1. First, you must have a physical birth. It might seem obvious that we can't receive salvation unless we've been born physically, but remember that we're not the only conscious, intelligent beings here on earth. The devil and his demons do not meet the requirement of having a physical birth, and Scripture shows that salvation is not available to them (see my article called Cheat Sheet #32). Jesus did not die for the devil or his demons, Jesus only died for humans. As Jesus said, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he or she first has a flesh birth and then has a spirit birth (John 3:1-18, which is explained in detail in my article called Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism - Part Three).

2. Believe that Jesus died to atone for our sins (meaning that His death made peace between us and God), and that He was resurrected from the dead. If you are willing to be obedient to Him (see the next bullet point), then this is the moment you receive salvation, and the Spirit of God comes to live in your heart (which pastors and Bible teachers refer to as the "indwelling" Holy Spirit) to connect you to God.

3. Be willing to confess out loud in the presence of a witness that Jesus is the Son of God or that Jesus is the Lord (which means that He's our Master). If you're not willing to confess this in front of anyone then Jesus might view it as denying Him:

   "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV)

   For example, if you've ever been talking to someone about a Christian topic and you referred to Jesus as "the Lord" then you've accomplished this step.

1. "Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died and was resurrected from the dead so that you can be forgiven for your sins, and are you willing to be obedient to Him as your Lord?"

2. "Are you relying on Jesus alone, and nothing and no one else, for receiving forgiveness of your sins?"

1. There is only one God, and He exists in three divine Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit, so where the Holy Spirit is, Jesus and the Father are there as well (see my article called Cheat Sheet #31).

2. Easton's Bible Dictionary and the Holman Bible Dictionary define sin as disobedience to God's commands, laws, or wishes. It's a rebellion against God caused by self-centered thoughts, desires, or motives, leading to outward acts that are the manifestations of sin. All of the individual sins listed in the Bible (e.g., murder, adultery, lying, stealing) are different manifestations of our disobedience to God, whether we do them intentionally or not.
   
   We have all inherited sin and its consequences from Adam, which has corrupted us, but Jesus has no inherited sin in Him (see my series called Understanding Jesus). Jesus is fully human in every way but without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 7:26, 1 John 3:5), and He suffered when He was tempted just as we do (Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:14-15). The difference is that no matter how much He was tempted, He never disobeyed the Father.

3. Jesus is, and always has been and always will be, the one and only Son of God. He was born on earth as a human, so He is 100% human and 100% God, both at the same time (see my series called Understanding Jesus).

4. Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross, which atoned for the sins of the whole world (past, present, and future). This made it possible for us to receive forgiveness for all of our sins and to stand before God spotless and cleansed of all sin. When Jesus was killed as a sin offering, sin was not punished, it was put to death. Jesus did not receive the punishment that we deserved as our Substitute on the cross, and He did not pay the penalty for sin, as most Christians seem to believe. For a detailed examination of what Jesus did for us in the Atonement, see my series called Understanding Jesus.

5. On the third day after His death, Jesus was resurrected, and He is alive now and forevermore (Acts 10:25-48). Forty days after His resurrection He physically ascended up to heaven (Acts 1:3-11), which pastors and Bible teachers refer to as the Ascension.

6. Jesus said that we can only serve one Master (Matthew 6:24). Either we choose to follow our own desires, or else we choose to follow Jesus as described in this article. If we're not properly obeying God then we will be disciplined (perhaps severely) both in this life and in heaven (see my articles called Cheat Sheet #11, Cheat Sheet #12, and Cheat Sheet #13).

7. Receiving salvation means that we've been forgiven for all of our sins, and we've been saved from the penalty for all of our sins, and we've been fully pardoned for all of our sins, and we are justified (declared righteous), and we've automatically received the Holy Spirit in our hearts (which pastors and Bible teachers refer to as the "indwelling" Holy Spirit), and we are adopted into God's family as His children and as co-heirs with Christ (see my article called Cheat Sheet #31), and we'll go straight to heaven when we die (Philippians 1:22-24).

8. The only way to receive salvation and go to heaven is through Jesus (John 10:1-17, 14:6). Nothing else and no one else can save us, not the Virgin Mary, nor any saints, nor any other person or religion or spiritual belief. Jesus is the only One who died to atone for our sins, and therefore Jesus is the only One who can save us.

