Salvation Through Christ:
A Matter of FAITH
God's Plan
What do you think it takes for someone to get to
heaven? Is it luck? Good deeds? Nothing at all?
Or is there something more? The Bible has the
real answer to this question. It's a matter of FAITH.
F stands for FORGIVENESS. We cannot have eternal life
and heaven without God's forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7a
says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins."
A is for AVAILABLE. Forgiveness is available for all. 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." But forgiveness is
not automatic. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to
me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven."
(Matthew 7:21a)
I is for IMPOSSIBLE. It is impossible for God to allow sin
into heaven because of who He is and because of who
we are. God is loving and just, but His judgment is
against sin. James 2:13a says, "judgment is without
mercy..." We are sinful people. Romans 3:23 tells us,
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
HERE'S THE PROBLEM! If God cannot allow sin into
heaven, yet we are all sinners, how then can we have
any hope of being in heaven?
T is for TURN. To turn means to repent. We can repent --
or turn -- from our sin and from ourselves. "But unless
you repent, you too will all perish," Luke 13:3b says.
We can also turn to Someone. Trust Christ alone.
Romans 10:9 tells us how: "That if you confess with your
mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
H is for HEAVEN. Heaven is eternal life. Here, that
means life "to the full:" "I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10b)." In the
hereafter, it means the promise of heaven: "And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come back and
take you to be with me that you also may be where I
am (John 14:3)."
So how can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven
and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord?
By trusting in Christ alone and asking Him for
forgiveness. Take the step of faith described by another
meaning of FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him.
You do this through a simple prayer reflecting your
desire for Christ to change your life. You don't need
fancy words - only an honest heart. You can pray
something like this:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have displeased
You in many ways. I know that I can never be good
enough to deserve heaven. I believe You died for my
sins, and only through faith in Your death and
resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my
sin and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and
Lord. From this day on, I will follow You by living a life
that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me.
Amen.
Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful
adventure with God! You can get to know Him better in
a number of ways:
- Follow Christ's example in baptism.
- Join a church where you can worship God and grow
in your faith.
- In your church, get involved in Sunday School and
Bible study.
- Begin a daily personal worship experience with God
where you study the Bible and pray.
We’d love to hear from you -- Please feel free to
ask us any questions you have about becoming
a Christian, or tell us about your decision to
follow Jesus Christ. Please let us know how we
can serve you by sending us an e-mail to
bige@fbclindale.org.