Invitation
INVITATION TO CONFESS CHRIST AS SAVIOR
The Bible tells us:
1. We all sin! . . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.23)
Sin is when we break God's law, even just once. Even if we obey the law most of the time, when we break it is when we become law breakers or sinners. In Luke 10.25-28 Jesus says to love God and our neighbor as ourselves:
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."
Our sin is selfish: loving ourselves more than God and our neighbor.
2. We deserve death! For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6.23)
If we all sin, then we all deserve death. We are sinners now. We start paying those wages now. We feel it when we are in spiritual and emotional pain. Have you ever felt those wages?
But Jesus has a gift for us, which is eternal life. That begins now, too, if we receive the gift.
3. Jesus has the gift of eternal life for us! But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God (John 1.12)
When we receive that gift Jesus has for us, he gives us the power to become God's children now. And, after we die, we live with him as God's family.
The most important thing is that you receive the gift.
Salvation (eternal life) is not really yours until you reach out and receive it. Do you want to receive forgiveness for your sin and receive the gift of eternal life? It requires an act of faith, which is a conscious decision followed by an act.
ACT OF FAITH: "A SINNER'S PRAYER"
[Jesus says,] "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you . . ." (Revelation 3.20)
Your first and most important act of faith is to sincerely pray this prayer:
"God, I know that I am a sinner. God, I know that the wages of sin is death. God, I have no power over my sin. God, I turn away from my sin. God, I ask that your son, Jesus Christ, to come into my life and forgive me. Come into my life Lord Jesus. Thank you God for the gift of eternal life. Amen."
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5.17)
