#1 ADMIT IT… You are a sinner
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
Sin is our failing to perfectly live up to the perfect standard of God. If we all tried to throw a rock to the North-Pole, some of us would get closer than others, but we would all fall short. God sees hate the same as murder, lust as adultery of the heart, if we have lied, God sees us as a liar. No one will get into heaven by being good enough.
There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
#2 The Wages (or penalty) for you sin is death
Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)
For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)
10 out of 10 people will someday die. Everyone will eventually die and stand before a holy God to be judged, and sentenced, to one of two places for eternity. Everyone failing to be perfect (according to God’s standard—not ours) will miss heaven and be sentenced to a place apart from Him to a prison (called hell) where we face a death sentence of dying forever.
#3 THE BAD NEWS is You can’t save yourself
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Isaiah 64:6)
For 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. (Eph 2:8-9)
The best we have to offer, as hard as we could ever work, doesn’t earn us a place in heaven, we just aren’t good enough. It is like telling a judge who has sentenced you to prison, that although you broke the law, you have done some good things too. A good judge would have to say that although you had done good works, that He as a good judge, must sentence people who broke the law. (We have all broken God’s moral law of the 10 commandments, many times, the bible says each offense would bring us the death sentence.)
#4 THE GOOD NEWS is God made a way to save you through Jesus Christ
God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18)
Imagine you had cancer, but a new procedure would let you transplant healthy cells for cancerous ones. Jesus made a way to take on your cancerous cells that would bring you death (cells called sin) and deposited on your behalf (when you accept Him) His righteousness in their place that will allow you to live forever in heaven, eternal life)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of god’s one and only son. (John 3:16-18)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)
If while sentenced to prison, having no way to “bail yourself out”, someone stepped in and paid your fine, the requirements of the law could be satisfied and you could go free. That is what Jesus did at the cross. He paid your fine and took your death sentence, so you could go free, but you must accept His gift, or choose punishment.
#5 How do you accept and claim your free gift of salvation
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." As the Scripture says, “anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. (Romans 10:9-11)
To confess and believe in Jesus (to have faith), requires action. How do you accept the gift of God’s salvation? The step of faith God requires is called repentance.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19)
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Cor. 7:10)
If while drowning in the ocean, the coast guard threw you a lifeline, belief alone is not enough. To be saved you must reach out and grab it. Repentance is our choosing to give up our sin, and the right to control of our lives, in order to turn to God and grab the lifeline that can save us.
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Salvation isn’t for those who know about lifelines, but for those will act in faith, to take hold of it.
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)
The response to a God who made a way to save our lives, is to live for Him, offering Him all we are, not to earn our way to heaven, but to thank him for a gift we could never get on our own (salvation from eternal hell, to eternal life in heaven). God offers us the free gift of salvation, but we have to accept it on his terms
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14;6)
If you realize you need a Savior, if you understand someday you will die and must face a righteous judge and must answer for your every sin against Him. If you realize you will either be sentenced to everlasting suffering, or that you can pass from death to life by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you need to act now.
Jesus says… Here I am! I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev. 3:20)
Are you ready to accept Jesus on His terms? If so repent, trust in Him, and live for Him.
Ask God to forgive your every sin (name the ones you know of) and commit to living your life for Him. Thank Jesus for His life, death, and resurrection to save you. Thank Him for saving you from hell for heaven and for now giving you His Holy Spirit and the Bible for daily guidance and instruction.
If you are unsure about where you will spend eternity, or if you have found salvaiton in Jesus Christ, let us know so we can pray with you. 907-235-2609
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Live holy, preach Jesus!
