the Truth
The Gospel
The Bible contains some good news, as well as some bad news.
The bad news is that we have all sinned and as a result we are separated from God. Most of us notice this and recognize that something is missing in our lives. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). This means that we cannot work our way into Heaven through good deeds. No matter how many good deeds we do, they are still not enough to earn everlasting life in Heaven. Doing any of the following simply won’t earn anyone everlasting life with God in Heaven:
– Helping the poor
– Being a “good” person
– Going to church
– Giving to charity
Understanding the Gospel
The Good News
Since there is no way we can work our way to God, He came to us.
Jesus died in our place. Romans 5:8 tells us, “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Suppose you were in a hospital and dying of an incurable disease, and then someone came and offered to take the diseased cells from your body and put them into theirs.
If that were possible, what would happen to you? You would live, and that person would die in your place.
Similarly, Jesus has offered to take the sin cells (that will result in a physical and spiritual death) from your body and put them into His body. Jesus essentially did just that: He took upon Himself the sin penalty that you deserved and placed it upon Himself. He, literally, died in your place. Thus, your sins have already been paid for by Jesus*; this is the Good News.
And there’s more good news! Three days later Jesus rose from the dead victoriously over sin and death. Sin and death were conquered!
(*Continue reading to discover how to receive Jesus’ incredible gift of salvation.)
What does that mean for you?
It means that you can be saved (rescued) through faith in Jesus Christ! You need to trust exclusively in Him for forgiveness and everlasting life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one should boast.”
What should you do?
Ask Jesus to forgive you of all your sins (where you fell short of God’s perfect mark) and place your trust in Him for your forgiveness.
Below is a sample prayer that you can pray. Keep in mind that it’s not the prayer itself that saves you—what matters is that it comes from your heart and that you truly are asking Jesus to be Lord of your life. We encourage you to use your own words. What you say doesn’t need to be elaborate, just honest.
“Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and that my wrongs deserve to be punished. I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the grave. I trust in Jesus alone to be my Savior. Please forgive me for my sins and take me to Heaven when I die. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Now what?
+ Grow to be like Him.
As a brand new follower of Jesus, get a Bible and begin studying His teachings in the New Testament (the Bible consists of 2 major sections—the Old Testament and the New Testament). We recommend that you start with the Gospel of John (the fourth book within the New Testament).
*Most churches will give you a Bible absolutely free.
+ Pray.
Simply put, praying is a conversation with God. We recommend sharing with Him what’s on your mind:
- your fears
- your troubles
- what you are thankful for
Then quiet yourself and listen for His response. The listening part takes both practice and discernment (to learn when He is talking to you vs when you are talking to you).
As you read the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament), you will discover that Jesus said a lot about prayer. For instance, in Matthew 6:6 (the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6: verse 6), He even told us where to pray: “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father (God) who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Jesus continues in Matthew 6:9-13 with an example of how to structure your prayer. (Keep in mind that He was not saying to pray this prayer, but to use it as a guide.)
Jesus started in verses 9 through 13, “Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
Your prayer could look something like this:
“Father God, Creator of everything, You are holy, true, righteous and loving. May Your Kingdom come soon. Please make the world I live in just like You made Heaven. I trust You to provide my every need as You determine what I need. Lord, forgive me of my wrongdoings just as I forgive those who wrong me. Help me to not give in to temptation, but to live a life that reflects Jesus’ example. And protect me from the devil and his deceptive schemes.”
Remember to quiet yourself and then listen for God to speak to your heart.
+ Worship.
Worship with other believers at a local Bible church. (Select here to find a good Bible church in your area.)
+ Get plugged in.
Once you get settled into your new Bible church, start attending a Bible study group. You also might want to seek out a strong Christian role model to act as your mentor to help you grow in your new relationship with God.
+ Tell others.
Let people know what Jesus has done for you. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar to share about your new faith; you just need to share openly and honestly. Salvation through Jesus is a gift that is meant to be re-gifted over and over again!
Why should we believe in the authenticity of Jesus and His claims?
Prophecy—Jesus fulfilled documented prophecies that were recorded centuries before His earthly ministry began, including His place of birth and the type of death He would experience.
The Empty Tomb—Had someone been able to produce the dead body of Jesus, it would have been Exhibit A that He had not risen. However, the fact that His grave was empty (after being guarded by Roman soldiers and sealed with a huge boulder) demonstrated His deity. He rose on the third day, just like He said He would.
Eyewitness Accounts—After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to at least 500 people. He not only appeared to them, but He also ate with them and conversed with them.
Miracles—The documentation of His miracles confirms that He was God. What kind of a person has complete power and authority over sickness, death, nature and spiritual forces? Only God does.
Transformed Lives—Fearing for their lives, the disciples who had witnessed the execution of their leader went into hiding, but something happened that completely transformed them that they were willing to risk everything to spread the news that He had risen.
What would cause such a paradigm shift? Seeing the resurrected Jesus! Think about it—the disciples believed that the Message was worth dying for; and now, 2000 years later, people’s lives are still being transformed by the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
He Claimed to Be God—Unlike other religious and spiritual leaders, Jesus claimed to be God (the Messiah). Furthermore, He also had the power to perform supernatural miracles to back up His claim. See Matthew 26:63-64 and John 14:6.
A Living Lord—Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. We can have a personal relationship with God today by seeking His forgiveness of our sins and by placing our trust in Jesus to rescue us from our wrongs that separate us from God.