How Are We Saved?

The Christian church has come up with various formulas to “get a person saved” such as altar calls and saying the sinners prayer. There are no examples these kinds of things in the Bible. Instead, the Scriptures give us general guidelines and examples to follow. There are no formulas. What follows is a list of examples from the apostolic writers of how people were saved in early church era.

For example, in Acts 2:14–37 we read that Peter preached the gospel and that the hearers were pricked in their hearts (verse 37). This resulted in a spontaneous, Holy Spirit-led response on the part of the hearers of the gospel or good news message of salvation. After this, the people were baptized for the remission of sins in the name of Yeshua and subsequently received the Holy Spirit (verse 38). All this happened on the same day (verse 41). When directed by the Holy Spirit, spiritual transformations can happen quickly!

A little later in Acts chapter three (verses 11 to 26), Peter preached another short sermon and then invited the people to “repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out.” This resulted in about 5000 people coming to faith in Yeshua (Acts 4:4).

Next in Acts 8:4–17, we find that the gospel was preached (in Samaria) and people believed it and were baptized. There were no altar calls; only a spontaneous reaction to the preaching of the good news of the message of salvation through faith in Yeshua, who died on the cross in man’s place paying the death penalty price of man’s breaking the laws of Elohim.

A little later in Acts 8:26–38, the Ethiopian eunuch heard the message of salvation through Yeshua and asked to be baptized (verse 36). He is told to believe with all his heart that Yeshua is the Son of YHVH (verse 37). Baptism occurs on the spot (verse 38).

Then in Acts 10:34–43, Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius and his family and friends. Peter declares that whoever believes on Yeshua shall receive remission (or cancellation of debt) from sins (verse 43). The Spirit of Elohim then fell on those who heard the gospel preached (verse 44). The gift of tongues occurred as a manifestation of the Spirit of Elohim (verse 46). In this case, baptism for the remission of sins occurs after receipt of Holy Spirit (verse 47). The scriptures clearly show that it doesn’t matter which order one follows (there are no formulas to receive salvation) — baptism first followed by the receipt of the Holy or vice versa. The main thing is that one gets their heart right with Elohim, which involves repenting of sin, and putting one’s faith in Yeshua as their Savior or Redeemer and then becoming a follower or disciple of Yeshua.

Finally in Acts 16:30–33, we read that after the gospel was preached to the Philippian jailer, Paul immediately told him to believe on Messiah Yeshua and affirmed that he would be saved. In this case, baptism for the remission of sins occurred immediately.

Paul describes the salvation process in the most simple terms in Romans chapter 10.

[I]f you confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua and believe in your heart that Elohim has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.… For whoever calls on the name of Yehovah shall be saved.” (Rom 10:9–13)

In Paul’s mind, however, there is more to salvation than just believing in the name of Yeshua. Anyone can believe anything for a moment, but this doesn’t necessarily mean anything in the long term! In the same chapter, Paul links belief in Yeshua to Torah-obedience. In verse five, for example, Paul quotes Moses who speaks about living a righteous life of Torah-obedience. What’s more, in quoting Moses from Deuteronomy 30:12–14 who is speaking about the Torah-law, Paul, interestingly, substitutes the name “Yeshua” for the word “Torah.” In Paul’s mind, belief in and obedience to Yeshua, the Living Word of Elohim who was made flesh (John 1:1, 14) is equivalent to the belief the Torah-law, which is the Written Word of Elohim. Therefore, when, in verses 9 to 13, Paul makes his well known declaration about “how to become saved,” he is linking belief in Yeshua directly with obedience to the Torah as the standard of righteousness to follow as evidence of one’s salvation. Elsewhere, Paul declares that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) the result of which is walking in good works (Eph 2:10). John echoes Paul’s understanding when in the book of Revelation, he defines the end time saints as those who keep the (Torah) commandments of Elohim and who also have the testimony or faith of Yeshua (believe in the gospel message, Rev 12:17; 14:12).

Assurance of Salvation—You Can Know For Sure If You’re Saved

Once one has followed the biblical criteria for becoming saved or redeemed from sin, one doesn’t have to wonder if one is saved or not. There are numerous scriptures that tell us that if after having met the requirements for receiving the free gift of salvation, as one continues to walk in faithful and loving obedience to Yeshua the Messiah, one can be certain that after death, eternal life will be one’s reward. Here are a few of those scriptures.

1 John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of Elohim; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of Elohim.” The word know (Greek: eido, Strong’s G1492) means “to see, to know, to perceive with the mind, to understand, to know both by knowledge and inclination; to know intuitively as contrasted with the Greek word ginosko (Strong’s G1097) which means to know experientially.”

1 John 3:1–2, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of Elohim: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of Elohim, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” The word now (Greek: nun, Strong’s H3568) means “present, immediate.” The word to know (Strong’s G1492 is eido, which we define above.

1 John 4:17–18, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

John 3:15–16, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For Elohim 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, “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 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (see also verse 47).

John 8:51, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”

1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.” The word death (Gr. thanatos) means “death, natural or temporal death, physical death; also eternal, spiritual or the second death.” By contrast, the word life (Gr. zoe) means “life in the spirit and soul as distinguished from bios or physical life.”

Romans 10:9–10, “…thou shalt be saved.” The word saved (Gr. sozo) means “delivered, healed, preserved, made whole.”

Romans 10:13 and Acts 2:21, Whoever shall call upon the name of YHVH shall be saved.

Romans 1:16, The gospel of Messiah … is the power of YHVH unto salvation to everyone that believes.

Ephesians 2:1-10, We’re quickened and raised up together to seat in heavenly places with Messiah….

2 Timothy 1:9–10, Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling.

Mark 16:17, The Great Commission tells us that he that believes in Yeshua and is baptized shall be saved.

Many more Scriptures could be given.