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LIVE FOREVER A Free Gift When was the last time you had to work really hard for your own Christmas or birthday present? Most likely, you haven't. Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a gift. God has given us the greatest gift ever. Eternal life in Heaven. It's there for the asking. "...the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
--Romans 6:23b Let's review some facts. Everyone sins. "...for all have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God..."
--Romans 3:23 The facts are obvious. We've all done it. No matter how big or how small we view the wrong things we've done, it doesn't change the fact that sin is sin. Any time we have broken one of God's commandments we have sinned. If we've told a "white lie", stolen a pencil, or committed capital murder in six states--we've all met the same eternal fate. Since Adam and Eve, men and women have been born with a nature that causes them to do wrong. It's called the sinful nature. Because of that sinful nature, and because of the sin we have committed, we have fallen short of God's glorious goals. People often try to rank their sins, saying that their good outweighs the bad and that God will add up their totals and honor this type of thinking. That is not what the Bible teaches. Do you know what God requires for us to be in Heaven with Him? Perfection. God is Holy and without sin, and cannot be in the presence of sinners. We have all sinned. None of us can make it to Heaven on our good works alone because God demands perfection--and we were born flawed with sin. We were born spiritually dead in our sin. We deserve Hell. "For the wages of sin is
death...."
--Romans 6:23a In a sense, we were born "bad eggs" already doomed for the furnace. The Bible says that the "wages of sin is death"... We earn eternal death in our sin. No matter how many good works we push out--we still earn the requirement of sin, it's destruction. Good News The Bible calls what we are about to tell you the "gospel". It means "the good news". I would take the news that you and I are headed for destruction as the worst news imaginable. That is, if it ended there. We are born deserving Hell, but there is awesome news that follows. Our God is the very definition of love (1 John 4:8). God loves and wants to spend eternity in a relationship with us. So, it seems, we have a conflict here... On one hand, God loves us, and God wants to spend eternity with us, but on the other, God hates sin and cannot let the guilty go unpunished (Exodus 34:7). Yet God solved what seems, in human eyes, to be a conflict, by sending the person of Jesus Christ. Who Is Jesus Anyway? No one can deny the impact of Jesus on the world... Come on, history is divided by the life of a Jewish carpenter. You hear His name all the time, whether it be in church, on television, from friends, or when His name is used in an improper, irreverent form. Who exactly is He? Was He just a good man or a great teacher like Buddha or Confucius? What makes Him different from the rest? None of the others claimed to be God. Jesus not only claimed He was God (John 10:30, 14), but He proved He was. Famous author C.S. Lewis wrote of Jesus; "He was either a liar, lunatic, or He was who He said: Lord." The very Son of God was God in human flesh and proved time and time again by miracles, the fulfillment of over three-hundred Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 7, 9, 11, 53; Psalm 2, 22; and Job 19:25 to name a few), and ultimately by the resurrection from the dead (which was also prophesied, Psalm 16). The evidence points to Jesus being God in human flesh. He was the God-Man. 100% God, and 100% human. What Did Jesus Do? Jesus was born of a virgin as the prophets prophesied, born unlike us without sin. Being God, He committed no sin. Being man, He was tempted in every way we are (Hebrews 4:15). Never committing sin, He was the perfect lamb that was spoken of in the Old Testament (God's way of picturing the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ.) He was taken to cross where after doing no wrong, He was crucified and our sins were upon Him. When Jesus died on the cross, our sins died with Him. Yet what could have been a tragic story ended with happiness. Jesus rose from the dead, proving that one day we will raise to a new life with Him. By dying on the cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself. He was a substitute for our sins and us. Jesus suffered terribly to bear the punishment for our sins. Now, in the Father's eyes, those who have trusted in Jesus are as perfect as He is. We are no longer separated from Him, which means we can spend eternity with Him. How do I attain this gift? Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life... No man can go the Father but through Me..." (John 14:6). If Jesus was who He said He was... He couldn't lie... and there is no other way to Heaven but through Jesus. No other religion, and not religion itself can take you to Heaven. Only by trusting in Jesus can we get to Heaven. Just ask. There's no work you can do to deserve it--but God gives it away graciously. There's no sin you need to stop committing before you attain it, and there's no reason to wait. You don't know when you'll die. It could be at any moment. There's no reason to wait. Eternal life waits.
