The Way of Salvation

1. [Jesus said,] ``I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'' (John 3:3)
   1. having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23)
   2. who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)

   [Jesus said,] ``I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.'' (John 3:5-6)

2. [Jesus said,] ``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.'' (John 3:16)
   • But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

   • This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 9-10)

     He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

3. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
   • he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)

   • know that a man is not justified by observing 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 observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

     Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20) What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ``Do not covet.'' (Romans 7:7) For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (Romans 3:28) However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

   • And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:6)

4. That if you confess 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 confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ``Anyone who trusts 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.'' (Romans 10:9-13)