9. As we'll see in a moment, forgiveness of sins for salvation does not come through any good works, good deeds, good intentions, going to confession, or any kind of penance. Forgiveness of sins for salvation does not come through church membership or any prayers or religious activities such as a "sinner's prayer," confirmation, the Lord's Supper (also called communion or the Eucharist), baptism (see my series called Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism), or any other rite or ritual or ceremony.

10. There's nothing we can do, and nothing we can offer God, that can make us deserving of salvation because it's a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-10). In the next section we'll look at the requirements for receiving the free gift of salvation so that you have the assurance that you're going to heaven.

11. In His omniscience, God has always known who will receive salvation (He does not predestine or force anyone to receive salvation). At the appropriate times, He calls and invites and draws us to Jesus, opening our hearts to Him and providing the faith that we need. We're not puppets, we have the freedom and the ability to choose to place our faith in Jesus. For more on predestination and the reasons why "5 Point Calvinism" is completely unscriptural and completely wrong, see my article called Our Lives Are Not Predestined.

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." (John 3:14-15)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." (John 3:36)

"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:40)

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"" (John 11:25-26)

"Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31)

"All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:43)

"The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household."" (Acts 16:29-31)

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood - to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26)

"know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

"But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:16)

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." (1 John 5:1)

[Jesus is speaking:] "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

"Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."" (Acts 2:38)

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10)

"Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' So it is stated elsewhere: 'You will not let your Holy One see decay.' For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:26-39)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:8-10)

"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV)

"His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue." (John 9:22 NKJV)

"Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue" (John 12:42 NKJV)

"that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God 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." (Romans 10:9-10 NKJV)

"Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." (2 Corinthians 9:13)

"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11 NKJV)

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV)

"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus," (Hebrews 3:1 NKJV)

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." (Hebrews 4:14 NKJV)

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23 NKJV)

"By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (1 John 4:2-3 NKJV)

"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." (1 John 4:15 NKJV)

"For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (2 John 1:7 NKJV)

"And John [the Baptist] bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."" (John 1:32-34 NKJV)

"Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"" (John 1:48-49 NKJV)

"Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him." (John 9:35-38 NKJV)

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."" (John 11:25-27 NKJV)

"But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."" (Matthew 26:63-64 NKJV)

"Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?" (John 10:34-36 NKJV)

"So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him." (Acts 8:34-38 NKJV)

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV)

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV)

"When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."" (Matthew 8:28-31)

"In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, "Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him." (Luke 4:33-35)

"Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah." (Luke 4:41)

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." (James 2:19)

""Yes, Lord," she replied, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."" (John 11:27)

"and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:4)

"God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Acts 2:21)

"And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."" (Acts 7:59 NKJV)

"In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul [later to be known as the apostle Paul - Acts 13:9], for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel."" (Acts 9:10-15)

"All those who heard him [the apostle Paul] were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?"" (Acts 9:21)

"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." (Acts 22:16)

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:9-14)

"Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours" (1 Corinthians 1:1-2)

"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)

"Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:17)

"To repent, change the mind, relent." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, metanoeo)

"A change of mind, repentance" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, metanoia)

"This verb (metanoesate) means "change your outlook," or "have a change of heart; reverse the direction of your life." This obviously results in a change of conduct, but the emphasis is on the mind or outlook." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Acts 2:38-39)

"There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matthew 27:3).
Metanoeo, meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised." (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

""Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."" (Acts 2:36-38)

"yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Romans 2:4)

"In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." (Matthew 3:1-6)

"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:9-15)

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'"" (Luke 11:1-4)

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds." (Acts 26:20)

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (James 2:14)

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:15-17)

"But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:18)

"And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." (James 2:23-24)

"In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:25-26)

• Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40), and He told the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) to explain that everyone is our neighbor. This doesn't mean that we're commanded to have feelings of love for everyone, it means that we're commanded to treat others the way that we would want to be treated (sometimes referred to as "the Golden Rule"). For a more detailed explanation of what it means to love God and love our neighbors and love our enemies, see my book called Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today.

