So many people these days say things like. “Well, as long as you believe something, you’ll be ok.” That mindset has prevailed in modern America. People think that there is no such thing as absolute Truth, so it doesn’t matter what you believe. After all, aren’t all religions the same??
This thinking and teaching is as destructive as it is false. There is such a thing as absolute Truth. John 17:17 says, referring to God, “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.” God’s Word, the Holy Bible, is the firm foundation you can base your life on. The Bible doesn’t just contain truth, it is Truth! And while many religions may seem to be so very similar, there is something infinitely more important than religion: having a real relationship with the real God. The Bible says it’s possible! Not only that, it commands people to come to this knowledge. Let’s look at what they Bible has to say…
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The first thing you need to realize is that there is a God, and that God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you! But…
Romans 3:23 says that “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” What that means is that everyone, absolutely every single person from Adam and Eve to you today, has sinned. Sin is anything we think, say, or do that breaks God’s law (the Bible). Everybody has done, said, and certainly thought things that God says they should not, so everybody is a sinner. Ever lie (even if it was a tiny “white” lie)? You’ve broken God’s law. Ever think hateful thoughts about someone or gossip about them? You’ve broken God’s law. This verse also means that because you’re a sinner, you come short of God’s glory, and God cannot allow into heaven. You’ve missed the mark! Nothing you do could make you good enough because you’re a sinner.
Romans 6:23 adds to this thought: “For the wages of sin is death.” That’s not exactly a pleasant thought. Sin has a price that must be paid. The word “wages” means a deserving payment (your paycheck at work is also known as your wages). We earn something because we are sinners, and it isn’t good. The death that this verse is talking about is not simply a physical death. Rather, it’s a permanent, eternal death in a literal and terrible place called hell. Compare Revelation 20:13-15, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The deserving payment for you and me is an eternity separated from God in the burning fires of hell and the lake of fire. But Romans 6:23 doesn’t stop there! The rest of the verse says, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What do you have to do to earn a gift? Nothing! It wouldn’t be a gift if you had to pay for it or deserve it. Even rotten little brats of children get presents from mom and dad at Christmas: certainly not because they deserved them, but because mom and dad loved them! The same is true with eternal life with God. You could never be good enough to deserve it, but God has made it available for free!
Romans 5:8 tells us how this free gift was made available to us. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Even though you are a sinner that deserves hell, Jesus Christ loved you so much that He came to earth, lived a sinless life, and offered himself as a sacrifice to take the place for your sins. Because He is God, and because He lived a sinless life, His perfect blood was offered to God to cover the sins of the whole world. You see, God has always demanded sacrifice, the shedding of blood, for the forgiveness of sin. The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were a picture of what Jesus would do. Jesus suffered, bled, and died for you. He offered Himself in your place so that you don’t have to go to hell! And three days after He died, He was raised back to life by His own divine power! He conquered death and the grave and made it possible for you to have a relationship with God and enjoy the benefits of eternal life! But a gift is absolutely useless unless you receive it or accept it.
Romans 10:9, 13 tells us how to receive this incredible gift. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” All that you need to do to receive this incredible gift of life and a real relationship with God Almighty is to believe! You just have to believe that Jesus died for you and rose from the dead to give you new life. It doesn’t take good works, baptism, communion, church attendance, speaking in tongues, being really nice, or helping a few poor people. None of things get you any closer to God because you are a sinner. But by simply having faith in what Jesus has already done for you, you can have a home in heaven and a relationship with God! If you want to receive this free gift, just call on God and tell Him that you know you’re a sinner who deserves to die and go to hell forever, but you believe that Jesus, God the Son, died for you and rose again to give you eternal life, and tell God that you accept His Son into your heart and life as your personal Savior. Now, you don’t have to say those words exactly, but you need to understand the truth behind them. Praying a prayer will not save you. Prayer is the means by which you communicate your faith to God.
If you’re still struggling, remember:
Ephesians 2:8, 9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” You can’t earn it! You can try till the day you day, but God only accepts those who accept His Son.
If you’ve received Jesus as your Savior, remember that you can never ever lose it now! No matter what! I John 5:12, 13 says, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” You can rest assured that once you’re saved, you’re always saved!
Assorted Bag of Candy 