God, the creator of the universe, loved his creation so much that he sent his son to come to this earth for the purpose of dying for each one of us. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, became a human and on the cross he took on our sins. He became cursed so that the curse of sin that you and I are infected with can be lifted from anyone who believes in Jesus.

Maybe you’re thinking, “I am not a sinner. I am a good person.” To which I would say to you, “Then live a perfect life.” Only those who live an absolutely perfect life are sinless. The reality is you can’t live a perfect life and you don’t do good all the time which means you are a sinner. You have done things in your life that have displeased God. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We have lied, gossiped, fallen into addictions of alcohol, addiction to drugs, addictions to pornography. We are overtaken with anger, greed, lust, hate and pride. We’ve disrespected our elders and cursed people who cut us off on the interstate or who hurt us. Our marriages are full of anger and resentment. The Bible says that because of our sin there will be punishment of death. Everyone will die a physical death but this punishment will be a spiritual death – separated from God for eternity in hell, a place of torment. Every single one of us would be doomed to this place without any hope of rescue if it weren’t for one man; Jesus Christ.

That same scripture in Romans 3 goes on to say that the punishment for our sin is hell but God in his amazing love and grace has given us the gift of eternal life with Him forever in heaven through Jesus Christ. Through Christ our sins are forgiven and our past is wiped clean. God took our sin and put it on his son. For those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus, God will lay His righteousness on them. You will be forgiven.

Without this sacrifice we could not be saved because we cannot live perfectly. The sacrifice had to be perfect. And so God’s son, Jesus, left his throne in Heaven and came to this earth to die in our place. Jesus paid the price of suffering and death for our sins. Not just for those who were alive when he did it, but for all people for all time. He did that because he loves you and does not desire for you or anyone else to spend eternity in hell. He desires that all will come to repentance and have a relationship with God through Jesus. The greatest miracle of Jesus is not his death though. The greatest miracle is that Christ overcame even death itself by rising from the dead. He proved he is the son of God and he proved to have the power to be our sin substitute and savior because death itself could not even hold him.

Receiving the gift of eternal life with God in heaven is so easy. Romans 10:9 says "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Because of Jesus' death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him, trusting His death as the payment for our sins – and we will be saved! Romans 10:13 says it again, "for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

After you are saved you will have peace with God. A new relationship will begin. You will be what’s called “reborn.” You will no longer belong to the world. You are no longer a slave to sin, you are now a child of God. You belong to him. The world may call you unrighteous, dirty and worthless but, when you repent and believe, trust him with your life and live for him each day by obeying his commands, Christ calls you righteous, holy, beautiful, and pure. Scripture says to those who believe, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Maybe right now the Holy Spirit is awakening you to your sin and need for a Savior. You are beginning to recognize how you have displeased and walked away from God for too long by living life how you wanted and not how God wanted. The solution is simple: go to God and ask for His forgiveness. Repent of your sins, trust in Christ for your salvation and as your savior – then go and live for him. Obey the commands He gives us all through His Scriptures.

Three BIG and EXCITING things happen when we become a child of God. The first is that we are gifted with the faith to believe in and trust Jesus every day. Second, He puts in us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what guides us everyday to continue living for God. It helps us grow closer to God and to become more Christ-like. It convicts us of sin, comforts us in times of distress, guides our paths in uncertainty, fills us with peace in the darkest of circumstances, fills us with boldness and words to help us speak to others about our faith and grants us spiritual gifts to help edify the church. Finally, God provides us with the church. Not a building but a people who are like-minded followers of Jesus. We are not a cult. We are not a club, we are not a clique. We are people who are insanely in love with Christ and who desperately want to grow closer to him. The church family is here to help you, encourage you, guide you, pray with you and push you to keep moving forward. Life is not over when you believe; it is only beginning. If you wish to trust Jesus with both your life and your eternity then I want to direct you in a very short and simple prayer that you can say.

Saying this prayer is a way to declare to God that you are relying on Jesus Christ for your salvation. The words themselves will not save you. Only faith in Jesus Christ can provide salvation! "God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. With your help, I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness - the gift of eternal life! Amen!"

If you prayed that prayer as truly repentant and you have sought forgiveness and want to trust in Jesus then you are now born again. We would love to talk to you about your new faith in Jesus. Please feel free to contact us as soon as possible so that we may pray with you and help you in your new journey as a believer.