Salvation is an act of Gods grace when He hears your prayer, reads your heart, and then indwells and seals you by His Holy Spirit. There is nothing man can do to guarantee or command God to send His Holy Spirit into another man. This would be becoming God by controlling the power of life and death. This should immediately dismiss and reveal many false teachings about salvation:

1. Baptism saves : sprinkling water does not command the Holy Spirit. Babies can't repent.

2. Ceremonies / "Confirmation" : You cannot sign up for a class, recite certain words, and guarantee anyone has truly repented in their heart and seen and understood their sin. I have interviewed countless people who were confirmed by their denomination but not saved.

3. "The Sinners Prayer" : Many people have made false professions of faith. They come to Jesus to claim a ticket for heaven but did not repent or believe He is fully God. There are no certain words that guarantee salvation. God cares about the condition of your heart. You can't recite a few sentences and be saved. Simply admitting to sin or being sorry for sin is not repentance which is an act of the will to change and turn away.

4. Emotional Experience: Many people have made false professions of faith in an emotional experience. They did not really repent, believe Jesus Christ is God, or that He really was raised from the dead. God cares about the heart. The popular feel good, positive/motivational preachers today are afraid of the real Gospel. They have people running to Jesus for a better life and to feel good about themselves because a "God of love is for you". God is for you and loves you but you must meet the gravity of sin and state of separation (death) head on and repent before a Holy and righteous God. The real Gospel is good news and positive because Jesus did it all for you on the cross exactly because He loves you!

Isaiah 64:6 - "But we all are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags"

5. Intellectual Belief: Understanding and believing in your mind that Jesus is God and died for your sins does not save you. It's all about the heart. "Believing" in the Bible is a verb that means to continually put ones faith and trust in. It is something you are doing all the time. Christianity is a relationship not religion or a certain set of moral beliefs. It is Christ in you.

6. Church Membership: Being a member of a church does not make anyone a Christian. No institution, pastor, or priest can guarantee your salvation. God alone guarantees salvation.

7. "Good Deeds/Works" : Many people are taught that our good deeds earn points towards heaven. Once again there is nothing you can do to receive the Holy Spirit except ask God by grace. The entire New Testament clearly teaches salvation is Nothing But Grace. You can volunteer, sing in the choir, be an usher, help at the local shelter, and everything else and go right to hell.

God did everything on the cross. To suggest man needs to do anything at all is telling God that His perfect sacrifice was not enough to save man. He did it all so you can be free!

"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, he gave up His spirit." John 19:30