| Do you really need to be saved? |
By: Bob Berry
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Just what is that you need to be saved from anyway? Aren't you good enough on your own? The answer is no, none of us are good enough to stand before a holy God on our own. We have all sinned. Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
So what's the big deal? If everyone has sinned why worry about sin? Ans why should God care anyway? God cares because He is a God of justice and His justice demands a price for sin. Romans 6:23a tells us "For the wages of sin is death..." That means what all of us deserve is death, not just physical death but eternal death. That's not the end of the story. That verse concludes "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
that's the good news of the gospel. We deserve eternal death but we can get eternal life as a gift from God. The catch is we have to do it His way, not our own way. It is through Christ Jesus, not through Bob Berry, Billy Graham or any other person or religious organization and definently through your own efforts. Anyone who relies on his own good deeds is under the wages clause in Romans 6:23, not the gift of God clause.
If the holy and just Creator of the universe says we need to do things His way to be saved, who are we to argue with Him? He made us, we didn't make ourselves. John 3:16-18 says it a bit differently. "For 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe in Him stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
So that's the choice we each have, believe in Jesus and be saved or fail to believe in Jesus and be condemned by our lack of belief. God is a gentleman. If you choose to reject Him in this life, He will let you spend eternity without Him. Unfortunately for those who reject Him, the only place you can spend eternity without Him is in Hell, a place of eternal torment He made for Satan and his followers. That is a fate I would not wish on my worst enemy. So I am asking you to accept Jesus as your savior. Please don't reject Him and end up in hell.
To accept Him all you need to do is believe in Him and say this simple prayer: "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I repent of my sin and accept you as my savior. Please come into my heart ans forgive me for my sins. Thank you Jesus for your free gift of salvation. Amen."
Once you've accepted Him you need to find a good church in your area where you can together with other sinners saved by His grace and worship Him. Studying His word (the Bible) with other Christians is also a good way to learn more about Him and how He expects you to live. Baptist churches are usually good Bible teaching churches but they are not the only ones. Look for one that teaches the Bible, not books about what they believe the Bible says. (Jehovah's Witnesses, Moonies and Mormons claim to be Christian but don't believe in the Jesus of the Bible. Avoid them.) |
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