The Gospel Message Has Been Overcomplicated - But It Doesn't Have to Be
This might be the most important question you'll ever ask: "How can I be saved?" Maybe you've felt like salvation is some complex puzzle you need to solve, or like you need a theology degree to understand how to get to heaven. I'm here to tell you something that might surprise you: salvation is beautifully simple.
As Christians, we sometimes make the gospel more complicated than God intended. We create elaborate formulas, lengthy prayers, and multi-step processes that can actually confuse people who are genuinely seeking God. But when we look at Scripture, we find that God uses 6 simple, everyday words to describe how someone can be saved.
Six Simple Biblical Steps to Salvation
1. COME - The First Step is Always Toward Christ
The Bible's invitation starts with one simple word: come. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Notice Jesus doesn't say "figure it out" or "earn your way." He simply says come.
Hebrews 7:25 tells us He "is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him"
Revelation 22:17 extends the invitation: "let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely"
Just like you can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink, we can't force someone to come to Christ. But we can certainly "put some salt in their oats" - make them thirsty for spiritual things by being the salt of the earth in this lost and dying world.
2. TAKE - Accepting God's Free Gift
The second simple word is take. In John 7:37, Jesus proclaimed, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."
God isn't asking you to earn salvation - He's offering it as a free gift. You just need to take it. This isn't about your performance or worthiness; it's about accepting what Christ has already done for you.
3. TASTE - Experience God's Goodness for Yourself
Here's where it gets beautiful: that cup Jesus asked the Father to pass from Him in Matthew 26:39? It didn't pass. Hebrews 2:9 tells us that Jesus "by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Jesus tasted death so you could taste life. Psalm 34:8 invites you to "taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
He tasted death for you - now you can taste and see His goodness.
4. LOOK - The Simplest Act of Faith
Remember the story in Numbers 21 when Moses lifted up the bronze serpent? All the people had to do was look and live. Jesus referenced this exact story in John 3:14-15: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
It's that simple - look and live.
Isaiah 45:22 makes God's invitation crystal clear: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."
Not look to your good works. Not look to your religious activities. Just look to Jesus.
5. SEEK - But Here's the Beautiful Truth About Seeking
Now you might be thinking, "Wait a minute - doesn't Romans say there's none that seeketh after God?" You're absolutely right. Romans tells us that in our natural state, nobody seeks God.
But here's the beautiful truth: God seeks us first.
Luke 19:10 says, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." When we tell someone to "seek the Lord," we're really telling them to respond to the God who's already seeking them.
The Holy Spirit convicted you before you ever thought about seeking God. As Acts 7:51 shows us, people "resist the Holy Ghost" - but you can only resist something that's already pressing upon you.
God is seeking you right now. Will you stop resisting and seek Him back?
6. TRUST - The Foundation of Simple Faith
Finally, the Bible calls us to trust. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
Ephesians 1:12-13 beautifully describes this trust: "That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation."
Will you trust the word of truth? Will you trust the gospel? Will you trust Jesus?
Why Simple Faith Works in Our Complicated World
Living in our nation today, it's easy to put our trust in everything except Jesus Christ. We trust in our military might, our wealth, our technology, our own abilities. Isaiah 31:1 warns against those who "trust in chariots because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong: but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel."
Our only hope - as individuals and as a nation - is to look to Jesus Christ.
I believe we're living in a time when revival could break out, especially as we see the seeds of persecution beginning to sprout. Wouldn't it be incredible to see a Great Awakening in our lifetime? It can happen, but only if people start looking to God instead of looking to all the other things they put their faith and trust in.
The Beauty of Being Washed Clean
One of the most beautiful pictures of salvation is found in the word "wash." Psalm 51:2 pleads, "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 lists all kinds of sins - fornicators, idolaters, thieves, drunkards - then says something amazing: "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
You can be washed today. Not by going through a priest, but directly through the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5).
It All Comes Down to Submission
At the heart of salvation is this question: Will you submit to God?
James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God." This is why people struggle with all other forms of submission - to spiritual leaders, to government, even in marriage. If you won't submit to God, you won't truly submit to anyone else.
But here's the wonderful thing: when you submit to God, He gives you the grace to handle all other relationships properly. Submission to God makes everything else work.
The Call to Simple Faith
Salvation isn't complicated. It's not about repeating magic words or answering six questions correctly. It's not about your performance or your ability to keep yourself saved.
It's about responding to God's simple invitations:
Come to Jesus
Take His free gift
Taste and see His goodness
Look to Him and live
Seek Him (as He seeks you)
Trust in His finished work
Romans 10:13 promises, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." You don't need special words - if your house was on fire, you'd know what to say: "Help!" If the Holy Spirit is working in your life, you'll know what to say: "Lord, save me! Lord, I know I'm a sinner!"
Will you call upon the Lord today?
The Time is Now
Friend, if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, don't overcomplicate it. Don't wait until you have all your questions answered or until you feel "good enough."
Just come. Just take. Just taste. Just look. Just seek. Just trust.
God loves you so much that He sent His Son to taste death for you. Jesus became acquainted with grief so you could be acquainted with God. He was rejected so you could be received.
Will you receive Him today?
🎧 📖 Want to hear the complete message? This blog post only scratches the surface of this powerful expository preaching on simple faith in Christ. Listen to the full verse-by-verse Bible teaching sermon to get the complete biblical foundation for these truths. [Click here to listen to the entire message] - you'll be blessed by this clear, systematic exposition of God's Word!