Saved by grace through faith. What does that mean? In the Bible, salvation is a gift from God. It’s not something we can earn or work for – it’s what God wants to give us. Salvation is eternal life with Christ in heaven.
What is the difference between salvation and eternal life?
The only distinction between salvation and eternal life is in the manner in which the phrases are employed. When discussing the future, the Bible never uses the phrase “salvation,” alluding to “eternal salvation.” The Bible employs the phrase “eternal life” to describe our future condition (Matthew 19:16; 25:46).
The word “salvation” is used in the Bible to refer to two different concepts. It refers to liberation from sin and its effects in general (Romans 10:9–10). In a particular meaning, it refers to being reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9).
When salvation is characterized in terms of a certain element, it refers to either one’s current position (justification) or one’s future situation (glorification). Eternal life is a more general word that encompasses both justification and exaltation. It includes both our current rescue from sin and its consequences (present salvation) and our eventual inheritance of paradise with God (future salvation).
Bible verses on salvation and eternal life
I often get questions about what the Bible has to say about salvation, so I’ve made this post with some of my favorite verses from God’s word.
2 Corinthians 6:2
For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
~ 2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)
Paul urged the people of Corinth not to accept God’s grace in vain. This relates to how individuals react when they hear the salvation message.
In other words, they are cautioned to accept the gospel of reconciliation with God solely through faith in Christ.
It’s been warned not to be influenced by false teachers. Rather we should accept Jesus Christ into our lives as our personal Lord and Saviour.
Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
~ Mark 16:16 (KJV)
Because of the culture, baptism is found close to the belief in Christ in the New Testament.
This was the reason why John the Baptist baptized his disciples. A new believer was not required to attend a class or give a detailed testimony to be baptized at the time.
As Christians, we are expected to believe in Jesus as our Lord and, we are expected to go for proper baptism after we have accepted Jesus into our lives as our Saviour.
Acts 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
~ Acts 16:31 (KJV)
Paul and Silas explain how Jesus grants sinners the forgiveness of sin, by introducing and praying for the jailer and his family and saving them from an eternity in hell.
As sinners, all that is expected of us to be forgiven is for us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will be saved from our sins.
Acts 15:11
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
~ Acts 15:11 (KJV)
We are told in this portion of the bible that sinners can only obtain mercy and salvation through the grace of God just like the saints of old.
And we can only access this grace by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and not by our works or our personal righteousness.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
~ Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)
Most people are always of the opinion that salvation is gotten by their personal effort and how good they are on earth.
But we are made to understand that it is only through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved and not by our works or sacrifice.
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
~ Romans 10:9 (KJV)
This bible chapter focuses on God’s sovereignty and His ability to forgive our sins if only we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord.
Despite the children of Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ, Paul gives full assurance that God’s gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ’s finished work is open to all.
Paul gave the assurance to both Israel and all nations that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart, God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
~ Romans 1:16(KJV)
Paul affirms unequivocally that the gospel of Christ does not make him embarrassed. Perhaps he understood that some Christians in Rome were embarrassed by the situation.
Christians were being persecuted on a large scale. It’s one thing to believe in the gospel; it’s quite another to risk proclaiming it to strangers.
The gospel message is nothing less than divine power for salvation for anybody who believes it. All that is expected of us is to believe in His name.
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
~ Revelation 3:20
Jesus is seen in this verse knocking on the door of our hearts, requesting to be welcomed and in. He does not barge inside people’s lives but instead waits quietly for an invitation.
Jesus entered their home after receiving their invitation. If the church at Laodicea had invited Jesus to come in, He would have definitely done so, but the church did not do so. As a result, Jesus sought an invitation from anyone willing to respond.
He promised that whoever heard His voice and opened the door would have a company with Him.
Bible verses on salvation and eternal life KJV
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.
~ Acts 4:12
When Peter and John were arrested, Peter proclaim, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to man by which they can be saved.”
When he spoke these words, he was referencing Jesus Christ as the “only name” by which mankind can be saved.
It was a bold statement in a time when Christianity was not widely accepted. The statement highlights the strength of Peter’s faith and his belief in Jesus’ teachings even in the face of danger.
