Step
One
God's Purpose: Peace and Life
God
loves you and wants you to experience peace and
life--abundant
and eternal.
The
Bible says...
"We
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans
5:1
"For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"I
have come that they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly." John 10:10
Why
don't most people have this peace and abundant life
that God planned for us to have?
Step
Two
The Problem: Our Separation
God
created us in His own image to have an abundant life.
He did not make us as robots to automatically love
and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice. We
chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We
still make this choice today. This results in separation
from God.
The
Bible says...
"For
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans
3:23
"For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Our
Attempts to Reach God
People
have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between
themselves and God...
The
Bible says...
"There
is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end
it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
"But
your iniquities have separated you from your God; your
sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will
not hear." Isaiah 59:2
No
bridge reaches God...except one.
Step
Three
God's Bridge: The Cross
Jesus
Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He
paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between
God and people.
The
Bible says...
"For
there is one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Jesus Christ." 1 Timothy 2:5
"For
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for
the unrighteous, to bring you to God." 1 Peter
3:18
"But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans
5:8
God
has provided the only way. Each person must make a
choice.
Step
Four
Our Response: Receive Christ
We
must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive
Him by personal invitation.
The
Bible says...
"Here
I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
"Yet
to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God." John
1:12
"That
if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
Where
are you?
Will
you receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here
is how you can receive Christ:
1.Admit
your need (I am a sinner).
2.Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3.Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4.Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through
the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)
How
to Pray
Dear
Lord Jesus,
I
know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness.
I believe that You died for my sins. I want to
turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into
my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You
as Lord and Savior.
In
Jesus' name, Amen.
God's
Assurance: His Word
If
you prayed this prayer,
The
Bible says...
"Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans
10:13
Did
you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life?
Where is He right now? What has He given you?
"For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not
by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians
2:8,9
Receiving
Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural
work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer.
This is called regeneration, or the "new birth."
This
is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ.
To deepen this relationship you should:
1.
Read your Bible everyday to know Christ better.
2. Talk to God in prayer every day.
3. Tell others about Christ.
4. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ
is preached.
5. As Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by
your love and concern for others.
|
