Jesus loves you so much!
What is most important?
What is really most important in life?
Is it family, love, doing right, doing good?
Actually, there was an individual that had the time, the power, the wealth to do an experiment to find out what was most important in life. He wrote down his findings at the end of his life. He tried everything: education, foolishness, accomplishment, laziness, laughter, weeping, music, having a good time, sex, power, fame, wealth to name just a few… … his conclusion we find in the Bible in the book that this man was inspired to write:
The Book of Ecclesiastes: Chapter 12 verses 13 and 14: 13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
Why fear God? Isn’t He a God of love? Yes, He is. In fact, He loved us so much that while we were still sinners, He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins (sins are those acts we commit that separate us from God). God is love… but He is also holy, just and righteous. A righteous God cannot allow sin, or unrighteousness to go unchecked. In fact, just one sin separates us from God. That would mean that none of us could come into His Presence.
However, the good news is that there is a way, the only way, to truly have life here on earth and to live forever with God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There is no other way.
It is only through God’s Son Jesus that we have life. God took care of every one of our sins, and all the penalties of our sins against Him. Can you imagine someone paying for your penalties, for the judgment you deserve?
Jesus did this 2000 years ago on a cross. His blood flowed from the wounds inflicted upon Him by man as they nailed Him to a cross. All the sins of all of mankind where placed upon Jesus and He died for us, taking our punishment upon Himself. The only thing that will get us into right standing and relationship with God is turning from the sins that would separate us from a holy God and believing in Jesus’ sacrifice for us on a cross.
These are the only two things that God requires of us…
1. To repent – that is to turn from the sins that separate us from God and begin to do what pleases Him
2. To believe that Jesus’ death on a cross is the only thing that can save us
Jesus’ selfless act on the cross for us, was accepted by His Father in Heaven. For on the third day after he was crucified, Jesus was resurrected from the dead. He came back to life and is now with the Father praying that you will come into relationship with Him.
You might ask, is this really the most important thing? Is there really a God that loves me and died for me that I might live forever with Him? Yes! Yes! Yes!
But you must believe. Without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever wants to come to Him must believe that He exists and that He will reward those that truly want to find Him.
Jesus, when He was here on earth said, “the kingdom of God is here. Repent and believe in the good news.”
What good news? That you can live forever with God in His Kingdom and have relationship with Him if you believe in Jesus’ finished work on the cross for you.
So how do I make things right with God so that I can enter His Kingdom?
Well, when you wrong someone, you would stop doing what would hurt that person and apologize to them – that is repenting. This is the first step. The next step is believing that Jesus is the only way to have relationship and come to God the Father. To have God as your Father, you need to be His child, and that happens only if you are born of God. The bible is very clear on how this is done.
In John 1:12 and 13 it says…
12 But as many as received Him(Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
You can talk to God and make things right and establish relationship…eternal relationship with him by saying a prayer something like this…
Dear God,
I have sinned against you. I am so sorry for my sins, forgive me. Jesus, I thank you for taking my punishment upon yourself on the cross and dying for me. I am so sorry you had to do this, but I believe you are the only way, you the truth, and you are the life. I can only get to the Father through you Jesus. I want God to be my Father. I need to be His child. I need to be born of God. I receive you, Jesus, into my life by faith. Help me to keep your commandments, to love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. I ask this all in Jesus’ name. Amen (let it be so)
If you said this prayer to God and believed it… You are a child of God! You will live forever… but this is only the beginning…
What next?
1. Talk to God daily
2. Read His words to you – get a bible and start reading in the book of John (check out the index at the front of the bible)
– then read the whole New Testament, then read through the whole bible
– before you begin reading – ask God to reveal things to you from His Word
3. Go to a church that believes in the whole Bible : go regularly.
4. Tell someone what has happened to you – you can email or call us…
Remember – you are not saved just because you repented… but you are saved because you repented and because of your faith in what Jesus did for you on the cross.
When you feel tempted to do things that would hurt Jesus, resist these temptations. The power of God to help you overcome doing sinful things and to be obedient to His commandments is only active if your faith remains in what saved you.
And what saved you? What Jesus did for you on the cross – He died for You! Daily remember this! That is what your object of faith has to be!