That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10
We think of ourselves as good but the truth is we are all sinners. Scroll through the Ten Commandments and try to tell yourself that you haven't broken them. Sin – any sin – keeps us apart from God.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
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We think of ourselves as good because we do good works, because we go to church. But we cannot bridge the gulf between ourselves and God by doing good works, or by going to a church.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
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There is only one way to bridge the gap, to receive salvation and eternal life.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2:5
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If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you need to do so right now. No one knows what the next minute will bring. Ask God into your heart with a prayer similar to this:
Dear God, I come before you a sinner. And I realize that I am lost because of my sins. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and that He rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven so that I might have eternal life. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and ask that you forgive my sins through His sacrifice on the cross. May Jesus come into my heart, and guide me, and may you reveal your will for me so that I may serve you all the days of my life.
If you sincerely accepted Christ you are now a saved person. But it does not stop there. You do not just go back to the old life you were living and continue on as you were.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:17
Works confirm our faith and bring us closer to Christ, but they don't save us. Faith alone brings salvation.
Accepting Christ is the beginning. Now:
- You need to get hold of a Bible, preferably a King James version
- You need to read it every day, asking God to give you wisdom to understand
- You need to pray often about all things
- You need to seek God's will for your life
- You need to live for Christ every day
- You need to tell others about Christ
- You need to find a good, Bible-believing Church in your area
There is a peace in Christianity, a security in one's future, and a joy that is indescribable. It could only be understood by someone who is walking the way of Christ. My prayer is that you have that peace.
