Salvation
God Has A Free Gift For You!
- Because He loves you. God loves you so much that He gave His only Son to die for you. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." [NIV]
What is this free gift God has for me?
It is called salvation. God, through His Son Jesus, has provided a way for you to be free from the power of sin and its consequences. Colossians 1:13-14 says, "... The Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins." [Amp.] God's gift of salvation includes deliverance from bondage, safety and protection in the Lord, preservation and security, healing and restoration, and soundness and stability. It is through your acceptance of salvation that God provides everything you have need of in your life.
It is also through His free gift of salvation that God offers you eternal life. Romans 6:23b says, "... the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." [NASB]
What is eternal life?
Eternal life refers to your eternal destination. God gives every person the privilege of choosing where they will spend eternity. Once your life is finished on the earth, based on your own choice, you will either be bound for heaven or bound for hell. If your destination is Heaven, you will live for eternity in the presence of God. If your destination is hell, you will live apart from God. God's free gift is what enables you to choose Heaven.
Why do I have to make a choice? If I'm a good person, won't I automatically go to Heaven?
No! Romans 3:23 says, "... for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." [NASB] This means that you have sinned and your sin has separated you from God. According to the Word of God, the penalty for sin--even one sin-- is death [Genesis 2:17]. Sin creates a debt that only death can satisfy. Attempting to be good will not satisfy your sin debt. Doing good works, no matter how good they are, will not satisfy your sin debt. Death is the only acceptable form of payment for sin. Romans 6:23a says, ”For the wages of sin is death, …” [NIV] But remember, God loves you and because He loves you right now, right where you are, He has provided a way for you to have your sin debt paid in full. All you have to do is choose to accept God's free gift.
I have done things in my life that make me ashamed to face God. Do I still have the privilege of accepting God's free gift? Can He really forgive me?
Absolutely! God knows everything there is to know about you, and He loves you anyway. Nothing in your life has been hidden from God. The Good News according to 1 John 1:9a is, "...if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" [NASB]. If you are willing to admit your sins, God will lovingly forgive you and wipe your sins away. In fact, Isaiah 43:25 tells us that God will not even remember your sins once they have been confessed and forgiven. Accepting God's free gift gives you a brand new start in your life [2 Corinthians 5:17].
I realize now that I am a sinner and that God is willing to forgive me of my sins. I know that I must make a choice to invite God in to my life. I am ready now to make that choice and to accept God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ His Son. What must I do now?
- You need to talk to God. You talk to Him just as you talk to a good friend.
- First, confess your sins to your loving Heavenly Father. As you think over your life, confess those things that you have said or done against God and against others. Accept God's forgiveness and release your past to Him.
- Next, forgive those who have wronged you. Just as you have accepted God's forgiveness for your wrongs; you must now extend forgiveness to those who have wronged you. Release each person and what they did to God. Remember, forgiving someone does not excuse what they did. Forgiving is an act of your will that sets YOU free from the offense.
- Now, you must accept Jesus' offer to pay the penalty for your sins. According to the Word of God, God's free gift is available only through His Son Jesus Christ [John 3:16]. God loves you so much, He allowed His Son to suffer and to die in your place. Jesus Himself, though sinless, surrendered His own life in order to pay the penalty for your sins. His blood was shed for you. When you accept Jesus into your life, you are accepting His death as payment for your sins. Accept Jesus into your heart as your Savior and ask Him to be the Lord of your life.
- Finally, you must proclaim your choice.
Romans 10: 9,10 says, "... 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." Proclaim your choice to God and then call a friend or loved one and share the Good News with them!
Pray this prayer aloud from your heart and God will give you this free gift of salvation. You may click here or on the audio file to hear this prayer aloud and repeat it with the audio.
Listen and Repeat the Website Audio Prayer
Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus, your Son, as a sinner needing Your love, mercy and forgiveness. I know that there is nothing that I can do to earn this gift from You. Your Word says that by grace through faith we are saved and not by works. So, from my heart I confess the sin that I have committed against You and against anybody else that I have wronged in any way. Father, in Jesus’ Name, forgive me and wash me by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. By faith, I believe that Jesus died for my sin, and that He was buried, and that on the third day, according to the Scriptures, He was raised from the dead, and is alive forever more. Thank you, Jesus, for what You have done for me. I ask You now, to come within my heart and life, and make Your abode. Help me to learn Your Word and do Your will. Thank You, Father, for giving me the free gift of salvation and forgiving me of my sin. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God. Welcome to the family. Your sins have been forgiven and your past has been washed away. Today is a brand new day for you. Mark today's date on your calendar. It is your Spiritual Birthday!
I have accepted God's free gift and I know that I am saved! Now what?
Great question! Begin your walk with the Lord as you would begin any new friendship.
- Spend time every day talking with the Lord. Begin each morning and end each evening with a conversation with God.
- Read the Bible every day. It is God's love letter to you. Begin reading in the New Testament book of John. As you read the Words that God wrote to you, you will learn more about Him and you will grow closer to Him.
- Ask the Lord to lead you to a church. It is important that you have fellowship with others who are in the family of God.
- Ask the Lord to send someone into your life who can help you in your Christian walk.
There is much to learn about God and His ways of doing things. Someone who has walked with God for a while can be of great benefit to you. Remember though, it needs to be the person God chooses!
And finally, please share your Good News with us. We would like to pray for you while you are getting started in your new life in Christ.