What do the Beads Mean on a Salvation Bracelet?

In the New Testament book of Acts, the disciple Phillip encounters an Ethiopian reading the book of Isaiah. Phillip asks the Ethiopian man if he understands what he is reading. Verse 8:31 explains what happens next: “'How can I,' he said, 'Unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him." Just as it was then, some Christian believers today are seeking ways to tell others about the Bible. One way that is common among evangelical Christians is through a salvation bracelet. This simple bracelet contains six different colored beads, and each bead is used to illustrate a specific part of the Gospel.

The black bead represents the belief that everyone sins and that sin makes it impossible to have a relationship with God. This belief is a key component to the Christian faith. The verses used to accompany this bead are Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The red bead symbolizes the blood of Jesus and the belief that faith in Jesus and his sacrificial death are necessary for the forgiveness of sins. The belief that Jesus died on the cross to serve as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind is the core belief of the Christian faith. The verse that goes along with the red bead is Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The white bead stands for purity and the Christian teaching that once you put your faith in Jesus, your sins are forgiven and you are made pure. 1 John 3:5 is the verse used alongside this bead, and it says, "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin."

The blue bead represents water baptism, which is a way of outwardly expressing the inward change that has happened. The supporting verse is Acts 2:41, "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." The majority of evangelical Christian churches baptize people who have recently put their faith in Christ.

The green bead is to help teach the need for continued growth in the faith. 2 Peter 3:18 instructs believers to, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." This verse is used to encourage new believers to continue to study the Bible, attend church, pray and learn.

The gold bead represents the streets of heaven lined with gold. Believers look to the day where Jesus will return to earth to take his followers to heaven with him. Jesus says in John 14:2-3, "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."