The Problem
God is perfect in His holiness. He cannot tolerate sin, cannot look upon sin, and cannot have a relationship with anyone who has sin until the penalty for that sin has been paid and the sin removed. Without someone to save us, we would pay our own penalty in the desolation of a real place called Hell, completely and eternally separated from God.

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

“for the wages of sin is death.”  Romans 6:23a

The Solution
Even though we were sinners, and deserved to suffer our own punishment, God loved us and sent Jesus, His sinless, only Son, to save us. Jesus loved us, and agreed to take our punishment upon Himself.

“but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:23b

“God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

This SALVATION that God provided to us, through faith in Jesus Christ, cannot be earned. It is a gift that only He can give.“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”  Ephesians 2:8

Jesus died for our sins, and God raised Him from the dead, so we could have the gift of salvation — eternal life in Him. We accept that gift by:
Believing in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God - that he died for us - and that God raised Him from the dead. Repenting: turning away from our sins. Confessing: acknowledging our belief in Jesus, and that we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.

"If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation."  Romans 10:9-10

When we accept the gift of salvation, we also receive the Holy Spirit … the Helper that Jesus promised would come, after Jesus returned to Heaven … Who lives within the heart of every believer, comforting us and teaching us how to live a Christ-centred life.

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.” John 14:16

Then we acknowledge to others that we have accepted this wonderful gift of salvation, when we are buried with Christ by baptism.

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”  Romans 6:4