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Salvation: a
Matter of FAITH
What do you think
it takes for someone to get to heaven? Is it
luck? Good deeds? Nothing at all? Or is there
something more? The Bible has the real answer to
this question. It's a matter of FAITH.
F stands for
FORGIVENESS. We cannot have eternal life
without God's forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7a says,
"In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
A is for
AVAILABLE. Forgiveness is available for all.
John 3:16 says, "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." But forgiveness is not automatic.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven," says Matthew
7:21a.
I is for
IMPOSSIBLE. It is impossible for God to
allow sin into heaven because of who He is and
because of who we are. God is loving and just,
but His judgment is against sin. James 2:13a
says, "Because judgment without mercy will be
shown to anyone who has not been merciful." We
are sinful people. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God."
T is for TURN.
To turn means to repent. We can repent -- or
turn -- from our sin and from ourselves. "But
unless you repent, you too will all perish,"
Luke 13:3b says. We can also turn to Someone.
Trust Christ alone. Romans 10:9 tells us how:
"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."
H is for
HEAVEN. Heaven is eternal life. Here, that
means life "to the full:" "I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full (John
10:10b)." In the hereafter, it means the promise
of heaven: "And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with Me
that you also may be where I am (John 14:3)."
So how can a
person have God's forgiveness, heaven and
eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and
Lord? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for
forgiveness. Take the step of faith described by
another meaning of FAITH:
Forsaking
All
I
Trust
Him.
You do this
through a simple prayer reflecting your desire
for Christ to change your life. You don't need
fancy words--only an honest heart. You can pray
something like this:
"Lord Jesus, I
know I am a sinner and have displeased You in
many ways. I believe You died for my sin, and
only through faith in Your death and
resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn
from my sin and ask You to come into my life as
my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I will
follow You by living a life that pleases You.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."
Accepting Christ
is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure
with God! Get to know Him better in a number of
ways:
• Follow
Christ's example in baptism.
• Join a
church where you can worship God and grow in
your faith.
• In
your church, get involved in
Sunday School and
Bible study.
• Begin
a daily personal worship experience with God
where you study the Bible and pray.
We’d love to hear
from you -- Please feel free to ask us any
questions you have about becoming a Christian,
or tell us about your decision to follow Jesus
Christ. Please let us know how we can serve you.
Send us your comments.
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