Four Facts About You, God and Being Saved!
#1. GOD LOVES YOU AND HAS A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
How
MUCH Does God Love You?
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever [you] believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
What IS His Plan
For You?
John 10:10, "[Jesus said] ... I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Okay, If God offers ABUNDANT (joyful & meaningful) LIFE, why don't most people experience it?
#2. YOU AND I ARE SINFUL AND SEPARATED FROM GOD.
That's why we don't know about or enjoy His love or plan for our lives.
How
Do We Know We Are SINNERS?
Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous,
no, not one:"
Romans 3:12, "...there is none that doeth good, no,
not one."
In the book of Genesis Adam and Eve were created to have fellowship with God, but because of their stubborness and selfishness, they chose to go their own way and do what THEY wanted to do - and fellowship with God was broken - for all of us! Sound unfair? It isn't, believe me, you and I are just as selfish. This selfishness can be active rebellion or just ignoring God. It is what the Bible calls SIN.
What Does It
Mean To "Come Short" or SEPARATED From God?
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death;
(spiritual separation from God)
Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God;"
Picture
a basketball hoop several miles in the air. No matter how many people
try - no matter how good they are they could never make a point - not
even Michael Jordan could do THIS! This is kind of like what that
verse says. God is holy and man is sinful. No matter how many
people try, no matter how good they are, they will never be
pleasing to God. It is like a "gulf" or the distance between two
shores, WITHOUT A BRIDGE!
Okay, if we are separated from God by sin, is there a BRIDGE that can help me cross this "gulf"?
#3. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S ONLY HELP FOR OUR SIN.
Through Jesus Christ we can
KNOW and experience God's love and plan for our lives. He is our
Bridge.
He DIED In Our
Place
Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
He ROSE From The Dead -
and people saw Him alive again - at one point by 500 people!!!
1 Corinthians 15:3-6, "...Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; And... was buried, and... he rose again
the third day according to the scriptures: ...He was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred
brethren at once;..."
He Is The ONLY
Way To God
John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Because Jesus died on the Cross in our place, He paid the penalty of death for our sins. No one else, not his mother Mary, or any other person, "god" or belief. Only Jesus!
Okay, many people KNOW that, is that all it takes to be saved... Just KNOWING it? No.
#4. WE MUST RECEIVE JESUS AS LORD & SAVIOR OF OUR LIVES,
Only then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We
Must RECEIVE CHRIST
John 1:12, "But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name:"
We Receive Christ
Through FAITH not WORKS (or anything we can do)
Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast"
When We Receive Christ, We Are "Born-Again" Into His Family. Here is Jesus talking to a religious leader named Nicodemus. He wanted to understand salvation, too! This story can be found in John chapter 3 verses 1-7:
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
We Receive Christ By His
Personal Invitation
Revelation
3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me."
Receiving Christ means praying and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to make you the person He wants you to be. It isn't just saying the words, either. We need to "Repent" - this means that in your heart you turn to God from your sinfulness and selfishness.
Just
BELIEVING that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the
cross for out sins is not enough (Hey! Demons KNOW it is true...) And
it isn't enough to have a very emotional experience, either. We
receive Jesus Christ by FAITH, as an act of our WILL. What do YOU
decide? Since Jesus loves us so much, do you love Him back?
Jesus wants our hearts to serve Him. Some people get saved
and continue to serve themselves everyday. Those people are
selfish, and never satisfied or happy with being a Christian. Think of
your heart like a throne room. Who do you want to sit on the throne,
YOU or JESUS?
Jesus, of course! He made us, and knows what
REALLY will bring us happiness and joy!
Okay, I know what Salvation IS, how do I receive it and Christ?
:-) YOU CAN RECEIVE CHRIST RIGHT NOW!
Pray to God with Faith (knowing He will do
what He promises).
God knows your heart and is more concerned with the
attitude of your heart than with fancy words. The following is a
suggested prayer:
"Lord
Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I
open the door of my heart and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank
You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of
the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
Is that the way you feel? I really hope it is! If it is, I invite you to pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised and as He did for me many years ago.
Please, write me if you just now trusted Jesus Christ
as your Savior, or if you have any questions at all!
Todd Carpenter