "

We are all under the same condemnation. We all have "fallen short of the glory of God" and we have all sinned.

But if you acknowledge that what Jesus did on the cross wiped all your sins away forever, you will be saved. As humans, we will without a doubt revert back to sin because of our sinful nature, but take FAITH in that what Jesus did LASTS FOREVER.

Jesus Christ is, was, and forever will be the ultimate forever lasting atonement for all sins.

If you have read John 3:16, you know that all it takes to enter Heaven is believing that Jesus died for our sins forever. Even the criminal at the cross was given eternal life.

 

[singpeace]

Sin remains a struggle for every Christian. Giving one's life to the Lord doesn't mean there won't still be temptations. We grow in grace daily as we continue to seek after God and His righteousness. We all miss the mark sometimes, but Christ assures us we are already forgiven.

Salvation is about knowing the love of God through Christ and not about being perfect. As you walk with the Lord and seek to be more like Him, you will find it easier to resist the temptation to sin.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

 

[If Not For Grace]

CJ:

Kind David Committed Adultery.

Mary Magdalene was a harlot.

Moses & Paul committed Murder.

Cain even killed his brother.

I ask you-Which of them could not be forgiven?

 

[Emmy]

Dear Christianjune. You had some good replies, and when you ask God to forgive you, He will forgive you. God loves us, and Jesus died that we might live. Even when Jesus was hanging on the Cross He shouted: " Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." In the Bible, God`s Word to Man, Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." God is our Heavenly Father, and we can come and talk to Him any time, He will always listen. And when you treat all you know and all you meet, ( whether they are friends or not friends) as you would love to be treated, God will see your efforts to love, to be kind and friendly, God will approve and bless you. The people around you will treat (you the same, and in time you will become as God wants you to be, His loving child/son. You might stumble often, but ask God to forgive you, and God will forgive you, as you will forgive others. Jesus will give you His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will give you His Love, also. Jesus told us to " ask and ye will receive," then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with all around us.
You will be forgiven and be saved, Christian, you will belong to God and become Jesus`s follower. Jesus is The Way and our Saviour and Guide. (Jesus told us in Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35-40.) Jesus also told us: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." It is Love which God wants from us, Love for God our Heavenly Father, and love and care for our neighbour.( our fellow-brother and sister.) Love is a Christian`s strong weapon, all we say and all we do, should be done from love and care. I say this with love, Christian. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[paul1149]

As long as you continue to look to Christ for salvation, you will be saved. In my experience, the Christian life is one of continually being amazed at the grace of God, that He would forgive sins that common sense would use to condemn us. The most amazing thing of all is that when He does so, He gets even more glory.

Just stay focused on Christ. It's not about us, it's about Him. If you do that, you will be transformed from glory to glory.

 

[insurchoftruth]

The love and the grace of God for you, are so big, that there is no sin which will stop God of loving you, and wanting you to be saved. Do not worry!
If you are not sure if you are born again, just give your life to Jesus, and ask him to become your Saviour and Lord, by believing with your heart, and confessing with your mouth. Ask him everyday, to change you, use you, draw you closer to him, and give him your life, inviting him to use it, and do his will in your life.
As much as you are willing to turn away from sin, and making daily effort to please God, to seek him, and to fight against sin, God will forgive you, renew you, restore you, fill you with his Spirit, draw you closer to him, and give you power by the Holy Spirit, to make you able to do his commands, and obey him.
There is no sin bigger than the love of God for you. That is why he could not say 'No', to giving his son Jesus, for our sins.

 

[Sketcher]

A friend of mine was saved in jail. He did what he was in for. If he can be saved, you can definitely be saved.

 

[Peripatetic]

I can say with absolute certainty that God will forgive your sins. The question is: are you willing to put your faith in Him? If you are willing to make a commitment, you don't need to worry about whether you are worthy to be saved. The truth is, none of us are worthy.

In summary:

1. Don't worry about your past once you've repented and accepted God's grace. Otherwise, you are doubting God's own words!

