God's Attributes

People focus on God’s attributes such as:

• Love (John 3:16, 1 John 4:8b), see Agape Love in Spiritual Gifts.
• Good (1 Chron 16:34, Psalm 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 29, 135:3, 136:1).
• Grace is God's love and favor in my life apart from what I do and without deserving it (Exodus (2 Mos) 34:6, Psalm 116:5, 145:8). We can't have peace with God until we have laid hold of God's grace. It creates peace. When I know that I am loved and favoured by God because of his grace and not because of what I do and not do, it creates peace in my heart.
  It means that we can always come to God in prayer and worship.
  Grace can also mean supernatural help to accomplish something.
  
• Mercy means that we don't receive from God what we deserve, as punishment for our sins (Rom 9:15–16, 18, 1 Pet 1:3, 1 Cor 1:3, Dan 9:9,
  Lamentations 3:22 (NKJV), Num 14:18a (NKJV), Psalm 116:5, 145:8–9),
  see Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail.
• Forgiveness (Exodus (2 Mos) 34:7), see 
  Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.
• Restoration (1 Pet 5:10), see The Apostle Peter.
• Compassion (Exodus (2 Mos) 34:6 (NIV), Isaiah 30:18 (NIV),
  Psalm 116:5 (NIV), 119:77 (NIV), Rom 9:15, Mat 9:36).
• Patience (2 Pet 3:9).
• Caring (Proverbs 3:24).
• Mindful on us (Psalm 115:12–15).
• Order (1 Cor 14:33a, 40). It produces peace. See What is Information? 
  God's order can be seen in the Mosaic Laws, which were part of the
  Old Covenant, given to give God's order to the nation of Israel.

All these attributes are true attributes of God. But God also has these qualities:

• Holy (see God is holy below).
• Righteous (Phil 3:9, Rom 3:26, Psalm 119:137).
• Just (Isaiah 30:18, 61:8).

An attribute is a distinguishing characteristic of God that constitutes and describes God in his being. These attributes describe who and what God is. They are objective, real, and permanent, they don’t increase or decrease, they are complete and perfect in quality. Every feature is flawless, without fault, to the highest degree. All God's attributes are equally important. There is absolutely nothing lacking in God when he puts his attributes together.

God never stops one feeling to express another, or any expression of his character. When God judges, he is no less kind, loving, merciful, and gracious. When God pours out his mercy and grace, he is no less just. There is always a perfect balance in the nature of God, of who he is. God never changes.

More attributes of God:

1. God has personality:
   God isn't a human but has the characteristics of a personality.
   We can have a personal relationship with God. He owns
   self–awareness (Exodus (2 Mos) 3:6), intelligence (Rom 11:33),
   emotions (Exo (2 Mos) 20:5, Deu (5 Mos) 1:37, John 3:16, 11:35),
   and he has a will (Psalm 115:3, John 6:38, Rom 12:2).
2. God is simplistic:
   God doesn't consist of different parts, different attributes. God is all his attributes. They all work perfectly together, and all exist forever. They are his nature. One attribute doesn’t override another. God can't deny himself
   (2 Tim 2:13b). God doesn’t change. This provides consistency and trust.
3. God is self-sufficient:
   God has never had a single need that his own divine nature could not supply (Acts 17:24–25). God has life in himself (John 5:26). God didn’t create man because he needed man, but because it pleased him to do so. We don’t worship God because he needs it, our worship pleases him, he desires it, see How should we worship God? in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
   We proclaim his greatness (Eph 3:20–21). 
4. God is immutable:
   Basically, God is unchanging (Mal 3:6, Heb 1:10–12, 13:8, James 1:17). This makes God trustworthy, we can trust him as Christians. We can trust God's Word today (Rom 8:29–30). It’s not changed. Although God can act as he wills, he always does so according to his nature, according to his attributes. However, God can use his attributes in different ways over time.
   We see more of his wrath in the Old Testament.
5. God is omnipresent:
   God is present everywhere (Psalm 139:7–10, Jer 23:23–24, 1 Kings 8:27).
   God is spirit and exists in a different way than we do in our bodies. God isn't physical. This means we can pray anywhere. The Holy Spirit dwells in every true believer. God can do it (Heb 4:13). This is good news for people struggling with loneliness or other difficulties, God is always there 
   (Isaiah 41:10, 43:2, Heb 13:5–6).
6. God is omnipotent:
   God is all powerful. God’s power is unlimited. It means that God can do whatever he wants (Gen (1 Mos) 1:1–31, Psalm 33:6, Job 42:2,
   Jer 32:17, 20–22, 27, Eph 3:20–21). No one can turn it back.
   No one can overthrow God (John 2:19).
7. God is omniscient:
   God knows everything. He does it perfectly, whether it’s about the past,
   the present, or the future, and he does so for all eternity
   (Isaiah 42:9, 46:9–10, Psalm 147:5). God knows everything about us,
   even our thoughts and what's in our hearts, and he does it wherever we are
   (Psalm 139:1–4, John 10:14). He had plans for us before we were born:
   "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16 (NIV)).
   This speaks against abortion. For example, God even had plans for Samson before his mother conceived (Judges 13:2–7).
   
