Jesus came to give ‘YOU‘ Life
You were created with value and worth. God wants your life to count. Did you know? God loves you and created you to have a personal relationship with Him. (John 3:16 – “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.)
Why is it that many people do not have a personal relationship with God?
Our sin keeps us from having a personal relationship with God.
- What is sin? (James 4:17) – You see, God is Holy and perfect . . . And we are not. Sin not only means doing wrong or failing to do all that God wants. Sin is also our attitude of ignoring or rejecting God. Because God is Holy, He cannot accept our sin.
- Who has sinned? (Romans 3:23) – Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s ideal.
- What happens when we sin? (Isaiah 59:2) “But the trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God. (Romans 6:23) – “For the wages of sin is death. Sin causes a gap between God and us. Death, which means eternal separation from God, is the penalty of our sin.
What is the solution to our separation from God?
You can only have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
- Why Jesus Christ? In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the Way–yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.”
- Why did Jesus have to die? Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins, so we might be forgiven. (1 Peter 3:18 – He died once for the sins of all guilty sinners although he was innocent of any sin at any time, that he might bring us safely home to God.
- Why did Christ rise from the dead? Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove He could give us eternal life. (1 Corinthians 15:3-6 – Christ died for our sins just as the Scriptures said he would, . . he was buried . . . three days afterwards he arose from the grave just as the prophets foretold. . . he was seen by more than five hundred Christian brothers at one time. . . “)
How can you begin your personal relationship with God?
You must personally respond by trusting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
- You respond with trust in Christ. In Ephesians 2:8-9 the Bible says, 8 Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.
- You respond by turning to God from sin.(Acts 3:19 – Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sin).
- You respond by receiving Christ. (John 1:12 – to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them.)
Receiving Christ means:
- Turning to God from your own way of living. (Repentance).
- Inviting Christ to come into your life and trusting Him to forgive your sin
- Allowing God to direct your life.
Receiving Jesus Christ is not just an emotional experience; nor is it just agreeing with your mind that Jesus is the Son of God. It means total trust, and act of your will.
You can begin your personal relationship with God by receiving Jesus Christ by faith.
You can express your faith (trust) through prayer. He knows what you mean even when it is difficult to express yourself. You may use the following words or your own.
PRAYER
“Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus Christ died in my place. I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Your trust in Jesus Christ begins a lifelong relationship. God commits himself to you.
Would you like to stop and thank Jesus Christ for coming into your life and to thank Him that He will never leave you. Here are some scriptures for you to look up for yourself. (John 14:20; Hebrews 13:5; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 5:13; Galatians 5:25; Colossians 2:6-7)
“If you prayed the above prayer or would like some help in receiving Jesus Christ into your life, please e-mail us at rstevens@ananzi.co.za “ Mark the subject “My Response”
Jesus came to give ‘YOU’ Life
Problem is Kaboomba, you will at some time experience a physical death – we all do – the life we are speaking of is the life you will experience when your body dies. Your spirit will never die and what you do with Jesus now will determine if your spirit will enjoy eternal life in the presence of God or rejecting his offer to save you means you choose to live a life separated from Him forever. The good news is that Jesus loves you and wants you to enjoy eternal life with Him. If you understand who God is then you will understand that He cannot tolerate sin – sin being our refusal to accept His offer of eternal life. Sin separates us from God. The only way we could ever be accepted by God is if our sin is taken care of (removed) and the only way it could be removed is if someone payed the price for it. That’s what Jesus did on the cross. He was paying for your sin, my sin and the worlds sin. The good news is that He rose from the dead thus providing the way for you and me to have a relationship with God the Father. If you read Psalm 139 you will discover that God new you before you were born – He knew you before the world was even formed. You were in His plan from the very beginning but He will never force His will on you. You have to respond yourself.
Here are some scriptures for you to read:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death (separation from God); but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 3:16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me.
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I’m praying for you – remember, Jesus loves YOU! God bless!