Want to know Jesus?

Many people in their lifetimes will ask somewhere along the way, “I wonder if I’ll go to heaven?” Many people will tell themselves that they might get in if they do a lot of good deeds. Sadly, this is not the case.

To gain access to heaven, to know God, and to be a Christian we must all acknowledge the four following things: God is everywhere and all powerful, We’re born into sin, Sin separates us from God, and Jesus is the way we gain Salvation.

We’ll give an explanation and use the bible as a reference.

God is everywhere and all powerful.

God is the one who started it all. He is more powerful than any being that has ever been or ever will be. He created the world, he created man, and he gave us a chance to know him. The proof is in the product.

*Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

We’re born into sin.
Unfortunately, sin is a part of every life from the beginning. The sin started the moment Adam and Eve took the first bite of the forbidden fruit. Your friends have sinned, your parents have sinned, even your pastor has sinned. We’re not able to be apart from it.

*Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
*Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Sin separates us from God.
It’s the thing that God hates most. Our sins cause the Lord great sorrow and pain. He wants us to be righteous, but our sins prevent us from being righteous. Every time we steal, we covet, we take God’s name in vain, and commit adultery it’s like shooting an arrow at God’s heart.

*Isaiah 59:2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

Jesus is the way we gain Salvation.
The most popular verse from the bible is John 3:16. For God so loved the world… Jesus was sent to earth because we could not pay the debt of our sins. There was nothing we could do to make ourselves worthy before God. God sent his son, an innocent, to take our places so that we could gain access to Heaven.

*John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
*1 John 5:11-12 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

If you believe all of these things to be facts, you are well on your way to being saved. The only thing left to do is accept Christ as your savior and pray. We recommend something along the lines of:

“God, I know that I have sinned. I know that these sins have caused you great pains, and for that, I am sorry. Please forgive me and help me avoid sinning again. I know that you sent your son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins and take the place that should have been mine on the cross. I thank you for that. I know that Jesus was condemned, beaten and whipped, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose from the grave three days later. I invite Christ to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. For all these things, I thank you Lord. Amen.”

If you did pray this prayer or one like it, Congratulations! We are proud, happy, and honored to have you as a brother or sister in Christ. Accepting Christ as your savior is one of the best and most important things you’ll ever do with your life. Here are some guidelines for what you should do next:

Tell someone that you’ve accepted Christ! We’re happy to hear it, so let us know!

Get baptized if you can. This is a sign of faith in Christ.
*Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Get involved in church!
*Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Pray regularly. Pray whenever you think of it!
*Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Last but surely not least: Welcome to the family.

*NOTE* All scripture references from NLT.