1. God's Purpose: Peace and Eternal Life
God loves you, and He wants you to live in peace with Him and to receive eternal life.
The Bible says....
Romans 5:1 "...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
John 3:16 "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."
Romans 6:23b "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Since God planned for us to be at peace with Him and to have eternal life, why are many people not enjoying this experience?
2. Our Problem: Sin and Separation
God did not make us robots to mindlessly love and obey Him. Instead He gave us a will and freedom of choice. But, like Adam, we often choose to disobey God and go our own selfish ways (read Genesis Chapters 2-3). This side of our nature is called sin, and it separates us from God.
The Bible says...
Romans 3:23; 6:23a "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...the wages of sin is death."
Genesis 3:23a "So [after Adam sinned] the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden..."
Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
Our sin separates us from God.
3. God's Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin - completely bridging the gap between us and God.
The Bible says...
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
1 Timothy 2:5 "...God is on one side and all the people on the other side, ,and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together..." (TLB)
John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
God has provided the only way and we must make the choice.
4. Our Response: Receive Christ
We can receive Jesus Christ when we believe in His message and trust in Him alone to save us.
The Bible says...
John 14:1 "[Jesus said] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
Acts 10:43 "All the prophets testify about Him [Jesus] that every one who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."
John 1:12 "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
How Can You Receive Christ?
- Admit your need (I am a sinner).
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come into your life as your Savior and Lord giving Him complete control of every area of your life.
If you need help praying, try using the following prayer if it is what you would want to say to God:
Dear God,
I know that You love me, and I know that You want to save me. Jesus,You died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust You. I do trust You. By faith, I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me. Save me, Lord Jesus. Thank you for doing it. I receive it by faith like a child, and that settles it. Now, begin to make me the person you want me to be.
Help me, Lord, to never be ashamed of You. In Jesus' name I pray....Amen.
If you prayed to receive Christ, please contact our church office either using the contact form on our website or by telephone at (704) 633-2567. Our pastor has written a booklet entitled, "What It All Means!" that we would like to send you to help you in your new life in Christ Jesus. You also need to get into a good, evangelistic church that practices believer's baptism by immersion so you can grow and mature in the faith.
Steps to Peace with God by Billy Graham. Distributed by American Tract Society, PO Box 462008, Garland, TX 75046
