THE GIFT OF SALVATION
The events to come in these end times and the penalty for not accepting Christ as Lord and Savior are not pleasant to contemplate. This is why we are spreading the Good News now so you won't have to experience these harsh realities. People often say things like, "A loving God would not be so cruel." They forget that He is just and righteous. If there was no penalty, there could not be any grace. This is why He sent His only Son to die for us on the cross. Would you or anyone you know give their child to save someone else's life? When you accept Jesus as your Savior, God freely gives you salvation by grace. This means you don't deserve to be forgiven, but He gives it to you anyway. There is nothing we can do that would be good enough to warrant salvation. If there was, it would mean Jesus died for nothing.
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I am asking you the most important question of your life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die? If you are Hallelujah!!! If not, please read on. God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How? First, you must realize you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. "For the wages [payment] of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell. But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. "...He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us...that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus had to shed His blood and die. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev. 17:11). "...without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]" (Hebrews 9:22). "...God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie. My friend, "God...commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross. In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: "...'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... .' " Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13). Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved. Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer. In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: "God be merciful to me a sinner." NOW THE EASY PART, Just pray: "Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen." Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it! You say, "Surely, it cannot be that simple." Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God's plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today. Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment. God's power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God's
promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three
things to practice daily for spiritual growth:
"Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32). |
You
should be baptised in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as
a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a
Bible-believing church without delay. "Be
not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...."
(2 Timothy 1:8)