“Do you want to know God? Do you want to meet this Savior, Jesus Christ, that others are talking about? Do you want a life that is directed and guided by the creator of the Universe? You CAN know God! You CAN live a life so amazing… so incredible… so good! Let us tell you how.”
First… REALIZE YOU’RE A SINNER. THAT WE ALL ARE!: What is a sinner? What is sin? Sinning is doing stuff we all know isn’t right. Big things yes, but even little things that are wrong are sin. Going 5 miles over the speed limit, not paying for a little item in your shopping basket, lying to another person… not big stuff but still wrong and still things we will all be judged for one day UNLESS we receive forgiveness ahead of time. You see, no matter how good a life we try to live, no matter how much of a good person you think you are, no matter how many good things you do for others… we have ALL done wrong things, we ALL still fall short of being a good person the way GOD intended. That is because we are ALL sinners. And sinning is an act of running away from God, not towards HIM. The Bible says in Romans 4:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ALL OF US! We cannot become who we were created to be without the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Second… RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOU: We have all seen the pictures of this Jesus hanging on a cross. Many even wear that cross around the necks as a fashion statement. But do you know what THAT cross truly means? The Bible tells us that “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” This Christ, this Jesus, this Son of God… willingly and lovingly gave up His life for ours. For Yours! 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.
Third… REPENT OF AND TURN FROM YOUR SINS: The Bible tells us, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” Lets talk about that sentence. That word REPENT is a word that many have not heard before. Simply, the word repent means to change our direction in life. Instead of running from God, we can run toward Him. And in turn, for this choice on our part, God takes all of our sins and casts them into the deepest darkest ocean, to be forgotten forever. Micah 7:19 says “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.” Asking Him to come into your heart and save you is asking Him to save you from your sins… and He does just that.
Fourth… ASK GOD TO LEAD YOUR LIFE AND TO FORGIVE YOUR OF THE SINS!: Becoming a Christian is not just believing some creed or going to church or wearing some Christian t-shirt. Those things will never save you. It is having Christ Himself make a home in your life and heart. It is purposely inviting Him to come into your life. It is purposely asking God to take the lead on everything you are and everything you do. It is asking God to take the lead on YOUR life.
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in . . .” He is knocking on the door to your heart right now. He is asking to come in. Will you open up and say “Please come in God! Please take the lead on my life”?
If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and be forgiven of all sins, simply pray this prayer (or something like it). The specific words are not as important as meaning it in your heart:
“Dear 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 ask you please to come into my life and make me a new creation. Please forgive me for the sins I have committed and wash me clean. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank Jesus! Thank You for saving me… Amen.”
*If you just gave your heart and life to Jesus, we would so much love to follow up with you, to pray for you and to encourage you in this new faith. We would also like to know if there is anything else we can pray for. Drop our Assistant Pastor Tracy an email and let him know that you are now Saved by His Grace!
Pastor Tracy: tracy@cceschurch.com