   God showed his omniscient through prophesies about the coming of Messiah
   (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, 53:3, Zechariah 9:9, 11:12–13, Psalm 41:9
   (10 in some translations)), John 13:18, see Prophecies that Jesus Fulfilled and Prophecies of Jesus' Second Coming. See The Predestination Theory. 
   God knows very well what he is doing. 
8. God has all wisdom:
   Wisdom is knowing how to use knowledge properly. God knows perfectly, completely, and accurately how best to use his knowledge to bring glory to himself (Col 2:3). Wisdom is the practical side of moral goodness. God knows what he is doing. God knows what is the best way for us to do. We should align ourselves with what God wants for our lives
   (Proverbs 3:5–8, Isaiah 5:21, Eph 4:17–18, Rom 8:28–30, Jer 10:23).
9. God is sovereign:
   Sometimes we project our strength and weaknesses onto God. We may believe that God's purpose is to bless us, that God is here to serve us. It diminishes God and gives a distorted picture of who God is. God is in complete control,
   he knows what he is doing, and has the power to carry out his will. God is the ruler, he is in charge. (1 Samuel 2:6–8, 1 Chronicles 29:10–12, Psalm 135:6, Isaiah 14:27, 42:8, 43:13, 46:10, Rom 9:19–21).
   
   "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8–9). See these two verses explained at time 27:02–30:23 in
   Isaiah 54 - 56 • "My steadfast love shall not depart from you."
   
   No one is above God. No one tells God what to do. God can use evil and pagan persons to bring out his redemptive purposes, see Kings of Judah and Israel. God used the pagan king Cyrus to return the Jews to their homeland from their Babylonian captivity, prophesied by Isaiah 150 years before Cyrus was even born (Isaiah 44:24a, 28, 45:1–6, 13, 41:2–3, 25, 46:11a, 48:14–15), see
   The Book of Ezra. God answered the Jews who criticized him for using Cyrus
   (Isaiah 45:9–13). God even uses Satan for his redemptive purposes. It doesn't make God evil. It means that God will use someone's heart to accomplish his purposes. Satan can't do anything without God's permission. Satan asked God for permission to sift Peter as wheat (Luk 22:31), and was allowed by God to do so. Satan could not have done it without God's permission. A thorn in the flesh was given to apostle Paul, a messenger of Satan to harass him,
   to prevent him from becoming conceited (2 Cor 12:7), see time 21:39–24:06 in Bible Q&A • Episode 32. Satan just could hurt Job when God allowed him to do so, see The Book of Job. God sent a harmful spirit upon king Saul
   (1 Sam 16:14), see Samuel and Saul. See also Explanation to Satan's Attack on the Woman in the Book of Revelation. The reason for this is that;
   God has the power to do this because he is sovereign.
   
   "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." (1 Cor 1:27–29).
   
