Know Jesus
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 (John 1:12).
The Gospel (Good News) is very simple --
- We all have disobeyed and sinned against God (Romans 3:23).
- God is fully Holy and Pure -- if we remain in our sin, we are guilty and without hope in His sight. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), but we don't have to remain in our sin.
- God loves us and wants us to repent (turn away) from our sin and be brought back to peace with Him, so He sent us Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God. He came to earth, lived a fully human life, yet did not sin (Hebrews 4:14-16).
- Someone sinless would have to die in our place to be a perfect sacrifice, restoring us to God. We can't do that ourselves, but thanks be to God, Jesus gave His life as that perfect sacrifice. He paid our penalty once and for all (1 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 10:10).
- The punishment for remaining in our sin is severe (death, torment in Hell, condemnation, separation from God), but God's gift to us was Jesus, providing the way to life more abundantly on earth and everlasting life in God's restored paradise -- Heaven (Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:15, Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 5:8, John 10:10, John 3:16).
- Jesus took on our sin on the Cross. We can take on His righteousness through faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Despite our past, God is able to fully forgive us through Jesus, and we can be fully accepted through Him.
- When we put our faith in Him, we are literally saying, 'Jesus, I am guilty of sin and need You, and I accept Your sacrifice.' Only through Jesus can we be restored to God (John 14:6, Ephesians 2:19).
- God approved of Jesus' sacrifice and showed this by raising Him from the dead (Acts 2:24). As we believe in Jesus, we die to ourself and take on new life through Jesus. We are 'new creations' through Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Just as we die with Him, we will also rise with Him (Romans 6:5).
You may wonder, 'What should I do in response to this gift?' --
(1) TURN (REPENT) FROM YOUR SIN! We don't need to pursue things that pull us away from God.
(2) BELIEVE IN JESUS! Accept His sacrifice for you. It is God's gift to you.
(3) FOLLOW JESUS! Commit your life to Him, and follow Him.
"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
(2) BELIEVE IN JESUS! Accept His sacrifice for you. It is God's gift to you.
(3) FOLLOW JESUS! Commit your life to Him, and follow Him.
"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
If you do not have the words yourself to ask God, perhaps make this the prayer of your heart --
"Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus and having Him take on my burden of sin on the Cross. Forgive my sins and bring me in good relationship with You. Jesus, be my Savior. I want to live my life for You. I accept Your Gift of Salvation and accept You as the Sacrifice of my sins. I believe in the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and guide me into truth. Thank You, in Jesus' Name, Amen!"
Any feedback or decisions? Contact us and let us know! We want to help you grow in relationship with Jesus.
And really, if the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart, don't ignore Him. It's a decision of utmost importance, and eternity is literally at stake. God wants the very best for you, so hear His voice and follow His Son Jesus!
If you've decided to follow Jesus, there are some things you can do to further your relationship with Him:
- Start reading God's Word (the Bible)! We'd recommend reading some from Genesis and some from the Gospel of John -- those are two great books to start.
- Pray! Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Tell Him your requests, and listen for His leading. He is there for you through the ups and downs of life and wants a vibrant relationship with you.
- Find a good Bible-believing Church with believers who love Jesus. If you need help with discerning as to whether a church holds up to good teaching, let us know.
- Get water baptized! This is what believers would usually do right after putting their faith in Jesus in the New Testament, as we see from the Book of Acts. Water baptism is the outward physical display of the inward faith you've put in Jesus, representing dying and rising with Christ. Again, if you need help coordinating this let us know, and if you're in our area, contact Sterling.
- Pray about what the Lord wants you to do in life! With this in mind, also pursue the baptism with the Holy Spirit and seek God to empower you from on high to do all that He has for you to do! He has a great plan for your life and has given you gifts and talents with which you can know Him better and share Him with others!
Believe in Jesus Today!
ABCs of Salvation
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A: Admit that you are a sinner --
We all have disobeyed God.
B: Believe that Jesus is God's Son -- He sacrificed Himself to bring you back to God. C: Confess and repent of your sins (turn away), and Commit your life to Him (turn toward). |
Key Bible Verses
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The VERY Best Decision...
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Believing in Jesus and following Him is the best decision that you can ever make!
If you want to follow Jesus, accept His Sacrifice for you by faith. Ask God to forgive you of your sins, as we all have disobeyed God. Accept Jesus' death and resurrection personally (for your life!), believe in Him and start to walk in newness of life. Commit your life to Jesus. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or decisions, or read a more full presentation of the Gospel to the left. If you need help praying this to God (prayer is simply communicating with God, both speaking to Him and listening for Him), consider the prayer to the left, as well. |