All religions around the world teach their path to salvation, meaning how one might enter into heaven. All, except Christianity, teach that one needs to work doing good deeds, more good than bad, and then one can merit favour with their god or their creator. (All bold are my emphases added. Square brackets [ ] indicate meanings of words. King James Version Easy-Reading Bible (KJVER) used.)
Often it is said that there are many ways to God, to Heaven, like the common expression “there are many roads to Rome.” But,
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me.
There is only one way! Not many roads, but one only through Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Only through the Name of Jesus Christ can you be saved. Can we do anything to save ourselves? Or to help God save us? Or can we find the way to God ourselves? Jesus said:
John 6:44 No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 8:24 I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins.
John 3:36 He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [anger] of God abides [rests, remains] on him.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Whoever calls on Jesus Christ, not on Allah, Buddha, Confucius or anyone else shall be saved.
Ephesians 2:8,9 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace is the free gift given by God and received through faith. It is a totally free gift. There is nothing we can do to gain merit with God, even a tiny bit, towards our salvation.
Romans 10:9 That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in you heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.
Totally through the grace and mercy of God we are saved. There is nothing we can feel self-satisfied about.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Only by the work of the Holy Spirit are we saved. It is totally a work of God. No credit to us ourselves.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.
And do we need to remain sin free to stay saved through our lives? Does our continued salvation depend on our sinless nature?
1 Corinthians 1:8 Who shall also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelations 2:26 And he that overcomes, and keeps My works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
It is God who keeps you to the end of your life. No works you can do can save you, let alone keep you saved!
In fact, God chose you and called you to be saved. It is totally a work of God. No credit to you.
2 Thessalonians 2: 13,14 But we are bound [obliged] to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Why did God choose? God only knows. Scripture here says because it was according to God’s will.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will:
Those who are saved have the witness of the Spirit of their salvation in themselves.
1 John 5:10-13 He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believes not God has made Him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave of His Son. 11 And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life. 13 These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
By reading God’s words we can have the faith to know that we are saved.
Bible Science Forum 