Are there really 3 steps to salvation?

What does it mean to be born again? After all, we can’t exactly go back into mom’s womb a second time, can we? (Asks a church leader in John chapter 3)

I’m writing this post for 4 people:
1: Anyone who is curious about becoming a Christian. 
2: New Believers who want to know the next steps after putting their faith in Jesus. 
3: Christians who want to share the wonderful Savior but aren’t sure how. 
4: Me. I need practice in sharing the Gospel.  My assignment is to “always be ready to explain the hope that is within me” (1 Peter 3:15).

I am no expert, but I love God and am so very grateful for my Savior, that I have to share him. Finding hope makes all the difference in the world! 

Please note that this post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase through one of the links, I may make a small commission. I only recommend books and resources that I’ve enjoyed personally, or believe that you would like. You can read my full disclosure here. You will also find information on Scripture translations there.

3 Steps to Salvation 

“Three simple steps to salvation” sounds almost like a formula, or even legalistic. But that’s not what I’m trying to share. I don’t believe in a ritual that saves. It’s a living Savior whom I serve. He is actively involved in the process. (It would be impossible without him!)

There are three steps as far as the process of being born again goes, though.

What Does it Mean to be Born Again?

We had our physical birth, for our tangible self. But that only happens once, so what does it mean to be born again? 

It’s a spiritual birth, for our spiritual self. 

John 3:2-6
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Did you catch that? Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit (God, the Holy Spirit) gives birth to spirit. 

Looking at several verses about God giving us His Spirit is awesome! They both encouraged and humbled me. His own Spirit living in me! Our God is so generous! 

Three Steps to Salvation 

So yes, there are basically three steps gaining eternal life, this gift God is giving away for free. The terminology may vary somewhat but not the theology. 

The first one is very uncomfortable, but if we don’t start here, as Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort explain, that parachute will become a burden and not a blessing. If we don’t understand the weight that is being lifted off our shoulders, we will not appreciate the safety Jesus provides. 

3 Steps to Salvation: Admit Believe Confess 

Admit (to God, & Yourself!) that you are a sinner

According to the Billy Graham website: 

Defining Sin: Let me give you a definition of sin. Sin is any lack of conformity to the moral character of God or the law of God. We sin by thinking evil, speaking evil, acting evil or omitting good.

We can sometimes fool ourselves into believing we haven’t thought, spoken or acted evil, but that last one, man. Omitting good. (James 4:17) ouch. 

The law (beginning with the 10 Commandments) was given so we could recognize where we fall short of God’s perfect standard. Romans 7:7-25 explains this way better than I could. Please take a minute to read the whole passage here. 

Romans 7:7 ESV — What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Acknowledging that these verses are true and apply to me is the place to begin. 

Romans 3:23 NASB — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 NASB — For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Believe the Good News

God has a rescue plan. He sent his son to take our deserved punishment for sin. Because of that, we get the incredible privilege of eternal life (living forever in heaven). 

John 3:16 ESV — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Not only is He willing to save us from our own sins, But He also calls us Friends!

John 15:15 ESV — No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

That first step is hard, admitting we’re not perfect. Believing that Jesus Died for ME, that he considers ME valuable enough to rescue, amidst all the other people throughout time, that may be even harder! He probably would have done the same for Only ME, or Only YOU! Mind-blowing!!! (read Luke chapter 15 if you don’t believe me!) 

-Now, Admitting when we hear the word of God, which helps us to admit we’re sinners, and Believing that He died for us means that we must repent. Repentance means recognizing and turning from our sin. Doing a 180. But we can’t do that alone, which is why God promises to help and guide us every step of the way.

Confess that Jesus is Lord

Matthew 10:32 and Romans 10:9 say that if we publically Confess (tell others) what Jesus has Done for us, then he will acknowledge us before God. Basically, he will claim us as belonging to Him. 

Out of our joy and relief its only natural to shout from the rooftop that we have been rescued. To commit to following Jesus and sharing his love with others. 

ABC of Salvation Prayer

There are no ‘Magic Words’ in this prayer. The process of Admitting to God that you have fallen short of his perfect standard and Believing that the gift of salvation applies to you is very personal. 

