John 3:16 (The Promise!)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 6:39-40 (The Confidence)
This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:47 (The Assurance)
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (The Basis)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Romans 8:38-39 (Comprehensive)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (The Exchange)
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 John 5:11-13 (Just Believe)
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son… These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone.
This is the promise of God.
Jesus doesn't leave the offer vague. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). He repeats it in John 6: everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day (John 6:40) — and again, plainly stated, he who believes has eternal life (John 6:47). Believing God's promise, that is faith alone in Christ alone, is the one and only condition for receiving eternal life.
Faith at its very essence is trusting God at His word. Since it is His promise, it is not based on something we do in order to earn. As the Bible says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is a gift and is the very foundation of God's promise to the one believing in Jesus.
Here's why that foundation is pure gift: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). As a gift, Christ took what was yours — sin — and in exchange freely gave you what was His — His own perfect righteousness in its place. This is a finished transaction He accomplished once for all. Faith simply receives what God's promise has freely given and now provides.
Because of what Jesus finished on the Cross — He died for your sins and rose on the third day — the promise of eternal life is yours. By faith you can stand forgiven of every sin: past, present, and future. All of it rests on His finished work on the Cross for you. And once you're standing there, nothing moves you off it. The Apostle Paul lists everything that might try — death, life, angels, powers, height, depth — and says none of it will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). John adds the closing word: so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13). Not maybe — know. Do you believe His promise of the forgiveness of your sins and the promise of His gift of eternal life?
Faith alone in Christ alone. That's your foundation — settled, finished, yours.
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission, www.lockman.org.