1. YOU MUST ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER.
- (Romans 3:23) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
- (Romans 3:10) "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."
No one is perfect. No one has lived up to God's perfect standard.
2. YOU MUST ACCEPT THAT AS A SINNER YOU OWE A PENALTY.
- (Romans 6:23) "For the wages of sin is death..."
- (Ezekiel 18:4) "...the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
This death is described in the Bible as the second death, the lake of fire.
- (Revelation 20:14) "Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
The penalty for unforgiven sin is to spend an eternity in the lake of fire (Hell).
3. YOU MUST ACCEPT THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY PAID YOUR SIN DEBT.
- (Romans 5:6) "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
- (Hebrews 2:9b) "...that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Christ was not a sinner, and the Bible teaches that God took all of our of our sin and placed it on Christ. While Christ was bearing all of our sins in His own body, God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe. It is something God has already done.
- (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
- (2nd Corinthians 5:21) "For he hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made righteousness of God in him."
It is a fact; Jesus Christ has already paid your sin debt.
4. YOU MUST ACCEPT BY FAITH WHAT JESUS CHRIST DID FOR YOU. IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, THE BIBLE SAYS: "BELIEVE" NINETY TIMES.
- (John 3:36) "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
In this verse, Jesus divides the world into two groups: those who believe on the Son and those who do not believe on the Son. Those who believe have everlasting life, and those who believe not, shall not see life.
- (2nd Peter 3:9) "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
The word believe means to trust, to depend on, to rely on. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means that you accept the fact that you are a sinner, that as a sinner you owe a penalty, and that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the debt you owe. But it means going a step further. It means you will completely trust Christ to get you to Heaven - that you will put the matter of your salvation in His hands and depend on Him for everlasting life.
The moment you do this, God promises that you are not condemned but have everlasting life and that you shall never perish.
- (John 5:24) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation..."
If you will trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, pray this simple prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I deserve to pay my own sin debt, but I do believe that you died for me to pay the debt I owe. Today, the best I know how, I trust you as my Savior. I will depend on you from this moment on for my salvation. Now please help me to live for you and to be a good Christian. Amen.
If you have made this choice, tell someone of your decision to trust Jesus Christ as the Savior of your life.
If you have questions or need help, you can contact us at Community Independent Baptist Church by calling (618) 285-2422. If no one answers, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.