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The central theme of the Bible is God's love for you and for all people. This love was revealed when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose
from the dead. Because Christ died, your sins can be forgiven, and because He conquered death you can have eternal life. You can know for sure what will become of you after you die.
You have probably heard the story of God's love referred to as the
"Gospel." The word Gospel simply means "Good News." The
Gospel is the Good News that, because of what Christ has done, we can be
forgiven and can live forever.
But this gift of forgiveness and eternal life cannot be yours unless you
willingly accept it. God requires an individual response from you. The
following verses from the Bible show God's part and yours in this process:
God's Love Is Revealed in the Bible
"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 (NIV)
God loves you. He wants to bless your life and make it full and complete.
And He wants to give you a life which will last forever, even after you
experience physical death.
We Are Sinful
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
—Romans 3:23 (NIV)
You may have heard someone say, "I'm only human—nobody's
perfect." This Bible verse says the same thing: We are all sinners. We
all do things that we know are wrong. And that's why we feel estranged from
God—because God is holy and good, and we are not.
Sin Has a Penalty
"For the wages of sin is death." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Just as criminals must pay the penalty for their crimes, sinners must pay
the penalty for their sins. If you continue to sin, you will pay the
penalty of spiritual death: You will not only die physically; you will also
be separated from our holy God for all eternity. The Bible teaches that
those who choose to remain separated from God will spend eternity in a
place called hell.
Christ Has Paid Our
Penalty!
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8 (NIV)
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, has paid the
penalty for all your sins. You may think you have to lead a good life and
do good deeds before God will love you. But the Bible says that Christ
loved you enough to die for you, even when you were rebelling against Him.
Salvation Is a Free
Gift
"For 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 (NIV)
The word grace means "undeserved favor." It means God is offering
you something you could never provide for yourself: forgiveness of sins and
eternal life, God's gift to you is free. You do not have to work for a
gift. All you have to do is joyfully receive it, Believe with all your
heart that Jesus Christ died for you!
Christ Is At Your
Heart's Door
"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 (NIV)
Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. Picture, if
you will, Jesus Christ standing at the door of your heart (the door of your
emotions, intellect and will). Invite Him in; He is waiting for you to
receive Him into your heart and life.
You Must Receive
Him
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 (NIV)
When you receive Christ into your heart you become a child of God, and have
the privilege of talking to Him in prayer at any time about anything. The
Christian life is a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ. And
best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity.
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