Step 1 -
God's Purpose: Peace and Life
God
loves you and wants you to experience peace and life—abundant
and eternal.
The Bible says ..."We have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1 (NIV)
"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." —John 3:16 (NIV)
"I
have come that they may have life, and that they may have it
more abundantly." —John 10:10 (NIV
Why
don't most people have this peace and abundant life that God
planned for us to have?
Step 2 - The Problem: Our
Separation
God
created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not
make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave
us a will and a freedom of choice.
We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We
still make this choice today. This results in separation from
God.
The
Bible says ...
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
—Romans 3:23 (NIV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Our Attempts to Reach God -
People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap
between themselves and God ...
The
Bible says ...
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it
leads to death." —Proverbs 14:12 (NIV
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your
sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not
hear." —Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
No
bridge reaches God ... except one.
Step 3 -
God's Bridge: The Cross
Jesus
Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the
penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.
The
Bible says ...
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Jesus Christ." —1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for
the unrighteous, to bring you to God." —1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8 (NIV)
God has provided the only way. Each person must make a
choice.
Step 4 -
Our Response: Receive Christ
We
must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by
personal invitation.
The
Bible says ...
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with
him, and he with me." —Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God." —John
1:12 (NIV)
"That 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 (NIV)
Where are you?
Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here is how you can 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 in and control
your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and
Savior.)
Step 5 -
Prayer
How to
Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your
forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to
turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart
and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
God's Assurance: His Word
If
you prayed this prayer,
The
Bible says ...
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
—Romans 10:13 (NIV)
Did you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life?
Where is He right now? What has He given you?
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by
works, so that no one can boast." —Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV)
Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family through the
supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every
believer. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth."
This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To
deepen this relationship you should:
Read
your Bible everyday to know Christ better.
Talk
to God in prayer every day.
Tell
others about Christ.
Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church
where Christ is preached.
As
Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new
life by your love and concern for others.
