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God LOVES you and offers a wonderful
PLAN for your life. |
God's Love
"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 NIV).
God's Plan
[Christ speaking] "I came that they might
have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full
and meaningful] (John 10:10).
Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant
life?
Because...
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Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED
from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's
love and plan for his life. |
Man Is Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Man was created to have fellowship
with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go
his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This
self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or
passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated
"The wages of sin is
death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23). Heaven and Hell are real destinations and
the ultimate choice is ours. "... those who do not
know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus ... will be
punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord ..." (2 Thessalonians. 1:8,9;
NIV)
This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is
sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that
man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life
through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or
religion - but he inevitably fails.
The third law explains the only way to bridge this
gulf...
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Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision
for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's
love and plan for your life. |
He 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).
He Rose From the Dead
"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).
He 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).
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the
gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ,
to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these three laws...
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We must individually RECEIVE Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience
God's love and plan for our lives.
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We Must Receive Christ
"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)
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).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ
speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears
My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation
3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance)
and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and
to make us what He wants us to be. 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.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives:
Which circle best describes your
life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
You
Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith
Through Prayer
(Prayer
is talking to God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as
He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a
suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on
the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive
You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and
giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life.
Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
If it does, I invite you to pray this prayer right now, and
Christ will come into your life, as He promised.