1. God loves you and He created you to have a personal relationship with Him.

The Love Of God For You

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

The Plan Of God

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.. What prevents us from knowing God personally?  ~John 17:3 (NLT)

Knowing that God wants to have a personal relationship with us, what is preventing this from happening?

2. All of us are separated from God by our sins. This makes it impossible for us to know God intimately, understand Him, or to have a personal relationship with Him.

We Are All Guilty

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  ~Romans 3:23 (NLT)

Although God loves us and made each person to know Him and have fellowship with Him, our sins separate us. We might blame Adam for causing our alienation from God, but each one of us have also broken God’s law and are guilty ourselves. To make matters worse, many people refuse to come to God to receive the forgiveness He offers and chose to remain separate from Him.

You Might Object To The Idea That You Are A Sinner

• Have you ever lied?
• Have you ever taken something that is not yours?
• Have you ever looked at the opposite sex to lust after them?
• Have you loved things in this world more than you love God?
• Have you neglected your parents and failed to show them honor?
• Have You ever been extremely angry with a person and wished them harm?
• Have you ever seen the prosperity of a friend, co worker, or neighbor and felt jealous and desired for yourself, what they have?

All of us have violated some or all of the above, which God said we shall not do. Since He is Creator and by right of His authority as our maker, He has the right to determine how we shall live. According to the laws of God, any imperfection in our life classifies us as a sinner. God said that the soul who sins will die.

Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.  ~Ezekiel 18:4

If we have broken only one law, we are guilty of breaking them all. The standard of God is perfection.

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.  ~James 2:10 (NLT)

Because Of Our Sins, We Are Separated From God

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

Because everyone has sinned, everyone is guilty. Not just you, but the whole world. It was for this reason that God pronounced a guilty verdict on the whole world.

This illustration shows us the problem that exists between us and God. Because our Creator is Holy (perfect), and all of us are sinners (imperfect), we are separated from Him by our sin. This explains why we feel a deep desire to know who we are and why we are here. Inside, we sense that we are disconnected from something that we desperately need. This need is our spirit crying out for God. Because we don’t know God, we cannot understand who He is or what He requires. The Bible is the only book in existence that correctly reveals who God is and what He requires to bring us back to Him.

3. Jesus is the Son of God and He offered Himself before the universe existed, to be our Savior.

Jesus Died As Punishment For Our Sins

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  ~Romans 5:8 (NLT)

Jesus’ Death Made Us Acceptable To God

For God made Jesus, who never sinned, to take away our sins, so that we could be made righteous because of what Jesus did for us.  ~2 Corinthians 5:21 (RCR)

God Chose Only Jesus As The Solution To Our Sin Problem

Jesus told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  ~John 14:6 (NLT)

This illustration shows that Jesus’ cross bridges the gap between us and God. God only chose Jesus because only He is sinless, and had the eternal value as God living within the body of a man—sufficient to pay for the lives of all people born on earth. Notice that our sins are no longer there. Jesus death for us makes us as if we had never sinned (Justified).

Knowing These Facts Is Not Enough For Salvation…

4. Each one of us must personally and sincerely receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord. At the moment we believe in Jesus death for our sins and receive Him as our Savior, He comes to live inside us. Jesus called this moment the time when we are “Born Again.”

We Must Personally Invite Jesus Into Our Life

To every person who believes in Jesus and accepts Him, He gives the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not by a physical birth from human action but a second spiritual birth that comes from God.  ~John 1:12-13 (RCR)

A Person Is Saved As A Free Gift Of God By Trusting In Jesus For Their Salvation

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  ~Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

Jesus Is Waiting For Your Answer

Look! I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a new life together as friends.  ~Revelation 3:20 (RCR)

Your acceptance by God has been made easy by the hard work that Jesus has already done for you. His suffering for your sins means that you will never have to pay for them yourself. You are now perfect and perfectly acceptable to God, simply by your trust in Jesus for your salvation. Feeling moved by hearing about this salvation is not enough to save you. There must be a sincere and heart-felt desire to turn from your old life that was dominated by sin—to Jesus and to do your utmost to live a new life that is free of sin. When you do sin, as we all do after we are saved, come back to Jesus and confess your sins and He will always forgive you. Do this every day and you will stay in constant fellowship with Jesus for all the days of your life.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  ~1 John 1:8-9 (NLT)

The Following Illustration Describes The Two Choices You Now Have

Which life will win? The one that you feed the most.

