Christonly 

John 3:16 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.

To be saved means to be rescued from harm or danger.  Based on the authority of Scripture, all mankind is under the sentence of sin and death, and in danger of eternal condemnation (Jo. 3:18, 36; Rom. 1:18; 3:9-10, 23).  The good news, according to Scripture, is that God saves sinners based on the substitutionary work of Jesus who died in their place.  On the cross, Jesus bore the punishment that belongs to sinners, and offers eternal life to those who accept His free gift of salvation.  God punished sin as His justice required, and saves the sinner as His love desires.  But the unsaved person must receive the free gift of eternal life by believing Jesus is the Savior, trusting in Him alone for salvation. 

Romans 3:10 As it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one.”

Some men dare to trust in themselves that they are righteous and good enough to earn acceptance into heaven.  This is wrong according to Scripture, which teaches that all men are dead in sin (Rom. 5:12, 17-19; Eph. 2:1-2), and “helpless” to save themselves (Rom. 5:6).  The Scripture is clear that God saves sinners, “not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy” (Tit. 3:5).  By sending His Son to the cross to die in the place of sinful men, God has rejected human good as a way of earning salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).  Following a set of rules will not get anyone into heaven (Rom. 3:20; 5:20; Gal. 2:16).

Some might ask how God can be a just Judge and at the same time declare righteous those who are guilty of sin?  God's righteous demand against sin was satisfied when His wrath was poured out on Jesus who died in the place of the sinner (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Jo. 2:2).  Scripture declares that Christ "died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God" (1 Pet. 3:18a).  God loves sinners and provides salvation to those who accept His free gift by trusting in Christ who died in their place (Jo. 3:16; Rom. 5:8).  Men are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).  According to Scripture, God is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). 

Jesus alone is the Savior, and to trust Him for salvation is to have eternal life, and to be rescued from eternal condemnation (Rom. 8:1; Rev. 20:14-15).  The Scripture states that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  Jesus stated “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me” (Jo. 14:6).  This is good news to those who accept it. 

The gospel is the good news that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scripture” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  To be saved, one needs to understand the offer of salvation and accept it by faith, believing that Jesus will save those who look to Him.  “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).