• When we study everything that the New Testament says about water baptism (see my series called Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism), it's clear that we need to be baptized in water by full immersion after we receive salvation.

• When we receive salvation, at that moment we automatically receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts (John 14:16-23, Romans 5:5, 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 3:17-18, 5:5, Galatians 3:2, 4:6, Ephesians 2:22, 2 Timothy 1:14, 1 John 3:24, 4:12-16). Pastors and Bible teachers refer to this as the "indwelling" Holy Spirit.
  
  Many Christians assume that receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation is the same as receiving the "baptism" of the Holy Spirit, but my series called How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit explains in scriptural detail that these are always two separate and distinct events with two separate and distinct purposes. We must choose to receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in obedience to God (after we automatically receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation) because it empowers us by providing certain gifts of the Spirit for the assignments that God needs us to do.

• It's important to continue growing in spiritual maturity (see my article called Cheat Sheet #05). To help you grow in maturity and obedience, and to learn about other things that all Christians need to obey, consider reading that entire article.

• Another area of obedience is forgiving everyone who has harmed or mistreated us in any way. The Lord might prompt us to take a specific action concerning forgiveness, but if not then we just need to make the choice to forgive the people who have harmed or mistreated us. We don't need to like those people, make up with them, or even speak to them. We just need to make the choice to forgive them:

  "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)
  
  "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart." (Matthew 18:32-35)

  Simply say this:

  "Lord, I choose to forgive everyone who has harmed or mistreated me in any way. I also forgive myself for mistakes and poor choices I've made, and I forgive You in case I'm harboring any anger toward You."

• While Jesus was on the earth, He began a ministry of evangelism and healing. Just before He ascended back into heaven, He commanded us to continue His ministry until He returns (see the free PDF of my book called Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today).

• We receive salvation, which means that we are rescued and saved from God's wrath for our sins (Romans 5:9).

• Our sins have been forgiven and pardoned (also referred to as the remission or expiation of sins) (Acts 10:43). The guilt and penalty are removed, and we are purified and cleansed from all past, present, and future sins (1 John 1:7).

• We receive eternal life. Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son (John 17:3). Eternal spiritual life does not simply mean eternal existence; it means being connected with God, so spiritual death is not being connected with God. For a deeper understanding of spiritual death, see my article called Cheat Sheet #32.

• We receive a spiritual birth, and therefore, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In various Bible translations, this is referred to as being born again or born from above (John 3:3, 7), born of God (John 1:12-13), born of the Spirit (John 3:6, 8), and begotten again, regenerated, or new birth (1 Peter 1:3).

• We have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son (Romans 5:10-11), so we have peace with Him (Romans 5:1).

• We have been ransomed and redeemed (Hebrews 9:12, 15). God was not holding humans captive, so He did not want or need a ransom; the devil is the one who held us captive and agreed to a ransom (see my article called Understanding Jesus - Part Two).

• We have been justified (Romans 5:9), which means we have been declared righteous (Romans 4:5). Righteousness refers to being blameless or free from guilt (Luke 1:6).

• We begin the process of sanctification through which we're separated from sin and made holy (Romans 6:16-22).

• We are adopted into God's family, becoming children of God and co-heirs with Jesus (see my article called Cheat Sheet #31).

• We receive certain spiritual gifts (Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28-30).

• We receive the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

• God puts His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing our promised future inheritance (e.g., 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit lives in our spirits, making us connected with God and spiritually alive.

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands." (1 John 2:3)

"This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:5-6)

"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10)

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth" (1 John 3:18-19)

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7)

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:19-21)

"This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2-3)

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13)

"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." (John 15:5-8)

• 07/06/2024 - Added an update in the Introduction section.

• 06/28/2024 - Added a link to my article called "Cheat Sheet" in the section called "How to Receive Salvation" and the section called "What Happens When We Receive Salvation?"

• 05/28/2024 - Added links to my article called "Cheat Sheet" in the section called "The Essentials of Salvation" and the section called "What Happens When We Receive Salvation?"

• 04/18/2024 - Slightly modified the Introduction section. Slightly modified the 4th and 9th bullet points in the section called "The Essentials of Salvation." Slightly modified the section called "Live A Life of Obedience."

