Jesus is God’s son.
He is wholly God and wholly man. God sent Him to earth to be the atoning sacrifice once for all – for all of our sins. Whose sins? Everyone’s sins. The sins of the whole world. Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, and later in His 30’s he began His ministry. After roughly 3 years teaching and preaching, the time came when He was arrested, tried, and sent to a Roman cross to be crucified and killed. He died on a cross, taking on all mankind’s sins. But after 3 days, He rose from the dead. He spent a few more days on earth meeting with His disciples giving them final instructions. Then he ascended into Heaven with God and the Holy Spirit was sent down to live withing all of those who accept Jesus as their savior.
The reason God made you and me is so that we can know Him. But nobody can please God on their own. It’s impossible, because it’s our human nature to turn away from what God wants and to do what we want. This is called sin, and it separates us from God. The only way we can be reconciled to God is through Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us. His death cleaned us of our sins, so we can have a relationship with God. C.S. Lewis summed it up in MERE CHRISTIANITY: “Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement; he is a rebel who must lay down his arms.”
The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does “all” mean? It means ALL of us. We are ALL sinners. But it’s not because of what we’ve done–it’s because of WHO WE ARE.
Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death . . .” It’s our sinful nature that separates us from God and makes us worthy of eternal separation from Him, not just any single thing we’ve done. But don’t just stop reading Romans 6:23 right there. Read the second part of it “. . .but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Praise God!
So what can we do? The Bible says in John 3:3, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” What does this mean? It means that we must become totally new on the inside to be able to please God. How do we do this? We must become like Jesus, the Son of God, the only person who has ever done this.
Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There is nobody else in history who has been able to please God and pay the price of perfection–of being like God–which God demands from us. So what do we do?
The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (rescued from your sin).”
Right now, ask yourself these questions:
Are you a sinner?
Do you want to be rescued from your sin?
Do you believe Jesus Christ is God’s son and has paid God’s price of perfection for us by giving God his life–dying on the cross–then rising from the dead in victory over sin and death?
Are you willing to surrender control of your life to Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to invite Jesus to into your life and into your heart?
If so, pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me enough to send your son Jesus into this world to show me how I can know You. I believe Jesus is your son whom you sent to this earth. I believe He died and paid the price for my sin so that I wouldn’t have to, and rose from the dead in victory over sin. I’m ready to give up my control of my life and want to let Jesus have control. Please forgive me of my sin and make me like You. Lord Jesus, come into my life and and be my Savior and my Lord. Thank you for loving me enough to die for me. Show me how to live for You and follow You always. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
(reading it and praying it are two different things. if you’ve read it and agree with it, then pray to God, He’s listening)
If you have prayed this prayer, then PRAISE GOD and welcome to the family! What does this mean? It means you’ve been rescued from your sin and are now a child of God. It means you’re a Christian, you’re saved by God’s grace, and you’re forgiven. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What does “everyone” mean? It means EVERYONE. It means YOU. YOU have now been rescued and set free from your old way of life by Jesus.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
Go Tell someone!
Read the Bible regularly and frequently–it’s your spiritual food and strength. Find a version of the Bible which is easy to read. (I prefer the New International Version.) Begin reading in the Gospel of John. Learn as much as you can about Jesus.
Pray every day. Prayer is conversation with God. You can pray any time, no matter what you’ve done. God wants to talk with you, and Jesus promised He would never turn away anyone who came to Him. (John 6:37).
Find a church congregation where Jesus Christ is honored, where the Bible is taught and where everyone is welcomed. Connect with other Christians; God will provide you with strength, joy, and accountability through relationships with other people who have made Jesus their Savior.
Tell even more people about how Jesus has rescued you from your sin and has given you a brand new life!
If I can help you in any way, e-mail me at hillthread@gmail.com. My name is Ryan Yates.
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May God bless you with His peace and His most excellent harmonies.
