I believe in the Trinity; Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I believe that we are all sinners, and punishment is death. But God sent his one and only son to earth, to live among us, be a perfect example for us and teach us right from wrong, then to be persecuted and die on a cross for us. He paid the price for our sins, so that we can live in heaven for eternity. He did this for me and for you too. The following is what the bible has to say about this and how we can know Jesus Christ as our personal savior. Printable version available here.
The Gospel
All scripture is from the New International Version (NIV) bible unless otherwise noted.
If you’re seeking a relationship with Jesus Christ, please read through this information. The following include some scripture and instructions on how you can know Christ as your personal savior.
When you know Christ as your savior, you can understand and apply scripture to your life much easier, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
1. Every Person is separated from God due to sin and sinful behavior.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity (wickedness, sinfulness) of us all.
2. Sin must be punished by separation from God (hell).
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. There is nothing a person can do to gain status with God or to earn salvation. We cannot earn forgiveness.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
4. God recognizes this dilemma. From creation, he put a plan into action to give individuals the opportunity to have a personal relationship with him. This plan was based on the death of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 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.
Romans 10:9 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.
5. Each person must repent of their sin and personally believe (i.e., trust) in Jesus Christ as the only way to receive God’s forgiveness and gain entrance into heaven.
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
6. Salvation is then assured – not a “maybe“ or a “hope so”; it is God’s gift.
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Romans 10:9, 10 That if you confess with our 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.
Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
To Receive Jesus as your personal Savior, pray this prayer, or speak from your heart and put it into your own words:
Father God, I’m not perfect. I’m a sinner and I ask you to please forgive me of all my sins. I’m sorry that I have grieved you. I’m not even worthy of your time. But, you love me and desire to be in relationship with me anyhow. You even died on the cross for me! You paid the price for my sin. Thank you and I accept your free gift. Thank for for my salvation from death and hell. I am now your child and I choose to follow you and allow you to be the leader of my life. As I seek you from now on, Lord, I ask for you to guide me each and every day to learn and grow closer to you and live a life that will be pleasing to you. I praise you and thank you for your loving kindness. It’s in the sweet name of Jesus I pray, AMEN!
Plan of Action – Practical Steps to take
· I encourage you to find a Bible version that you can understand clearly and connect with. My favorites are NIV, ESV, & NLT. Also, feel free to use the resources available in most bibles, ie: topical index, dictionary, & concordance. I don’t care how many years you’ve been in God’s Word, these resources are a huge asset when searching for answers to a specific topic.
· Look up each of these scriptures for yourself and take notes. Read life application notes and commentaries if you want to dig deeper for a better understanding.
· Study carefully the Gospel of John.
· Seek out another believer to mentor you in your spiritual growth.
· Write out the gospel in your own words.
· Write out your spiritual journey. Write out questions you have and start reading God’s Word.
· Be baptized: Baptism identifies you with Christ. Research for yourself why this is important. Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:13-17). We should be like Christ and follow his example. Some scripture to get you started:
o As an act obedience. Mark 16:15-16
o If you believe with all your heart. Acts 8:35-40
o Death to sin and to walk in the newness of life with Christ. Romans 6:3-5
· Write out these questions to ask yourself and then write out your answer:
o If you were to die soon, why would you expect God to allow you to join him in heaven?
o What are your next steps to take?