The Best News
Are you positive you will live with Him in heaven forever? Suppose you were in an accident. At the gate of heaven you are asked: "Why should you be admitted?" What would you say?
The Bible 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" (John 3:16).
You can have an intimate relationship with God now, and be sure you will spend eternity in heaven.
The best news you will ever hear is that God loves you and has made it possible for you to have eternal life! This raises a number of questions:
What did He do for us?
HE DID EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO RESTORE RELATIONSHIPS. HE LIVED THE PERFECT LIFE!
The apostle Peter declared, "He committed no sin, and no deceit was
found in His mouth" (I Peter 2:22).
After thirty-three years of living perfectly, what did Jesus do?
JESUS DIED.
"He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (I Peter 2:24).
"He forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you . . . He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's Cross" (Col. 2:13,14LB).
Then what happened?
HE CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE ALIVE.
Luke declared:
"He showed himself to these men (the Apostles) and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days" (Acts 1:3).
This is the most important and one of the best attested facts of history. Now it is possible to receive eternal life.
Because you receive a restored relationship your mind must change.
CHANGING YOUR MIND IS NOT BEING SORRY FOR GETTING CAUGHT. CHANGING YOUR MIND IS BEING SORRY FOR DOING WRONG, TURNING FROM IT WITH GOD'S HELP AND DESIRING JESUS AS LORD.
"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).
Changing your mind about doing wrong is necessary! God's holy nature will not allow Him to forgive sin without it. But to be sorry for past wrong cannot undo it.
The relationship is restored through Living Trust.
LIVING TRUST IS NOT MERE BLIND BELIEF.
It is not a blind leap in the dark.
It is based on the promises of the Bible that have actually happened in history-the facts that Jesus lived a perfect life, died and then came out of the grave alive.
After Jesus returned from the dead He said to Thomas, "Reach out your hand, and put it into my side; and stop doubting and believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27,28)
LIVING TRUST IS NOT MERE HEAD BELIEF.
Merely knowing about food in the mind will not satisfy hunger. It must be eaten.
Merely knowing about Jesus in the mind is not the same as having an intimate, personal relationship with Him.
LIVING TRUST IS NOT MERE NOW BELIEF.
Jesus taught us to depend on God for needs in the daily life. He urged us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). But there is more to life than things that are seen: "What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (II Cor. 4:18).
What then is Living Trust?
LIVING TRUST IS RELYING ON JESUS CHRIST ALONE FOR YOUR ETERNAL LIFE.
The apostle John said, "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" (John 3:16). Jesus said: "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Living trust is not belief without evidence, but it is commitment to Jesus Christ without reservation.
What happens when I trust?
YOU RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE.
God enters into a new intimate personal relationship with you. He provides life that has power. He also provides life that has purpose.
Do you feel this makes sense? Would you like to enter this new relationship with Jesus and receive eternal life now?
This is the most important decision you will ever make in your life.
BRIEFLY REVIEW what is involved in entering this new relationship with Jesus and receiving ETERNAL LIFE.
ETERNAL LIFE is knowing God, intimately, personally. This shows itself through loving relationships. You seek with God's help to love Him with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself!
This especially shows itself in your relationship to other members of His family. He gathers His family into local churches. He wants you to be a responsible growing member in a local church.
Is this what you want?
SIN alters the ability to have loving relationships. SIN is disobedience. It separates us from God and damages our ability to relate to people.
Do you acknowledge that you have sinned?
JESUS is the only answer to this problem. He is the only mediator. He did everything necessary to restore relationships. He lived the perfect life, died, and came out of the grave alive.
Do you acknowledge that Jesus is the only answer to the problem of sin in your life?
YOUR MIND MUST CHANGE before you receive a restored relationship. This is not being sorry for getting caught. It is being sorry for doing wrong, turning from it with God's help and desiring Jesus as Lord.
Are you willing to turn from whatever is not pleasing to him?
LIVING TRUST restores the relationship with God. Living trust is not mere blind belief, head belief or now belief. Living trust is relying on Jesus Christ alone for your eternal life. Is this what you want?
How do you receive eternal life?
EXPRESS your trust in Christ by sincerely praying the following and God will give you eternal life.
Lord, I have sinned. I am sorry for my sins. With your help I want to turn from my sin. Take control of my life. Help me be a responsible growing member of your family in a local church. Lord, I want eternal life. I want an intimate, personal relationship with you. I want to know for certain that I will live with you in heaven forever. In Jesus name I pray.
"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" (John 3:16).
God cannot lie! These words are true! On the basis of His promise and your response, do you now have eternal life?
IF someone asks you "do you have an intimate, personal relationship with God?", what would you say? IF you were to depart this world tonight, where would you open your eyes? IF at the gate of heaven you were asked why should you be admitted, how would you reply?
IF you truly trust in Christ alone, at the gate of heaven then . . . the Lord will say to you: "Enter good and faithful servant . . . ."