“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16: 16
The question is, “How does a sinner become a believer, is it our work or God’s?” If someone who loves you gave you a gift, do you have to accept it as your gift in order for it to be your gift? Absolutely not! It is your gift from someone who loves you. So is there anything wrong with stating that you accept Jesus as your Savior? One should ask oneself, “Do I feel that because I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, that I am now saved?” Do people think that Jesus will now be on their side and good things will follow? Do they think that Jesus is happier with them or love them more now that they have finally accepted him as their Savior? This is exactly what the Devil wants us to think. He wants us to think we had a part in saving ourselves. He wants us to think that Jesus does not have enough power to save us by himself. These types of thoughts keep us from understanding the totality of God’s power and love for us. If our salvation was done 99% by God and 1% was our responsibility, we’d always live in uncertainty and doubt whether we have done enough. Rather, God has completed salvation from a to z, not only did he live, die, and rise for our forgiveness, but he also worked faith in our hearts to believe it! God says in his word that all glory shall be given to him. We give glory to God for working faith in our hearts. If we believe we have to accept Jesus as our Savior when he already is our Savior, we rob glory from God unknowingly. What joy and peace this gives Christians knowing that God loves us so much that he doesn’t ask us to do anything to help ensure our salvation, he has done it all for us.
God’s Word on accepting Jesus. NIV:
1 Cor. 10:31: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
John 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
-Also see: Eph. 2:1,1Peter 4:11, 2 Tim. 4:18,1 Cor. 1:30-31, 1 Cor. 2:14, Ps. 65:3-4 ,
1 Cor. 12:3, Matthew 16: 16-17