A Relationship with God
Each of us face questions that are difficult in life. What happens when I die? Where will I spend eternity? You are not guaranteed tomorrow. The single most important question for any person to answer is this: “If I were to die today, am I sure that I would spend eternity in Heaven?” One thing decides the answer to that question, your relationship with Jesus Christ.
God wants you to know where you are heading. God’s Word tells us in 1 John 5:13, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life….
We all are sinners.
We each have done things that are wrong. The Bible calls this sin. In order to find the way to eternal life, the Bible tells us we must admit we are lost in sin. Romans 5:12 teaches that we have received a sin nature because of Adam and Eve’s first sin long ago. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Sin is anything we do that is contrary God’s laws and commandments.
Whenever we break man’s laws (such as speeding) we can be subject to a penalty if we are caught. God’s law is no different, but because God sees everything, there is always a penalty. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death….” (Romans 6:23a) This means that we each deserve the penalty of death, or eternal separation from God.
We cannot work our way to Heaven.
Realizing the consequence of sin should lead us to repentance, that is, a true sorrow for sin that results in a heart desire to turn away from sin. However, what many do not realize is that there is nothing that we can do ourselves to earn our way back into God’s favor.
Religions try to create their own ways to God. Their systems may seem logical, but they cannot bridge the gap created by our sin. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” In other words, our thoughts and ways are not what matter. God’s Word, the Bible, provides true answers of grace and forgiveness. In Ephesians 2:8-9 the Bible says, “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.”
Jesus Christ died for us.
Even though we had sinned and deserved to die, God loved us. God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, left Heaven and came to earth to nail our sins to the cross and rise again from the grave after three days so that we might have eternal life. John 3:16 explains “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, He became the payment for our sin. Now, we do not have to pay for our sin ourselves. By His grace, salvation is provided. In Romans 5:8, the Bible says, “But God commendeth (or demonstrates) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Accept God's Gift
To receive this gift of eternal life, we must with a repentant heart trust Jesus as our Personal Savior. When we do this, God promises to forgive us our sins, save our souls from eternal punishment, and reserve for us a home in heaven. Asking for salvation is as simple as Romans 10:10 describes, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Would anything keep you from accepting God’s free gift of salvation right now? If you would like to be saved, you can ask God to save you right now, by praying something like this,
“Dear God, I know that I am separated from you because of sin. I confess that in my sin, I cannot save myself. Right now, I turn to you alone to be my Saviour. I ask you to save me from the penalty of my sin, and I trust you to provide eternal life to me. Amen.”
You’ll never regret that decision! If you have just trusted Christ, we would love to know about your decision and give you a Bible and some other materials to help you learn more about that new relationship! Give us a call at 423.344.6334 or contact us through our website and let us know today!