Trusting Jesus
Why am I here?
Have you ever wondered about that? It’s not by accident. God put you on this earth,
and he loves you! He wants you to know Him—to have a personal relationship with
Him—the God of the universe! But we cannot be in a relationship with God, because
God is perfect, and we are not. His perfection and our imperfection cannot mix.
That might sound unfair, but think of it like this… If you have a 100% pure glass
of water, and then add the tiniest drop of dye into it, doesn’t the whole thing
change and become impure and imperfect? So, if that’s the case, how does anyone
ever have a relationship with God?
The Dilemma
The fact that we are imperfect means that we, in our own strength, cannot ever measure
up to God’s perfect standard. No matter how good we try to be, we’re still not perfect.
The Bible says we are all in the same boat, that “all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that “we all like sheep have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way…” (Isaiah 53:6). The Bible calls our problem
“sin”. As we look into this problem, we find that Romans 6:23 says “the wages of
sin is death”. God desires for everyone to live eternally with Him in heaven, but
He is also a perfect judge. He cannot merely overlook this debt—it must be paid…
So now what?
God’s Solution
In order to know God, we each must get rid of our sin problem, but, in our own strength,
no one can do this. No one can put themselves into good standing with God by being
a “better” person. But there is good news! Romans 6:23 finishes like this, “For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” God, knowing that there is no way for us to rescue ourselves, sent the only
solution possible—His son Jesus. Jesus, came to earth, lived a perfect (sinless)
life, and died on the cross as an innocent person. In doing so, he paid the debt
of all of our sin. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus created forgiveness for
us, so that when we ask him to “forgive our sin,” he does it. When that happens,
God the Father, views us through the forgiveness of Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus says,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me.” Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us “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.” So it is solely by Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead, that our
sins can be forgiven. We simply need to accept this gift...
So how do we do that?
We must agree with God that we have sinned and that His way is better than our own.
In other words, we turn around, and go God’s way. The Bible calls this turning “repentance”
from sin. Now, I would encourage you to think this through carefully… “Going God’s
way”, means that from this point forward, God is going to steer your life, instead
of you. It’s kind of like getting married. When you exchange vows, you are promising
your fiancé that you will no longer live life outside of your relationship with
him or her. You agree to allow your spouse to influence literally every aspect of
your life. This is the weight of the decision to follow “God’s way”. You’re committing
to no longer live life outside of God. Instead, you will spend your life learning
His purpose and plans for you and yielding to them. So, if you have considered all
this, all that is left to do is accept the free gift that Jesus is offering. “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. God says that if you
believe in His Son, Jesus, you can live with Him forever in heaven. “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 Are you ready to accept the
gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now? Let’s
review what this commitment involves:
- I agree with God that I am imperfect—that I have chosen my own way, not His, and
I need Him to save me.
- I promise to live my life under the leadership of God.
- I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that He paid the
full debt for my sin, which I can never do for myself.
- I surrender control of my life to Jesus, so I can be motivated by Him in all that
I do.
- I receive Jesus as my Savior, and I believe that God has done for me and in me what
He promised.
If you agree in your heart with these statements and want to have Jesus take control
of your life, spend a few minutes talking with God about this. You don’t have to
say a special prayer or any “magic” words. Just talk to God from your heart to His.
Below is a suggested prayer if you wish to use it: Jesus, I know that I am a sinner,
and I cannot fix my life myself. But, I believe you died and rose from the grave
to make me new and to have a relationship with you forever. Jesus, I accept your
free gift of eternal life, and I want you to come into my life. Take control of
my life, forgive my imperfections and save me.
Let us know!
If you need someone to help you work this through, please let us know—we’d love
to talk with you. If you have just begun a relationship with Jesus, we’d love to
hear about it! We’re excited to answer any questions you may have and to help you
grow spiritually. You can call us at 330.666.8341, or send us an
email. We’re here to help you understand
this amazing, free gift of salvation!