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God's
simple plan of salvation is so vital that it can change your entire future.
In fact, the decision you make about it will affect you in both life &
death. God will not force you to believe this message, in fact, you
are free to reject it. However, God will hold you responsible for
having heard it. In Romans 3:23
the Bible says, "For all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God." Sin
is refusing to obey God's law. It is rejecting God's standards.
Whether you are a man, woman, boy or girl you have inherited the "nature
of sin". Due to that, you are automatically separated from God.
(See Isaiah 59:2)
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Diagram 1
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In
Romans 6:23
we are told, "The wages of sin is
death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord." The idea that God
is so merciful and loving that everyone will somehow make it into
Heaven is totally false. As Diagram
1 shows, we are helpless and stranded on one side of the
canyon because of our sin nature. Down through the ages
of history mankind in general has, for the most part, rejected God's
message of salvation found in the Bible and they have attempted
to reach God by using their own human efforts.
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Diagram 2
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As
Diagram
2 illustrates, some people trust in their good works, their religion
or morality or even their baptism or church membership to help get them
into heaven at the end of their life. However, the Bible is clear
to point out that whatever we try by using our own human efforts or good
intentions will always fail. (See Ephesians
2:8, 9 and Titus 3:5) Jesus said in John
5:24, "Verily,
verily I say unto you, He that hears my word and believes on Him that sent
me has everlasting life and shall not be condemned, but is passed from
death unto life." That's why we
need a bridge to span this vast canyon.
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Diagram 3
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the most quoted verse in the Bible is found in John
3:16. It says... "For
God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
A man in the Bible named Thomas once asked
Jesus how a person could know the way to heaven. Jesus replied by
saying in John 14:6,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me." As you can see in Diagram
3, eternal life in Heaven is not a reward you must earn but, instead
a gift God wants you to receive. Jesus has already purchased that
gift by sacrificing his life on the cross many years ago. In Romans
chapter 10 we are told that "if
we will confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart
the God really did raise Jesus from the dead that we will be saved."
Becoming a real Christian never occurs
accidentally. It is something you must decide on purpose for yourself.
It is the most important decision you have to make in life. If you
agree that you are a sinner and realize that Jesus has paid the "full penalty"
for your sins, then you now must receive Him as your personal Savior and
Lord. You can do this by sincerely praying the following prayer of
salvation:
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If this prayer is the honest expression of your heart to God, then according to the Bible (not according to me or to a church) you have just entered into a "personal relationship" with God. Let us know of your decision or of any questions you may have. E-mail us at chalkart@netins.net ....we would be glad to send you additional literature on your new life in Christ. |
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