Knowing Jesus
Creation & Separation
Sin & Forgiveness
Our sin is the problem that corrupts the world and everything in it and we are powerless to overcome our sin apart from Jesus Christ. Our attempts to control the situation only increase the chaos around us and within us. That is why we need healing from sin. Despite our sin, we can know God and be healed back into a right relationship with Him. You can know God personally. The Creator of the universe made you and wants an intimate relationship with you. Jesus is the gift that offers us forgiveness and relationship with God. The way to know the Father is through His Son: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6.
The Good News
The Gospel literally translates as the “good news.” Good news usually comes when something is wrong, and we need someone or something to change our circumstances. In our case, sin is the problem that corrupts our hearts, the world and everything in it. We are powerless to overcome that problem apart from Christ. In other words, we cannot earn our own forgiveness or salvation. However, that is where Jesus comes into our lives. He lived a perfect life and died as a sacrifice for our sins. He rose from the grave to conquer sin and death. Through his sacrifice He offers us forgiveness and eternal life with Him. This is a gift offered to each of us out of His love for us. That is the Good News – that Jesus loves us so much He offers us forgiveness of our sins and his spirit to help us change how we live. This healing is only by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Receiving Salvation
God extends an open invitation to all humanity to be forgiven of their sins by commanding all men everywhere to repent and to put their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 17:30; 20:21).
Repent – this means to completely turn from everything God hates and turn to God. Repentance is not just feeling bad and telling God that you are sorry; repentance demands a response.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
(Hebrews 10:26-27)
“First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”
(Acts 26:20)
Trust in Christ – Jesus alone is the reason we are saved. There was nothing we could have done to make up for the sins we committed against God. Our only chance is to put our trust and faith in a savior.
“It is by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God.”
(Ephesians 2:8)
Jesus lived a perfect life because we could not, He offered himself as a sacrifice because he loves us. All we are to do is receive the gift of eternal life by placing our faith in Jesus and show our faith by turning from sin. When we do that, God gives us a new spirit with new desires and the power to resist the Devil and his temptations.
If you have never submitted your life to Christ as Lord and Savior, and you would like to receive God’s gift of eternal life, you can do so right now.
“now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Confess that you are a sinner deserving hell
Believe with all your heart that Jesus can save you from hell
Repent from sin (repent means from sin, and to God)
Ask Him to give you the power to overcome sin and change you to the person he has called you to be.
You can pray something like this…
God, I confess that I have sinned against you and I deserve the penalty. I do not want the penalty, and I believe that you paid it for me already by your sinless blood on the cross. Jesus, I pray that you send your Spirit to live inside of me to empower me to turn from my sins and change me into the person you want me to be.
Remember, saying a prayer does not save you; repentance from sins and faith in Christ does. Romans 10:17. says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. To help you continue in your faith, read the Bible (The Word of God) and obey what you read. Find a Bible Believing Church and get connected.