Make Him Lord. When you ask God to save you, you are giving Him full control of your life. Christianity isn't part of life, or a phase in life, but when you trust Jesus... He becomes your life. He becomes your Master--and you follow where He leads you. You're never gotten to the point on this earth where you've committed too much wrong where God won't love and forgive you. You need His grace... You need a relationship with Him. Pray this to God sincerely, remember God hears hearts, not words: God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I am a sinner. I know that there is nothing I can do to get to Heaven on my own. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to live the perfect life and die on the cross for my sins. I believe He raised from the dead. Become the Master of my life, and control me God. I love you God, thank you for sending your Son to save me. In Jesus' name.... AMEN. If you just prayed that prayer, welcome to the family of God! Now, the blood of Jesus has bridged the gap between you and God that once existed. Now, you can have an intimate relationship with God as one has with a close friend and Father. You can never lose the salvation that you have been given (John 10:29). Now, God (the Holy Spirit) lives within you--and He will be your guide and lead you through life. When you sin, He will convict you of it, and when you need to talk to the Father, He will be the communicator. The Holy Spirit will control and grow you from this day forward.
1) God's Word--The Bible alone is God's flawless word. It is without error... for it was written by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and teaches us how to live (2 Timothy 3:16). When we hide it in our hearts, it keeps us from sinning (Psalm 119:11). Read it every day! Spend time in prayer with your Bible. If you ask God before you read it, God will teach you things about Himself through it. If you get away from God's word... you get away from Him. Start reading in the book of John. The pastor of Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, Dr. Adrian Rogers, often states... "Don't worry about the things you don't understand, you'll spend so much time with things you do." As you grow in your faith and in God's word, you will grow in it's knowledge. 2) Prayer--The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. You don't have to pray using big words or spiritual lingo... Remember that God is your Father who loves to talk to you. God may not answer your every request, in the exact way that you want... and all though we might not always see it immediately, God always has something better for us. In prayer, exalt God by praising Him for the awesome God He is.... (The Bible tells us that when we praise God, He indwells our praises) Give Him your concerns and your needs... Pray for others... Importantly, thank Him for all He has provided you with (life and more importantly... eternal life). Pray that God will keep you from certain sin(s). And ask God that in your life that His will is done, not your own. 3) Worship--One way we grow is by gathering together to exalt and worship Jesus Christ by song or by learning about Him. The first act of worship that God commands us to do as believers in Christ is to be baptized into a body of believers (a church). The Bible tells us to be active in the local church. What better way to find support and love from other believers than to be a member of a loving church body? We can't tell you which church is right for you, God will lead you there... But remember that it must be a church that believes in the Bible as the only source of truth. God's word is our authority--not man's interpretation or man's addition. The church MUST glorify Jesus as the Son of God, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. If you're in the Jonesboro area and you don't know a place to visit, by all means, check out Walnut Street. You are welcome here! 4) Fellowship--Being around other believers for encouragement, accountability, and support is vital. There's no greater comfort that being with believers you love who know you and sympathize with your difficulties. You can also celebrate with them together the wonder who Jesus Christ is. 5) Sharing Your Faith--When ascending to Heaven, Jesus commanded us to share this "good news" that we have just shared with you and make disciples of people of every race and background (Matthew 28:18-20). When you begin sharing your faith with God's Holy Spirit within you... you will gain new confidence in the truths of God and be able to tell friends, family, and anyone else that they can go to Heaven just like you! This is a lot of info we've given you, yet we feel that it is the most important information you'll ever receive. If you have any questions, or just want to know more about Christianity... You can contact us with any spiritual questions you might have by e-mailing Glen (glen@walnutstreetbaptist.org) or by calling (870)972-0220 where someone will be glad to share more with you! for 24 hour counseling, call 1-800-NEED-HIM. |
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