SALVATION
SIN – OUR REBELLION (The Bad News)
Even if we try to justify ourselves with thoughts like “I’m not nearly as bad as that person,” or “I live a good moral life,” the Bible tells us in Romans 3:10, “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one.” This idea is continued in Romans 3:23 ”… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Everyone has sinned in the eyes of God. All of us stand guilty before Him. While that may not be the most pleasant thing to consider as we start things out, it’s imperative that we grasp the magnitude of our sins and the urgency for a Savior. Only through this will God’s response blow us away.
Romans 6:23 tell us that “the wages of sin is death…” In this case, eternal death is the price that we must pay for sin. What is sin? Sin is simply disobedience to the will of God (1 John 3:4), and since all have sinned, all are subject to the penalty of sin and an eternity separated from God. This might sound harsh, but that’s just how serious our sin issue is. It’s something that completely eradicates our ability to know, glorify, and worship God as well as our chances to inherit heaven.
JESUS – GOD’S SON (The Good News)
God provided a cure for our sin-diseased lives by offering His Son to pay the penalty for us. John 3:16 tell us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” What a promise! But God even elaborates in greater detail when the Bible tells us in Romans 5:8 that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t wait for mankind to get it together, but He gave up His life as a sacrifice while we were separated from Him.
The remedy for sin, which is salvation, does not come through good works, but it comes only through Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Scripture also tells us in John 14:6 that, “Jesus said…’I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
SALVATION – GOD’S SOLUTION (Our Decision)
No one can choose eternal life for you. You must make the choice yourself. In Mark 1:15, Jesus said, “repent, and believe the gospel.” Romans 10:9-10 says that if you “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God.”
The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Prayer is the way we make that connection. Prayer is simply talking to God, and it establishes and maintains our link with Him. It is vital to keep the lines of communication open in any relationship if it is to succeed and flourish. Prayer is also the way we maintain our connection with God.
God’s invitation of eternal life is to all, so we invite you to make that connection with God now by turning away from your sin and walking toward Jesus. We encourage you to pray this simple prayer:
“Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for the gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I repent of all my sins and ask You to forgive me. I want Jesus to be the Lord of my life. I believe He died on the cross and was raised from the dead that I might receive His life now and forever. Jesus, thank you for saving me and giving me eternal life. I desire to honor you with and serve you through my life, and I ask you to change me on the inside. Help me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live in a way that would honor You. Have your way in me and give me the boldness and humility to follow your lead. Amen!”