10. God is jealous:
    Jealousy is part of God's character (Exo (2 Mos) 20:5, 34:14,
    Num (4 Mos) 25:11, 13, Deu (5 Mos) 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 32:21, Joshua 24:19,
    1 Kings 19:10, 14, Eze 36:6, 39:25, Joel 2:18, Nah 1:2, Zechariah 1:14, 8:2). When we are jealous it causes destruction because of our sinful nature. It's controlled in our self-centeredness. God has no sinful nature. God's jealousy is guided by his desire for our good. God created us and knows what is best for us. When we worship him and have him as the center of our lives, we are at our best. God is never jealous of us. He is always jealous for us. He longs to see us in a place of blessing, wisdom, peace, and spiritual fruitfulness. It only comes into place if he is the center of our lives, and we serve and love him.
11. God is holy:
    God’s name is Holy (Isaiah 57:15) and he is holy (Psalm 99:3b, 5b, 9b). 
    The word holy means to separate, in this case from sin. It means a moral perfection. God can't lie (Heb 6:18). He is absolutely separated in his essence from his creation. God is a category all by himself (Exodus (2 Mos) 15:11, 
    1 Samuel 2:2, Psalm 111:9). God is also absolutely separated from all moral evil and sin (Habakkuk 1:13, 1 John 1:5, Leviticus (3 Mos) 19:2,
    1 Pet 1:15–16, Lev (3 Mos) 11:44–45, Psalm 99:9, Isaiah 6:1–5). God’s will is an expression of his holiness. The rules come from his holy nature.
    
    Holiness is seen in Jesus Christ (Joh 14:9, Heb 1:1–3). The virgin birth was necessary because the sin nature is passed on through Adam from generation to generation through the physical fathers (Rom 5:12). Mary didn't have to be sinless for Jesus to be without sin (2 Cor 5:21). The whole world changed because of a single sin by Adam and Eve. Jesus couldn’t have come to the cross at Calvary and paid the price for our sin unless he himself was perfect without sin. Otherwise, God the Father wouldn't have accepted it as a sacrifice for our sin (John 8:46, 1 Pet 1:18–19, 2:21–24, Heb 4:15).
    There is a moral gap between God and man (Isaiah 59:1–2).
    
    Because God is a holy God, he can’t accept sin. Because he is a righteous God, he must judge sin. Because he is just, the punishment must be just. God's holiness, righteousness, and justice demand that sin be paid for. God says that he took the punishment for us through Jesus' death on the cross 
    (John 3:16, 36). Jesus is accepted as a substitute for our sin, because
    Jesus was sinless. Jesus was punished on the cross for our sins. Jesus rose from the cross because he had no sin in himself. There is God's grace, mercy, and love. We must believe that Jesus did it, we must trust him, ask him to be our Savior, admit that we are sinners, and repent of our sins.
    
    How God can satisfy his holiness by judging sin without compromise
    with his love for the sinner is explained in time 4:18–17:40 and
    20:18–23:15 in the video 2 Corinthians 5 (Part 3) :18-21 Reconciled to God.
    God is both righteous and Savior at the same time (Isaiah 45:21b).
    
    We need to serve God with reverence and Godly fear (Heb 12:28–29), see
    To Fear the Lord in Fear of Man. God is a holy God. It should lead us to a life of humility, confession of our sins, and a desire to live a holy life, as Jesus did (Rom 12:1–2, 1 Pet 1:13–16).
12. God has wrath:
    We don’t see the wrath of God as much in the New Testament as in the
    Old Testament. God is unchangeable but can use his attributes in different ways over time. God's holiness secures God's wrath, makes him hate sin.
    God's wrath is that which is in God (his holiness, righteousness, and justice) that opposes sin and is shown by punishing sin (Nahum 1:2–3, 5–8, 
    Exodus (2 Mos) 15:7), John 3:36, Rom 1:18, 5:12, 6:23, Heb 9:27, 10:30–31, 2 Tess 1:6–9, Rev 14:9–11, 19:15–16, 20:11–15). God's wrath is an expression of God's holiness (Heb 12:29). God's wrath is his response to sin, see God's wrath in Balaam and Balak. God’s wrath is balanced with his love, in that he gave us a way to escape punishment, by judging his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 4:8–16), see Righteousness Through Faith in The Book of Romans. God must punish sin. It's impossible for God not to punish sin. God’s love, grace, mercy, and compassion can’t violate his holiness, righteousness, and justice. All the attributes of God must work together and all must be satisfied. Note that God finds no pleasure in wrath and rather wants man to repent (Eze 33:11, 2 Pet 3:9).
    
