God loves you
The First thing you must know is that you are not on this earth by accident. The scripture tells us in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee….”This tells us that God formed you and knew you before you were even born. Because of God’s love for you, He wants you to have an unbroken fellowship with Him.
You are a sinner
There is only one thing that separates you from having a personal relationship with God and that one thing is sin. All persons are sinners. Romans 3:10 says, “…There is none righteous, No, not one.” Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Therefore, no matter how good we try to be, none of us do the right thing all the time. We are all sinners.
What is sin?
The Bible describes sin in many ways, but it basically means that we choose our own way in our attitudes and in what we say, do, and think rather than choosing God’s way. It is our failure to meet God’s standards and His holiness.
Sin separates us from God
Sin forms a barrier that prevents you from having an unbroken fellowship with God and entering into His Kingdom.
You can’t save yourself
Many people think that through righteous living, they can overcome the sin barrier that stands between themselves and God or believe that they will be rewarded according to how good they live their lives. The truth is you “cannot earn” God’s salvation. Only God can save you from your sins and He has made a way to do just that because He loves you!
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” Titus 3:5
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
God’s remedy for sin
The good news is that because God LOVES you, He sent His son Jesus to remove the sin barrier for you. Jesus paid the price for your sin by dying in your place. Romans 5:8 says “…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus then rose from the dead to demonstrate that His payment was acceptable to God. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ made the only way for you to have a close and personal relationship with God. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
God wants to save you
God desires a close personal relationship with you. He sent His son to die for you so that He could have a relationship with you. Revelation 3:20 says “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
What is Conviction?
If you feel burdened with sin and feel a sense of doom, knowing in your heart that you would not go to Heaven when your life ends here on earth, God is standing at the door and knocking. He is calling to you and speaking to your heart, telling you that you need to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. You can only be saved when God calls. Don’t let this opportunity pass, as no one knows how many times God will call you before your life ends.
What you must do
You must receive Jesus Christ through faith (Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus.), asking Jesus into your heart and accepting Him as your personal Savior. John 14:6 says “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Acts 16:31 says “…believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” Accepting Jesus Christ also involves repentance and genuine sorrow for sin and willingness to turn away from sin. Romans 10:9-10 says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Through prayer you can trust in Jesus Christ
If you feel God is calling you to be saved, you can accept Christ as your Lord and Savior right now by opening your heart and praying a sincere prayer of faith. God isn’t so concerned about the words you use as He is about the conviction of your heart. It’s not the words of the prayer that save you, but your receiving Jesus Christ into your heart. He wants you to love him with all your heart, mind and soul. Below is a suggested prayer but certainly not to be used instead of the sincere desire of your own heart. Talk to Jesus as openly and honestly as you possibly can.
“Dear Heavenly Father, I am a sinner and repent of my sins. Please forgive me Lord. I believe in you and I accept your death and resurrection as payment for my sin. I accept you in faith and ask that you come into my heart and become my Lord and Savior. I commit all of who I am and my life to you. Prepare me Lord to dwell in your presence forever and use me here on earth as you see fit. Thank you Jesus for hearing my prayer and for saving me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
If you want to know more about living for Jesus, we would love for you to contact us and let us help you! Pastor Todd Flanagan’s phone number is (706) 835-7189. We would love to meet you, fellowship with you and celebrate what Christ has done for you. Accepting Jesus Christ is just the beginning of an amazing life-long journey!