2. Don't expect to live a sinless life. There will still be areas of struggle, but the Holy Spirit will help you to progress.

3. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You are young, and life is a marathon not a sprint.

 

[Christianjune]

Oh my goodness. When I posted this comment up, I never expected this. You people are too generous.. wasting your time on a stupid sinner like me. Well. Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I really feel like I have been reborn into a true Christian now. I would've made it without your help .

One more question: Do I have to read the bible to get to heaven?

 

[hedrick]

Oh my goodness. When I posted this comment up, I never expected this. You people are too generous.. wasting your time on a stupid sinner like me. Well. Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I really feel like I have been reborn into a true Christian now. I would've made it without your help .

One more question: Do I have to read the bible to get to heaven?

No, but Christianity isn't just about getting into heaven. It's about following Jesus. I'd argue that someone whose goal is to do the minimum needed to get into heaven is actually in danger. Jesus certainly warned his followers that if they didn't shape up they were in danger of being thrown away. (He used two major images: hell, where the Greek word means the garbage pit outside of Jerusalem, and the "outer darkness.") But for Jesus, the life of a disciple was based on loving God and our neighbors, not a fear of hell.

After all, Jesus already did what is necessary to get into heaven.

There's a couple of reasons for reading the Bible:

* We're followers of Jesus. In order to follow him we have to know him. You can read about him in other books, and hear about him from other Christians, but the best way to get to know Jesus is the Bible.

* The more we understand about God, the better we're able to decide what he wants us to do. If we don't do that, we depend upon other people to tell us what to do. While there are many fine Christians, who will give you good advice, you're a lot better off to know enough about God to make at least some of your own decisions. There are lots of people out there claiming to be Christians with some pretty strange ideas. Best to know enough yourself to be able to check them.

Finally, some kind of intentional prayer and Bible reading is needed to maintain and grow in your relationship to God. If you don't do anything, it's easy for your other concerns to start taking over your time. No one thing is absolutely necessary. But most people find that a mixture of prayer and study is the best.

––––––––––––––

About your first posting: It's important for Christians to know they have done a lot of things wrong, and they need God's help. But you don't want to spend too much time worrying about how sinful you are. Enough to motivate you to do better. But God knows you aren't perfect, and he loves you anyway.

It's a balancing act. If you don't worry about your sin, you'll keep doing the wrong thing, and cause all kind of problems. Jesus does warn us against being lazy servants. However it's just as common for people to be so worried that it interferes with their Christian life. If you get too worried about your own sinfulness you start thinking about yourself all the time, instead of about Jesus and the people he wants us to love. God understands that we're not perfect. He's forgive us. And as the others said, you've got your whole life to learn more about Christianity and develop.

 

[joey_downunder]

One more question: Do I have to read the bible to get to heaven?

Remember it is faith in Jesus Christ that gets you to heaven. How will that faith increase and mature? By learning the Bible and listening to your pastors or ministers.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing [or reading] through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

Have you read about how christians have to fight their spiritual battles? The apostle Paul uses a very good illustration for us to keep in mind. A christian's walk can sometimes be quite a battle so we've got to keep ourself protected with that "spiritual armour".

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:13-18a)

Note the one active or attacking weapon is the sword of the spirit i.e. the Bible. Everything else is defense.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

That is why christians need to learn the Bible so they can grow stronger in the Lord and faith in God.

 

[Harry3142]

Christianjune-

If eternal life required our being perfect through our own efforts, we would all be in trouble. There is no such thing as a sinless Christian during this life. In fact, it is only through our permitting Christ to work through us that we get anything done:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (The Gospel of St. John 15:1-8,NIV)

It is not through our suddenly becoming saints that we accomplish the work which God wants of us; far from it. It is because we have put our faith solely in Christ that we start performing the tasks that God wants us to perform with the attitude toward those tasks that God wants us to have. It is this faith that forms the bond between us and Christ, enabling him to become the vine that we as his branches are attached to.

Remember this: We Christians don't trust in our ability to hold on to God; we trust in God's ability to hold on to us.