Salvation is simple (from a friend)
We are separated from God—we cannot see God, we don't hear His voice, we are trapped in a world of hate and deceit and pain, and we have no contact with God. The reason for this is that God is holy and righteous and we are not. We are born with innate sin. Those who have children know that the child's first two words are "momma" and "daddy" (or vocatives to that effect), and the third word is invariably "no!" This is the expression of the innate old sin nature. I know that some of you believe, or want to believe, that man is inherently good, and I am forced to admit that in just about every person I have met, there is some good in them. However, there is also in every person that I have met, a tendency to lie, or steal, or cheat, or to be self-righteous, or greedy, or self-centered. Somewhere in that person are imperfections. I don't care how wonderful a person is, ask any married person by week 3 or 4—their spouse, with whom they are madly in love, has some imperfections, even some characteristics predilections which are wrong. We cannot have fellowship with a perfect and holy God while we are in sin. His righteousness and justice demands that a penalty be paid for any sin committed against Him. This punishment is eternal separation from Him. We receive a taste of that separation from God here on earth. We receive a taste of living with man in possession of his old sin nature here on earth. Our salvation was obtained by Jesus Christ through His payment for our wrongdoings. On the cross, He received the equivalent of an eternity of separation from God on our behalf. The punishment which we deserved, He took upon Himself. We cannot merit salvation, we cannot appropriate this substitutionary atonement by our works. We cannot dedicate our lives to Jesus Christ, we cannot promise Him that we will behave, we cannot grit our teeth and do whatever it takes to become better people, we cannot ask Jesus into our hearts or lives; there is nothing that we can do to make up for our guilt before God. Our salvation is a free gift which we appropriate be believing in Jesus Christ; by relying upon what He did on our behalf on the cross; by depending entirely upon Him for salvation. This eliminates works, intentions, promises, sincerity, and everything else from the picture. Therefore, what we do prior to salvation and what we do after salvation does not affect what Christ did on our behalf on the cross and cannot remove salvation once it is given to us. I realize that is unpalatable to some. What we do after salvation certainly is addressed in the Bible—however, no matter what we do after salvation, it cannot nullify salvation, for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).