Feed your life the old habits, friends who drag you down, and places that draw you away from Jesus and you will find yourself miserable.

Feed your new life with new habits of reading your Bible first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Tell your old friends about Jesus and your new life in Him, but refuse to participate in their sins. Take a strong stand and be firm and they will either follow you to Jesus or you will discover they really weren’t true friends at all. Go to places where other people like you also believe in Jesus—like a Bible teaching, loving church. Talk to Jesus everyday in prayer, or whenever you feel the need. He is always there waiting to hear from you and speak to your heart. If you live this kind of new life you will be filled with Joy and find peace that you have never known.

Now That You Know The Details, Are You Ready To Ask Jesus Into Your Life?

It’s really quite easy, all you have to do is ask.

If you are serious, God will know it and He will come to you and make Himself known to you. If you are not sincere, He will know and you will not be able to obtain this wonderful new life He is offering you right now. What do you think? Are you ready to get serious with the Lord?

Dear Jesus, I have had enough of my old life. I am tired of living the same way and I am ready for a new life. I have sought satisfaction in this world and I have not found it. I have heard the news that you love me and want me to know you. I am asking you right now to forgive all of my sins. I am sorry Jesus that they have caused you so much suffering on the cross. Please take away my sins and come into my heart now. I am ready to turn from my sins and my old life and follow you with all of my heart. Thank you for dying for me and for inviting me to receive eternal life. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed this prayer then tell someone, tell me. Write me a short note right now and tell me what happened to you.

I am excited for you and can’t wait to hear the good news:

How You Can Know For Certain Salvation Is Yours

According to the promise of God, if you asked Jesus to come into your life and believed upon Him for your salvation, you are saved. This is the reason that Jesus left heaven and came to our world; so you could know Him and have the opportunity to receive Him into your heart.

The Word Of God Promises Eternal Life to Anyone Who Receive Jesus

And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.  ~1 John 5:11-12 (NLT)

Live now with an attitude of thankfulness for all that Jesus has done for you. What you have, no one can ever take away, and your Lord will never leave you or forsake you, regardless of what people might do to you.

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,”I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” That is why we can say without any doubt or fear,”The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.  ~Hebrews 13:5-6 (TLB)

Don’t Forget That You Were Saved By God’s Promise, Not Your Abilities.

There will be times when you don’t feel saved. There will come moments when you will not feel the Lord close to you. Don’t trust feelings because they change often. Trust only what God said in His word for it never changes. Regardless of how you feel in your life, salvation will always be yours if you keep trusting Jesus and stay close to Him.

You Can Trust That What You Believe Is The Truth. Men Who Saw And Heard Jesus, Recorded The Things That He Said And Did.

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.  ~1 John 1:1-4 (NLT)

Our trust in Jesus is based upon the facts of history which were recorded by those who actually were there and heard what Jesus said and saw the works He did. God does not ask you to trust Him blindly but upon the promises He made to send a Savior and the record of History  that God kept His promise; Jesus came into the world to die for you. The proof that Jesus’ death for your sins was acceptable to God is the FACT that Jesus was raised from the dead, never to die again. Because He lives forever, you will also live forever, if you continue to trust in Him.

Your New Life Began The Moment You First Trusted In Jesus For Your Salvation:

According to God’s word, wonderful things have happened to you, though you may not know them yet.

1. Jesus now lives inside you: Revelation 3:20 and Colossians 1:27.

2. All of your our sins have been forgiven: Colossians 1:14.

3. You are now a child of God: John 1:12.

4. Eternal life is your today: John 5:24.

5. The real purpose of your life has now begun: John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Imagine what has taken place. From out of eternity, God has come to live inside you and will begin to reveal more and more of Himself to you. Whatever happens for the rest of your life, you will never be alone again. Jesus will hold on tight to you and reveal His will and purpose for your life though the process of all that you go through. Trials will show you what you are really like and help you understand areas that still need work. Losses and difficulties will give you opportunities to see God’s faithfulness in action. Jesus promised to give you all you need to live your life, not all your want. Learn to be satisfied with the little things of life and remember that all this world holds will someday be burned up. All that will last forever is your love for Jesus and how you lived your life for Him.

