Imagine waking up every morning with a sense of purpose and importance, the new day bright with possibility and meaning. Imagine going through every dark time in life with hope, knowing that your pain is not unnoticed and that it really will all turn out for the best. Imagine also having someone to thank for every one of the brightest moments and best parts of life: for love and success and contentment.
This is the life of the person who had dedicated his life to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Most people know that faith in Jesus promises an eternity in heaven and unending bliss after death. But not as many people realize that Jesus cares about their lives right now, on this earth, and wants to fill all their days with his joy and peace as a beforehand taste of heaven. Jesus wants not a just distant belief but a close, personal relationship with every person.
Below I'll summarize the salvation that Jesus offers: why it's needed, how it works, and how to get it.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. -Matthew 10:29-30, 32 (Jesus speaking) (NIV)
The Need For Salvation: Humanity's Predicament
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. -Romans 3:23
This pretty much sums up our need for salvation. Everybody, myself included, has sinned. Sin is doing anything that is against the will and instruction of God, as found in the Bible. When someone sins... and we all have... we are separated from God.
Sin cuts us off from God because God is sinless and blameless. God is incapable of doing anything wrong, and those who do wrong have nothing to do with Him.
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. -1 John 1:5
Christ... who did no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth... -1 Peter 2:21,22
God... cannot lie... -Titus 1:2
Adam and Eve were the parents of all of humanity, and the caretakers of the whole earth; because they sinned, the Earth and the human race were given to the control of Satan. Since God is sinless and perfect, how can He put up with people's sin?
For the wages of sin is death... -Romans 6:23a
Saving Grace
For our sins, we all deserve to die. Death and hell are the punishment for sin. But, not only is God perfect and sinless, He is also merciful and loving.
The Lord is... long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. -2 Peter 3:9
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. -Romans 5:20
God decided that nobody should die forever and go to hell. But then again, he couldn't just ignore the fact that everyone had sinned...
O mighty God... You are of purer eyes than to see evil, and cannot look on sin. -Habakkuk 1:12,13
Salvation Through Jesus
There still had to be punishment for sin. So what did God do? He sent His own Son to the earth to take the punishment for us.
God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16
Jesus came to the earth and lived as a human for 33 years. During that time, He was tempted in every way imaginable, just like you and I are. But Jesus was the only person ever to live who did not ever sin, not even once.
(Jesus) was in all ways tempted like we are, yet without sin. -Hebrews 4:15
And being made perfect, Jesus became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him. -Hebrews 5:9
Because Jesus was perfect and blameless, He alone was worthy to cleanse us from our sins. And the only way He could do that was to die for us, because the punishment for sin is death.
The shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross is the only way that our sins can be forgiven.
Jesus Christ... loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood... -Revelation 1:5
But God shows His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends. -John 15:13 (Jesus speaking)
(Jesus) bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. By Jesus's lashes you were healed. -1 Peter 2:24
But Jesus dying was only half of his work of salvation. After he had been dead for three days, Jesus came back to life. Jesus had conquered death, hell, and the grave:
I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forever more, amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. -Revelation 1:18 (Jesus speaking)
Why do you seek the living among the dead? Jesus is not here (in the tomb), but is risen: remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, "the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again"? -Luke 24:5, 6
Jesus's blood washed our sins away and sin's punishment with it. But it was His coming back from the dead that gives us eternal life. Since Jesus beat death and now He lives forever, all of those who accept Him as their personal Lord will live forever with Him.
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. -1 Thessalonians 4:16,17
Now, because of the work of Jesus, anyone and everyone can be forgiven of their sin and live forever with God in heaven. No matter what anyone has done, no matter how horrible they've been, God will forgive them and forget their sin.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us. -Psalms 103:12
The only requirement is to make Jesus the personal Lord of your life. Without Jesus, there is no reconciliation with God. Without faith in Jesus, there can be no forgiveness or eternal life. Good works will not save you, either, even if they far outweigh your bad deeds.
Jesus said unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me." -John 14:6
When the Messiah shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, "depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." -Matthew 25:32-34,41
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. -Ephesians 2:8,9
God loved you enough to sacrifice His only Son. Won't you return His love? Won't you accept Jesus as Lord of your life so you can live forever? Not only will Jesus give you eternal life, but living for God in this life has its own rewards.
What man is he that desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. -Psalms 34:12-15
The ultimate destiny of all those who do not accept Jesus is to die and be with the lord they chose for all eternity. Rejection of Jesus as Lord is acceptance of Satan as lord, and all those who don't have Jesus will follow Satan into hell forever.
