God had a plan to bring us to Him
God did not leave us without a plan to get to Him. He did not leave us up to our own devices, He laid out a plan for us plain and simple. All we have to do is accept it and believe. John 6:28-29 (NLT) "We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29. Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” Who did God send, He sent Jesus. John 14:6 (NLT) "Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 (NLT) "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever."
We need God’s plan, because we all have sinned
All of us have sinned at some point in time in our lives, everyone, no one one is without sin. If you say you have not sinned, I'm going to tell you plan and simple, straight to the point "You're lying!" You may think well I haven't done anything that bad, and I may agree with you there. Yet, you still have done wrong things, you have sinned, no matter how big or small. Romans 3:10 (NLT) "As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one." Righteous here means to be without sin. Romans 3:23 (NLT) "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard."
The penalty of sin is separation from God for all eternity
Romans 6:23 (NLT) "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." The 'death' mentioned here is a physical, spiritual, eternal separation from God. We are separated from God while alive because of our sin and we will be separated from Him for all eternity in hell. Notice that God doesn't want us there He gave us gift through His Son Jesus Christ.
God’s way to Him, through His Son Jesus
Romans 5:8 (NLT) "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Yes God is not waiting for us to be perfect to come Him, He accepts us right where we are. He accepts us as sinners. God's love for us is so great that he sent His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so we could be with Him. John 3:15-17 (NLT) "So that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. " God did not come to condemn us, to judge us. He came to give us eternal life. But, If we die without ever accepting His free gift, belief in His Son Jesus Christ we will stand condemned before Him. John 3:36 (NLT) "And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” When we accept God's free gift, we put our faith in Jesus we become 'Born again', and will send eternity with God in heaven. John 3:3 (NLT) "Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 1:12 (NLT) "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."
Faith believing in Jesus Christ is the way
We can not save ourselves there is no amount of good we can do to earn our way into heaven, with our Heavenly Father. The only way is through Jesus. Even if we think we are good enough we are not. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) "8. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Acts of the Apostles 16:31 (NLT) “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”
How to respond to God’s plan
How do we respond to God's 'free gift', His offer of salvation? We confess with our mouths to God that we need His Son Jesus Christ to be our salvation. We believe in our hearts that He is who He says He is when He rose from the dead proving that He is the one true God. Romans 10:9-13 (NLT) "9. If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12. Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” We respond or talk to God through prayer. If you feel God speaking to you, calling you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior then then talk to Him about these things: *Tell God you're sorry for all the wrong things you have done in your life (your sins). *Thank Him for sending His Son Jesus to pay the price on the cross for our sins. *Let Jesus know you accept Him as Savior and Lord of your life, and you believe he rose from the dead proving that He is God. *Finally (and regularly) thank Jesus and God the Father for your salvation.
God wants you to be sure of your salvation
God's wants you to be sure for your salvation, you may be thinking is that it? Just pray, asking for forgiveness and believing that Jesus took the penalty for my sins, died and rose from the dead, back to life proving He was God, is all I got to do? Yes, that's it remember God wants you with Him, we can't earn it, so He made a way for us, through His Son. A free gift that all we have to do is accept. God's Word, the Bible tells us we can be sure of our salvation. John 1:12 (NLT) "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God." Acts of the Apostles 2:21 (NLT) "But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 1 John 5:13 (NLT) "I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life."
God is waiting for you
If you have not prayed that prayer yet, God is waiting for you. God is a gentleman He will not barge into your life, He will wait for you to come to Him. One thing is very important for you to know! After we die we will recognize Jesus as Lord and God, but if you have not accepted Him here while you are alive, He will not accept you into heaven. So please, consider heavily this eternal choice, and remember God wants you in heaven with Him, He gave you a way to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. Accept His wonderful gift... Revelation 3:20-21 (NLT) “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne."
Now what
Find a good Bible believing church, let the pastor know of your decision to follow Jesus. Start reading the Bible each day, may I suggest you start with the Gospel of John. Talk to God regularly, that's prayer. Prayer is just us talking to God, you don't need fancy words, just talk to Him. Thank Him for your salvation and take your worries, care and needs to Him. He wants to be apart of your daily life, He cares that much about you. After you find a Bible believing church, get baptized, that's the next step for believers. Ask your pastor about this. Oh and welcome to the family of God! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. God Bless!