Youth and Recreation Activity Resource Center
Activity and Resource Center
How can you experience that love?
The first step is to recognize that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;". (Romans 3:23 KJV).
Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden man has been separated from God and inherits from Adam the nature to do wrong instead of doing right. Because of this inheritance all are born in sin and separated from God.
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned." (Romans 5:12 LBT).
Man has always tried to reach God by many different types of idol worship and sacrifice. However, he is never able to accomplish this task of reaching God because of the eternal separation. Man is on one side of the issue and God is on the other.
1 John 1:10 tells us "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
There is a price to be paid for our sin.
Once we admit that we are sinners we must understand that there is a price to be paid for sin.
"For the wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23a KJV).
Once we understand the penalty for sin we have to be sorry for our sin and repent. Repent means to turn away from sin and go another way.
"...but except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish." (Luke 13:3 KJV).
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,..." (Acts 3;19 KJV).
"Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins". (Acts 3:19 LBT).
What must I do to be saved?
What must you do once you have become aware of your sinful condition and agree that you are a sinner and want to be forgiven of your sin?
The answer is given by Paul when he was in prison in Phillipi. The jailer was so afraid of being executed when he found the prison doors open after an earth quake that he was going to take his own life. Paul stopped him and told him everyone was still there. Upon seeing that all were present he ask that famous question "What must I do to be saved."
Paul answers and gives us the only way to the Father.
"....What must I do to be saved? ....Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house." The Amplified version states it this way, "...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ--that is, give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping, and you will be saved;...". (Acts 16:30-31 KJV).
That word "believe" means to trust in, cling to, rely on the fact that Jesus has the power to save you and that if you ask Him He will save you.
God continues to love us and wants to save us from our sin. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 KJV).
"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24 LBT). (
Also see John 1:12; John 3:14-18, 36; John 11:25-26, 36, 40).
Call on the name of Jesus and confess your sins.
The next step is to call upon the name of Jesus to save us and ask the Father to forgive our sins.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13 KJV).
We must confess our sins and receive forgiveness of our sins. "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every sin." (1 John 1:9 LBT).
We must confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus can and will save us. "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved......for anyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved." (Romans 10:9-13 LBT).
Gift of God is eternal life!
Just as the wages of sin is eternal death, eternal life is a gift of God. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". (Romans 3:23 KJV).
The Living Bible states it this way, "For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe In Jesus." (Romans 3:23-26 NLB).
Forgiveness is a free gift.
We cannot earn it. We can not do enough good works to deserve it. We can only accept it. "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV).
When we invite Jesus into our life He is already standing there waiting for that invitation. "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together" (Revelations 3:20 LBT).
This scripture pictures a Risen Christ standing at your hearts door knocking and wanting to come into your life and forgive you of your sin and give you eternal life. He has already paid the ransom for your sins, He has already died on the cross for your sins and He offers you the free gift of eternal life if you will only accept it. All you have to do is open your hearts door and invite Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins and to save you and give you eternal life.
Invite Jesus into your life!
How do you invite Jesus into your life? Through a simple request called prayer. You might pray a prayer like this.
"Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that He came to save me from my sins. He died on the cross, was raised from the grave and now lives with You in Heaven. I know that I am a sinner and I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I accept You, Jesus, as my Lord and Savior. I want you to live in my heart and to control my life. I thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. I know that I am now a born again believer and free from the terrible condemnation of my sins because of your blood that was shed for me. Thank you Father for loving me and saving me. Amen."
Immediately upon praying that prayer, Jesus did come into your life and forgave you of your past, present and future sins. All you have to do now is to allow Him to abide or live in you and you abide and in Him.
Know for sure that you are saved!
You can know for sure that you are now saved. The scripture gives you many verses that will confirm this fact. "I write this to you who believe in the Son of God., so that you may know you have eternal life. And we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. And if we know he is listening when we make our request, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for." (1 John 5:13-15 LBT).
Since the only reason that Jesus came to earth and died on the cross was to provide a way for you to be back in fellowship with the Father; then, it is surely His will that you be saved. Therefore, when you asked Him to come into your life the scripture says that He hears your request and will give it to you. So your assurance and confidence comes from the promises of Jesus as given in the scriptures.
Jesus pleads your case to the Father! SALVATION SCRIPTURES WITH PICTORIAL LANGUAGE
Jesus stands in the gap between a Holy God and you, a forgiven sinner and pleads your case to the Father. God sees you through the "blood of Jesus" and can only see a forgiven child. "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely. He is the sacrifice for our sins, He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world. And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying His commandments." (1 John 2:1-3 LBT).
For a better understanding of what has happened to you and some of the promises that God has for you read the book of First John. These five little chapters have mountains of truth on living the cleansed and victorious life.
STEPS TO SALVATION:
MISSION - Christ's Mission (I Timothy 1:15)
KNOW - That you are a sinner (Romans 3:23)
TRUST - That Jesus can save (Acts 16:31)
FAITH - That Jesus will save (Ephesians 2:8)
BELIEVE - With all your heart (John 3:16)
CALL - Upon the name of Jesus (Romans 10:13)
REPENT - Be sorry for your sins (Luke 13:3; Matthew 4:7)
CONFESS -Your sins (Romans 10:9; Matthew 10-32; 1 John 1:9)
COMPLETE - Your experience (Acts 2:41; Matthew 28:19)
ASSURANCE-Of everlasting Salvation "Can I ever be lost again" (II Timothy 1:12; John 10:27-28)
REWARD - Is eternity with God (John 14:1-3)
SALVATION IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS
Do you depend on the leadership of the Holy Spirit?