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For those outside the church, the idea of salvation is very difficult to understand. There are a couple of issues that the lost person runs into. One is the question of what they need to be saved from. We live in a society where morality is subjective, and consequences are trying to be avoided. The idea of sin and a Holy God escapes their ability to reason and understand.

The second issue that a lost person runs into is pride. We all think that we are naturally good people and surely God will see this goodness, and it will be enough to get us into heaven. The truth that all mankind is born into sin escapes their reasoning. Sinful man believes that heaven is the default for all men, and that hell is only reserved for the really bad guys.

The next issue a lost person has is the mode of salvation. Maybe they understand they are lost, and they believe that Jesus is who He says He is. What's next? What do they need to do? After a dialogue with Jesus about the difficulty of rich people entering heaven, the disciples ask a profound question. In Matthew 19:25: “Then who can be saved?” Jesus gives a powerful answer to this question in verse 26, “With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” This is a sobering answer to a very serious question. Jesus tells us very clearly that the ability for salvation will never come from man’s efforts. That is why so many get frustrated going to church, trying to live a “good” life; the desire to work for salvation is frustrating because it is impossible. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The only way any of us can ever enter into the presence of God is simply to accept the gift of salvation that Christ provides through His sacrificial death and the power of His resurrection. I close with this truth. If you desire to have a relationship with Jesus, all you have to do is receive this gift. You do this by simply asking for forgiveness, allowing Christ to be Lord of your life. That means you allow Him to lead and guide you, and you choose to no longer live for yourself, but to live for the One who died for you. The Bible tells us that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Jesus is coming back soon, and none of us know the date that our lives will end on this side of heaven. I plead with anyone who doesn’t know Christ, call out to Him today.