How to Enter into a Personal Relationship with Christ
God wants everyone to have eternal life and be with Him forever in Heaven.
The Bible tells us in II Peter 3:9 that “The Lord… is not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
You can receive God’s gift of eternal life by taking the following steps:
1) Recognize You Are a Sinner and Separated from God
Man is a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God.” And Romans 6:23 shows us that “the wages of sin is
death”, which spiritually separates us from God.2) Realize God Loves You and Wants You to Have Eternal Life
In John 3:16, we read, “For God so loved the world (that includes you)
that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have everlasting life.” Eternal life is God’s gift to you, as
noted in the latter part of Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 5:8 reads,
“But God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.” Christ willingly sacrificed His life for us, and
would have died for even one, regardless of his or her past life.
3) Repent of Your Sins
Repent means to turn from your sins. Mark 1:15 states, “The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel.”
And I John 1:9 promises that, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He is able to both
forgive and cleanse us!
4) Receive Jesus Christ into Your Heart and Life
We receive Christ into our hearts and lives by faith as noted in Ephesians
2:1-10. Verses 8 tells us, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works lest anyone should
boast.” There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. What man could not
do for himself, God did for us through Christ Jesus, when He died on the
cross.
Romans 10:9-10 shows us how to receive Christ: “That if you will
confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that
you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess
and are saved.”
You can receive Christ as Savior right now by faith through prayer
because Romans 10:13 says, “For, everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.” This means that you can accept Christ today and
begin experiencing that personal relationship with Him. As you do so, you
have the promise written in Joshua that, “I will never leave you nor forsake
you.”
What to Pray
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I
believe that you died and rose again for my sins. I want to turn from my
sins. I now invite you to come into my heart and life. I trust You as my
Savior and will follow You as my Lord for the rest of my life.
Now, if you truly meant this prayer, welcome to the Family of God!!
What to do Next
As a new believer in Christ, find a Bible-believing church in your area and
follow Christ in believer’s baptism. If you are in the Springville area,
First Baptist Church would like the opportunity to become your church
family. We have a new member class entitled, First Steps, that will help you
in your new walk with Christ.
Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Following Christ
means living our lives in obedience to His Word, being willing to follow His
example in our daily lives and sharing Him with others. In doing this, God
will richly bless you.
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