    God’s wrath is active today. We reap what we sow (Gal 6:7–8). If society makes ungodly decisions, bad things happen (Rom 1:18–32). God then gives them over to a reprobate mind. When it goes that far, we are in trouble. Morality can’t be maintained without Christian principles. We need to repent and seek God (2 Chronicles 7:14, John 3:16–17, Rom 5:8–11). As Christians we should work on our sanctification (Phil 2:12–13, 1 Pet 1:13–19).
    

God can’t be fully known. God is infinite, we are finite. We are limited in our ability to understand God (Isaiah 40:28, 55:8–9, Psalm 8:3–4 (4–5 in some translations), 147:5, Rom 11:33–34). We can't fully comprehend God. God is over all
(Deu (5 Mos) 10:17).

God has revealed himself to us in the following areas:

1. Creation (Gen (1 Mos) 1:1, Psalm 19:1 (2 in some translations),
   Isaiah 42:5, Rom 1:20)
2. The Bible, it's the Word of God
   (Isaiah 40:12–14, 22–23, 43:10–11, 46:9–10).
3. The life of Jesus Christ, his attributes (John 12:44–45, 14:8–9).

See also Some stories close related to the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.

Homosexuality

What does the Bible say about homosexuality? By homosexuality in this article
I mean practicing it, living out a homosexual disposition.

Jesus loves all people (John 3:16–17, 2 Pet 3:9b). Even people who practice a homosexual orientation. But that doesn't mean he approves of such a lifestyle, see the article: How can Christians make sense of all the gender confusion in the world?

Homosexuality in the Old Testament:

Practicing homosexuality is ungodly and a sin against God. It's an abomination according to the Old Testament (OT) Law (Lev (3 Mos) 18:22–24).

The men of Sodom wanted sexual relations with two angels, who they thought were men (Gen (1 Mos) 19:1–11). They practiced homosexuality (Jude 1:7). It was an attempted sexual assault; homosexual gang rape. Gang rape was probably common in Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities were obviously destroyed because of this type of sinful behavior related to sexual abuse.

A woman shouldn't wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment (transvestism) (Deu (5 Mos) 22:5). It's an abomination according to the Law in the OT. We shouldn't wear clothes that confuse the sexes, our identity as male and female. Society tries to remove the distinction between man and woman, but that isn't God's will.

There isn't one verse in the OT that supports the practice of homosexuality.

Homosexuality in the New Testament:

The New Testament (NT) describes the New Covenant that Jesus introduced
(Luk 22:19-20) and was activated at his death on the cross, see The Atonement.

Homosexuality is one of several consequences because people have rejected God and is against nature (Rom 1:18–32). It’s shameful to God. God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen by the things that have been made since the creation of the world. Therefore, there is no excuse for rejecting God.

The NT says that people who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9–10). We shouldn't be deceived by society that says it’s OK to live out
a homosexual orientation. Society has removed it as a sin, but God hasn’t.
God hasn't changed his mind about practicing homosexuality in the New Covenant.

An argument to live out a homosexual orientation is that man isn't justified by the works of the Mosaic Laws in the OT but by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16). But the moral laws among the Mosaic Laws regarding sexual relations are similar and even stricter in the New Covenant than it was in the Old Covenant, see Jesus and the Law
and the comment to the 7th commandment in the The Ten Commandments.

Another argument for allowing homosexuality is that Jesus didn't specifically speak about it. But Jesus didn't specifically speak about pedophilia or bestiality which are considered wrong even by our society. So that argument doesn't hold. When Jesus spoke about sexual relations, it was always between male and female (Mat 19:4–5).

There isn't one verse in the NT that supports the practice of homosexuality.

What to do if being homosexual:

There is very little (if any) scientific evidence that a person can be born homosexual. There is no consensus among researchers on how to develop a homosexual orientation. Many think it’s an adaptation. But even if it's so, it's against God's Word.

If you struggle with homosexuality, see as encouragement time 6:00–13:53
in the video: Titus 3 • Be careful to devote ourselves to good works.
See also what to do in the article: Can God help me to break this cycle of sin?

