God’s plan for us is that we have peace and eternal life. The Bible says, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1Becoming A Christian
GOD’S PLAN
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." —John 3:16)
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10
OUR PROBLEM
The problem that prevents us from having a right relationship with God and going to heaven when we die is sin.
The Bible says,
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
We are all sinners by nature and by choice.
Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you (Isaiah 59:2). God is holy and cannot tolerate the presence of sin. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The penalty for our sin is death and hell. We cannot save ourselves. Salvation is not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:9).
GOD’S SOLUTION
The Solution to our problem of sin is found in what Jesus Christ did for us.
God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to repair our broken relationship with Him that was caused by our sin. The way Jesus did that was to die for our sins. He took our punishment. He paid the penalty for our sins. Jesus demonstrated His triumph over sin and death by His resurrection.
The Bible says,
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 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 3:18a).
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25).
WE MUST RESPOND
We must respond to what Christ has done for us by receiving Him as our Savior and Lord. This is a voluntary act of our will that should involve the following responses:
1. We must Repent of our sin. This involves a change of mind that results in a change of life.
Jesus said, unless you repent, you too will all perish (Luke 13:3).
I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds (Acts 26:20).
2. We must by faith Trust Jesus alone for our salvation.
To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).
For all who repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord, God gives the gift of eternal life.
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).
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12).
Are you ready to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord?
If so go to God in prayer. Confess to Him that you are a sinner and that you want to turn from your sins. Tell Him that you believe with all your heart that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins and that He arose triumphantly over sin and death. Call upon Jesus to save you and surrender control of your life to Christ.
Remember: For it is by grace you have been saved through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The best way to demonstrate your love and gratitude to God for His gift of eternal life is to spend time with Him every day in prayer. Talk to God as you would a close friend. Listen to God each day by reading the Bible. It is the Word of God. God has given it to teach us what to believe and how to live. By spending time with God in prayer and Bible study, you will get to know Him better and discover how to live life in a way that is pleasing to God and fulfilling to yourself.