Beseeching Soul

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Comment by Leonard T on March 16, 2011 at 5:33am

Heaven,

 

The Bible recognizes taht we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible also syas that while we ere yet sinners Christ died for us. He did not wait until we got good enough to die for us. The Bible also says that "everyone who calls ont he name of the Lord will be saved." Who is excluded in that verse which is Romans 10:13? No one. This includes you too. Before reading the rest of what I posted I encourage you to read two portions of Scripture. Read John 3 and Romans 10:9-13. Pray before you read them asking God to help you to understand. Once you have read those two portions of Scripture, then continue reading the rest of this post. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and we will be glad to walk with you on your journey.

 

Lord Bless,
LT

 

How Can I be Saved?

I would like you to think about and honestly respond to the following two questions before proceeding.

* If you were to die today where would you go?
* If you were to die and come before Father God and He were to ask you “Why should I let you into heaven” what would you say?

You can be sure of your eternal destination and you can know the right answer to the second question. It all starts with understanding God’s plan and that plan included Jesus dying for your sin.

You may ask “My sin?” and the answer is yes, your sin. You see we all are guilty before God of having broken His Law. The Bibles says in Romans 3:23 “All have sinned.” That includes you and me. For if you have broken but only one of God’s Laws you are a lawbreaker and deserving punishment (James 2:10-11).

You may ask “What is the punishment for my sin? I mean how bad can I be? I’ve never killed anyone.” The kingdom of God’s standard is not how big the sin or how many sins, but rather just one sin. For the Bible tells us in Matthew 5:48 that we are to “be perfect, therefore, as our heavenly Father is perfect.” Now that I have your attention and you recognize your guilt the question once again arises “What is the punishment for my sin?”

The Bible clearly tells us in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserve death according to the Bible after we have sinned and since we all have sinned we all deserve death. Notice in the verse that I underlined three words. The reason that sin is in underlined is that it says “sin” not “sins.” It is singular. Only one sin brings the verdict of guilt upon our lives. I underlined death because many times the word death in Scripture refers to separation from God, not just physical death. That is what is meant here. Due to our guilt we deserve to be separated from the Father for all of eternity. But there is hope. Notice that the word “in” is also underlined. We receive eternal life, which is the gift of God, in Christ Jesus. Not “on” Jesus, but “in” Jesus. He is not only our Savior, Jesus is our salvation.

You may think that this sounds good and maybe even to good to be true. You now realize your guilt and that there is a way to be saved, but you must receive that salvation. It is not good enough to just know that there is a Savior, He must become "your" Savior.

You may ask “How is this possible?” Nicodemus once asked Jesus how a person could be saved and Jesus told him a person “must be born again.” Nicodemus was confused. Here he was an old man and his mother even older. He couldn’t possibly re-enter the womb. Jesus was not talking about physical rebirth, but rather spiritual new birth. “Born again,” means a second birth. One that is different than the first one. It is a spiritual birth that is caused by the Holy Spirit when a person is saved. Jesus also told Nicodemus that no one will enter heaven unless he is born again.

You now have to be wondering “How can I be born again?” Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). You cannot find Father God through another religion. The church cannot save you. Your good deeds will not save you. Only Jesus can save you. His work of redemption has been completed at the cross. He died on the cross for you and shed His blood for you. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. You could not shed your own blood for me or yourself. You needed the perfect man who is also full God to die in your place and that is what Jesus has done. This knowledge alone still will not save you. The demons know that and shudder as the author of the book of James tells us (James 2:19).

There is one more important point to cover before I explain the simplicity of receiving Jesus as Savior. Jesus not only died, but He also rose again and has ascended into heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding for us awaiting the time for His return for the gathering of the church, His body. And what I mean by church is all believers in Him, not the institution. You cannot accept Jesus as Savior and reject the resurrection. They are all part of one plan the plan of God to redeem man.

You now accept that you are a sinner and that you deserve separation from God forever. You realize that there is a Savior and He is Jesus Christ. You acknowledge that He rose again, but you still are not saved. Why?

Suppose I purchased a new car and offered it to you. I told you that it is yours. The gift is not truly yours until you reach out and accept the keys and title. You can believe that the car is yours, but not until you take possession of it is it truly yours. The same principle applies to accepting Jesus. You can know all the facts, but until you reach out and embrace Him. Until you accept Him into your heart you are not saved. The Bible says in Romans 10:9 “That 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.”

When you come to believe in Him and trust in Him alone for your salvation and ask Him to save you He guarantees that you will be saved and saved eternally (Romans 10:9-13). If you know you are a sinner and need saving, praise God, for He has revealed this to you. If you know in your heart that Jesus is the Savior and wish Him to come into your life you need but only ask and He will do it. He says in Revelation 3:20 “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Jesus is knocking. Will you not let Him in at this time?

I need to ask some final qualifying questions to be sure you understand what you have read.
1. Are you a sinner?
2. Do you need and want forgiveness?
3. Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for you?
4. Do you believe Jesus rose again?
5. Do you believe He is coming back again?
6. Do you want Jesus to be your Savior?

If you answered yes to the above questions and want Him to save you, reach out and receive Him. The following prayer that you can pray is only affirmation of what you already believe in your heart. I encourage you to affirm your heart’s decision by speaking to God and saying the following prayer:

“Father God, I know that I am a sinner and deserve eternal punishment for my sin. I need forgiveness. I need you. Lord Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, the One and Only Savior Who can bring forgiveness for my sins and restore me to the Father. I know You died on the cross, shedding your precious blood for many, including me. I know that the grave did not keep You and that You have risen from the grave. I know You now sit at the right hand of the Father interceding for me everyday. Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sins and come into my life as Savior. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen

If this is what you truly mean then you have been saved. You have been changed from a child of the world and have become a child of God. The journey is only beginning. There are several things you need to do now that you have received Him.
1. You need to tell someone you know.
2. You need to start reading God’s Word. Read the Gospel of John and the book of Colossians.
3. You need to spend time in prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God and listening for Him in your thoughts and heart.
4. You need to find a fellowship of true believers that are hungry for God and His Word.