We are all born with a nature that has been affected by sin. We are all sinners
(Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8–10). Because of that, we all have weaknesses of various kinds. We all struggle with different temptations. A weakness isn't an excuse for participating in it. God doesn't allow us to be tempted beyond our ability
(1 Cor 10:13). Take steps to avoid environments that we may not be able
to handle in a biblical way. We must choose not to give in to temptation
(Rom 13:13–14). See Sanctification.

As Christians, we are sanctified and can be set free (1 Cor 6:9–11). Jesus came to call sinners to repentance (Mark 2:16–17, 1 Tim 1:15). Sin includes living out a homosexual disposition, see it explained at: 

• Time 32:40–38:22 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul and Sue.
• Time 15:55–20:14 in Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul.

We can be freed from the bondage of sin:

1. Living out a homosexual orientation as a Christian isn't how God
   wants us to live. It's not what God created us to do.
2. Such a person needs to repent from doing this and is then forgiven.
3. Invite Jesus into your life as your Savior, if you haven't already done that
   (John 5:24, 2 Cor 5:17), see Salvation. He forgives your sinful living,
   see time 24:16–27:46 in Bible Q&A • Episode 32.

How to relate to homosexual persons as a Christian:

As Christians we need to do the following:

1. See How do we love someone who is homosexual without condoning their sin?
2. If you hate or dislike homosexuals, you need to repent. There is no room for that for a Christian, even if people live a lifestyle that is contrary to the lifestyle of what is written in God's Word. Jesus also gave his life for them.
3. We should show love, compassion, and deal with it in a loving way,
   see time 45:06–48:27 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │December 2023.
   We can even associate on an individual level with such a person (Gal 6:1).
   At the church level, we may need to withdraw from such a person
   (1 Cor 5:9–11, 2 Thess 3:6, 14–15), see Psalm 101: How to live a holy life. See this explained at time 43:37–45:53 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul . . ..
4. We should be characterized by a gentle and tender spirit towards homosexuals and their concerns. Jesus died no less for them than for anyone else
   (John 3:17). We should invite them to our services, to our churches.
5. We should pray for salvation for homosexuals, as we do for anyone else.
   It's not a question of hatred, bigotry or homophobia. That's wrong behaviour.
   
6. However, we must stand by God's Word: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8). 
   See the consequences of this in these videos:
• Homosexuality and Christianity with Dr Frank Turek.
• Can You Be a Gay Christian? What Does The Bible Really Say?

It means teaching in the church that it's not OK to live out a homosexual orientation as a Christian. A Christian congregation therefore can't support such an approach, because it would be disobedience to the Word of God (2 Tim 3:14–17). 
It's not personal, it's about obedience to God's Word. See also the meaning of Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said: 

• "If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the Word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me." (John 14:23–24). 
• "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love." (John 15:9–10).

See also Some stories in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.

Salvation

Content:

• Summary
• Introduction
• Why we need a Savior
• Important words to understand
• Misconceptions about how to get to Heaven
• God's only provision for our salvation
• Example of a salvation prayer
• How I live my life in Christ
  
  

Summary:

The bottom line of salvation is: Jesus died for the sins of the world. If you accept and receive him as your Savior, you will be forgiven and born again.

Introduction:

First watch these short videos:

• If You're Doing this ONE Thing, You May Not Be Saved.
• From time 0:44 in How to Know For Sure That You are Saved . . ..
• From time 1:09 in How to KNOW if you're really SAVED.
• Can you be "Born a Christian" or "Raised a Christian"? 
  
• Time 27:49–31:47 in Bible Q&A • Episode 32.

See also the article: At what age can a person accept Christ?

