By now you have discovered that all roads
do not lead to God, and
life is not as simple as you once thought. You may be experiencing
overwhelming problems; or life may be going smoothly but you
may be sensing that something is missing. For those who are at this
crossroad, the Bible offers a new direction through Jesus Christ -
one filled with purpose, fulfillment, acceptance, and forgiveness.
The steps are simple:
Recognize That You're A Sinner
First, you must admit your spiritual need: "There is none
righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). We can't make excuses
or blame others and our circumstances for our actions. "For all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Every person has turned away from God and broken His laws;
our sin has separated us from a right relationship
with a holy God.
Recognize That Jesus Christ Died On
The Cross For You
Left to ourselves, we cannot satisfy God's righteous
requirements to be holy, nor can we find pardon through
church ritual or membership. "For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord" (Romans 6:23). "For Christ also suffered once for
sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God"
(1 Peter 3:18). Jesus paid the full price for your sin.
Repent Of Your Sins
Jesus tells us we need to be reborn by the Spirit of God
(John 3:3) in order to become part of God's family. We are
put in right standing with God when we agree with Him that
we are sinners and in need of forgiveness. The word "repent"
means to "change your direction". The Bible tells us, "Repent,
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence
of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). God commands us to repent. You
must be willing to turn away from the things that displease God.
Receive Christ As Your Savior
It is essential that you come to Jesus as you are. Don't try to
"clean up your life" before you come to God. "For by grace you
have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast"
(Ephesians 2:8-9). There is only one way to God, and He does the
cleansing. We come through the finished work of Christ on the
cross. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no
other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved" (Acts 4:12).
Time For Prayer
If you are ready to repent of your sins and accept
Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you can
pray something like this:
God, I'm sorry for my sins. Right now, I
turn from my sins
and ask You to forgive me. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ
to die on the cross for my sins. Jesus, I ask You to come into
my life and be my Lord, Savior, and Friend. Thank you for
forgiving me and giving me eternal life. In Jesus' name, Amen!