I’ve heard some ‘Sinners prayers’ over the years, and I’m not sure if they are helpful or not. Sometimes I wonder if people may begin to question whether or not they got the words right. Like maybe they are capable of “messing it up and not being saved” because of it. 

It’s not about the words. It’s all about the Savior! You can read all about his story in these marvelous Easter story books that teach the real meaning of Easter.

ABC Salvation Prayer Printable

That said, I do have an ABC Salvation prayer printable for you. Sometimes it helps to have a tool, a guide for going through the process with someone. Here’s hoping it helps you on your admit believe confess adventure! 

Am I Saved if I Keep Sinning 

Now, maybe you’ve been a Christian for a while. You followed the steps and procedures. And you still aren’t perfect. If you find yourself wondering ‘Am I saved if I keep sinning?’ I mean, still struggling with:

• Temper
• Lying 
• Gossip
• Control 
• Unforgiveness
• Anger
• Pride
• Gossip…

Short answer: Every Christian (Every person, really) struggles with sin on a regular basis. Go back to Romans 7. Paul, who wrote about half of the New Testament, struggled to do right, and not do wrong. Check out these 2 letters written to Believers:

Jesus’ brother says in James 1:14-15 (ESV) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.

And then there’s 1 John 1:7-9 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So you can be saved and still sin. The difference is that you recognize and admit that you sinned, ask for forgiveness, and believe that God forgave you. 

Turn from your sin. If being around this thing or that person is a tripping hazard, make a change.

Okay, I’m Born Again Now What? 

So you’ve become a Christian. You are naturally wondering, I’m born again, now what?? 

It’s like the beginning of most relationships. You want to spend time together. Get to know each other better. 

It’s also a training period at the beginning of a new job. There’s probably going to be some pruning that happens

But whatever else it is, it’s definitely a journey! We have not arrived at the destination. 

Next Steps After Salvation

Being 21st-century individuals, I know how important checklists are to most of us. This is not meant to be a “to do” list that measures your success. If it were, many of us would be failures.

See this post that serves as an excellent Mythbuster of the ‘checklist mentality’ many people see in the Proverbs 31 Woman.

The following list has the values and priorities of Christians and is important. It’s not that we’re to do everything on this list every day, but they should never be far from us either. If we have accepted Christ as our savior, these things will become important.

So, the next steps are relational:

• Reading the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) {A great place to begin: John, Romans, James, Hebrews} and maybe even memorizing some Bible verses.
• Praying (tell God everything, ask questions, and so much more) 
• Corporate Worship (find a church, go regularly, and worship God together ~ Hebrews 10:25) 
• Fellowship (This means becoming friends with people at church, doing LIFE together, not just Sunday mornings. A place to practice the fruit of the Spirit.) 
• Share God’s love with others (Be enthusiastic without being obnoxious or railroading people! Be kind.) 
• Act Justly, Seek Mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8) 
• Control your tongue, look out for orphans and Widows,  and not let the world corrupt you (James 1:26-27) 

ABC of Salvation Prayer PDF

Don’t forget to grab your copy of the PDF before you go! And drop a comment below to let me know if you need any help with this!

What Does it Mean to be Born Again?

What does it mean to be born again? It means a new life where you aren’t carrying the weight of the world anymore. Jesus is. And there is freedom here! Room to breathe. So we can in turn help others!

 Faith 101: Books to Read: 

• In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado)
• Captured by Grace (David Jeremiah) 
• Restoring Broken Things (Steven Curtis Chapman)
• Daughter of Cana (Angela Hunt) {Fiction}

And for those of you who have kids, the Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series is seriously amazing! The Gospel, The Scripture, The Trinity, and The Mission are fun and easy to understand, unlocking the truth for Little Thinkers.

Don’t Blame The Mud: Only Jesus Makes us Clean is another fun book for teaching kids about sin and salvation.

Here’s a subscription box that looks pretty awesome! Faithbox comes with a daily devotional and a variety of handpicked items including accessories, Christian books, art… There’s also an even more affordable option to receive the devotional directly on mobile if you want something that doesn’t take up much room.

Apps for You

•  Superbook app for kids
• Blue Letter Bible or YouVersion for adults
• PrayerMate is an excellent way of keeping track of your prayer list.

Until Next Time, Love God, Love Books, Shine The Light!!