Salvation: Does “giving your life to the Lord” provide it?

Aren’t there many people who use this or similar verbiage to describe the occasion of their salvation? Is it any wonder that there’s so much confusion about the means to one’s salvation? Does such an act provide salvation or is there something else? If it is gained by giving one’s life to the Lord, where is that stated in the Bible? When I think of such statements, I’m reminded of these two verses of Scripture—

Romans 12:1-2

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [Emphasis added]

Question: To whom are these verses addressed? Aren’t they addressed to people who are ALREADY saved? Isn’t this addressed to saints, people who have already accepted God’s provision for their salvation? Please note to whom this Romans passage is addressed.

Romans 1:7

⁷ To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. [Emphasis added]

This isn’t actually addressed to the whole Roman citizenry but to a particular group of people in that citizenry—the “saints” who resided there.  What is a saint? You’ll find an article that fully defines it clearly on this website—

Saint:  What does it mean to be one?

A “saint” isn’t some “holier than thou” somebody but anyone who has been “set apart” as one of God’s Heaven-bound people by having accepted our GOSPEL—good news message—

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]

In summary, this is what happened when Christ was on the cross—

2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹ For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]

It is THIS that MUST be believed for someone’s salvation to be secured. Isn’t it? Isn’t it Christ’s righteousness and not our own that is the basis for our acceptance by God for our salvation? Isn’t this what our reconciliation with God is about? Here’s the link to my article about that—

Reconciliation: What does it mean to BE reconciled?

Some people may think I’m “knit picking” about all this but I think not. Words have meaning and when people use them, they come to an understanding about what they’re hearing. The conclusion they draw from what they’re hearing may be, and I believe it often is FALSE! So many church-goers and others today believe that salvation is something you work to achieve.  But what does our apostle Paul tell us about this?

Ephesians 2:8-9

⁸ For BY GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God:

⁹ NOT of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]

Here’s the link to one of my articles that’s devoted to this subject—

Salvation: Does it have to be earned by good works?

I sometimes want to ask people—what about NOT of works—do you not understand? Could it be made any plainer? Our works of righteousness have NOTHING to do with the attainment of our salvation. Instead, it is the one work of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection that must be relied on for one’s salvation to be gained.

Titus 3:5

⁵ NOT by works of righteousness WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but according to HIS MERCY he saved us, by the washing of regeneration [PALINGENESIA = rebirth or being born again], and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [Emphasis added]

For information about regeneration, please see my article about it—

Regeneration:  Are people “born again” today?

But there are people who will want to go to the writings of James who was an apostle TO Israel to add works to our gospel.  What some foolishly refuse to accept is that this is something that’s addressed to Israel in a former time, not us now!

James 1:1

 ¹ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, TO the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. [Emphasis added]

Isn’t it James who talks about faith without works being dead?

James 2:20

²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? [Emphasis added]

Does this somehow negate what Paul says about the place of works of righteousness in our time? No! It does not! Paul says good works SHOULD come about because of or as a result of our salvation but not as the means to it.

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For WE [ones who’ve been saved by grace through faith in Christ’s work alone] are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. [Emphasis added]

But in no place does our apostle Paul tell us our works are the basis for or are required for our salvation.

Romans 4:4-5

⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward NOT reckoned of grace, but of debt.

⁵ But to him that WORKETH NOT, but BELIEVETH ON HIM that justifieth the ungodly, his FAITH is counted for righteousness. [Emphasis added]

Anyone who claims you have to “give your life to the Lord” to be saved has confused the Christian life with the means to one’s salvation.  Furthermore, anyone who would claim you have to quit sinning to be saved doesn’t know what they’re talking about.  They are an enemy to the cross, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is the apostle Paul who is our instructor and the one serving as an example for our means to salvation and more.  Notice what he says about this.

Philippians 3:17-19

¹⁷ Brethren, be followers together of ME [Paul], and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

¹⁸ (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the ENEMIES of the cross of Christ:

¹⁹ Whose end is DESTRUCTION, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) [Emphasis added]

Today it is Paul’s words that are Christ’s words for our application.

1 Corinthians 14:37-38

³⁷ If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I [Paul] write unto you are THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD.

Then notice his follow-up statement about this. How VERY appropriate!

³⁸ But if any man be IGNORANT, let him be ignorant. [Emphasis added]

And so it is today if anyone believes you have to “give your life to the Lord” to be saved.  We are told that giving our life to the Lord is something we all need to do AFTER we’ve gained salvation. 

Romans 12:1

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the MERCIES of God [because of all these blessings He’s provided for us], that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service [meaning this is the rational thing every believer should do]. [Emphasis added]

Having to commit one’s life to the Lord FOR SALVATION is a subtle form of saying you have to DO something and LIVE a certain way to earn your salvation. Everyone needs to know that such thinking represents an offer of salvation by one’s works of righteousness. But what do the Scriptures tell us about such?

Again, Titus 3:5

⁵ NOT by works of righteousness WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but according to HIS MERCY he saved us, by the washing of regeneration [PALINGENESIA = rebirth or being born again], and renewing [being made a new creation] of the Holy Ghost; [Emphasis added]

People don’t get saved by any form of personal or “religious” works of righteousness. Salvation comes to us by grace through faith in the One God provided as our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. If someday you end up in Heaven, it won’t be because of anything you ever did that made you worthy of it.  It will be solely because of your faith in that one work God did through Jesus Christ that made it available to you and to all of us.  Furthermore, it won’t be because we gave our life to Him but because Christ gave His life for us. Leave it to “religion” to get things completely turned around.  If you’ll put your faith in this that HE did for you, you’ll be saved immediately and permanently.

Again, 2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹ For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in him. [Emphasis added]

Only by HIS goodness will anyone ever be good enough to gain entrance into Heaven! As simple as this is, it seems to be such a challenge for so many. The attainment of salvation is all about letting go and letting Him provide it.  Those two verses of an old hymn state all this so simply and plainly.

Jesus Paid It All

[Verse 1]
I hear the Savior say
Thy strength indeed is small
Child of weakness, watch and pray
Find in Me thine all in all

[Chorus]
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

[Verse 2]
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone

[Chorus]
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe;
My sin had left this crimson stain
He washed it white as snow