Why we need a Savior:

1. Our condition before God is that we are all sinners before him
   (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8, 10, Ecclesiastes 7:20 (21 in some translations), Proverbs 20:9, Psalm 130:3, Isaiah 53:6, 64:6a). See sin explained at
   time 2:53–5:18 in Bible Q&A • Episode 23.
2. God can’t have fellowship with sin or sinners because of his holiness
   (Isaiah 59:1–2, Gal 5:19–21).
3. God will judge us for our sin
   (Acts 17:31, Rev 20:11–15).
4. Death is the penalty for our sin 
   (Rom 5:12, 6:23). Death in the Bible is a separation, not a cessation of existence, not an annihilation. Physical death is when the spirit and soul are separated from the body, see Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism. Spiritual death is when the spirit is separated from God.
   Failure to repent in this life means spiritual separation from God forever,
   first in Hell and then in the Lake of Fire. It’s an eternal conscious punishment where we are forever separated from God.
5. We are in a situation where we can’t save ourselves 
   (Eph 2:8–9, 1 Cor 15:1–2).

This puts us in a situation where we need a Savior to get us to God's Heaven
instead of going to Hell. God has made salvation very simple:
It’s about accepting or rejecting Jesus, believing or not believing in Jesus:

• John 3:17–18, 36, 14:6
• Luk 19:10
• Acts 4:12
• Psalm 62:1 (2 in some translations)

It's important to be clear about this and not to teach a false gospel (Gal 1:6–9).

It matters what we believe.

There is disorder and confusion about how to be saved because of the following:

1. Sin:
   After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin has passed down to all generations. We have a sin nature that man follows. Man prefers to go his own way instead of God’s way (1 Cor 2:14). Man doesn’t understand God’s way (Eph 4:17–18). Man invents his own plan of salvation instead of obeying God.
2. Satan:
   Satan blinds us from seeing the true gospel (2 Cor 4:3–4).
3. Self:
   Besides our sinful nature, there are people who just don't want to listen to God, they don't want to hear the truth. Even if they know the truth, they don't want to act on it. Adam and Eve had one rule to follow, not to eat of the forbidden fruit. Satan brought temptations, he brought lies, he tried to get Adam and Eve to follow his will instead of God's will. Satan didn't force them, he deceived and lied to them. Adam and Eve used their free will to eat the forbidden fruit. Likewise, people follow false teachers because they say what people want to hear (Col 2:8, 2 Tim 4:3–4, Proverbs 3:5–7).

Disorder and confusion don’t come from God (1 Cor 14:33).

Important words to understand:

1. Saved (Acts 16:30) (sozo in Greek):
   We are saved from God’s judgement, from eternal punishment and separation from God because of our sin (Rev 20:10, 15).
2. Salvation (1 Pet 1:9) (soteria in Greek):
   Deliverance, to be saved from God’s wrath, from the punishment we deserve for being sinners (John 3:36, Rom 5:8–9). It can't be earned by works or by the righteousness of man. It's a gift freely offered by God through Jesus' death on the cross, to all who repent and turn to Jesus. It's not about being perfect. It's not about my worthiness. It's about God's love and mercy, by surrendering to God, accepting his grace, and trusting in his plan. God's love is so far beyond our human comprehension. His mercy is unlimited and eternal. It's not perfection that we must seek, it's a heart that's surrendered to God. It's the life that says: I will follow you Lord. Nor is it up to us to decide who deserves God's love and mercy, for God alone is the giver of his mercy.
3. Savior (Luk 2:11) (soter in Greek):
   Jesus is our Savior, our only Savior (Isaiah 43:11, Luk 2:11).
4. Believe (Acts 16:31) (pisteuo in Greek):
   It’s more than an intellectual acknowledgement that Jesus existed. It's a matter of the heart. It means trusting in him alone (and not in our good works), to have confidence in him, to put faith in him (Eph 2:8–9,
   1 Cor 15:1–2, Gal 2:16–21). A belief that Jesus is the Son of God, who gives us eternal life in Heaven (John 3:18). That he died on the cross as full and sufficient payment for our own punishment.
5. Faith (Heb 11:1) (pistis in Greek):
   It means to be firmly convinced, a conviction of truth, and it's required of God (Heb 11:6). True saving faith is based on a firm rational belief and trust that God is who he says he is, and that God will do what he says he will do.
   
   True faith isn't just a belief in the doctrines of the church, not about external rituals or performing right actions, it's about the inner transformation of my heart. It's about being changed from the inside out by God's love and grace. That change comes not from anything we do but from receiving the gift of grace that God gives freely to all who would receive it. 
   
