Relationship
Even on our best day, we cannot measure up to a Holy God. (Isaiah 64:6) We all fall short of His ideal and there is not one thing we can do to earn salvation or work our way into heaven. We can be the best church member there is and even teach Sunday school and sing in the choir but if there isn’t a personal relationship with Jesus, all of those things are done in vain. It’s not about the things we do, the things we say, or even how well we know the Bible.
We are all sinners and the penalty for sin is death. But, here’s the good news. God’s free gift is eternal life through His one and only Son, Jesus. (Romans 6:23)
God loved this world so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place. (John 3:16) We deserved to hang on the cross because of our sin. But God, in His mercy, sent His Son to take our place. He was the ultimate sacrifice for us, which means that His one act of sacrificial love and grace, through the shedding of His blood and His death, was enough for everyone! He willingly offered Himself up for us so we could have a relationship with His Father, the Holy God of heaven. (John 3:16; 1 Peter 3:18)
Can you even wrap your mind around a love as deep and as sacrificial as that? The God of the universe, the God of creation desired a relationship with the human race so very much that He sacrificed His only Son so we could live eternally with Him when we die.
Jesus proved God’s love for us by dying in our place while we were doing our own thing and completely lost! (Romans 5:8)
When our time comes to die, God wants us to live with Him in heaven. He doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity in hell, separated from Him forever. (2 Peter 3:9) However, He has given all of us a free will to choose Him or reject Him. He doesn’t force Himself on anyone nor does He ever send anyone to hell. He made a way for us to be saved and live with Him forever. It’s up to us to choose. (Revelation 3:20)
Once you realize that you are a sinner and know that Jesus is the only way for you to be forgiven, the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. It’s with your heart you believe, which results in righteousness (right-ness) and with your mouth you confess, which results in your salvation. (Romans 10:9&10)
Saying a simple prayer is not what saves the soul. God looks at the intent of the heart. It’s only by God’s amazing grace that we are saved, through faith. It’s not a faith that we come up with on our own or something we obtain by working for it. It is a gift from God Himself. He gives us the faith we need to be saved so we can’t take credit for it and brag about it! (Ephesians 2:8&9)
Once you have confessed you are a sinner, asked Jesus to forgive you, and have said yes to His free gift of salvation, your life will change. You will have a brand new identity. You will be changed from the inside out.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
Accepting or rejecting the truth of the gospel, determines where you will spend eternity after you die. We are living in the last days and Jesus could return for His church at any moment.
Are you ready to meet Jesus? Have you secured your place to live with Him for all eternity?
It is THE most important decision you will ever make in your life.
If you have any questions, please click here and it will take you to our contact page where you can send us a private email.
Your Sisters in Christ,
Jennifer and Tami