The Good News
“For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
For God...
God is the maker of the heavens and the earth (Psalm 146:6).
God is the Almighty, sovereign, Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9).
God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3) and just (Deuteronomy 32:4). He is all knowing, all-powerful, present everywhere at all times (Proverbs 15:3). He is the one we will stand before to give an account of our lives (Roman 14:12).
...so loved
God loves you (Psalm 100:5). He formed you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). Before the foundation of the world He knew you. Every day ordained for you is written in His book before one of the days even came to be (Psalm 139:16). God created you in His image to have a relationship with Him. Out of all of creation you are His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). He loves each person as if there was only one.
...the World
All of us have sinned against a Holy and Just Almighty God, our creator and Father (Isaiah 59:12-13 and Romans 3:23). There is none righteous before Him (Romans 3:10). We have all denied God in our heart, our thoughts, our words and our actions.
...He gave His one and only Son
God sent Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the very Word of God, to become flesh (John 1:14). Jesus walked among us, He lowered Himself (Philippians 2:8) and was obedient to God to die on the cross as a just punishment for our sin
(1 Peter 2:24), which He bore on Himself, that we might go free. The wages (penalty) of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God is holy and just; sin must be paid for and Jesus died in our place. He was buried and rose from the dead three days later, proving that He is the Son of God (1 Thessalonians 4:14). When we are born again, our sins are forgiven (1 John 1:9).
...that whoever
No matter who you are, no matter where you have come from, no matter what you have done, no matter the depth of your sin or your shame and guilt, Jesus is mighty to save (Zephaniah 3:17). Any man, woman or child from every tongue, tribe and nation can be saved (Revelation 7:9) by calling on the Name of Jesus (Romans 10:13).
...believes in Him
Believe that God is who He says He is and that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 16:31). That Jesus died on the cross to take away your sin. That on the third day Jesus rose from the grave. In John 14:6 Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
...shall not perish but have eternal life
Rather than continuing outside of a relationship with God and instead of getting what we deserve, eternal damnation in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15), we can have a relationship with the living God here on earth now (John 15:15) and the promise of eternal life with Him forever more (1 John 2:25).
True and genuine salvation
What Must I Do to be Saved? How can I know God?
How do I get to Heaven? How do I become a Christian?
How can I be born again? How can I become a disciple?
Repent
The call to repent is a call to rethink what we believe. The Bible teaches that God has already revealed Himself to us. The issue is that all of us have rejected this truth. We have all rejected God. 2 Timothy 4:4 speaks of us turning our ears away from the truth and wondering off into myths.
Understand that God has given you knowledge of Himself. This knowledge is in your heart, it is in your conscience and it is in the creation all around you. Acknowledge with your mind, what you already believe in your heart that God is Who He says He is!
Understand that God has given you knowledge of Himself. This knowledge is in your heart, it is in your conscience and it is in the creation all around you. Acknowledge with your mind, what you already believe in your heart that God is Who He says He is!
Turn to God and turn away from sin
In Acts 17:30 that God “commands all people everywhere to repent.” Repentance does not just mean that you are sorry for your sin. To repent literally means to have a change of heart and mind toward God and toward sin. Repentance means being deeply sorry for your sins and being ashamed of them.
2 Corinthians 7:10 declares, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” Repentance means agreeing with God regarding the truth of your own sinfulness. It means not excusing your sins or seeking to justify yourself.
2 Corinthians 7:10 declares, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” Repentance means agreeing with God regarding the truth of your own sinfulness. It means not excusing your sins or seeking to justify yourself.
Believe
Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Word made flesh. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to take away the sins of the world. When Jesus died on the cross, He was taking your punishment for all your sins. What sins? Denying God in our heart, denying God in our thoughts and denying God through our actions. Believe in Jesus Christ that you will not perish but will receive eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Confess
Confess that Jesus is the Christ and Confess Him as Lord, the Son of the living God.
The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10: “…if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10: “…if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Be Born Again
Jesus said in John 3:3, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” To be born again, we repent. We turn from our old living and turn to God and we effectively die to our old self to who we used to be. We surrender our self, our aspirations, our desires and all we have been trusting in, over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Being born again is the beginning of a process known as sanctification which is the process of the character of Jesus Christ being worked into us and out of us. Being born again is the beginning of a life-long walk with Jesus as His disciple, and as Jesus says in John 15:15, as His friend.
Being born again is the beginning of a process known as sanctification which is the process of the character of Jesus Christ being worked into us and out of us. Being born again is the beginning of a life-long walk with Jesus as His disciple, and as Jesus says in John 15:15, as His friend.
Be Baptised
The Bible says in Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” The Bible says in Mark 16:16: “Whoever believes
and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
The act alone of being baptised does not have the power to save anyone, but those who are baptised are demonstrating the saving power of God. When we are baptised we are appropriating or laying hold of the forgiveness of our sins. In baptism, the sinner’s sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. Acts 22:16 says, "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptised and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”
The act alone of being baptised does not have the power to save anyone, but those who are baptised are demonstrating the saving power of God. When we are baptised we are appropriating or laying hold of the forgiveness of our sins. In baptism, the sinner’s sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. Acts 22:16 says, "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptised and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”
Receive the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Bible says in Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” He gives us new desires and the power to live in accordance to His will. The life we now live, while not perfect, will be dramatically different from our old life.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we will now live a life that is pleasing to God, and demonstrates the Holiness of God to others.
The Bible says in Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” He gives us new desires and the power to live in accordance to His will. The life we now live, while not perfect, will be dramatically different from our old life.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we will now live a life that is pleasing to God, and demonstrates the Holiness of God to others.
Cost
“But don’t begin until you count the cost” (Luke 14:28)
Jesus made it clear that we are to submit to Him (make Him Lord of our life) & be willing to face suffering & tough times just like He did.
However, as a Christian, God will teach, encourage & help you, even in times of failure. He knows what is best for you.
Jesus made it clear that we are to submit to Him (make Him Lord of our life) & be willing to face suffering & tough times just like He did.
However, as a Christian, God will teach, encourage & help you, even in times of failure. He knows what is best for you.
Surrender
If you believe and are ready to surrender your life to Christ and to become His disciple, then you may wish to pray this prayer from your heart, with conviction and in assurance that God will answer.
Lord God, I thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for my sins.I confess now that Jesus is Lord and that I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I repent of my sinful life. I choose to die to my old life and to follow You in all Your ways. I thank You that Jesus paid the price for my sins and overcame the works of the devil when He died on the cross for me. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that He rose again from the dead.
Lord, I ask You to come into my life as my Saviour and as my Lord. I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness and to make me whole. I ask You to strengthen me to follow You and Your ways for the rest of my life. I wish to be Your servant and I thank You for this gift of salvation that You have given to me. I choose to obey You in water baptism and I ask You for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Thank You Heavenly Father and thank You Jesus.
Amen!