Christianity is about a relationship. A relationship that is both physical and spiritual with God. God, way back at the beginning of time, created man and desired to have a relationship with him. Sin messed this all up. So it is God's desire to restore us to that relationship with him.
God's Plan: Here a some simple truths from the Bible that I had to learn, that we all need to learn.
TRUTH # 1. EVERYBODY HAS SINNED
Romans 3:23-"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Sin is breaking God's Law. This verse says that "ALL have sinned." All have broken God's Law. Here let's try and prove it. The most well known set of God's Law is the 10 Commandment. They are found in Exodus 20. Let's look at a couple of these commandments. The 3rd commandment is do not take the name of the Lord in vain. This means we are not to use God's name as a cuss word. Now I do not know about you but I hear people do this all the time and yes I have done this also. The 4th commandment is to work for six day and take the seventh day for Sabbath, a time for physical rest and worship of God. There have been Sunday's where I have not worshiped God on that one day during the week where God requires. Honor parents, do not steal, do not lie. There is not a single person on earth who has not done at least one of these things. So the verse Romans 3:23 is true "everybody has sinned."
TRUTH # 2: THERE IS A PRICE FOR SIN
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death;"
Wages is not the most used word but fairly easy to explain. Wage is a payment. Here in California, Our Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger last year passed a minimum wage increase, this told all businesses in Californian that they had to pay there employees a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. So back to the verse: The payment for breaking God's law is death! Okay, this is where you might say "Yeah, so what everybody dies!" That is not the kind of death it is talking about. It is talking about the second death. Revelation 21:8 says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." This Lake that is burning with fire and brimstone is where the second death will take place. This is the payment for sin. Look at who is placed into it: fearful, unbelieving, murders, liars, and others. In Revelation 20:10 it says, " And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." In this verse we are told that it is a place of torment (torture, extreme pain) day and night forever and ever. Not somewhere that I would want to be. Titus 3:5 says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" In this verse we are told that there is no righteousness or good works, right action, none of these can save us. Nothing we can do can save us. Now If I left you here there wouldn't be much hope. We all have broken God's Law and the payment is death. However there is hope.
Truth # 3: SOMEBODY OFFERED TO PAY THE PRICE
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
God loves us; and he commends or showed us that love while we were breaking God's Law Christ died for us. Christ died for us! WOW! John 3:16 & 17 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Christ is God's Son, God sent Christ that the world could be saved from the second death in the lake of fire and in turn receive eternal life. Now this eternal life does not mean we do not die at all. We all die physically, it is the second death in the lake of fire that we do not receive when we accept eternal life.
The story of Jesus Christ and the crucifixion is a well known story. This was part of God's plan for salvation. Jesus came to the earth, left heaven, became man lived here on earth, never once breaking God's Law. Then He was crucified, he gave his own life, shed His own blood, took all of our sins, and died for them. He paid the price for death that way we would not have too. However there is a more exciting part to the story, because if Christ stayed dead then how can we expect him to give us eternal life? He died and rose again to prove to us he could raise us up to give us eternal life.
TRUTH # 4: IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SALVATION YOU MUST BELIEVE
Romans 10:9 "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."
This is the most important part. This is what makes salvation a personal relationship. This is where it is your turn. Salvation is receiving the sacrifice of Jesus' death and believing that it alone is the only way to restore the broken relationship with God. How do we do this? The verse above: Romans 10:9 tells us we are to confess the Lord Jesus and believe that he rose again. A few verses later in Romans 10:13 it says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." We must call out to God and ask him to save us.
SO, how do we do this? Prayer! It does not have to be any specific words, but it should recognize that we are sinners and have no hope of obtaining heaven, that we need Jesus to pay the price for our sins, that we believe that Jesus died and rose again to save us from the second death in the lake of fire, and when we receive His salvation we renew that personal relationship with God that was broken because of our sin.
Please post a comment if you have any questions.
I grew up in a Christian family, went to church every Sunday since I was born. I really enjoyed church, it was a lot of fun and I learned many things. At an early age, probably around four, I made a profession of faith in Christianity. If that does not make sense now I hope I can clear it up later.
I attended a Christian School in San Francisco from Kindergarten until I graduated from High School. I really did not have much of a choice in where I went to school since both of my parents were teachers.
It was an easy environment to grow up in. Very sheltered very protected. For that I am thankful. However as a Junior, I found a way to leave the sheltered life when I was by myself and got involved in some sin. I did not think it effected me very much at the start. After all it was enjoyable! But soon I realized what it was doing to me, how it began to effect my mind. I was Addicted! I would try to stop time and time again; I could not. All this time nobody knew of my addiction. Doubts about Christianity plagued me during this time. Partly because I knew I was not supposed to be doing what I was doing. But I was feeling guilt hoping that I would not get caught, when as a Christian I should have felt a sincere desire to stop and do what was right. These doubts would sometimes even keep me awake at night, but even then nobody knew.
After I graduated from High School I started to attend a Bible College in Southern California. School had it ups and it downs. I found a girlfriend and fell in love! about a year into dating she was reading a book that she had purchased at a bookstore about a topic that was somewhat related to the addiction of mine. I felt so guilty as she expressed her views, I had to tell her. I thank God that the relationship we had was strong enough to withstand this blow. She immediately encouraged me to do what was right. It was not easy at all. I was still addicted.
2007 rolled around. It seemed like every chapel service I sat in at school was being preached right at me. Soon messages at church, where I volunteer in the tech ministry, seemed to be preached right a me, but not for the addiction that I had, at something totally different. For several weeks at the beginning of the year the thought of me not having received salvation bothered me greatly. What would people think? I had been lying to everyone for years now. I had been fake. Finally I was driving home from an evening church service, and was having an argument with God. I wanted him to be real in my life; I wanted to have the personal relationship with him. That night, February 11, 2007, I accepted salvation, I truly believed that it was Jesus who alone could save and there was nothing I could do but ask him to save me. He did! Joy has filled my life! I desire to do the right things and to daily spend time with God in a personal relationship through my prayer and Bible reading.This is my story. Maybe you have some questions. Read my "God's Plan" post. Feel free to post a response I would love to show you too how to receive Jesus gift of salvation.
A quiet day in the woods