A great First Responder is trained, dedicated, available, capable, empathetic, and willing to respond as quickly as possible. He or she must be fair, honest, trustworthy, and even willing to sacrifice their life for others.

But have you ever thought about the ultimate First Responder? Someone who would respond when life was dark, desperate, and hopeless—willing to sacrifice Himself to save others from destruction?

Nearly 2,000 years ago, this became reality. The world was full of sin and hatred. False religion and selfish politics dominated the culture, while the conquering Roman Empire oppressed the people. Hope was nearly gone. Living in a sin-cursed world, people prayed and longed for a Messiah to rescue them. It was in this darkest, most desperate hour that God looked down from heaven and sent His only Son—the ultimate First Responder.

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” – John 3:16–17

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” – John 14:6

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1

Jesus humbled Himself and became a man so that He could give His life in exchange for yours. He loves you so much that He died as your substitute, paying the penalty for your sins. Because He lived a perfect, sinless life, He could offer Himself as the only acceptable sacrifice.

Maybe you’re thinking: “Mike, you don’t know the things I’ve done. I doubt God would save someone like me. I’ve lied, cheated, and worse. Jesus’ record is perfect, and mine is not. How could He help me?”

The answer is simple: Jesus, the ultimate First Responder, will help you if you accept His gift.

Steps to salvation

Step One: you must Admit You Are a Sinner

Every one of us has sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard.

Romans 3:10 – “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’”

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Step Two: you must know That Sin Has a Penalty that must be paid

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

We all owe this wage of spiritual death; however, there is no way we can pay this penalty on our own merit.

Step Three: you must Realize That God Loves You

When Jesus died on the cross, He paid sin’s penalty. Salvation is God’s free gift to you. Do you know how much God loves you? This is how much:

Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

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

You cannot earn this gift—you must receive it.

Step Four: you must Ask God to Forgive You and Save You

Romans 10:9–10 – “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Step Five: you must Accept the Help

You must accept the help. Like any gift, salvation must be received.

Romans 10:13 – “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This is the hardest step for a First Responder. They tend not to ask for help. They don’t want to appear weak and often see Christianity as a crutch. God’s salvation is a free gift but you must reach out and take the gift before it is yours.

The ABC‘s of Salvation

1. ADMIT to God that you are a sinner. Agree with God that you need a Savior.
2. BELIEVE in Jesus Christ as God’s Son. Believe in Jesus’ Exchange, He took my penalty
3. CONFESS your faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven. Choose to receive Jesus and His free gift of salvation.

A Prayer You Can Pray

I don’t know what to pray or say to Jesus…

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins and ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior. Please exchange my sinful record for your holy one and give me eternal life in heaven. I want to trust in YOU alone. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

If you want to know about how you can walk with the Lord, please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.