2 Timothy 1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
~ 2 Timothy 1:9
In this verse, Paul is reassuring Timothy that salvation comes from God alone.
God saved us and called us through Christ. He didn’t save or call us based on anything we’ve done or our good works, he did it because of his purpose.
He reminds Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear, that is, His Spirit is not characterized by fear. Instead, we have received the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 62:1
My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation.
~ Psalm 62:1(NASB)
This psalm is all about putting your trust in God because he is a righteous leader who will deliver justice.
God is your rock, your shelter; you can trust him with everything because he is the only one who will give you the kind of protection and help that you need.
It’s not just that God has some power or influence; he is the source of everything: strength, righteousness, and security. You can trust him completely because he is always there for you.
Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
~ Acts 2:21
Peter was speaking to a crowd at Pentecost. He also says that everyone who calls on God’s name will be saved.
In Christianity, this means that if you call out to God in prayer or with any sort of spiritual intent then he will hear your request and answer it.
We are assured that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
~ Luke 19:10(NASB)
Jesus is seen in this verse talking about Himself, His mission, and your life. Consider what this verse says about each.
By identifying Himself as the Son of man, Jesus was saying that He was fully human and fully God.
He also wanted to identify with people and show them that He understood their struggles, temptations, and pain as human beings. Jesus Came To Seek And Save The Lost.
Jesus came to seek those who are far away from God, who is lost and alone in this world, and who want to know His love and forgiveness.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
~ 1 Corinthians 15:22
The first part of this verse is straightforward. In Adam, we all die. But what does the second half mean?
Basically, it means that because Jesus died for us and rose from the dead, we were also born again with him.
To put it in simpler terms: because he bought us back from death with his sacrifice, we can now be born again by our belief in him as our Lord and Savior.
John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
~ John 5:24
This is one of the best-known Bible verses in the Bible. It’s also one of the most encouraging, especially to those who are struggling with the loss of a loved one.
The good news is that we can live forever! All we have to do is hear Jesus’s words and believe in him as God’s son. If we do this, we will be saved from eternal condemnation and be granted eternal life.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
~ Romans 3:23
This bible verse means that every one of us has sinned. We’ve all done things that we probably shouldn’t have, and it’s important to remember that we are not alone in this.
So, what does this mean? Well, it means that none of us are perfect. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes.
But the Bible also says in John 3:16, “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.”
Jesus died for our sins so we wouldn’t have to die for them. He took our punishment for us and rose from the dead three days later.
Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
~ Hebrews 7:25
This bible portion goes into great detail about how Jesus can save us from our sins. It is a very important verse because it explains that Jesus can save those who come to God through him.
The writer of Hebrews uses the words “always” and “forever” when talking about Jesus. This is important because it shows that Jesus will always be there for us when we need him.
The writer also says that Jesus did not need to offer sacrifices on behalf of his own sins because he did not sin. The sacrifice he made on our behalf was enough! This is good news indeed.
What does the Bible say about the gift of salvation?
The gift of salvation is found in Jesus Christ. He is God’s only Son, sent to earth to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29; 3:16). Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to God but through Him (John 14:6).
Jesus suffered and died on a cross as payment for our sins. He was buried, then rose again three days later. Because of His death and resurrection, we can be saved from sin and death by trusting in Him. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). But, we are promised that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Forgiveness of sins is available to us because Jesus freely chose to take our place. He made Himself nothing by taking on humanity; He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him above all things and gave Him a name
What did Jesus say about eternal life?
Jesus said many things about eternal life, the most famous of which is probably John 3:16 “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.”
But perhaps even more significant is what Jesus didn’t say. Eternal life was not a new concept for those of Jesus’ day. It had been taught by their religious leaders for generations.
The Pharisees and Sadducees taught that the righteous would receive eternal life as a reward for their goodness. However, Jesus did not teach this. He did not teach that eternal life was a reward for being good, but rather that it was a gift from God to be received by faith in Christ alone.
Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-30) is a perfect example of this. This young man approached Jesus and asked him what he must do to inherit eternal life (referring to the Jewish teaching that eternal life was reserved for those who lived good lives). So Jesus asked him if he had kept all of God’s commandments.
When he answered yes, Jesus told him that there was still one thing he lacked. He must sell all his possessions and give the
