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How To Trust Jesus As Your Savior

The most important question any person can consider is this: What will I do with Jesus Christ?

Becoming a Christian is not about joining a religion, trying harder, becoming good enough, or building a record of good works.

It is about believing in Jesus Christ—trusting Him and relying upon Him alone for eternal life.

Our Need

The Bible tells us that every one of us has sinned:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” —Romans 3:23

None of us has perfectly met God’s righteous standard. Our problem cannot be solved by becoming more religious, performing enough good works, or trying to make ourselves worthy of God.

Scripture tells us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:23

Sin brings death—not only physical death, but eternal separation from God. But that is not the end of the verse—or the end of the story. God offers eternal life as a free gift through Jesus Christ.

What Jesus Christ Has Done

God did not leave us without hope. In His love, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a sinless life. He willingly died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose bodily from the dead.

Paul summarizes the heart of the gospel: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” —1 Corinthians 15:3–4

Jesus lived a sinless life. He had no sins of His own. He died for our sins.

Peter writes: “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” —1 Peter 3:18

Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. His death and resurrection are at the heart of the good news of salvation.

God's Promise of Eternal Life

Perhaps no verse states God’s offer more simply than John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

Notice the promise. It is given to whoever believes in Him. Jesus states the same truth with remarkable simplicity: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” —John 6:47

The one who believes has eternal life. Not someday. Not after proving faithful enough. Not after performing enough good works. Has eternal life—right now.

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

The book of Acts records a man asking almost exactly that question. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” —Acts 16:30–31

Their answer was direct: Believe in the Lord Jesus. Scripture does not tell us that eternal life must be earned or that we must first make ourselves worthy of God. We cannot obtain salvation through good works, religious activity, or spiritual growth.

Paul writes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” —Ephesians 2:8–9

And again: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” —Romans 4:5

Salvation is by grace. It is God’s gift. It is received through faith in Jesus Christ.

What Does It Mean to Believe in Jesus?

Knowing facts about Jesus—even believing that He existed—is not the same as believing in Him for eternal life.

You may know that Jesus lived. You may know that He died on a cross. You may know that Christians believe He rose from the dead.

But believing in Jesus means personally relying upon Him—believing that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and trusting His promise of eternal life.

You are no longer depending upon your goodness, religious activity, baptism, church membership, personal reform, or anything else you can do.

Your confidence rests in Jesus Christ—who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised.

You trust Christ rather than yourself. That is faith.

Do I Need to Pray a Prayer?

You do not need to pray a particular prayer in order to be saved. Scripture’s condition for receiving eternal life is to believe in Jesus Christ. A prayer does not save you. Certain words do not save you. Jesus Christ saves.

If you have believed in Him and want to express that faith to God, you may simply speak to Him in your own words.

You might say something like:

Jesus, I know that I cannot save myself. I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I believe in You and trust Your promise of eternal life.

But remember: The prayer does not save you. The words do not save you. Jesus Christ saves, and eternal life is received by believing in Him.

You may express your faith in prayer, but your assurance should never rest upon whether you said the right words. Your assurance rests upon the promise of Jesus Christ.

You Can Know That You Have Eternal Life

Jesus did not say that the person who believes must wait until the end of life to discover whether eternal life has been received.

He said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” —John 5:24

The believer has eternal life. The believer does not come into judgment. The believer has passed out of death into life. The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, you have eternal life.

Scripture also teaches that the believer is forgiven, declared righteous before God, and brought into God’s family. Your assurance does not depend upon your feelings. It does not depend upon whether you become a perfect Christian. It does not depend upon accumulating enough good works to prove that your faith was real.

Your assurance rests upon Christ and His promise. If Jesus promises eternal life to the one who believes in Him, then the believer can trust His promise.

After You Have Believed

Receiving eternal life is the beginning of the Christian life, not the end of it. Once you have believed in Christ, begin growing in your relationship with Him.

• Read God’s Word.
• Pray.
• Learn to depend upon the Holy Spirit.
• Spend time with other believers.
• Become part of a faithful local church.
• Learn to obey what God has revealed in His Word.
• Love others.
• Serve faithfully.
• Tell others about Jesus Christ.
• These things matter greatly. But they do not earn eternal life, maintain eternal life, or make God's promise more secure. These are ways we can grow in our Christian lives after receiving God’s gift of eternal life.

The Christian life begins with grace. And we continue to depend upon God's grace as we grow.

If You Have Never Believed in Jesus Christ

You do not need to wait until you become a better person. You do not need to repair your entire past. You do not need to prove yourself to God. You do not need to perform a religious ceremony before you can receive eternal life.

Jesus Christ has already done what you could never do for yourself. He died for your sins. He rose from the dead. And He promises eternal life to the one who believes in Him.

You can believe in Jesus Christ right now. Not because you are worthy. Not because you have done enough. But because Christ is sufficient and His promise is true.

Key Scriptures About Salvation

These passages provide a helpful starting point for understanding the Bible’s teaching about salvation:

• Romans 3:23 — All have sinned.
• Romans 6:23 — Eternal life is God’s free gift in Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 — Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
• 1 Peter 3:18 — Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God.
• John 3:16 — Whoever believes in Christ has eternal life.
• John 5:24 — The believer has eternal life and has passed from death into life.
• John 6:47 — The one who believes has eternal life.
• Acts 16:30–31 — “What must I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Lord Jesus.”
• Romans 4:5 — God declares righteous the one who believes in Him rather than relying on works.
• Ephesians 2:8–9 — Salvation is by grace through faith, not as a result of works.

These passages point to the same simple and wonderful truth: Jesus Christ has done the saving work. Eternal life is God’s gift. Believe in Him.

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

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