The best news in all the world is that it is possible for you to know God – you can be in right relationship with Him and know His peace and His purpose for your life.
Your conviction can be the same as Paul’s in Romans 5:1, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Notice something: This verse does NOT say can have peace with God because we –
- Try to keep the 10 Commandments
- Go to church
- Believe in God
- Are basically a good person
- Have done the best you could
- Have never hurt anyone
Rather, it says our peace comes “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, we do not earn peace with God “through our efforts at being good and moral people.”
If fact, if you’re thinking “Mankind is basically good, righteous, kind, giving and loving,” please think again.
The Bible says just the opposite is true. Mankind is described as –
- Destructive ROMANS 3:16
- Unfaithful PSALM 5:9
- Proud ROMANS 1:30
- Greedy ROMANS 1:29
- Selfish PHILIPPIANS 2:21
In short, our problem is we are sinners, and our sin separates us from God and leaves us deserving of punishment.
Our dilemma is huge:
SINFUL MAN COULD NEVER HAVE PEACE WITH A HOLY GOD, NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND.
This is true for all of us – churched or unchurched, good family or bad, rich or poor, successful or unsuccessful, etc. Why?
“FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.” ROMANS 3:23
Left to ourselves – because of our sin – we can’t be pleasing to God, which means we can’t know Him or be in right relationship with Him.
“FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.” ROMANS 6:23
So, how is it that we are to have “PEACE WITH GOD?” It is through the “gift God.” In a word: JESUS. Our one avenue to peace with God is through Jesus Christ – who He is (His divine person) and what He did (His divine mission – His death on the cross). Jesus Himself was totally clear about this:
Jesus said, “I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.” John 14:6
There is no effort on our part that can cross the divide of sin that separates us from God.
“YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM YOUR GOD; AND YOUR SINS HAVE HIDDEN HIS FACE FROM YOU, SO THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR.” ISAIAH 59:2
BUT JESUS IS OUR ANSWER.
Who He was and is: Our Savior
What He did: Became our Sacrifice
“FOR CHRIST DIED FOR SINS ONCE FOR ALL, THE RIGHTEOUS FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS, TO BRING YOU TO GOD.” 1 PETER 3:18
“BUT GOD SHOWS HIS LOVE FOR US IN THAT WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.” ROMANS 5:8
This means – GOD HAS PROVIDED THE ONLY WAY TO PEACE WITH HIM. EACH PERSON MUST MAKE A CHOICE.
TO KNOW GOD AND HAVE PEACE WITH HIM, WE MUST TRUST JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR AND RECEIVE HIM BY PERSONAL INVITATION.
The Bible promises:
“TO ALL WHO RECEIVED HIM, TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, HE GAVE THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD–“ John 1:12
“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED.” ROMANS 10:9
WILL YOU RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST RIGHT NOW??
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (Repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)
THIS MEANS YOU MUST WILLINGLY:
1. STOP TRUSTING IN YOUR OWN EFFORTS TO PLEASE GOD AND BEGIN TO TRUST IN WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY DONE. PROVERBS 28:26; PROVERBS 3:5-6
2. ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOU FOR YOUR SINS. 1 JOHN 1:9
3. INVITE HIM TO COME AND LIVE INSIDE OF YOU. REVELATION 3:20
4. ASK HIM TO TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS LORD AND GOD OF YOUR LIFE. ROMANS 10:9-10, PHILIPPIANS 2:11
5. TURN AWAY FROM WHATEVER THE BIBLE SAYS IS SIN. (THIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE AFTER CHRIST HAS COME TO LIVE INSIDE OF YOU.) ACTS 3:19, JOHN 1:12
WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRAY? You may invite Jesus to come and live His life and through you by sincerely praying something like this (please say this out loud) ROMANS 10:9-10
“LORD JESUS. . .
I WANT TO STOP TRUSTING IN MYSELF . . . AND WHAT I CAN DO . . . AND START TRUSTING IN YOU . . . AND WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE WHEN YOU DIED FOR ME ON THE CROSS.
I KNOW THAT I AM A SINNER . . . AND I AM SORRY FOR MY SINS. I ASK YOU TO FORGIVE ME . . . i INVITE YOU TO COME AND LIVE INSIDE OF ME. I WANT YOU TO BE MY SAVIOR . . . AND MY LORD.
THIS MEANS MAKING YOU #1 IN MY LIFE, I WANT TO REPENT AND TURN AWAY . . . FROM EVERYTHING YOU AND THE BIBLE CALL SIN . . . AND I TOTALLY COMMIT MYSELF . . . TO OBEYING YOU . . . EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
THANK YOU, JESUS.”
Dear Friend, if you have made this your prayer, you have now responded in faith to God’s gracious provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. You’ve acted in faith and something eternal has happened in you.
“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
In Jesus’ words:
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24
The Bible says . . .
“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 JOHN 5:12-13
Now you can confidently say with Paul:
“WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” ROMANS 5:21
WHAT’S NEXT? FOR YOUR NEW PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO GROW, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU:
1. SPEND SOME TIME EACH DAY PRAYING AND WORSHIPPING GOD. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:17-18
2. DAILY READ THE BIBLE (BEGIN WITH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN). 1 PETER 2:2
3. FIND A CHURCH THAT TEACHES THE BIBLE AS 100% THE WORD OF GOD, AND ENCOURAGES A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. HEBREWS 10:25
WE AT BETHEL CHURCH WOULD BE HONORED TO BE THAT CHURCH FOR YOU.
4. BEGIN TO DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS WITH SINCERE CHRISTIANS, AND BE BAPTIZE. 1 JOHN 1:7; ROMANS 6:4
5. TELL OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. MATTHEW 4:19
“I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
LUKE 15:10