The Gospel
The Gospel: Salvation and God's Way to Heaven
GOD LOVES YOU and He desires that you have eternal life and a meaningful life. In John 3:16, Jesus says:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Jesus also said:
"The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
Sadly, most people aren't experiencing a meaningful life or having an assurance of eternal life because:
MAN HAS A SIN PROBLEM,
which separates him from God. Everyone has sinned or missed the mark required to live a pleasing life to God:
"Yes, all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious ideal." (Romans 3:23).
The penalty for sin is death:
"For the wages of sin is .death"(Romans 6:23).
The Bible talks about two kinds of death. The first death is physical departure from this life, and the second death is spiritual or eternal separation from God:
"But the cowards who turn back from following Me, and those who are unfaithful to Me, and the corrupt and the murderers, and immoral, those conversing with demons, and idol worshipers, and all liars - their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the Second Death." (Revelation 21:8).
MAN CAN'T PAY FOR HIS OWN SINS
nor earn eternal life through doing good works or keeping the Ten Commandments or any of the other 600+ laws in the Bible (The Law). Romans 3:28 says:
"So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do."
Obeying the Law and doing good deeds does not remove the penalty of our sins. So what is God's solution?
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S WAY TO HEAVEN
He is the only Way. In John 14:6, Jesus said:
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Jesus completely paid the penalty for your sins by dying on the cross for you. Romans 5:6-8 says:
"When we were utterly helpless with no way to escape, Christ came just at the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for Him…God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
God has provided the way. What should be our response?
WE MUST PLACE OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
and trust in Him alone to save us.
"Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves - it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it." (Ephesians 2:8,9).
If you think that you must have faith in Jesus Christ plus do good works in order to receive eternal life, then you are not trusting Jesus Christ alone to save you, but you are also trusting in yourself. Once you have placed your trust fully in Jesus Christ, He will give you the power to live a life of good deeds and holiness.
We must show our faith by being willing to repent (turn from) our sins and accepting Jesus Christ and His gift of eternal life:
"The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life and this life has its source in His Son. Whoever has the Son, has this life. Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11,12).
Here's what you must do to be saved:
REPENT. Turn around. Change your mind. Jesus said:
"I tell you, no; but, unless you repent you will all likewise perish."(Luke 13:3).
RECEIVE HIM. You need the Savior. Accept Him.
"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).
BE "BORN AGAIN". Jesus said
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)
This is what God does for you. This is the New Birth - a miracle of spiritual life performed by the Holy Spirit in the believing heart.
"Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13) See also John 11:25.
The Promise:
"that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made to salvation." (Romans 10:9,10) See also Matthew 10:32, 33.
True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough that your pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself. Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity.
If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this: "Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from You, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. I believe that You rose from the dead as well. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, and I repent. Come into my life and be my Savior and Master. Take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You. Thank you for coming into my life and wiping away all of my past sins. Thank You for giving me the gift of Eternal Life. In Jesus' name, Amen."
If you have prayed this and believed these things in your heart, then YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God. Welcome to the family of God! Rejoice publicly and let others know the wonderful change that God has done in your life.
It is important for you to start to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with someone if you want to know them well. Here are some things to do to grow in your newfound Christian faith:
REQUEST WATER BAPTISM.
This is an outward testimony to an inward transaction. You re already saved so this act doesn't save you. You are merely being obedient to Jesus Christ by demonstrating to others the change that He has done in your life and to show that you are now part of God's family. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16).
READ THE BIBLE.
The Word of God is the source of your faith and following it will cause you to grow as you learn about God. The bible teaches us how to live obediently and strengthens our faith. "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13). See also Psalms 119:105, Romans 10:17, and 2 Timothy 3:16.
PRAYER.
Prayer is simply conversation with God. Life is sustained by union and communion (Ephesians 6:18, James 4:2).
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14,15).
ATTEND A HEALTHY, BIBLE-BELIEVING CHURCH.
Get together immediately with God's people in a good Church that teaches and follows the Bible as its basis for true teachings and experiences. (Hebrews 10:25).
TELL OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS.
(Matthew 28:19,20).
RESIST THE DEVIL.
Temptation is not sin, but giving into it is sin.
"That the genuiness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the Revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7)
"Resist the Devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
LOOK FOR CHRIST'S RETURN.
Be watchful and ready for His coming so that you will not be ashamed. (2 Timothy 4:8, Colossians 3:4, 1 John 2:28).
If you accepted Jesus Christ today or are still having lingering questions about Jesus, and Christian life, feel free to contact Power To Stand Ministries or Steven Mitchell at alohasteve2002@yahoo.com .
We would love to hear from you and help in whatever way possible. May the Lord Jesus Christ become sweeter and sweeter to you with every passing day…