   God's love isn't a reward for good behavior. It's not something we can earn
   by striving for. It's something we receive by faith, see time 13:01–14:53 in January Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul.
6. Godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:8–10):
   There are differences between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation, while worldly sorrow doesn't.
   Worldly sorrow is a sorrow of being caught and contains no repentance.
   See this described in The Book of Corinthians.
7. Repent (Acts 17:30–31, 26:20, Luk 11:32, 13:2–3, Jonah 3:6–8,
   Joel 2:12–13) (metanoeo in Greek):
   It's not about feeling guilty. It's about turning away (change course) from the life I live and embracing the life God offers. It's about surrender, and when you surrender your heart to God and believe in him, you will experience the peace and joy that can only come from knowing the Savior.
   
   It involves a change of mind with a request to God for help to go in the right direction. My actions change when I receive Jesus as Savior (Luk 24:46–48,
   Mat 4:17, 21:28–31). It then means starting to live a life according to God. Without repentance there is no salvation (2 Cor 7:10), see the times.
   
      ०    6:20–37:12 in December 2024 Bible Q&A 
      ०  31:21–33:02 in January Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul.
   
   You don't necessarily have to be sorrow to decide to repent (Acts 26:20). Some are but some aren't. Repentance is also an ongoing thing: We need to repent when we do wrong or when we become aware of areas in our lives that need to change, and then start moving in the right direction.
8. Confess (Rom 10:9–10, Acts 2:21) (homologeo in Greek):
   We need to speak the same thing as God says in the Bible,
   not necessarily publicly (1 John 1:9).

Misconceptions about how to get to Heaven:

1. I am a good enough person and should therefore go to Heaven:
   The problem with this reasoning is that it uses man's standard, not God's standard. If you break one law, you break all (James 2:10). God demands perfection because he is holy. One sin violates perfection. Adam and Eve committed one sin, and it drove them out of the Garden of Eden. It's not because a person is good that he goes to Heaven, it's because he is forgiven. 
2. Doing good works:
   This is also man’s standard, not God’s standard. The wages of sin is death (Rom 5:12, 6:23, Eze 18:20). Good deeds don't make up for sins. Nor will a judge in court acquit a murderer, just because he has done good deeds.
   That's not justice. Likewise, sin is too terrible for a holy God to be paid by
   good works. The only payment for a holy God is death. 
3. A God of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness will send me to Heaven:
   This is why many believe that most people go to Heaven. These are true attributes of God. But God is also holy (Isaiah 6:1–3, 1 Pet 1:15–16), righteous, and just, and such a God must punish sin. Holy means to be separated from sin and to have a hostility to evil and sin. God’s love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness can’t override God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice. God can’t act contrary to his nature. God’s attributes can’t conflict with each other. They must work in unity and harmony (Psalm 89:14 (15 in some translations)), see God's Attributes. A judge in court won't acquit a murderer, just out of love and compassion. That's not justice.

God loves us and doesn’t want us to spend eternity separated from him, first in Hell and then in the Lake of Fire (John 3:16–17, Rom 5:8–9, 1 John 4:9–10). Therefore, God almighty himself paid the price for our sin. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, took on flesh when he was born as a man so that he could die physically. God can’t die spiritually. Jesus shed his blood on the cross for our sin. He took the punishment (Mat 27:46, Heb 2:9, 1 Pet 3:18). Jesus is the only one who could do that (Acts 4:12), because he had no sin (John 8:46, Heb 4:15, 1 Pet 2:22, 
2 Cor 5:21). This is why the The Virgin Birth so important. God takes the righteousness of Christ and gives it to us, we who have received Jesus as our Savior (Eph 2:8–9, 1 Cor 15:1–2). See "the hope of righteousness" (Gal 5:5) explained in 1:51–9:14 in Galatians 5 (Part 2) :5-12 Dangerous Persuasion.

