Salvation
Did you know that before you were born, moreover, before the earth was formed, God loved you and intended for us to have a relationship with him (Ephesians 1:4)? However, the bible says that “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This doesn’t mean that He doesn’t love us, rather that our sinful nature has separated us from Him.
The good news is that we can repair that relationship with God and spend eternity in heaven through salvation. You see, the bible lets us know that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. God gave us a way to ensure we live an abundant life (John 10:10) with Him and the first step is to receive salvation:
1. Realize that you are a sinner.
No matter how good a life we try to live, we still fall miserably short of being a good person (Mark 10 :18). That is because we are all sinners . We all fall short of God’s desire for us to be holy (Romans 3:23). Regardless of how good we believe a person might be, the Bible says that no one is good (Romans 3:10). This is because we can not become who we are supposed to be without Jesus Christ.
2. Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.
The Bible tells us, that God sent Jesus Christ to die for us while were still sinners (Romans 5:8). This is the Good News, 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).
3. Repent of your sin.
The Bible tells us to “repent and be converted” (Acts 3:19). The word repent means to change our direction in life. Instead of running from God, we can run toward Him. If we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us or everything we have ever done wrong (1 John 1:9).
4. Receive Jesus Christ into your life.
Becoming a Christian is not merely believing some creed or going to church on Sunday. It is having Christ Himself take residence in your life and heart. Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
If you would like to have a relationship with Christ, simply pray this prayer and mean it in your heart:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe you died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess you as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”
If you just prayed that prayer and meant it, Jesus Christ has now taken residence in your heart! Your decision to follow Christ means God has forgiven you, and that you will spend eternity in heaven (2 Peter 9:9). To put your faith in action, be sure to spend time with God by reading your Bible, praying, going to church, and telling others about Christ. These activities will make you grow in the character of Christ.