1.
God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN
for your life.
(References contained on this page
are from the Bible and should be read in context wherever possible.)
God's Love
"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's Plan
[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?
Because...
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2. Mankind
is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God.
Therefore, Mankind cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his
life.
Man Is Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:23). Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because
of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship
with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active
rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls
sin.
Man Is Separated
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans
6:23).
God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. Man is
continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own
efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably
fails.
The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
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3. Jesus
Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him
you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
He Died in Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third
day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the
twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..."
(1
Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us
from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place
to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know this...
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4. We must
individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then
we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children
of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should
boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"
(Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and
trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what
He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is
it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by
faith, as an act of the will.
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You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer
(Prayer is talking to God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with
the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my
sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord.
Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of
the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you
to pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He
promised.
Did you pray this prayer? If you did, you should get connected to a local
Evangelical Church, get a Bible, if you don’t have one, and build up on
your relationship with Christ.
This was the most important decision of your life!
Congratulations!
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