God's Purpose
God loves us and has a purpose for our lives. The Bible states it this way: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
· God's purpose is that we have everlasting (eternal) life, and so God offers eternal life as a Free gift. (see Romans 6:23 below)
· He makes it possible for us to live a full and meaningful life right now (John 10:10)
· He makes it possible for us to spend eternity with Jesus in heaven later (John 14:1-3)
Our Need
As we search for meaning in life, we discover that our sinful nature (our bent towards badness) keeps us from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives.
· We are all sinners by nature and by choice: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
· We cannot save ourselves. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
· We deserve death and hell. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
God's Provision
God is holy and just and must punish sin. Yet He loves us and provides forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)
· Jesus is God and became man (John 1:1, 14)
· Jesus died for us on the cross (1 Peter 3:18)
· Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive today (Romans 4:25, 6:9-10)
Our Response
The only way Jesus can affect our lives is for us to receive Him. The Bible says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)
- We must repent of our sin. "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19) Repentance is not just feeling sorry for our sin. Repentance is turning away from our sin and turn to God.
- We must place our faith in Jesus. Faith is not just believing facts about Jesus. Faith is trusting in Jesus as Savior (the One who provides forgiveness of sin) and Lord (the One who directs our lives). "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." (Romans 10:9-11)
My Commitment
- Placing your faith in Jesus is something only you can do individually. No one else can make this decision for you.
- If you are willing to place your faith in Jesus now, you can invite Him into your life by prayer. You may use the following prayer, or a similar one using your own words:
"Dear Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God, and that You died to forgive me of my sins. I know I have sinned, and I ask You to forgive me. I want to follow you, so I turn away from my sin, and place my faith in You, as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for Your gift of a full and meaningful life now, and eternity in heaven later. I ask all these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen."
The Next Step
You have just made the most important decision of your entire lifetime. Of all the second-guessed or silly things you might do, this is not one of them. You have now acknowledged Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Confessing this to Him means trusting Him to direct your life, and having confidence that He has forgiven your sins.
The next step is for you to tell another believer (Christian) what you have done. Call a friend or your own pastor, or please contact us and let us know of your fantastic life-changing decision!
