Know
Jesus
Christianity
is rooted in a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus
Christ. Going to church every week or doing good deeds are
great, but they do not in themselves lead to salvation. The
Bible is very clear that we must repent of our sin and accept
the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in
order to be brought to peace with God (cf. Romans 5). A question
for us to consider:
Is there HOPE?
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By
his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"
- 1 Peter 1:3
Here's the Problem: We've disobeyed
God. 'Sin' comes from an archery term meaning, 'To miss the
mark.' If we miss by a millimeter or a mile, we've still missed
the mark. Scripture diagnoses us in Romans 3:23 - "All
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The
penalty of this sin is death and separation from God if it
remains unforgiven (cf. Romans 6:23). God is Just - He must
punish our sin. Jesus spoke of a place called Hell, which
involves punishment for a sentence of eternity (cf. Mark 9:42-48,
Matthew 10:28; Revelation 20:12-15)
Open your Heart: There's a remedy!
God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus came to live a sinless
life so that He could take our place before God as a sacrifice
for our sins (cf. Hebrews 9:25-10:4). Jesus suffered and died
on the Cross, dying in our place. We must accept His sacrifice,
taking on His righteousness and receiving the forgiveness
of Almighty God for the sins for which we must give account.
God is Merciful - He has sacrificed His only Son to bring
us back to Him so that we could live free from the condemnation
which sin brings in this life, and so that we could live with
Him in Heaven (cf. John 3:16-18, Romans 8:1ff.). However,
the story doesn't end there - Jesus also resurrected from
the dead to show that God approved this Sacrifice as well
as to show that He has power over death and life, able to
resurrect us from the dead in the end times (cf. 1 Corinthians
15).
Pray for Salvation... Jesus
claimed to be the only Way to God (John 14:6). Accept His
Sacrifice for you by faith. Ask God to forgive you of your
sins, accept Jesus' sacrifice, believe in Him and start to
walk in newness of life. "Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
And if you've made that extremely important and significant
decision:
Envision growth... As a follower
of Christ, take time to pray, read the Bible, get connected
with a local body of believers, and tell others about the
good news of Jesus Christ! A decision to follow after Jesus
is a lifetime commitment, and it does involve many sacrifices
and hardships (cf. Luke 9:23, Philippians 1:29).
If you have any questions or have made any decision, let
us know. We want to help you grow in relationship with our
Lord.
But really, if the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart,
don't ignore Him.
