How to Become a Child of HaShem
What is Salvation?
Being saved or delivered from the penalty of sin is known as “salvation“. Each of us was born a sinner, and as a result, we are deserving of eternal death. Death is the result of sin—not just physical death, but also permanent estrangement from God. For you to be forgiven of your sins, you must be willing to repent, ask for forgiveness, and have faith that we have a Savior and Lord in Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose from the grave.
How Are We Saved?
God’s immense love for us is described in John 3:16–17 and John 10:10. He wants us to come to Him out of love, not just because we are afraid of going to Hell. We must realize our need for Him and approach Him as our true selves. He longs for us to speak with Him and get to know Him. He is open to hearing about our needs and sins.
More than 2,000 years ago, God showed us how much He loved us by sending His Son, Yeshua/Jesus, to die in our place for the penalty of our sins. Yeshua spent 33 years living as a man on Earth, so He can relate to us. He was sinless, perfectly obeying the Commandments of God, and paid the penalty for sin by giving Himself on the cross as the ideal sacrifice. He was buried, arose from the dead three days later, and ascended into Heaven, where He now acts as our advocate (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34).
Don’t Good People Go to Heaven?
Many believe that if they are nice, do not commit any crimes, and try to do the right thing, they will be accepted into God’s Kingdom and rewarded with Paradise. Some believe that they must be baptized, obey God’s Commandments, or be members of a certain denomination for this to happen. However, according to Romans 3:23, none of us can fully approach God without a covering because God, being holy, cannot look upon sin. Everybody sins, and according to Romans 6:23, the price of sin is death. Nothing we do will gain us entry into Paradise. It is only through faith in the finished work of the Messiah that we have any hope of salvation.
God provided a way by sending His Son, Yeshua, to die in our place! While none of us are deserving of Paradise on our own, we can look forward to spending eternity with the Messiah if we repent for our wrongdoings, turn from the life we used to live, and ask Him into our lives. What matters is what the Messiah has done for you, not what good deeds you have done to try to earn salvation (Ephesians 2:8). What God’s Word says to you matters more than any feelings you may have (1 John 5:11–13) or what a pastor or teacher has said. Yeshua provides the only path to salvation. Yeshua is the only One who can defeat sin and evil (Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 2:14–15; 1 John 3:8), and it is by His power that we can live triumphant lives. “Thus, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here,” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
What is Repentance?
Admitting your sinfulness to God is the first step towards salvation. Repentance implies “turning back“, feeling sorry for breaking God’s Commandments, and resolving to change. We should not keep pleading with God for forgiveness of our transgressions, only to commit them again and hope for His pardon. As much as we are able, we must turn away from our lifestyle of sin (the transgression of God’s Law) and accept the Messiah as our Lord and Savior through faith. We will all continue to sin because we are all humans, but what matters most is that we feel genuine regret for our transgressions and want to make amends.
Once you acknowledge Yeshua as Lord of your life and ask God to pardon your sins, you should give thanks to God for His acceptance and love for you. According to Revelation 3:20, Yeshua enters our hearts through the Holy Spirit and stays there if we fully commit ourselves to Him. We have to give our all to Him and put all our faith in Him to be our Savior and Lord. By accepting the Messiah, you can have total hope in eternal life and enjoy the blessings that follow through an intimate acquaintance with Him. This is the simple way to gain salvation. It’s not complicated. However, for a more detailed explanation of repentance, please see our post, “True Biblical Repentance.“
You are saved if you have completed these steps! Welcome to the Family! Accepting God’s offer of salvation signifies that you have accepted God’s love and forgiveness, are adopted into His family, and can enjoy fellowship with His people—fellow Believers—as objects of His love and forgiveness. As God’s child, you are set free from the penalty of sin and have been grafted into Israel; you are literally a citizen of the spiritual Commonwealth of Israel. The Bible assures you of eternal life with HaShem (Romans 10:9–10)
What Do I Do Now?
You have now entered into a covenant with the Creator. Entering into a covenant puts responsibilities on both parties, much like entering into a marriage. Both parties to the covenant have responsibilities toward each other. God will always honor His side of the bargain, and it’s up to us to honor our side.
Since “sin” is described as the “transgression of the Law” (1 John 3:4), we are now, as God’s people, responsible for being obedient to Him. Some believe that once we are saved, we are freed from our obligation to obey God’s Law, but this is a misinterpretation of the Scriptures that causes many Believers to miss out on God’s blessings.
We must understand this concept because the more obedient we are, the more blessings God bestows upon us and the more truth He will give us about who He is and His plan for our lives. It’s important to understand that our purpose as Believers is to glorify God in our lives and to be a good witness to those who are without Him. We are to live in such a way that unbelievers want what we have found. We are called to be “peculiar people” (1 Pet. 2:9), which means that we are not to live, act, or conduct our lives like those who do not know Him. We are to be different.
We are Yeshua’s disciples, and as such, we are to walk as our Jewish Messiah walked. During His time on earth, Yeshua obeyed the Commandments of the Father, worshiped on the 7th-day Sabbath, and celebrated the Appointed Times. If we commit to follow after Him, we are called to be like Him. This is the essence of the commitment we made when we entered into covenant with HaShem. We are not to do things our way, but God’s way.
To further your spiritual growth in the Way of Life, continue reading the information in First Things. These steps will provide insight into living an abundant life by following the Messiah. Also, check out recommended reading materials to jump-start your Torah-observant walk with the Lord.
May the Creator of the Universe bless you and keep you; may He make His face to shine on you and give you shalom (peace).
