First, you must accept that you are a sinner
- Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
- Romans 10:13: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."
Remember, no one is perfect. No one has lived up to God's perfect standard.
Second, you must accept that as a sinner, you owe a penalty
- Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
- Ezekiel 18:4: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die..."
This death is described in the Bible as the second death, the lake of fire.
- Revelation 20:14: "Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
If we pay what we owe as sinners, we must spend an eternity in the lake of fire, which is hell.
Third, you must accept that Christ already paid your sin debt
- Romans 5:6 says: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly."
- Hebrews 2:9b says: "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Christ was not a sinner, and the Bible teaches that God took all of our
sin and placed it on Christ. While Christ was bearing all of our sins, in
His own body, God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe. This
is not something God promised to do. It is something God has already done.
- 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."
- II Cor. 5:21 says: "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
It is a fact, that Jesus Christ has already paid your sin debt.
Fourth, you must accept by faith what Jesus Christ did for you.
- John 3:36 says: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
90 times in the gospel of John, the Bible says "believe." In this verse, Jesus divides the world into 2 groups: those who are
believing and those who are not believing. Those who believe, have everlasting life and those that do not, will not see life. It is a fact that Jesus has already paid our sin debt.
The word believe means to trust, to depend upon, to rely upon. To believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ means that you accept the fact that you are a sinner,
that as a sinner you owe the sin penalty, and that Jesus Christ died on
the cross to pay the sin debt you owe. But, it means going one step further.
It means that you will completely trust Christ to get you to Heaven-and
that you will put the matter of your salvation in His hands and depend on
Him for everlasting life. The moment you do that very thing, God promises
that you are not condemned, but have everlasting life and that you shall
never perish.
- John 5:24 says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
If you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, pray this simple prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I know I am a sinner, and I deserve to pay my own sin debt, but I do believe that You died for me to pay the debt that I owe. Today, the best I know how, I trust You as my Savior. I will depend on You from this moment on for my salvation.
Now help me to live for You and to be a good Christian.
Amen.
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