The Gospel
We all need Jesus, but where do we start?
Realize and admit that you are a sinner.
No matter how hard we might try to live a good life, we still fall short of being a truly “good” person. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible says, “No one is righteous—not even one” (Romans 3:10). God created us to be in a right relationship with Him, and to spend eternity with Him, but our sin has separated us from Him
Acknowledge that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, and rose from the grave.
The Bible tells us that, “… God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 ). The Good News is that Jesus paid your debt on the cross once and for all – the Innocent taking the place of the guilty - and making us righteous, washed clean from our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Repent and believe the Gospel.
The Bible tells us to “repent and be converted” (Acts 3:19). The word repent means to change my mind; to turn 180 degrees and go opposite the direction from where I was going. Instead of running from God, we turn toward Him, and begin walking in His direction. To believe means to personally trust that what Jesus did, through His death and resurrection, paid our debt in full (John 19:30, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Colossians 2:13-14).
This is the Good News, that while we were still rebelling against God, He made the way, through Jesus’ finished work on the cross for us to be saved. Becoming a Christian is about so much more than only going to church on Sundays. It is becoming a new creation in Christ, and growing as His follower. The fruit of this new relationship is a new life lived by faith in loving response to His love and grace (1 John 4:19; Galatians 2:20).
Regardless of where your life has gone or what it has become, the grace of God is greater than all of our sin (Romans 5:20). If you are ready to enter in to this life-giving relationship with God through Jesus Christ, then respond to His invitation, and pray:
Father, I know that I am a sinner, but I believe that you sent your Son, Jesus, to pay for my sins on the cross, once and for all. I believe that He died for my sins, and rose from the dead to save me from the penalty of my sin, and to make me His own. I receive and thank You for your grace, and ask you to make me a new creation in Christ. Help me to leave my old life behind, and to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you for Your mercy and grace, and for loving me and saving me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer sincerely, welcome to the family of God! The Bible tells us, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We’d like to encourage you to get in touch with us so that we can help you begin your walk with Jesus by giving you a Bible, and helping you connect to a Bible teaching church near you. If you live near Franklin TN, come pay us a visit, we’d love to have you come fellowship with us!