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THE GOSPEL:
The word,
"Gospel" means, "Good News". The gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope
of all those who trust in Him. Even though it is a relatively simple
message, I had to come to grips with questions like, "Do I believe
that the bible is true?", and, "What do I need to be saved from?",
as well as many others. Although it didn't come together in this
order, I would like to take you on a journey through the same
thought process that I had gone through that led me to trust in
Christ as my Saviour and Lord. THE BIBLE:
These verses of
scripture taught me what the bible says about itself, that it is
truth and it is where I could find the way to eternal
life.
The bible is God's word. These passages [and many more] have taught me that the bible is the only place to find the words of God.
This passage tells me
that I can know the truth if I diligently study God's word. I also
understood that I may need some help, like the Ethiopian Eunuch in
~Now,
that I have determined the source of truth [the bible], I was
prepared to dig and discover the truth.~ WHO IS
GOD?:
God is
the creator. These passages revealed that He is intimately
interested in me because I was created by Him and for Him. That fact
made me want to understand what it was that God wanted me to do, or
for what purpose was I put on this planet.
There is
no one or nothing more powerful than God. Not only did He create all
things, but without His power, it would all fall away. There is no
higher power than God [nor equal]. Knowing this made me a little
afraid, but also increased my hunger to know God better.
No one
can hide from God. He knows my every thought, action and where I
have been. ~Knowing that God is with me always has become a great
comfort to me after trusting in His Son, but was quite convicting
[or unnerving] prior to that.~
There are no ideas or concepts that are unknown to God. He knows everything and is surprised by nothing. ~This truth taught me that even though the times have changed [and continue to do so], God is still relevant. In fact God's word explains why bad things are happening, and why people call that which is evil, "good".
At the core of God's plan is Love. He wants His creation to Love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and might. And, He wants us to Love others as we Love ourselves. He wants us to call Him, "Father", but we cannot if we are not in His family. Upon this discovery, I began to yearn for His love. As much as I had been loved in this world, there yet remained an emptiness, a void, a yearning to be perfectly loved by someone who can only be God. MY SIN:
The word Sin means to
"Miss the mark". According to the scriptures, anytime I knew what
was right and didn't do it, that was a sin. Where Did Sin Come From?:
This passage tells the
sum of the story; Adam was the first man. He was created in a
sinless state "very good". But he and his wife, Eve, disobeyed God
when they ate the fruit of the tree called, "the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil", which God told them not to do. The
result was death and judgement for Adam and Eve. And this also
"passed upon all men" [you and me], meaning that we are all born
into this same sin. This history can be found in the book of
Genesis, chapters 1
through 5. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MY SIN:
When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death to all mankind. These passages told me that I was dead in my trespasses and sin, and I needed to be saved from death and judgment [everlasting fire/hell]. ~Life in this sinful state, is like hanging off of a cliff by your fingertips, with no one else around. And, unless you are saved, death is inevitable. I remember feeling helpless and guilty. ~Having already come to the conclusion that the bible is true, I now had to come to terms with my condition. I either had to seek salvation or decide that I would take eternal punishment. ~I wanted heaven, I didn't want hell. I wanted to be loved by God, and I wanted to love Him too, and call Him, Father. ~I felt
like a child that had run away from home, and now I wanted to go
home to my Father, but didn't know the way. WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?:
> God [Who is Love], because of His deep love for you and me, sent His Son, Jesus, to become a man and to take upon Himself the punishment [death] of the world, so that the world, through Him, might be saved. > Jesus paid the price with His precious blood. He suffered, bled and died on the cross to take away our sins. They buried Him, and three days later, He arose, victorious over death. > I understood that because of my sin, I was heading toward death and judgment, and away from God, Who desired to call me His Son. I also understood that Jesus paid the price for my sins, and all that I had to do was believe and call on Him for salvation, and I would be saved. That is what I did. > I said something very much like, "Oh God, I am a sinner. And, I know what that means, that I am heading down the path of death and judgment. Dear God, I know that Jesus paid the price for my sins, and now I am asking in the best way I know, please save me through the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ, amen". > And
He did. WHAT COMES NEXT?: > I began to live for Jesus, my Savior, and made Him the Lord of my life. > I got help. I found a bible-believing church and began to learn under one of the Elders. > I dealt with many trials [see the book of James], and God brought victory and helped me to grow through them. > I learned what God's will was for me as a Christian, as a husband, a father, a friend, a worker. > I
began to teach others what I had learned. I shared my testimony with
people and eventually began to help other new Christians grow in the
Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to
Him be glory both now and forever, amen. A QUESTION FOR YOU: What is your story?
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