I have the privilege of talking to many people about spiritual matters. It is amazing to me, with Bibles in most homes, how few people there are who have actually read it through.

God has given to man a supernatural Book, one that reveals the truth about our existence, God, our future, and most important, how we can have eternal life and live with God forever. Many churches proclaim the passages every week to help people understand it. Also, many churches even encourage their people to bring their Bibles with them because they want the people to see that what they are teaching is really in God’s Book.

In the above verses, Jesus was talking to people who had the Scriptures and had memorized much of it. Yet, they were unwilling to believe what the Book plainly told them.

Many people are like that still today. Some even read the Bible but fail to accept its simple truth about salvation.

The great truth is that salvation cannot be earned. This is plainly stated in Ephesians 2:8,9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Note that salvation is the gift of God. Gifts are free.

The gift that God gave to give us salvation is the gift of His Son. John 3:16 says it very well: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Thank God, His Son Jesus, paid the full price for what we owe.

If you are not yet a believer, call on God in prayer now, asking Him to forgive you and save you – because Jesus paid your full price. Read the verse again in the paragraph right above this one.

From cover to cover, the Bible teaches that all people are sinners (Romans 3:10). As such, they cannot please God enough to merit salvation – no matter what they do.

Romans 8:7,8 makes this truth abundantly clear: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Since all the sinner does is displeasing to God, there must be a turnaround place at some point. Sin brings damnation – even just one (Romans 6:23). When the sinner realizes that all he does is condemning him, he wants to discover what does please God. Naturally, when people realize this, they usually start trying to live a better life and keep the Ten Commandments.

The change of mind is a form of repentance. But this kind is not the kind that saves. They must also repent of trying to save themselves by establishing their own goodness (righteousness).

Yes, Biblical repentance first involves a change of mind toward sin. But it does not end there. Being saved also means you stop trying to save yourself and put your faith in Christ alone to save you. He is the Gift of God for our salvation. He paid the debt we all owe because of our sin. Don’t reject God’s free Gift.

Once you trust Christ to save you, He changes the life and enables you to live for Him. No other religion can do this. It is because of Christ’s death and resurrection power to forgive and save that He commanded the disciples, in Luke 24:47: “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Have you repented and trusted Christ to save you?