RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST NOW!
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by Judith A. Brumbaugh © 2001, RFI
GOD CREATED US TO BE CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ..." (Genesis 1:25)
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (I Peter 1:16)
IN AND OF OURSELVES WE CANNOT SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM SIN AND REACH THE PERFECTION WE WERE DESIGNED TO OBTAIN
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
WE SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM GOD (JESUS CHRIST) BECAUSE WE CHOOSE A LIFESTYLE AND PERSONAL HABITS WHICH ARE OFFENSIVE TO GOD
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door ..." (Genesis 4:7)
"Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14,15)
"Behold, I [Jesus Christ] stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Revelation 3:20,21)
SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD [JESUS CHRIST] AND CREATES A DEBT THAT WE CANNOT PAY
Each time that we sin (do something which God says is sin) we create a debt. (See lists of some of these in Exodus 20:3-17, I Corinthians 6:9,10, Galatians 5:19-21, Revelation 21:8.) As with debt created in this world through purchases we make, a payment is required to satisfy each debt, so it is with sins which we commit by what we think, say and do. With the latter (sin), we create a "spiritual" debt. Sin debt, however, can only be paid by the blood that Jesus Christ shed when he died in our place on the cross. It cannot be paid with money, good works or confession. The payment is "rendered" when we have a change of heart, turn from sin and to Jesus Christ.
We cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven with sin debt. It must be "paid for" (the debt "retired") through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Corinthians 6:17,18)
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)
WHY DID JESUS DO THIS FOR ME?
God is LOVE. He loves you and me so much that He sent Himself in the person of Jesus Christ into the world to provide the only possible payment (atonement/propitiation/redemption for our sin) so that we could live in paradise with Him forever.
"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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO RECEIVE THIS GIFT?
God, through Jesus Christ "redeems" each believer. You just ...
- Make a decision to receive Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour of your life.
- Turn from any known sin in your life. (Doing the latter is a process that God will help you to do if you are serious about wanting to follow Him.)
- Read and study His Word, the Bible, so that you can get to know Who He is and the sanctified life that will result in giving you the peace that passes all understanding and joy unspeakable!
- Believe that Jesus Christ is God, shed His blood for you on the cross, arose from the dead and ascended unto Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:23-25)
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13) Notice confession is not enough. We must forsake what God says is sin. That can be checked out by studying His Word - the holy Scriptures as recorded in the Bible.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15)
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11)
"I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." (Psalm 101:2,3)
IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO HAVE MY SINS FORGIVEN?
No, there is only one way, and that way is to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord of our lives and let Him enable us to turn from sin. It cannot be done it without Him.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (I John 2:1-3)
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (I Timothy 2:5,6)
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (I Peter 3:18)
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." (Titus 2:11,12)
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST?
Belief is more than just saying the words, "I believe ..." It involves a change of heart which will be evidenced by a change in our lifestyle. People sometimes confuse good works with the "works" of a changed heart. The two are very different. We show by our actions the "condition" of our heart. A great analogy of this is given in the book of James where we are told that the devils believe - AND tremble, BUT they surely are not saved. This is evident by their evil "works."
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9,10)
"... the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:19,29)
"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26)
"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." (I John 3:7-10)
HOW DO I PRAY TO HAVE JESUS BECOME LORD AND SAVIOUR OF MY LIFE?
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:4,5)
"Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (I Thessalonians 5:17,18)
A suggested prayer is given below. There is no one prayer with specific words that must be spoken. Just open up your heart in sincerity, confess your known sins and turn to Him for help and guidance to live a sanctified life. He will hear you and answer your sincere prayers. Always pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
A PRAYER FOR SALVATION"My Father which art in Heaven, I come to you in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ, to ask for your help and forgiveness. I want to receive you as Saviour and lord of my life. I don't fully understand all that I have read, but I know that I want to spend eternity in a place away from torment, and experience joy and peace in this life and forever. Please help me to begin to read your Word with understanding and to build a relationship with Jesus. I know that I have sinned much and now ask you to forgive me of my sins. Help me to turn from anything in my life which is sin. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray." |
Please e-mail us if we can help you develop a prayer life, to receive guidance in overcoming sin and help in becoming a student of the Word.
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