First of all, in spite of what you’ve heard God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

In the Bible we read;  “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him”(John3:16-17 NIV).

“I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).

But, it seems that most people aren’t experiencing life as described in the Bible verses we just read; WHY IS THAT?

Simply put, it is because people are sinful;

In other words

• They don’t live as God wants them to live.
• And because of that, they are distant, or separated from God.
• And cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for their lives.

In the Bible we read;

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Romans 3:23).

When God made people,

• He intended FOR EVERYONE to have a loving relationship with Him.

But, because people have free-will,

• Often they chose to go their own independent ways;
• Doing what they want.

And a relationship with God is broken.

The Bible calls this sin.

• Sin is anything that separates us from God;
• it means to miss the mark.

In the Bible we read;

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

In other words,

• the price to do whatever we want results in a spiritual separation from God. And life apart from God is death.

But God doesn’t want us to stay separated from Him

• so He made a way to “bridge the gap” that divides us from Him.
• This way is through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin.

Through Jesus (and Jesus alone)

• You can know
• And experience God’s love
• And plan for your life.

Remember that we read in the Bible that “the wages of sin is death?”

Well, In the Bible we also read; that Jesus 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).

“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).

The Bible tells us that Jesus 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).

You might be thinking, “I already know this.”

But, it is not enough just to know this;

• you must personally and individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior
• And Lord.
• After that that, then you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.

In the Bible we read;

“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)

How?

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).

“… that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

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.

Receiving Christ involves turning our wills and lives to God

• And trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins
• And to make us what He wants us to be.

The Bible calls this “repentance”.

• What that means is to “change the way you think”;
• In other words go another direction- with our thoughts, words, actions; with how we live our lives.

God will only give eternal life to:

1. Those who are sorry for their sins.
2. Those who are willing to turn away from what the Bible calls sin.
3. Those who put their complete trust (have faith) in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection.

When We Receive Christ, we will experience a “New Birth”

 ¹ There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jn 3:1-8

So, how do you do you get right with God?

1. Stop trusting in your own efforts to please God and begin to trust in what Jesus Christ has already done.
2. Ask God to forgive you for your sins.
3. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
4. Ask Jesus to take His rightful place as Lord and Savior of your life.
5. Turn away from whatever the Bible says is sin.
   1. NOTE: This is only possible after you have made Jesus the Lord of your life.

You can do this right now by praying (speaking to God) in your own words like this:

“LORD JESUS. I WANT TO STOP TRUSTING MYSELF AND WHAT I CAN DO AND START TRUSTING IN YOU AND WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE WHEN YOU DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ME.

I KNOW THAT I AM A SINNER AND I AM SORRY FOR MY SINS.

I ASK YOU TO FORGIVE ME.

I WANT YOU TO BE THE SAVIOR AND THE LORD OF MY LIFE. BY THAT I MEAN STARTING RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL BE #1 IN MY LIFE. I WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND THE BIBLE CALL SIN.

I TOTALLY COMMIT MYSELF TO OBEYING YOU; EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE. THANK YOU LORD JESUS”

This new life will continue to grow by:

1. Spending time each day; throughout the day praying and worshipping God.
2. Spending time reading the Bible which is His Word
3. Spending time with other Christians at church, Bible studies, and fellowships.
4. Spending time sharing with others who yet don’t know how they too can get right with God.