God's only provision for our salvation:

1. I must repent:
   See the definition above about Repent.
   It doesn't mean that you act differently before you come to God for salvation. But a change of behavior should come after receiving Jesus as Savior 
   (James 2:18).
2. Believe by faith that Jesus Christ is my Savior:
   See the definitions above about Believe and Faith.
3. I need to confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior:
   See the definition above about Confess.
   Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
4. Receive Jesus into my hart (John 1:12):
   That is, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, and asking Jesus to come into my life to be part of my life. God has given salvation as a gift. Many people miss it, because they don’t receive it as a gift (Mat 7:13–14), see The Narrow Gate. You can’t earn it, you will never be good enough for it, it must be received
   as a gift of grace through faith (Eph 2:8–9, 1 Cor 15:1–2). Grace goes against the principle that you get what you deserve (karma). Karma isn't biblical.
   God looks at your hart. You must mean it, you must be sincere. 
   Also see what really makes someone a Christian at time: 
• 3:34–5:08 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ August 2023.
• 18:39–26:49 in John 1 (Part 2) :6-18 . . ..

By doing this you get the following:

• Forgiveness (Jer 31:34b, Acts 3:19).
  This is the main reason people come to Jesus.
• God's Holy Spirit.
  You receive God's indwelling Holy Spirit
  (Acts 2:38–39, 1 Cor 3:16, Rom 8:9b),
  see Jesus the Light of the World. 
• A new birth in Christ.
  You become a born again Christian (1 Pet 1:3, Titus 3:4–7, 2 Cor 5:17),
  see The Book of Peter.
• Become a child of God (John 1:12, Rom 8:16–17).
  
  

Example of a salvation prayer:

Watch the video How To Be Absolutely Sure You Will Go To Heaven.

Example of a salvation prayer:

"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have
sinned by my own choice, and I am responsible for it. I know that I deserve punishment from You, and that the just punishment is death. Jesus, I believe You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I can't cover or take away my sin, I trust You completely. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You." 

See how to do it in time 47:12–49:42 in Questions About HELL. See also:

• Time 27:01–31:58 in Acts 8 (Part 2) :26-40 • Sharing the Good News .... 
• Time 5:00–7:40 in Bible Q&A ∙ Episode 10.
• Time 1:55–4:19 in Bible Q&A ∙ Episode 14.

Your past sins no longer have the power to define you. God's love sets you free. See time 31:58–34:13 in Galatians 1 (Part 3) - The Witness of a Changed Life, 
and time 0:20–5:40 in Bible Q&A • Episode 18. 

See also the article: If I died tomorrow without having the Lord finish the work that needs to be done in my life what would happen to me?

See also what is said about generational curses in the comment to the
2nd commandment of the Ten Commandments.

Also invite Jesus to be your Lord, see time 12:26–14:45 in Bible Q&A • Episode 1.

How I live my life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17):

1. Pray, develop a life of prayer (1 Thess 5:17, James 5:16).
   You can't talk to God too much. You can talk about anything with God.
   You should be sincere in your prayers.
2. Read the Bible (2 Tim 2:15, 3:16).
   God's basic instructions comes through his Word. Read especially the
   New Testament. Get a good Bible translation. Study God's Word.
3. Join a good Bible-believing church or Christian group (Heb 10:24–25).
   God wants us to meet with fellow believers. It should be a church or Christian group that preaches the Word in its context. You must study the Bible yourself to verify that the teaching doesn't contradict the Bible.
4. Be baptized (Mat 28:19–20).
   This isn't a requirement for our salvation, but we should do it because
   of obedience to God's Word. See Christian Water Baptism in
   The Book of Romans.

After being saved, our walk with God begins, with sanctification as the result.
For detailed information, see Sanctification.

The Christian life can be hard and difficult, it can bring more trials in your life.
If you want to live for the Lord; the world, the flesh (your own sinful nature),
and the Devil will come against you. You may lose friends. But God will always
be with you (1 John 4:4, Phil 4:13, Heb 13:5b). On the other side after death,
there is unimaginable happiness that enters your life.

Rejecting or ignoring the suggestion from God is the same as saying no to Jesus.
Our body will eventually die, but we all have an eternal soul and spirit that will live forever. According to the Bible, it will live in one of two places: God's Heaven or Hell followed by the Lake of Fire. We don’t get any second chance after death. Then it's too late to regret it. God doesn’t want us to go to Hell (John 3:16–17). The Bible says that Jesus is the only way for us to get to Heaven (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

See also Some stories in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.