Friend, ask yourself, If I died today, where would I spend eternity? This is the most important question you will ever answer. If you don’t know the answer to: Are you saved? You are in serious danger. Please let me share the following truths with you:
- Jesus said He is coming soon, God’s Judgment will be poured out, heaven and hell are real, and you need a Savior. You will meet Jesus, either as your Savior or as your Judge.
- You can’t get to heaven because you are a good person. You can’t get in because you are better than some people. Why? Because the Bible says: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 In our sinfulness of breaking his law, we can’t be in Heaven where he is.
- There is only one way to an eternity in heaven. You can’t be good enough, work your way in, or pay your way in. Ephesians 2:8-9 No other god, religion, sect, or belief will get you into heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- Romans 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice, full of envy, strife, deceit, murder, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless…though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die. This is the human heart condition without Jesus.
The Bible makes it clear that no sinful person can have eternal life. The only way to know for sure you are going to heaven is to have your sins forgiven. Since we can’t work them away, hide them from God, or be good enough, we need help.
Jesus is the sinless sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world; John 1:29 the only sacrifice that will satisfy God’s righteous judgment that we all deserve. Friend, the Bible says: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, (you) will be saved. Romans 10:9-10
Repentance is a word not often preached today, but it’s necessary for salvation. To repent means to see your sin and self the way the holy God sees you, a wicked, wretched enemy of God. No more rationalizations; you must come to the end of yourself. You change your mind, heart, and direction, a literal 180′ turn. I encourage you to confess your sins to God and to put your faith in Jesus as your Savior today, right where you are. Call on the Lord, humble your heart, and ask Him for forgiveness. You must confess your sin, believe God raised Him from the dead and put your faith in Jesus as your Savior. He accomplished all the work on the cross, where He shed His blood for us 2,000 years ago to atone for our sins.
When you ask Jesus to be your Savior, you become a Christian and receive the Holy Spirit to do His will and to be like Him. Your old desires won’t be as desirable. The life you live now will be for His glory. He will be your comfort and guide you in all righteousness. 1 John 2:6 says: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked. That is the fruit of the spirit, a life pleasing to God.
Here are some great first steps for a new follower of Jesus:
- Find a church: A local fellowship of believers that teaches the whole Bible and believes it is essential to living the Christian life. Finding a church that teaches biblically sound doctrine and the centrality of Jesus is imperative. Hebrews 10:25
- Get a Bible: For yourself and read it often because it’s the living word of God. The Gospel of John is a good place to start. If you need access to a Bible, let us know, we can certainly help you! 2 Timothy 3:16 and Hebrews 4:12
- Pray: Spending time alone with the Lord is of utmost importance in your life with Him. He will make Himself known to you as you read His word and pray. Matthew 6:5-8. Over time, you will pray for discernment, wisdom, direction, opportunities to serve Him, and the needs of others. Hebrews 4:16 This is a great time to praise and worship Him on your own. Philippians 4:6-7
- Discipleship: It is critical because it’s what Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples and to teach them all of what he commanded. You must grow in your new walk with Jesus. This is done through discipleship, which means finding a solid Bible teaching fellowship and looking to someone who has mature faith in Christ to actively show you by example what it means to be in Christ. Titus 2:2-7. Although we have discipleship help, materials, and links to resources on our site, I strongly recommend you find a godly mentor and friend in the faith to walk with and disciple you.
- I’m a new Christian; now what? Your new life in Christ will center on living for Him daily, fellowship, Bible study, and prayer, but there is something else you must do. Jesus commands us to go. Matthew 28:18-20 In your daily life, work, school, family, and everywhere else, you will have people who don’t know Jesus. It is the essence of the great commission to tell people about Jesus. You’ll hear different terms such as: witnessing, evangelism, sharing your faith & testimony, and presenting the gospel, but what it comes down to is giving people a reason for the hope you have within you. We are called to do this with gentleness and respect. Our daily lives should be examples of the fruit of the Spirit to others. Galatians 5:22-23
- Sharing your testimony is an excellent way to witness: Every true Christian conversion will contain bad and good news. Example: “I was in a bad place, and I didn’t even know the trouble I was in with God. I thought I was good and realized I was really lost and pretty bad, and if something didn’t change, I’d spend eternity apart from God in hell. When I realized this, I humbled my heart, repented of my sins, and trusted Jesus by faith to be my Lord. This is meant as an example, but the Holy Spirit will help you share the gospel, and He is the One who convicts people of sin, righteousness and coming judgment.
* If you get a moment, we would appreciate knowing if you asked the Lord Jesus to be your Savior. If you would like us to stand with you in prayer or seek more information on the Christian life and discipleship, contact us, and we’d be happy to help.
All for Him:
Howard – Concerning The Times