Thursday, May 28, 2009

Jesus, the Christ

The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:18) Our sin—our imperfection--separates us from a perfect and holy God.

BUT...

Never has so much meaning been applied to such a small, three-letter word.

1. Our sin separates us from a holy, pure God…. but God has offered us the gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

2. The payment for our sins is a spiritual death--separation from God in this life and the next….but God loves us and sent His Son to pay for our sins.

“God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

3. No one can pay for our sins…but Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because He is God Himself.

              “Jesus answered them…‘I and the Father are one!’”  (John 10:30)

4. Jesus said that there is no other way to heaven…but by Him.

“Jesus said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.’" (John 14:6)

5. There is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness or a place in heaven—we cannot be good enough…but if we will believe in Jesus the Christ--the anointed One, the Messiah, the Savior--as our personal Lord and Savior, our sins will be forgiven and we will live with God forever.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”  (John 11:25-26)

6. This gift is offered freely to everyone….but…no buts on this one!  God’s free gift of salvation is open to anyone anywhere who will choose to put their faith in Him…including you!

               For everyone, ‘whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”  (Romans 10:13)

Will you put your faith in Jesus Christ right now?  Will you accept His payment on the cross for your sins and be forgiven right at this moment?  If you have never received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, whether you have grown up in church or not, whether you have been baptized or not, you can pray to receive Him right now, right where you are.

In your own words, just talk to God and acknowledge your sins and tell Him you want to accept the gift of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord.  It can go something like this:

Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sins.  Thank you for dying on the cross as my payment for every wrong thing I have ever done.  Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
That's it! You are now a son or a daughter of the King!
"So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 
You can now be assured that your sins are forgiven. 
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

And you can be assured that the Lord will welcome you into heaven when you pass from this earth. The Holy Spirit now lives in you to teach you and to give you the spiritual power, strength, peace and comfort you need to make godly decisions and as you face the difficulties there are in this life.
   
If you don't already have one, I encourage you to get your own copy of God's love letter to you: the Bible. And then read, read, read. Talk to Him about every concern, every worry, every burden you carry and He will give you the strength and wisdom to handle each situation.  And He will give your life meaning as He pours out His love and joy into your life as you daily walk with Him, getting to know Him through prayer and the reading of His Word.  Nurture your relationship with your Lord.   He loves you and nothing can or will separate you from His love.
 
I also encourage you to ask the Lord to lead you to a good, Bible-teaching church where you can be baptized and taught God's Word, where you can join with a group of believers for love and encouragement and where you can serve Him with the unique gifts He’s given to you.

And if you prayed this prayer, I'd love to hear from you! Please email me or leave me a comment below telling me of your decision for Christ, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have as well.

God bless you!
Dorci

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Thanks for sharing!