• 12/28/2023 - Slightly modified the section called "How to Receive Salvation." Added a link to my article called "Cheat Sheet" in point #6 in the section called "The Essentials of Salvation." Modified the section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation." Added a link to my book in the section called "Live A Life of Obedience."

• 09/20/2023 - Modified the prayer for forgiving people in the section called "Live A Life of Obedience."

• 08/17/2023 - Modified the section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation."

• 06/06/2023 - Modified the definitions of words relating to salvation in the section called "What Happens When We Receive Salvation?"

• 05/24/2023 - Modified the section called "How to Receive Salvation." Modified the section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation." Modified point #9 in the section called "The Essentials of Salvation."

• 05/17/2023 - Modified the definition of "sin" in the section called "The Essentials of Salvation."

• 05/08/2023 - Moved the sections called "How to Receive Salvation" and "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation" to the top of the article. Renamed a section from "The Plan of Salvation" to "The Essentials of Salvation."

• 02/22/2023 - Modified the third bullet point in the section called "How to Receive Salvation."

• 01/15/2023 - Modified the fourth bullet point in the section called "Live A Life of Obedience."

• 12/20/2022 - Slightly modified point #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, and #8 in the section called "The Plan of Salvation."

• 12/01/2022 - Added some information about calling on the name of the Lord in the section called "What do we need to confess?"

• 11/29/2022 - Modified the section called "Live A Life of Obedience." Added some links to my article called "Cheat Sheet" in the section called "What Happens When We Receive Salvation?"

• 10/24/2022 - Modified the section called "What do we need to confess?"

• 09/25/2022 - Added a section called "What Happens When We Receive Salvation?"

• 09/20/2022 - Modified the Introduction section. Modified the section called "The Plan of Salvation" (the fourth bullet point). Deleted the section called "We Will Give an Account of Ourselves and Our Deeds" because that information is covered in my article called Cheat Sheet #12.

• 09/15/2022 - Added a link to my article called "Why (and How To) Become a Christian" in the section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation."

• 07/26/2022 - Slightly modified the section called "The Plan of Salvation." Added a link to my article called "Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism - Part Three" in the section called "How to Receive Salvation." Added a link to my book called "Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today" and a link to my article called "Cheat Sheet" and a new bullet point about the Great Commission in the section called "Live A Life of Obedience." Added a link to my book called "Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today" in the section called "Our Assurance of Salvation." Added a link to my article called "Cheat Sheet" in the section called "We Will Give an Account of Ourselves and Our Deeds." Modified my closing statement.

• 04/19/2022 - Moved the passages that show that demons believe and confess that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah. Added a link to my article called "Cheat Sheet."

• 04/14/2022 - Changed the title of my book because I discovered a couple of existing books with "Healing Is for Today" in their names.

• 03/24/2022 - Modified the section called "The Plan of Salvation." Modified the section called "The Requirements for Receiving Salvation." Modified the description of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the section called "Live A Life of Obedience."

• 12/06/2021 - Modified the section called "How to Receive Salvation." Modified the section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation."

• 11/06/2021 - Modified the section called "The Plan of Salvation." Modified the subsection called "What do we need to believe?" Modified the section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation." Modified the section called "Live A Life of Obedience." Modified the section called "We Will Give an Account of Ourselves and Our Deeds." Modified the Conclusion section.

• 11/03/2021 - Made the font size a bit bigger and added a fish symbol as a favicon (which is displayed in the browser tab).

• 10/21/2021 - Added a new bullet point and a couple of links in the section called "The Plan of Salvation." Modified the section called "How to Receive Salvation."

• 04/23/2021 - Modified the definition of "sin."

• 12/06/2020 - Added more passages in the section called "The Requirements for Receiving Salvation."

• 08/30/2020 - Modified point #1 in the section called "The Plan of Salvation."

• 07/17/2020 - Added some links to my new series called "Understanding Jesus."

• 06/30/2020 - Added a section called "How to Lead Someone Else to Salvation."

• 05/06/2020 - Modified the section called "Live A Life of Obedience."

• 04/09/2020 - Modified the section called "The Plan of Salvation."

• 09/15/2019 - Modified some of the wording and added a Conclusion section.

• 02/14/2019 - Extensively modified this article.