Have you come to a place in your life that you know for certain you have eternal life and will go to heaven when you die? Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would you say?
God Loves You
The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life". (John 3:16). God loves you very much and He wants to have a special relationship with you. God has a purpose for your life and He wants you to have eternal life. God gives eternal life as a gift (Romans 6:23).
God Loves You but You Have Sinned
The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin is disobeying God. Your sin separaes you from God and keeps you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. We are all sinners by nature and by choice. We cannot save ourselves. “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”
(Ephesians 2:8-9). We deserve death and hell. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
God’s Provision
God is holy and just and must punish sin, yet He loves us and provides forgiveness for our sins. God sent Jesus into the world so He could die for our sins. Because Jesus died, our sins can now be forgiven. Jesus said, “ ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ ” (John 14:6). Jesus is God and became man (John 1:1,14). Jesus died for us on the cross (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus was resurrected (arose) from the dead and is alive today (Romans 4:25; 6:9-10). The Bible tells us that because Jesus is alive, "He s able to save completely those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25). God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to Himself (John 6:44).
Your Response
The Bible says that to have a special relationship with God you must:
1. Repent - Understand that you are a sinner and that you must turn from your sin. To repent, tell God you have sinned, ask Him to forgive you, and ask Him to help you obey Him. Repentance is not just feeling sorry for your sin (Acts 26:20). Repentance is truing away from your sin and turning to God through Jesus. The Bible says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out" (Acts 3:19).
2. Believe - You must believe that Jesus died for you and that He is alive today. You must believe that Jesus is the only way for you to get to heaven. The Bible says, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
3. Receive - You must invite Jesus to come into your life to be your Lord and Savior. Do you want to acept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Giving Jesus control is something each person must do for himself or herself. No one else can make this decision for you. Jesus says, “ ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me’ ” (Revelation 3:20). When you repent of your sins, believe in Jesus, and receive Him into your life, God forgives your sins. He then comes into your life to be YOUR Lord and Savior. When this happens, you will have a new and special reltationshp with God. You will be His child and one day you will get to be with Him forever!
Your Commitment
Does this make sense to you? Is there any reason you would not be willing to receive God’s gift of eternal life? Are you willing to turn from your sin, place your faith in Jesus, and give Him control of your life right now? If you are willing to receive Jesus into your life now, you can invite Him in by prayer. You may use the following prayer or a similar one using your own words:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and died to forgive me of my sins. I know I have sinned. I ask You to forgive me. I turn from my sins, and I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. I want to live for You the rest of my life. Amen.”
If you said a prayer or one like this in your own words and really meant it, then you are now a child of God.
Eternal Life is Forever
The Bible says: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, then the Bible says that you have etternal life.
Growing in Your New Life as a Christian
To grow as a new Christain, you should:
1. Be Baptized (Matthew 28:19)
2. Go to church with other Christians (Hebrews 10:25)
3. Read and study your Bible (2 Timothy 2:15)
4. Pray (1 Thessalonins 5:17)
5. Tell others about Jesus (Acts 1:8)
The Bible says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18)
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please share the good news with us! We want to rejoice with you and pray for you!
