Who "Qualifies" for Salvation?

There is always a catch, but in this case, what will “hook” you is how entirely pre-qualified you already are. Without a doubt, you are exactly the kind of person our God is looking for! This isn’t flattery or even a wild guess, just playing the odds, as you will soon see…

Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners." Mark 2:17 CEV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:6-10

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

An Easy Entrance Exam

The great thing about being saved by God through Jesus Christ is the very low bar. You don't have to jump high or jump through a lot of hoops. You don't have to jump through hoops at all! It's not about you and what you have to do. It is about God and what He wants to give you.

Jesus said that He only came for "those who were sick" — not the healthy.[1] The "healthy" have no interest in salvation because they don't believe that they have anything wrong with them. Even Jesus could not save people who had no use for Him or what He offered them. So, if you know you need salvation, then you are one of the "sick" whom Jesus wants to save!

But it gets better than that.

Nothing About You Can Disqualify You

There are actually four conditions — none of which are desirable—that "qualify" a person for God's love and for His saving help. Paul lists them for us in his letter to the Romans:[2]   Who "qualifies for salvation? The answer is certain to be an encouragement to you.

1. The Weak

Those who ought to be able to do better and wish they could do better but can't.

2. The Ungodly

Those who live as if living for God doesn't matter; those who don't care about God, only themselves.

3. The Sinful

Those who know what is wrong but do it anyway; those who know how they ought to live but won't.

4. Enemies of God

Those who live as if God were their enemy; those who live in direct, intentional opposition to what (they believe) God desires; those who have been living for God's enemy, the devil, rather than God.

Could you see yourself in one or more of those descriptions? Don't be afraid to admit it. This is what "qualifies" you to receive the mercy of being saved by our loving Father! The truth is none of us deserved to be saved. None of us can be good enough long enough to merit salvation. We have all fallen far short of God's uncompromising standards.[3]

Pre-qualified by a Great Love

It takes a lot of love to want to save people like us, but our Father has it: God is love.[4] It takes a lot of grace and patience to want to help people like us get saved, live saved, and stay staved all the way to heaven, but our Father has it: He is the “God of all grace”![5] It takes a lot of sacrifice to pay the penalty for all of our wrong ways and wrongdoing so that people like us can be saved, but Jesus was willing and able to do it: He is our all-sufficient Savior![6]

Take heart dear Christian (or soon to be Christian), whatever your condition may be, you have a God who is intent on saving you. He is fully prepared to do everything necessary to save you to “the uttermost.” Jesus is even praying for you when you can't find the right way to pray for yourself.

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

Since we are all fully qualified to receive God's salvation, the next logical question is how to get to heaven...

Prayer

Father, thank You for making it so clear in Your Word that You want to save someone like me. I've been seeing how far I have fallen short, how little real strength I have to do the right thing, and how little desire I have at times to live the way that I know You would want me to live. I have been so afraid that I could never qualify for Your love or for getting to heaven. Now, I'm beginning to see that no one qualifies, that it's not about our goodness, but Yours! Thank You for loving me so perfectly and for making a way for me to be saved through the sacrifice of Jesus.

On to the Next Question!

How can I get to heaven?  First, you have to give up the false idea that there is something other than a true heaven out there. Then, you need to realize that you cannot possibly “get” yourself there. Then, the rest is up to Someone else…

Free Downloads

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Endnotes