First, the good news…..

• God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. He created you for this very purpose.

  • Colossians 1:16 – "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

  • John 17:3 – "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Second, the bad news….

• We cannot have a relationship with God if we have any sin in our lives. Even one sin keeps us from having a relationship with God. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) So no one is good enough on their own to have eternal life.

• The Bible also says that "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) That means the payment for all the wrong things we have done is that we will be eternally separated from God.

Third, more good news…

• Fortunately, that is not the end of the story. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God sent His one and only Son to this earth. His name was and is Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect, sinless life and then died on the cross in our place. He paid the payment of sin for us.

Fourth, it is your turn….

• What God did for us on the cross is His free gift to each of us. But it is a gift you have to receive for yourself. If someone were to give you a gift on your birthday it would not be yours until you received the gift. God's gift works the same way. How do you receive this gift for yourself?

  • Admit to God that you have sinned and that you need a Savior. Jesus said that He came to this earth, "to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10) He wants to be your Savior. In order for that to happen you have to be willing to admit that you have sinned and that you desire His forgiveness.

  • Believe that Jesus came to this earth just like the Bible tells us He did. Believe that He died on the cross in your place. Believe that Jesus rose from the grave after three days.

    • John 10:9-10 – "That 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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

    • In order to have eternal life, you have to put your trust in what Jesus did for you.

  • Commit your life to Christ. By receiving God's free gift of salvation, in part you are admitting that you need His forgiveness, but you are also committing your life to Jesus. You are saying that you have been living for yourself all this time, but now you want to turn around and begin living your life for Christ. No one is telling you that you have to be perfect for the rest of your life. You are simply saying that you now want to begin learning what it means to truly follow Christ.

If it is your desire to follow Christ today, all you to do is pray to Him and let Him know your desire. The following prayer is a guide that can help you as you say your own prayer to God.

Dear Jesus, thank you that you want to have a relationship with me. I know that I have sinned and have done what is wrong in your eyes. Please forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose again after three days. Today, I am committing my life to you. Thank you for saving me and giving me eternal life. Amen.

If you have prayed that prayer, then we are excited for you and welcome you to the family of God. Our encouragement to you is that you become involved immediately in a Bible believing church and begin to grow in your relationship with God. By the way, please let us know of your decision to follow Christ. You can call us anytime at 361-865-3813. God bless you!!!!