And he laid hold on that dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan... and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone... and will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. -Revelation 20:2,10
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. -Revelation 20:15
Jesus is calling out to you. He will come and live in you if you will let Him. He will give you unconditional love and eternal life if you will accept Him into you. When someone becomes a Christian, the whole Holy Trinity comes to live inside of him or her: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will eat with him, and he with Me. -Revelation 3:20 (Jesus speaking)
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives in you? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? -1 Corinthians 3:16,6:19
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you. -John 14:16,17 (Jesus speaking)
At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our home with him. -John 14:20,23 (Jesus speaking)
Once God lives inside of you, your life changes. The presence of the Lord is always with you, and his guidance is there to show you the direction he wants you to go in. The life of a Christian is not self-gratifying, but God-gratifying. This is hardly ever an easy process, since it means being torn away from things that are familiar and often pleasureable, but the Heavenly Father only wants what is best for his children. The end result is a life full of God instead of a life full of yourself. Holiness will begin to replace sinful passions. Joy will begin to replace loneliness. New meaning will supplant aimlessness. All of this comes only with seeking a one-on-one relationship with Jesus.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it", when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left. -Isaiah 30:21
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. -James 2:26
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. -Romans 8:13,14 (NIV)
How To Get Salvation
To accept Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, pray, out loud, even just a whisper, and tell Him that you believe that He came to earth and lived as a person. Tell Him you believe that He is the only holy Son of God, that He died and rose from the grave, and that He takes away your sins and gives you eternal life. Tell Him you're sorry for your sins and will try to not sin again, and ask Him to be the Lord of your life and live in your heart.
If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. -Romans 10:9,10
Here's a prayer you could pray to become a Christian:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God and that you died for my sins. I ask for forgiveness for my sins, and I believe that your blood washes them away. I believe that you came back to life after three days and that You live forever and will give me eternal life, too. I invite you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life forever, and I will do my best to serve you for all of my life. Thank You for saving me and coming into my life. Please help me to always get closer to You. Amen.
If you've prayed the prayer of salvation, you are now a Christian. Jesus now lives in you and is your Lord. God is your Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit is your Comforter and the guide of your conscience. He loves you and will take care of you; not that life will always be easy, but He will never let you be destroyed by the evil that attacks you. When you die, you will go to heaven, and while you're alive the light of God will shine through your life to others if you'll let it.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light shine like that before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. -Matthew 5:14-16 (Jesus speaking)
No matter who you are, Jesus loves you very much. Enough to die for you... even enough to come back from the dead for you! Enough to live forever with you! In fact, once God has vanquished the Devil forever and there is no more sin or death, all of those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord will reign as kings under the authority of Jesus, forever.
The Work of Salvation
As a Christian, it is very important to read your bible and go to church regularly. You can still be saved if you don't do these things, but you will stay as a baby in your faith if you do not. And babies cannot withstand the attacks of Satan for very long. As a Christian, the Devil will target you for attack, but be strong! Jesus has given us the victory over the Devil.
Then Jesus called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils... -Luke 9:1
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. -Ephesians 6:12
Only by reading your Bible can you ever hope to understand the ways of God and get closer to Him. Also, going to church will be a wonderful boost to your faith, because you will be around other Christians in worship, and hear messages about the Bible from those appointed to teach it.
Blessed is the man (whose) delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law does he meditate day and night. -Psalms 1:1,2
How then shall they call on Him whom they have not believed in? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard of? And how shall they hear without a preacher? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -Romans 10:14,17
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them. -Matthew 18:20
Remember, the point of being a Christian is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is not a distant deity, but an intimate friend! The only way to please him is to let him have full control over everything in your life. Only then can you experience who Jesus is to the fullest.
He that has my commandments, and keeps them, it is he that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. -John 14:21 (Jesus speaking)
A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. -Proverbs 18:24
God Loves You!
Even if you're not a Christian, God still loves you! But He can't save you unless you believe in His Son Jesus! God desperately wants you to get saved. He's proven His love for you, no matter what you've done, by giving His Son Jesus to save you. Won't you listen to the voice of God calling to you? Won't you accept His salvation and His eternal love? There is no other hope! Don't put it off... none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. And when we're dead, it's too late to decide.
The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they shall say, "peace and safety", then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. -1 Thessalonians 5:2,3
You know not what shall be tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. -James 4:14
If you prayed the prayer of salvation after reading this page, please
at benmac1188@hotmail.com so I can know about it! You can do one of your first good deeds as a Christian by encouraging me, your new brother in Christ, by letting me know this tract has done some good.
