In the Bible, in John 3:16-17, Jesus said:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”
God wants to give us a better life beginning right now, plus an outstanding new life that begins after we leave this earth.
Because of our human nature, we are all sinners. The word ‘sin’ means that we ‘miss the mark.’ Sin is anything that we do, or think, that is contrary to the character of God. Sin is a part of our nature. We sin by choice. We live a life that is not up to the standards that God sets for us. No one except the Lord Jesus, who was the perfect Son of God, is free from this desire to sin. Romans 3:23 states,
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God “
Our sin has a price. We deserve death. The first part of Romans 6:23 says:
“For the wages of sin is death”
God’s provision for our sins is Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. He came to earth to live as a human man. John 1:1 and 14 says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”
That is a high price that must be paid, but God loves us. In fact, He loves us so much that He gave His Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Romans 5:8 tells us,
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus died by being literally nailed to a cross of two crude timbers, one vertical, one horizontal fastened together. Jesus died and was buried, but He did not stay dead. Three days later, God raised Him from the dead. Why is that important? Jesus suffered one of the cruelest deaths known to man, and if Jesus had stayed in the grave, He might have been much like any other man. Every man dies, but Jesus was different.
Jesus did no wrong when He was alive, but His priceless life was sacrificed to pay the penalty for all our sins, even my sins. He died, but God was not finished with Him! God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus defeated death, came out of the grave, spent more time on earth, and now He has rejoined His Father in Heaven.
God loved His Son, but he loved us enough to allow His only Son to suffer and die as a sacrificial gift to us. God’s amazing love! Without this gift that God gave us, our only choice is to die, to go to a horrible place called Hell, and be forever and eternally separated from God. BUT … the latter part of Romans 6:23 says:
“… the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What is this eternal life? For one thing, it means that we don’t have to go to Hell. We have another option. We can live forever and eternally in a much nicer place called Heaven. What is Heaven? No one knows for sure, but Jesus said, in John 14:3,
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
In Heaven, we can spend forever with Jesus! I can’t describe Heaven, but if Jesus is there and Heaven is good enough for God’s own Son, then Heaven is a place I want to be!
In addition, the benefits of that new eternal life can begin right away. You don’t have to go to Heaven to start this new life. In John 10:10, Jesus said:
“I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.”
OK, so, what do I have to do? It is so very simple that it is hard for many to understand. In John 14:6 Jesus said,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
Heaven only has one door and Jesus is the only way. We must do what He says in Romans 10:9-10,
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved, for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Simply put, you need to complete these very basic steps:
Talk to God. (Pray)
Tell God that you believe in His Son, Jesus; that He died to pay the price for your sins; and that God raised Him from the dead. (Have Faith)
Admit that you have sinned against Him and ask for His forgiveness. (Confess your sins)
Tell God that you want to accept His gift of eternal life. (Follow God)
It isn’t complicated, but it does require your utmost sincerity. Here is an example of the prayer. If you are willing, pray this prayer:
“Dear God, I know that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross and He was raised from the dead. I know that I have sinned and I am asking for Your forgiveness. I am willing to turn from my sins and receive Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer and meant it with all your heart, our most wonderful and gracious God has promised to give you a new life, both here on earth and a greater life when the time comes for you to physically die. You have a new name. You are a Christian, which means “Christ-like.’
Are you going to be perfect in your new life? Certainly not! You are still a human. Being a Christian will not keep you from sinning, but being a Christian does mean that you want to be more like Jesus. Your new life is beginning, and it is certainly OK to tell others about your new life. By closely following Jesus, your new life will be exciting!
In your brand new life, you are like a newborn. Read your Bible. If you do not have a Bible, go get one. Go to a local church that believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Ask to see the pastor and tell him about your new life.
As you start to grow in your Christian life, you will have lots of questions. You need to meet with other Christians. You need their support, to learn from them, and be a part a Christian fellowship. The important thing is that you find a church near you so that you can be with fellow Christians.
