Heavenly Minded

Salvation: How to Become a Child of God

If you are visiting this page, I hope you have a sincere interest in your salvation. It is, most assuredly, a matter of life and death. While we are on this earth, we have the chance to become all that our Creator meant us to be: a child of His. It does not happen automatically, even though He created us. Our God gave us our own will, and with that free will, we can choose to be like Him, or we can reject all that He has to offer us.

You may ask, "What difference does it make?". Well, in the Bible, we are told that each and every one of us is a sinner, and, on our own, we cannot please God. He tells us that our good deeds (called "works" by many) will not get us in a right standing with God, unless we recognize our need for Him. Because we are sinners, we must recognize the only way He has provided for us to be cleansed from those sins.

Do you believe you are a "good person" and will probably going to heaven because you haven't done anything terribly wrong? Perhaps you look around and say to yourself, "Compared to the people I know, I think I've lived a good life."  In fact, you may know people who call themselves Christians, who seem anything but godly. So, what's the big deal? Why do you need salvation?

Did you know that your biggest sin is to turn your back on God? If you do not recognize Him as your Creator and feel you have no need for Him, He cannot help you. All people sin, Christians and non-Christians alike. No one will be perfect on this earth. Christians may be well intentioned; many know the right thing to do. Like you, they do not have the ability to obey God all the time. However, once they accepted Christ, He promised to forgive and forget their sins; they will not suffer the consequences. Please do not let an erring Christian turn you away from the truth of the Gospel! Remember, all the good deeds in the world cannot bring you into heaven if you do not accept the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior.  God alone provides the way to salvation, and it has nothing to do with good deeds.  Please take the time to read what the Bible has to say and act on it today!

The Dilemma:

Why must we be cleansed?? God is a holy god, and to stand in His presence (or to have Him listen to our pleas), we must be acceptable to Him. He is not satisfied with a person who thinks he is good and feels he has earned the right to be heard.

The Bible Says...

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

"But your iniquities have separated you from God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

The only Remedy: The Cross

Jesus Christ is the only answer to the problem of not being able to have a relationship with God because of your sins. He dies on the cross and rose from the grave, and that paid the penalty for our sin. Jesus will cleanse you from all sin if you ask through prayer. He will make you right with God.

Receiving Christ

The Bible says...

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, ...to those who believe in His name." John 1:12

"...if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 20:9

If you believe those verses and want to live a life that pleases God, here is what you should do.

1.  Admit you are a sinner who is in need of a Savior.

2.  Be willing to turn away from your sins (repent).

3.  Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave so that you may be forgiven.

4.  Pray for Jesus to come into your heart to take control of your life through His Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as     your Lord and Savior)

Prayer:

If you are at a loss for words, here is a prayer you might want to say:

Father, I want to thank you for sending your Son to die on the Cross for my sins. I know that I am a sinner and need forgiveness for all of my sins. I want to turn from them by asking your Son to come into my life. I recognize Him as my Lord and Savior. Today, I want to trust and follow Him and His teachings. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

If you just prayed, please feel free to email me. I would love to hear about your experience and to welcome you into the family of God, fellow Christian. I urge you to get a Bible translation that is easy to understand and try to hook up with a good Bible-teaching church. If you are feeling elated, that is wonderful!! Celebrate...in a worshipful way, of course.

If you would like to find out more about the Christian life and the Bible click here: http://www.goshen.net. Or try: HIS-Net