• God is Creator and we are made in His image. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are made in the image of God.
• God is holy. This means He is perfect and must judge sin (1 Peter 1:15).
• God is love. This means that He wants what is best for us. (1 John 4:8).
• God’s Plan
• God wants to know us personally and have a relationship with us (John 17:3).
• God wants to bless us (Ephesians 1:3).
• God wants to dwell with us forever (John 14:1-6).

Our Problem – God wants to have a relationship with us and bless us by giving us an abundant life. However we have a big problem, which is our sin.

• Everyone is a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Sin means to miss the mark. It is disobedience to God and rebellion against Him. It is anything we do that is wrong.
• Our sins separate us from God according to Isaiah 59:2. God’s holiness prevents Him from interacting with sin, so there is a great gulf between God and sinful man. That is why God does not seem like He is there to some people.
• Our sins bring death according to Romans 6:23. This is because life is in God so we cannot have spiritual life in a state of separation from God.
• We are incapable of solving our own sin problem. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should be boast.” Nothing we do can contribute anything to our salvation. Jesus paid the price, and the only way to be saved is by accepting what He did for us.

God’s Solution – God has graciously provided a solution to our problem through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the gift of God. Who is Jesus and what has he done for us?

• Jesus is fully God and fully man. Jesus is the eternal God but he took on humanity so He could be the substitute for our sins. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
• Jesus is our substitute who died on the cross in our place to pay the price for our sins. He literally died in our place taking the death and punishment that each of us deserve. He paid to God the price of our sin debt. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
• Jesus bodily rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus conquered death. The cross would mean nothing without the resurrection.

Our Response – Jesus made this great sacrifice for us, but we must personally receive Christ in order for us to experience God’s solution (John 1:12). How do we receive Christ into our lives?

• Faith. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Notice that it says believe-not whoever does good deeds, or whoever is baptized, or whoever is a good person, or whoever is confirmed, or whoever is a member of a church. To believe is to entrust our lives fully to Christ.
• Repentance. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Repentance is doing a u-turn away from sin and towards God.
• Confess Christ as Lord. Romans 10:9 tells us to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This means that we are to acknowledge Him as God and as the master, or boss, of our lives.
• Call on God and ask Christ into your life. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you want to receive Christ, repent of your sin and trust Him. You can express your faith with a prayer like this:

Dear God,

I know that I have sinned and I am sorry. Please forgive me and help me to turn from my sin. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for me and rose from the dead. I receive His payment for my sins and ask Him to come into my life and be my Savior, and I acknowledge Him as Lord and Master of my life. Thank you for saving me.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Please send Pastor Jimmy a message if you have trusted Christ or if you have questions about having a relationship with Him.