Psalms 118:8 "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
• The Good Message
1. Accept that you are Guilty of sin
2. Realize the penalty for sin is death and judgment
3. Understand that Jesus died to pay for your sins
4. Believe for salvation
5. Saved by grace through faith
• What should I pray?
• What should I do next?
All have sinned, which separates us from a Holy God, and the penalty for sin is death and judgment.
There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood. Christ shed His blood for all our sins {Past, Present and Future}, was buried and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. By dying for our sins, He gave His life as an atoning sacrifice and delivered us from the wrath to come. As death and judgment is a result of sin and Jesus lived a sinless life, death could not hold Him. By confessing and believing in His resurrection, we understand the debt for sin has been paid (we are reconciled back to God because we have been justified by His blood).
Now it is only by God's grace through our faith in Christ alone that we are saved. Not of ourselves, not of works lest any man should boast. It is the free gift of God - It is by grace {something we did not earn or deserve} that God gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. If you admit that you are a sinner and are in need of God's forgiveness - the moment you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your saviour, you will be saved.
The Holy Spirit will indwell you, lead and guide you, saved and sealed until the day of redemption.
Let no man deceive you. God's Word makes it clear on how to be saved..
Death entered the world because of Adam's sin and all people have inherited this sinful nature. Sin separates us from a Holy God and is best described as man's rebellion against the Creator. There is no one righteous in God's sight and we have all fallen short of the glory of God. We have broken His law's and have not lived life in accordance to His righteous standards.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Originally, hell was a place prepared for Satan and his angels, however it is now also a place of damnation for human sinners. Hell is mentioned many times in scripture and is described as a place of everlasting fiery punishment, torment and destruction. It has no end {it is eternal}. Those who do not believe God's plan of salvation and reject Jesus' sacrifice on the cross are destined to this eternity in hell, which along with all it's inhabitants, will one day be cast into the lake of fire. The consequence of sin is death and sinners will face judgment (the penalty will be eternal separation from God in the lake of fire). In the end, God will give sinners what they want ..an eternity without Him. This is a serious issue and is the reason for spreading the message of salvation, and that is to save people from going to this place.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb. He rose from the dead in His physical body on the third day and appeared to many witnesses before ascending into heaven. His sacrifice was a substitution for us as He lived a perfect sinless life in order that He may suffer God's wrath on our behalf.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Salvation is a free gift and it is only by God's Grace through Faith alone that we are saved by believing that Jesus died for our sins. Even though we are all sinners, anyone that puts their trust and faith in the Lord Jesus will be counted as righteous before God because His blood redeems us. If you believe in your heart that He died upon the cross as an atonement for your sin; that He was buried; and on the third day God raised Him to life again, you will be forgiven!
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Becoming a Christian does not mean being better than others, nor does it make us a "good person". It simply means acknowledging our need for a saviour and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Time is so short and tomorrow is not promised..
Accept that you are a sinner and are in need of God's forgiveness (Romans 3:10, 3:23).
Believe for salvation that God sent His only Son to pay for your sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8, 6:23).
Call upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for creating me. I know that I have sinned against you and the penalty for sin is death, judgment and hell. Please forgive me and save me. I believe Jesus died on the cross at Calvary and through His blood paid the penalty for my sins, was buried and rose again. I repent and accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and saviour. I now put my faith and trust in Him to give me eternal life.
Thank you Father for your merciful grace, in Jesus name I pray.
Amen.
Read the Bible.. Invest in a good old fashioned King James Bible - Tried, tested and trusted since 1611. Reading the gospel of John found in the New Testament is a good place to start.
Join a Bible-believing Church.. There are many church denominations however we believe a Baptist church most closely resembles the original early church as found in scripture. Not all denominations will agree on everything, however, it is always a good idea to ask the church for a "Statement of Faith" regarding their beliefs (see 1 John 4:1). Always read your bible and trust in God's written word. "The scripture cannot be broken." John 10:35
Talk to God.. The LORD answers prayer. Sometimes the answer is "yes" and sometimes the answer is "no". But sometimes the answer is "not yet..". Either way, do not be afraid to ask God for help and guidance. He loves you and wants you to trust Him!
Talk to others.. Tell someone. This may be daunting at first but by spreading the Gospel, your personal testimony may encourage a loved one, friend or stranger to accept God's message of salvation. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15 (See also Luke 24:45-49).
The Gospel can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures..
Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
For further reading, see also: John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 5:12-21, 8:6-18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 John 3:5
