1.
God LOVES you, and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life.
God's
Love
"For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life." (John 3:16)
God's
Plan
Jesus
said, "I came that they might have life, and might have
it abundantly" (that it might be full and meaningful)
(John 10:10)
So
why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant
life? Because...
2.
Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot
know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Man
is Sinful
"For
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans
3:23)
Man
was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his
stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way
and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized
by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference,
is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man
is Separated
"For
the [result] of sin is death"--spiritual separation from
God (Romans 6:23)
3.
Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for Man's sin. Through
Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your
life.
He
Died in Our Place
"But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
He
Rose from the Dead
"Christ
died for our sins... He was buried... He was raised on the third
day, according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then
to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..."
(I Corinthians 15:3-6)
He
is the Only Way to God
"Jesus
said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father, but through Me.'" (John 14:6)
4.
We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord;
then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our
lives.
We
Must Receive Christ
"But
as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, even to those who believe in His name"
(John 1:12)
We
Receive Christ Through Faith
"For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works,
that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
When
we receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
"I
tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless
he is born of water and the Spirit. Do not be surprised when
I say you must be born again. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but
the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:1-8)
We
Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
Jesus
said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him."
(Revelation 3:20)
Receiving
Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and
trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins
and to make us the kind of people He wants us to be. Just
to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough.
Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive
Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of will.
You
can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer (Prayer
is talking with God)
God
knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as
He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a
suggested prayer.
Please
join me right now in praying this prayer for salvation. Don't
just read them, but as you speak them - believe them from
the very depths of your heart. When you finish this prayer,
God will begin to transform you into His image and you will
be born again!
Lord
Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross
for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive
You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my
sins and giving me eternal life. I believe in my heart
and say with my mouth that Jesus Christ has been raised
from the dead and I make Him Lord over my life. Take
control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of
person You want me to be.
If
you prayed this prayer, we would like to help you get started
in your new life. Please drop
us a line or give us a call at 716-656-8995 so we can
help you find a bible believing church near you! If you are
in the Greater Buffalo or Southern Ontario vicinity, we urge
you to come and visit us, and be a part of our family! WE'RE
HERE FOR YOU!
