The Greatest News You'll Ever Hear!

The most important decision you could ever make is the one that will determine your relationship with God and your eternal destiny. Let me walk you through the things you need to know to make that decision.

- Pastor Matt

1. God is love.

First John 4:8 & 16 plainly says, “God is love.” 

But if we think those words only mean God loves us, we would be wrong. There is something else that God loves.

Psalm 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the LORD’s unfailing love.” 

This verse tells us that God loves righteousness (what isn't made dirty by sin) and justice (when sin and sinners are punished).

So, if we are perfect according to God’s law, we have nothing to fear. But if we are sinners, we have a major problem because God must punish sinners.

2. We are sinners.

I’ve discovered that if you ask most people, “Do you think you are a good person?” they will answer, "Yes."

But this is in direct opposition to what the Bible says about us. The Bible says that we are sinners who have broken God’s laws.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”

Let’s test the truthfulness of this verse by asking ourselves a few questions:

“Have I ever told a lie?” Of course, I have. And it only takes one lie to be a liar.

“Have I ever been angry at someone?” Of course, I have. And Jesus equated anger with murder (Matthew 5:21-22). That means that I’m a murderer at heart.

“Have I ever looked to lust?” Of course, I have. And Jesus equated lust with adultery (Matthew 5:28). That means that I’m an adulterer at heart.

We’ve only looked at three of God’s commands, and we have admitted that we are lying murderers and adulterers at heart. Since we are sinners, God has no choice but to punish us in a place called Hell.

What can be done?!

3. Jesus offers salvation.

God provided a way for our guilt to be dealt with legally without us having to suffer the consequences.

That way is Jesus. God sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and rise from the dead, to pay the sin debt of everyone who will trust in Him.

Romans 5:8 “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

So, Jesus provides the way that we (sinners, who have broken God's laws) can be made righteous in the sight of a holy God.

4. We receive God’s gift of salvation by repenting and trusting in Jesus.

We are guilty and God must punish the guilty.

Jesus died to pay the sin debt of every person that will be saved.

But how do we receive this gift? Repentance and faith.

Acts 20:21 “I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.” 

Repentance simply means to stop going in one direction and turn around. So, to receive God’s gift, we must acknowledge our guilt before Him and turn from it. We can’t be forgiven of our sins if we have no conscious desire to turn from those sins. Receiving God's gift of forgiveness and salvation requires us to repent.

Faith (trust) means that we don’t merely turn from sin; we turn to Jesus. We stop trusting in ourselves to make us right in God’s eyes and, instead, trust in Jesus to make us right.

John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

5. Will you receive the gift of salvation?

You could agree with everything I have just said and not be saved. You must act on it.

You need to get alone with God, acknowledge your guilt before Him, consciously turn from your sin, and trust in Jesus to forgive you and save you.

Will you close your eyes right now and, in a simple child-like act of faith, turn from your sins and trust in Jesus to save you? If you'd like, you can express your desire and intention in a prayer. What you say doesn't matter nearly as much as being sure that you are sincerely turning from sin and trusting in Jesus to make you right in God's eyes.

I hope you will.

If you do, please get in touch with us or some other serious Bible-believing Christian so that you can get help as you begin your new adventure as a Jesus-follower.