In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and man and it was all very good. However, Adam and Eve (the first couple created) rebelled against God in the garden by giving in to temptation. As a result, every person ever born inherited their sin nature. As a result, we are all sinners. We’ve all done wrong and we’ve turned away from God. We’ve all rebelled in some way. Because of our sin, no matter how hard we try, we can’t have a relationship with Him. Our sin separates us from God.
- Rom 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Because God is holy and righteous, we are guilty before Him because of our sin, and God has to judge our sin. If we stay in our sin until we die, then we will be separated from God and His goodness for all eternity in the Lake of Fire. Psalm 5:4 “You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.
- Hebrews 9:27 “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
Even though we are sinners and God is Holy, God made a way for you to have a relationship with HIm! God sent His son Jesus to the earth, Who was perfect and sinless and went to the cross to take the punishment that our sins deserve so that we could have a relationship with God.
- 1 Peter 3:18 - “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
After Jesus was in the tomb for three day, Jesus rose again to show that He has power over sin, death, grave, and hell!
It is great news. But just because Jesus conquered those things, doesn’t mean that every person’s sins have been forgiven.
Each person has to respond.
If we want our sins forgiven, and we want to be a follower of Jesus, then that means we have to repent of our sins and believe in the person and work of Jesus.
To repent means we acknowledge that we are sinners but we turn (repent) from willfully sinning and following our own way and turn to Jesus and follow Him and His way.
To believe in Jesus means we believe that He is God and that He is the Savior who died for our sins and can save us from our sins.
These two truths are what Jesus taught in His ministry here on earth.
- Mark 1 :14-15 - Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
You and I cannot work for our salvation! Salvation is by Faith (belief) alone and never by our works.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
When we genuinely repent and believe, God promises some amazing blessings for our lives. So, what does God promise?
- Salvation
God promises us in His Word that if you repent of your sins and believe in Jesus and follow Jesus as your King, then you are saved from your sins and you become a part of the family of God.
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- Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved! For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
- Life
Jesus promises to give you life now and eternal life in heaven when you die.
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- Life now
- John 10:10 - Jesus said, “The thief (satan) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
- Life in Heaven
- John 3:36 - Jesus said, “Whoever believes in the Son (Jesus) has eternal life.”
- Life now
- Holy Spirit
God promises the Holy Spirit to live in you and be your helper when you believe.
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- Ephesians 1:13 - “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
- John 14:26 - Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
- New Creation
God promises to wash every sin away from your life so that when he sees you, He no longer sees your scarred, checkered, and sinful past, but He sees Jesus’ righteousness in your life.
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- 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”
- New Kingdom
When we are saved, God rescues us out of Satan’s kingdom and places us in His Kingdom forever!
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- Colossians 1:13-14 “He (God) has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Are you ready to Follow Jesus?
Then start with Our Response above.
Read through the truths and then confess to the Lord that you are a sinner and you are repenting of your sins. And then with your mouth, you need to confess to Jesus that you Believe that He is Lord and that Jesus rose again from the grave.
When you genuinely repent and believe, God saves you!
If you have made this commitment, then we want to know so we can help you with the Next Steps.
