There are three ways people tend to live:
1. Ignoring God
2. Trying to live a moral life
3. Embracing the Gospel: realizing they are so bad Christ had to die to pay for their sin, but so loved that He did. He can come in and transform a heart — He is both the way into the Kingdom and the way to live each day.
If you are wondering how to allow Him in, how to respond to what He did for you, here is an illustration. It is very much what I did with my sister, Sally, many years ago. I am so grateful for my sister’s obedience to Jesus by sharing this message of ‘life’ with me and to the Lord for pursuing me. By His grace, I was able to confess Him as Lord. You may be at a similar place…. if so, this is the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…. I invite you to consider it for yourself.
First, the Bible says that mankind has a problem, and that problem is called sin. Sin is any action or attitude that falls short of God’s perfect standard. Every one of us has the problem of sin (Romans 3:23) no one is exempt. And the Bible teaches us that there is a consequence to sin – sin separates us from a holy God (Habakkuk 1:13). In fact, the Bible tells us the end result of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and that there is nothing we ourselves can do to solve the problem of sin. We’re helpless on our own.
Second, the Bible says that there is a solution to the problem of sin, and that solution is the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). We’ve heard that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus, His only Son, to die in our place (John 3:16). Jesus paid the penalty of my sin and your sin so that you would not have to be forever separated from God (I John 4:10). The Bible also tells us that Jesus is the only solution for our sin problem (John 14:6). It doesn’t matter how many good things we do for others or how ‘good’ we think we are, or ‘compared to ‘that guy’, I’m not too bad… we can do nothing to save ourselves.
Third, this is for the heart, not just the head. It is not enough to just know about Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for you. You must respond.(John 1:12).
This is a prayer similar to what I had prayed once I understood my need for Jesus. You can pray it, too, or put into your own words.
Father in Heaven,
I know that I am a sinner
in need of forgiveness and deserving of death.
I believe that Your Son Jesus
died in my place,
to pay the penalty for my sin,
and rose again for my salvation.
I want to turn from my sinful ways and toward You,
so I now ask you,
Lord Jesus, to come
into my life as my Savior
and my Lord. Please come in and transform my heart, today and every day.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Please let me know if you did this. If you meant it with your heart, you are now His. But remember, this is like a wedding — and a marriage follows. Stay close.
The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) I called on the name of Jesus and as a result of praying what I knew to be true and believed, Jesus changed my life and made me a part of His family (Romans 8:16). He also gave me another gift, that of His Holy Spirit to help me know that I am His. (1 John 3:1)
If you have prayed this prayer and meant it with your whole heart, I’d love to hear from you. I’d also like to give you some things to help you in your new life of faith. As a new Christian, just like as a new baby, we need others to help us ‘grow up’ and mature. Feel free to contact me anytime.
In His love,
Dee