Got Faith?
"If you died today, and Jesus were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into
heaven?' what would you say?" If your answer is that "you're a pretty good
person (after all, you never robbed or killed anybody)," or that "you believe in
God and go to church," according to the Bible, that doesn't cut it. Even the
devil believes in God, and, well, he's not going to heaven. Salvation, according
to the Word of God, looks like this:
- Recognize that you're a sinner. "There is no one righteous, not
even one" (Romans 3:10). We can't make excuses or blame others and our
circumstances for our actions, "for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
- Recognize that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. "But God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
- Repent of your sins. Repent means to change direction. "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). God commands us to repent and
turn away from things that displease Him.
- Receive Jesus as your Savior. Don't try to clean up your life
first. Come to Jesus just as you are and allow Him to change your life. "Yet
to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right
to become children of God" (John 1:12). Jesus said, "All that the Father gives
me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John
6:37).
- Pray. "Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and am in need of
forgiveness. I know that you died on the cross to give me that forgiveness. I
accept the ultimate gift you gave to pay the penalty for my sins. I invite you
to be my Savior and the Lord of my life. I trust you and want to follow your
way all the days of my life. In your name, Amen."
- Know for sure that you have eternal life: "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" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "He who has the
Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write
these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may
know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:12-13).
If you have questions, write to
us at:
Faith2Action, P.O. Box 633, Dania
Beach, FL 33004