Good News!

God loves you. He created you to worship, praise, and enjoy Him forever.  The problem is that your sins have separated you from God.  Separation from God is a horrible thing.  Separation from God will cause you to miss out on His blessings in this life and more importantly it brings eternal punishment in the next.  As long as we remain separated from God we are doomed.  Fortunately, God has a plan to save us and to restore our fellowship with Him.  In order to experience God’s saving plan for your life, there are several important facts you must believe from the Bible:

1) You must believe that you are a sinner and
 separated from God. Sin is willful disobedience to God. You have chosen to rebel against God and go your own way. You are sinful and God is holy. A great gulf separates you and God.

• But your iniquities have separated between you and your God. ~ Isaiah 59.2
  
• For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. ~ Romans 3:23

2) You must believe that there is a penalty for your sin. As a sinner, you are condemned to spend eternity in hell to pay for your sin.

• The soul that sinneth, it shall die. ~ Ezekiel 18:4
  
• For the wages of sin is death. ~ Romans 6:23

3) You must believe that your own self-effort cannot bridge the gulf between you and God. Many people think that the gulf which separates them from God can be bridged by good works, religion, church membership, baptism or even clean living. However, there is only one payment acceptable in the sight of God…Jesus Christ.

• Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. ~ Galatians 2:16
  
• Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. ~ Titus 3:5

4) You must believe that Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for your sin. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. Yet God took all of your sin and placed it on Christ while He was on the cross. God punished Jesus Christ in your place to pay the debt you owed and to bring you to Him.

• But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8
  
• For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21
  
• For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. ~ 1 Peter 3:18

5) You must repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ
 as your Lord and Savior. Receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior means to repent, that is to turn away from your sins, and to trust Him and depend totally on Him for your salvation. You must believe that He died for your sin, was buried and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, calling upon Him to save you, to forgive you of your sin, and to give you eternal life.  You surrender your will to his and obey him as the rightful Lord, King, and Master of your life.

• …Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  and saying,“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:14-15
  
• Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord - Acts 3:19

• 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 
• that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  - Romans 10:9

Prayer of Faith

• Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ~ John 14:6
  

If you believe these truths from the Bible and if you desire for Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior cry out to him in faith.  Your prayer may be something like this:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I deserve to die and go to hell.
But I do believe that you died on the cross for my sin.
I repent of my sin and right now I am trusting you to be my Lord and Savior.
Thank you for forgiving my sin and giving me eternal life.
Take control of my life and help me to be your faithful servant. Amen."

What is next after salvation? Our good works have nothing to do with securing our salvation. However, once we are saved, God (though the Holy Spirit) will work in our lives to produce good works.

• For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10
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Here are a few things that God wants you to do now that Christ is your personal Savior:

1. Follow Christ in baptism. Acts 8:35-40
2. Read the Bible to grow spiritually. Matthew 4:4
3. Attend a Bible-believing church weekly. Hebrews 10:25
4. Tell others about Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8