Jesus loves you with Amazing Love!
THE GOOD NEWS: WHAT JESUS DID - AND WHAT HE OFFERS TO YOU - FOR FREE !
Most of us have had some kind of experience with church or religion that has left us with a personal impression of what Christianity is all about. Opinions range from keeping the 10 Commandments or trying to be a good person, to simply living in a "Christian" Nation. Since there is a wide variety of viewpoints, how can we really know what a Christian is? The best way to find out is to see what the Bible says. After all, why settle for second-hand information when we can go straight to the source!
A Christian is any person who has entered into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Being a Christian means belonging to Jesus Christ. It means that we have become a part of His family with God as our Father - "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" ( Gal. 3:26). It means that we are no longer separated from God - "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (Eph.2:13).
What separated us from Him? Our sins - "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" ( Isa. 59:2). What is sin? Sin consists of our personal responsibility for the good that we know we should do, but don't do (James 4:17) and the wrong that we know we shouldn't do, but do anyway (1Jn.5:17). Is everyone responsible for sin? Yes - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23). How can we stop being separated from God? We must have all our sins forgiven and become right in God's eyes. But if we're all sinful, how can we be forgiven and become righteous? Now we're getting to the good part - the Gospel - THE GOOD NEWS!
Consider the message of these verses from God's Word: "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you" (Acts 13:38). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1Jn.1:9). "In the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith' " (Rom. 1:17). How is this possible?"God made Him Who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).
The simple truth is this: God loved us so much that He was willing to send His Only Son - Jesus, to live an absolutely righteous life and then carry all our sins to the Cross where He suffered and died in our place. When we believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him as our Lord and Savior, we receive God's gracious gift of Eternal Life. This gift includes the forgiveness of our sins, righteousness by faith, a personal relationship with God, the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, the strength and guidance of God's Holy Spirit, and much, much more. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we experience a spiritual birth. We pass from spiritual death into eternal spiritual life. This makes us a new person with a new kind of joy, peace, security, and purpose that we've never experienced before - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17). As a new person, we immediately become part of a new family - THE FOREVER FAMILY OF GOD! "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). There is no end to what God offers us in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:32 says"He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"
What is a Christian? A Christian is any person who has entered into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. How do we enter into that relationship? We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, submitting ourselves to His loving leadership and eternal authority. We go to Him, ask for His forgiveness and invite Him to come into our lives and make us new creations. We say 'Good bye' to the old life and 'Hello' to new life in Jesus Christ.
It is really very simple. You are only a prayer away . Why not do it right now? Receiving Jesus is as simple as ABC. You'll never regret it. As a matter of fact, you'll wonder why you waited so long.
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son, has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life." - 1 John 5:11-12