In The Beginning…

The Bible is the Word of God. It is his message to his greatest creation – us. In His Word, in John 3:16-17, Jesus said:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him should be saved.”

God wants to give us a brand new life, one that begins not when we die but rather the moment we accept Christ into our hearts and that lasts for all eternity.

Why Do I Need Jesus…?

Unfortunately, our human nature makes us all sinners. The word ‘sin’ means to “miss the mark”. We were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27) and as such were created to live our lives exactly according to His perfect will and standards. Our sinful nature causes us to live outside His will, to miss God’s perfect mark. We sin by choice. No one except Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ who was the perfect Son of God, is free from this desire to sin. Romans 3:23 states:

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

And our sin carries with it a very stiff penalty – death. Romans 6:23 says:

“For the wages of sin is death…”

How Did This Happen…?

Man was originally created to live eternally in perfect communion, or togetherness, with God, never to experience death of any kind. After the fall of man by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, sin entered into the world and with it, death. What should have been eternal life for every person born into this world became a temporary living experience ending in total and complete separation from God.

But God’s love for us is so incredibly abundant that he provided a way out of eternal death and into the life He wanted for us in the first place. That way is Jesus the Christ.

The word Christ means “Anointed One”. Jesus Christ is God on flesh. He is God in human form. God came to earth to live as a human man. John 1:1 and 14 says:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

The only way to bridge the gap between God and man that was put in place by sin was to sacrifice the prefect man and make Him imperfect, to take a man without sin and turn Him into sin so that He could endure the penalty that should have been imposed on the rest of mankind. Jesus was ridiculed and mocked, spit upon, severely beaten, and savagely whipped until His body had been so pulverized and bloodied it was barely recognizable. And still He had just enough physical strength in Him to carry His own wooden cross to the top of a hill so that He could be nailed to it and hang from it until death slowly overtook Him.

Jesus died and was buried but He did not stay dead. Three days later God raised Him from the dead. Why is that important? It was the defeat of death itself. Jesus defeated death, came out of the grave, spent more time on earth, and has risen into Heaven to rejoin His Father, Almighty God.

So What Does It All Mean?

God loved His Son, but He loved us so much that He allowed His only Son to suffer and die as a sacrificial gift to us. What amazing love! Without this gift that God gave us, our only choice would be to die, to go to a horrible place called hell – a place where we would be forever and eternally separated from God. But the latter part of Romans 6:23 says:

“…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What is eternal life? It is living forever in Heaven in the presence and fullness of God the way we were originally created to live. What is Heaven like? No one knows for sure but Jesus said in John 14:3,

“In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

In Heaven, we can spend forever with Jesus in a place without sadness or pain or betrayal or corruption or darkness or fear or death. WOW! It sounds almost too good to be true but in fact it is as true as truth gets.

As stated earlier, the benefits of this new eternal life can begin right away. You don’t have to go to Heaven to start this new life. In John 10:10, Jesus said:

“I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”

How Do I Receive This Benefit Package?

Okay, so what do I have to do? It is so very simple that it is hard for many to understand. In John 14:6 Jesus said:

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Heaven only has one door and Jesus is that door. To enter through it we must do what He says in Romans 10:9-10,

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved, for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Simply put, you need to complete these very basic steps:

1. Talk to God (Pray)

2. Tell God that you believe in His Son, Jesus; that He died to pay the price for your sins; and that God raised Him from the dead

3. Admit that you have sinned against Him and ask His forgiveness. (Confess your sins)

4. Tell God that you want to accept His gift of eternal life. (Follow God)

Is it really that easy?

It isn’t complicated, but it does require your utmost sincerity. If you are willing, pray this prayer:

“Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I take You at Your Word and confess that Jesus is Lord. And I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. Thank you for coming into my heart, for giving me your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer and meant it with all your heart, you are born again! Our gracious and merciful Heavenly Father has given you a new life in Christ, both here on earth and an even greater life eternally when you die or when Jesus returns for His family, of which you are now an important part.

Are you going to be perfect in your new life? Certainly not! You are still a human. Being a Christian will not keep you from sinning, but it does mean that you are “Christ-like” and that you now desire to pursue your life as such. Your new life has begun and it is certainly okay to tell others about this new life.

As with all new Christians, you will have many questions. You will need to surround yourself with other born again Christians. You will need their support, to learn from them, and to be a part of a Christian fellowship. Go to a local church that believes that Jesus is the Son of God and ask to speak with the pastor. Tell him about your new life.

And while you’re at it, please feel free to contact Walking in the Spirit Ministries and let us know any prayer requests you may have by visiting our Prayer Request page.