Satan, by his influence in the modern church has greatly confused the masses, and so-called Christians, and even some who are Christians as to when salvation took place. So instead of beating around the bush, I will answer the question, it took place on the Cross 2,000 years ago, when Jesus died and rose again 3 days later. When Jesus made the sacrifice, that is WHEN salvation took place, when He rose again that is WHEN the confirmation of His sacrifice was realized.

God is omniscient, all-knowing. Salvation then cannot be an on-going ideology or a process, it is was event which happened! This is VERY IMPORTANT to understand, because many have this idea that God has some sort of list and by your choice, you decide to be saved or not. Or that God is deciding like the ideology of Santa Clause who is “naughty or nice”. No! If saved, you were saved 2,000 years ago, that is WHEN Jesus paid your sin debt!

Roman Catholicism for example perverts this Gospel greatly by saying the sacrifice is still on-going, and by their blood-less sacrifice of the Mass, Catholics are gradually being saved. Others believe their salvation came at their desired point in time, “it was Janaury 1, 1991”, or some other date they believe their salvation took place and use this in their testimony. Or “it was when I was baptized on (such and such date)”. They are sadly mistaken! Now they MAY have been saved, but got the time frame wrong by either a humanistic approach or a preacher who led them to believe something different.

It is when God gives a rebirth, when you are born-again, that is WHEN you realize what Jesus did for you 2,000 years ago, that He saved you at that point in time. Your heart being turned on by God finally is made to understand the gravity of this. Your salvation happened on the CROSS, not sometime you chose, it was when God chose to save you from all eternity, paid for by Jesus, fully redeemed, and when the Holy Spirit came upon you, it is THEN you realized your salvation, that you were SAVED (past tense).

When God gives a rebirth, a regeneration, your heart and mind is changed, it is regenerated. And THEN you place your faith alone in Jesus, again realizing what Jesus did for you 2,000 years ago. If you aren’t placing your faith alone in Him, most likely you aren’t born-again and/or forgiven by what He did! Why? Because an unregenerated heart won’t have any faith in Jesus or place their faith alone in Him. Romans 8:7-11 is clear, one who has not been indwelled by the Holy Spirit will NOT have faith in Jesus, because they are incapable of doing so.

You might hear some say “you need to get saved”, and my response is “IF you have been saved, it was 2,000 years ago when Jesus paid your sin debt”. So there really is no “getting saved” or “I got saved” at some point in the present, because that salvation happened! It is when you are born-again, at that point the realization comes in, and you place your faith alone in Jesus, you realize you were SAVED, past tense, by His work.

Another IMPORTANT point to make in this, if salvation occurs when you freely choose, then the sacrifice Jesus made did not complete, it isn’t finished, and God would be no longer omniscient. Jesus would not KNOW who He saved or what sins He paid for when He died, again negating God being “all-knowing”.

Paul and Silas in Acts 16:30-31 told the Philippian jailer when he asked “what must I do to be saved”, their response was “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”. Because just as I said, IF the jailer’s heart was turned on by God, he would place his faith alone in Jesus now realizing what Jesus did for him on the Cross, which is forgiveness of ALL his sin!

Again, this is VERY IMPORTANT to understand. If you desire salvation, believe on Jesus, believe in Him alone that He alone paid for each and every one of your sins, not now, but 2,000 years ago when He was tortured and died in your place on the Cross. Only THEN when you claim salvation, you can say you were saved by His sacrifice, NOT BY YOUR CHOICE, but His choice (past tense). Not by your self righteousness, but His perfect righteousness. Only then, you will realize what Paul was saying by “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” because of the ENORMITY in the cost of which Jesus purchased you by!