Know God
I am glad you decided to come to this section of the website. You are very dear to God, and He is there with you right now, perhaps knocking on the door of your heart. God loves you, wants to forgive you, and wants you to have a relationship with Him. So read on! Open your heart! The next few minutes may change your life and that is something you will never regret!
- Pastor Steve Mays
1. REALIZE - YOU ARE A SINNER
First, you must realize, no matter how good a life you try to live, you will still fall short of God's standards for being holy. Even if you try to justify yourself with thoughts like, "I live a good, moral life," the Bible tells us in Romans 3:10, "There is none righteous, no, not one.'" Further, the Bible says in Romans 3:23 "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Everyone has sinned in the eyes of God and everyone stands guilty before Him. What price are you willing to pay for your sin? Romans 6:23 says, "the wages of sin is death..." Therefore, since all have sinned, all are subject to the penalty of sin and an eternity in hell separated from God.
2. RECOGNIZE - JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOU
God's remedy for our sinful situation was to allow His ONLY BELOVED Son, Jesus, to TAKE OUR PLACE UPON THE CROSS AND pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible says in Romans 5:8 that, "...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This is the message of the Gospel -- that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place when we least deserved it. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
3. REPENT - OF YOUR SINS
Salvation is God's solution, but our decision. It is a step of faith. The Bible speaks about this faith in Hebrews 11:6, "BUT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM: FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM." No one can choose eternal life for you. You must make the choice yourself, and your choice starts with repentance. The word "repent" means "to change your direction". The Bible tells us, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). God commands us to repent. You must be willing to turn away from the things that displease God.
4. RECEIVE - JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR
Becoming a Christian is not merely following a bunch of "do's" and "don'ts". It is having Christ Himself take residence in your heart and life as your Savior. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your life) and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in . .. ." (Revelation 3:20). It is essential that you come to Jesus as you are. Open the door of your heart and let Him come in. Don't try to "clean up your life" before you come to God. Instead, receive Him and allow Him to do the "cleansing." ASK GOD TO HELP YOU RIGHT NOW. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF, GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT YOU AND HE LOVES YOU. And you know that your life needs something more than what you currently have -- you know that you need God in your heart and life!
If you would like to have a relationship with Christ, I would invite you to pray this simple prayer, right where you are, and right from your heart:
Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe you died for my sins. Right now, I repent of all my sins and ask You to forgive me. I open the door of my heart, and I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I ask you to change me on the inside. Help me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live life in a way that would honor You. WRITE MY NAME IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, AND I ASK ALL THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS ...AMEN
If you just prayed that prayer, Jesus Christ has forgiven you and taken residence in your heart. The Bible tells us, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Also, the Bible tells us in 2 Cor 5:17 that "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Imagine that, you have been given the chance to start all over with a new life...eternal life!
Now, put your new found faith into practice. Get to know Jesus by spending time with Him; reading your Bible, praying, FINDING A BIBLE TEACHING church, and telling others about your decision TO FOLLOW CHRIST. PLEASE TAKE TIME TO Contact "Light Of The Word" about your decision, so that we may send you some valuable information to encourage you in your faith.
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