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THE GOSPEL
I. HEAVEN
- A. Heaven is a FREE Gift! The Bible says, "... the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) And because Heaven is a gift, like any other genuine gift
- B. It Is Not Earned or Deserved! No amount of personal effort, good works, or religious deeds can earn a place in heaven for us.
- "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
- Why it is that no one can earn his way to heaven? Because:
II. MAN
- A. Man is a Sinner! "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."(Romans 3:23)
- Sin is transgressing God's law and includes such things as lying, lust, cheating, deceit, anger, evil thought, immoral behavior, and more. And because of this:
- B. Man Cannot Save Himself! If you wanted to save yourself by good deeds, do you know how good you would have to be?
- Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) With such a high standard, no one can save himself. However, in spite of our sin:
III. GOD
- A. God is Merciful and therefore doesn't want to punish us.
- This is because God is love. (I John 4:8) Although God is love, the Bible also tells us:
- B. God is Just and therefore must punish sin. He says, .. (I) will by no means clear the guilty. (Exodus 34:7)
- We have a problem! God loves us and doesn't want to punish us, but He is just and must punish sin. God solved this problem for us in the person of:
IV. JESUS CHRIST
- A. Who is He?
- He is the infinite God-Man. In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (John 1:1,14)
- B. What Did He Do?
- He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the grave to purchase a place for us in heaven.
- All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity (sin) of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
- This gift is received by:
V. FAITH
- Faith is the key that opens the door to Heaven.
- A. What Faith is Not?
- 1. Saving faith is not mere intellectual assent, like believing historical facts. The Bible says that the devil believes there is one God, so believing that there is one God is not saving faith.
- 2. Saving faith is not mere temporal faith, that is, trusting God for temporary crises such as financial, family, or physical needs. Now these are good, and you should trust Christ for these, but they are not saving faith!
- B. What Saving Faith Is?
- 1. Saving Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. It means resting upon CHRIST ALONE for what HE HAS DONE rather than in what you or I have done to get us into heaven.
- 2. Believe (trust) on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . (Acts 16:31)
- The question that God is asking you right now is:
- WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE?
- Because this is such an important matter, let's clarify just what it involves. It means that you need to:
- • TRANSFER YOUR TRUST from what you have been doing to what Christ has done for you on His cross.
- • ACCEPT CHRIST AS SAVIOR: open the door to your heart and invite Him in. He says: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him. (Revelation 3:20)
- • RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS LORD: Give Him the driver's seat and controls of your life, not the back seat.
- • REPENT: Be willing to TURN from anything that is not pleasing to Him. He will reveal His will to you as you grow in your relationship with Him.
- Now, if this is what you really want, You can go to God in prayer right where you are. You can receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ right now.
Please recite the following prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, I know that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. But, I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me. Lord Jesus, come into my life; take control of my life; forgive my sins and save me. I repent of my sins and now place my trust in You for eternal life. I accept the free gift of eternal life. From this time forward, help me to trust and obey You in all areas of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, sincerely, you are now a child of God, forever!
Welcome to the Family of God!
What's Next?
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