- Are you at a place in your life that you know for certain if you died right now you would go to Heaven?
- Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, "Why should I let you into heaven?" What would you say?
GOD'S PURPOSE
God loves us and has a purpose for our lives. The Bible states it this way: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God's purpose is that we all have eternal life in heaven with Him.
- God gives eternal life as a gift (Romans 6:23).
- We can live a full and meaningful life right now (John 10:10).
- We will spend eternity with Jesus in heaven (John 14:3).
OUR NEED
As we search for meaning in life, we discover our sinful nature keeps us from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives.
- We are all sinners by nature and by choice. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23).
- We cannot save ourselves "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- We deserve death and hell. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23)
GOD'S PROVISION
God is holy and just and must punish sin. Yet He loves us and provides forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
OUR RESPONSE
The only way Jesus can affect our lives is for us to receive Him. The Bible says "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." (John1:12)
- We must repent of our sin "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away" (Acts 3:19).
- Repentance is not just feeling sorry for our sins (Acts 26:20)
- Repentance is turning away from our sin and turning to God through Jesus.
- We must place our faith in Jesus "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
- Faith is not just believing facts about Jesus (James 2:19).
- Faith is trusting in Jesus (James 2:19).
- We must surrender to Jesus as Lord. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10).
- Surrendering to Jesus as Lord is not just saying we give our lives to Jesus (Matthew 7:21).
- Surrendering to Jesus as Lord is giving Jesus control of our lives.
If you are willing to receive Jesus into your life now, you can invite Him in by praying something like this:
Dear Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and died to forgive me of my sins. I know I have sinned. I ask You to forgive me. I turn from my sins, and I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. I want to live for You the rest of my life. Amen.
