God loves YOU! God love you more than anyone in the entire world. The bible tells us in John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." What does that mean? God loved us so much that He sent his only son to live on earth as a man so that he could die on the cross so that we could be forgiven of all our sins so that we could live with God. So you may be asking what is salvation or "being saved" mean and what is it all about? The bible tells us in John 3:13 (NIV) "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man." In another words you have to believe and accept Jesus Christ into your heart. Now you may be confused about not just what salvation is or what it is all about. Well don't worry salvation is as easy as ABC.
A - Admit
God loves everyone (John 3:16)
Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23)
Sin is death (Romans 6:23 - The first part)
B- Believe
Knowing the Giver (Romans 6:23 - The second part)
Receiving the gift (John 1:12)
C- Confess
Confess your sins (1 John 1:9)
Opening the door (Revelation 3:20)
Admit
First you have to admit that there is a God and that He sent his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. But just knowing that there is a God is not enough. The bible tells us "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:19 (NIV) We have to also admit that we have sinned. Yes you and I have sinned because the bible says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 (NIV) Sin is what keeps us from a life with God. The bible tells us "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23 (NIV) But don't worry God has a plan and he sent his son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.
Believe
The bible says that the punishment for sin is death "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NIV). If you believe that Jesus is God's son and He came to die for you sins and you pray a sinner's prayer then you can receive the gift. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12 (NIV) Once you believe that Jesus came to die for your sins then you need to confess your sins.
Confess
Why is believing not enough? Remember that even the demons believe in God but we know that they will not be in heaven. Why will the demons not be in heaven? Because the demons will never accept Jesus into their heart and confess their sins. In the bible God give us a promise "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV) Jesus Christ is with you and he is saying to you "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking. Jesus will not come in uninvited but waits for you to invite Him in. Yes it is true the same God that created the heavens, earth, moon, stars, water and animals is waiting for you to invite Him into your heart and wants to be part of your life so He can give you the gift of eternal life with Him. Now to let him in all you need to do is pray a sinner's prayer.
Now to invite Jesus into your heart pray a prayer like this:
Dear Jesus I have heard and read your word and I know that you are standing at my heart and knocking. I want you to come into my heart and be part of my life. I know that I have sinned and this sin is keeping me from having a relationship with you. I thank you for coming to earth to die for my sins so that I may have a relationship with you. Please forgive me of my sins. Jesus please come into my heart and help me to live my life for you. Thank you for your mercy and love. I pray this prayer from the bottom of my heart. Amen!
Congratulations! If you prayed the sinner's pray and believed in your heart then your name has now be written in God's book of life and you have been given the gift of eternal life. Your next step is to find a church that you can join, pray and read your bible. Many people are afraid or try to avoid church but church is an important part of our walk with Christ. Praying is how we talk with God because you can't have a relationship with God if you don't talk with Him. Reading the bible helps us understand how God wants us to live and provides us with information that we will need in our daily lives. If you need help or have more questions please contact us and we will help you. Please contact us and let us know if you have accepted Christ into your heart.