the gospel
We were created by and for God. And as our Creator, he desires a real and intimate relationship with us.
Colossians 1:16: All things were created by God and for God.
Matthew 22:37-39: Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind.’ This is the first and greatest command.”
We have rejected God by turning away from that relationship and have lived life for ourselves, pursuing other things.
Isaiah 53:6: We all have wandered away like sheep. Each one of us has gone his own way.
Our sin has dishonored God and has broken the very relationship for which we were created.
Isaiah 59:2: It is your sin that has separated you from your God.
Romans 3:23: All have sinned and have fallen short of God’s glorious standard.
Ironically, this pursuit of other things has only led us down the path toward death and judgment. We are dead in our sin, unable to save ourselves, and desperately need a savior.
Ephesians 2:5 We are spiritually dead because of the things we do wrong against God.
Hebrews 9:27: All people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
But God did not reject us. Rather He went on a search and rescue mission through Jesus.
Luke 19:10: Jesus said, “I came to seek and to save those who were lost.”
Mark 10:45: Jesus said, “I came to give my life as a ransom for many.”
God has provided a way for us to be brought back into that relationship, through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
1 Peter 2:24: He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross.
1 Peter 3:18: Christ died for sins once and for all, a righteous man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead them to God.
John 14:6: Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man can come to the Father except through me.”
It is a relationship that we must sincerely desire and choose to accept.
John 1:12: To all who receive Jesus - that is they believe in his name - he gives the right to become the children of God.
Acts 6:31: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
Romans 10:9: 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 10:13: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Mark 1:14-17: Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. Jesus said, “Come, follow me!” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Here’s what you do . . .
Abandon your sin - Repent: Repentance is a change in the direction of my life. I do this by contritely acknowledging to God that I have lived life 1) apart from Him and 2) for myself pursuing other things. It is to turn my back on my old way of life. It is a shift in my allegiance from self to God. It is a surrender of myself to God; a “laying down of arms,” so to speak.
Believe the good news - Believe: In the Bible, to “believe” is to turn toward someone in full confidence and to place our total trust in them. It is to throw myself upon the Good News of Jesus with all that I am–mind, heart, and will. I stake my life on the fact that, out of love for me, Jesus became fully human and lived and died and rose from death to pay for my sin and to bring me back into a relationship with himself and the Father.
Commit your life to Jesus - Follow: Finally, I commit myself to whole-heartedly following Jesus. I won’t do this perfectly, but I gladly welcome Jesus into my life as my Lord as well as my Savior. I give to Jesus all of who I am and I entrust myself fully to him, submitting to his leadership in my life.
In order to come into a saving relationship with Jesus, I must come to him on his terms. That requires that I turn away from my sin and toward him, placing my full trust in him and what he did on the cross, committing myself to travel with (him following him with my life).
A Personal Commitment
Salvation and knowing Jesus is more than simply a mental assent to some truths or facts. It is a full-on commitment to him.
Have you come to the point that you are willing to give everything you know about yourself to everything you know about Him?
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Prayer
Lord Jesus, I have come to realize that I have been living my life apart from you. Though you created me for yourself, I have turned my back on you and have lived life for myself, pursuing other things. I now understand that I have gravely wronged you in that process. I am so sorry. I don’t want to live in that way anymore. I am tired of my old way of life and desire to have a relationship with you and to live under your loving reign. Please forgive me. I now turn back to you. I do this fully believing that you died for me, taking upon yourself the death that I should have died. And I am convinced that you rose to new life in order to give me salvation from my sin and new life with you! I desire to love and follow you as my Lord and Master. Please come into my life and lead me from this point on.