Trust in Jesus is a daily adventure. It is accomplished by many failures and moments of doubt, when you keep trusting even when times are hard. It is by getting back up and following Jesus when you have failed that your life will become all that God has planned for you. Don’t be discourage by your inadequacies. It is Jesus living in you that will become your strength. It is His presence in your life that gives you confidence and hope.

You are free now, live free by refusing to let this world place it’s hold upon you.

It’s All About Trust

Your life is going to be different now. Everything is going to change over time. All that you thought you knew about life and people will change as you being to see everything the way that God sees people and the world.

Be patient. You will not become like Jesus overnight. Some things will change immediately. Others will take an entire life to change. You will not be perfect because you have decided to trust in Jesus. You will always have a struggle going on inside that will not end until Jesus comes again for you. Determine now that you will not leave Jesus, not matter what happens.

You were saved by GRACE, through your trust in Jesus, not by your works or how you perform. This new life is like a very long walk in which you must get up every day and take the journey. Putting one foot in front of the other and continuing for the rest of your life, you will finally get closer to God’s home than your own. He will say to you: “Well we have been walking together for a long time. Today you are closer to my home than you were to your home on earth, why don’t you just come and live with me now and stay forever.”

G—God loves you, never forget.

R—Read God’s word everyday.

A—Always pray about everything.

C—Continue to follow Jesus and never leave Him.

E—Endure every trial, temptation, and test.

What Is Baptism?

Understand that Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins completes your salvation. There is nothing that anyone can add to what Jesus has already done that will make you more saved than you already are. Baptism is an outward sign of something that has already taken place on the inside. You believed, God heard you and saved you. Now you can make a public declaration that you are determined to leave the old life behind and live a new life in Jesus. You go into the water and leave the old, you come out of the water and enter the new.

Tell People About Jesus

Imagine that God has placed the power of eternal life in your hands. How you live from this point on, may make it possible for people to see what Jesus is like and decide to follow Him. When you make mistakes you can tell people that what you have said or done was not right. You are trying to be more like Jesus but you still have a long way to go. Ask them to please forgive you and be patient.

In this kind of humility and honesty, people will understand that following Jesus does not mean you will be perfect. It means you follow a perfect Savior who is patient and kind, forgiving and encouraging. As followers of Jesus, we will often fail. This is why we need Jesus in our life and choose to follow Him because He is so wonderful and loving.

Consider that on the day you stand before the Lord in heaven, gathered all around you there may be people who were saved forever, because you told them about Jesus. Imagine that how you live can make it possible for many others to live forever. Is there anything that you could do in this world that will have more value than knowing you made a difference in a persons life that will affect them forever?

Fellowship, Feeding On The Word, Following Jesus

Get A Bible And Go To Church: One of the most important parts of your new life is the new family that God has given you. Find a loving church where people accept anyone who loves Jesus and are seeking fellowship with other believers. Find a church where the pastor teaches the Bible, verse by verse from Genesis to Revelation. What you need now most of all is a steady diet of God’s word. Sermons and preaching are for the unsaved so they can hear the Gospel about Jesus. The one who is already saved, needs to learn the Bible, all of it.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  ~Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)

It is extremely important that you become grounded in God’s word. This can only happen if you attend a church that will equip you with the word of God. It is by increasing your knowledge of God through His word that you will have power and wisdom to know how to live your life for Jesus.

Worship and praise are important and this experience will open your heart in ways that you cannot imagine. What will cause growth and enable you to endure all the things you will encounter throughout your life, is learning the Bible.

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  ~1 Peter 2:2-3 (NKJV)

Written by Robert Clifton Robinson. © Copyright, 2017 All rights reserved. Link To This Site To Use This Text.