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What
do you think it takes for someone to get to heaven? Luck? Good
deeds? Nothing at all? Or is there something more? The Bible has
the real answer to this question. It's a matter of FAITH.
F
stands for FORGIVENESS.
We cannot have eternal life without God's forgiveness. Ephesians
1:7a says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins."
A is
for AVAILABLE.
Forgiveness is available for all. John 3:16— "For God so loved the
world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish but have eternal life." But forgiveness is
not automatic. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven," (Matthew 7:21).
I is
for IMPOSSIBLE. It
is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven because of who He
is and because of who we are. God is loving and just, but His
judgment is against sin. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
T is
for TURN. To turn
means to repent. We can repent -- or turn -- from our sin and from
ourselves. We can also turn to Someone—Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9
tells us how: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is
Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved."
H is
for HEAVEN. Heaven
is eternal life. Here, that means life to the fullest! In the
hereafter, it means the promise of heaven: "And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with
me that you also may be where I am (John 14:3)."
So
how can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life,
and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord? By trusting in Christ and
asking Him for forgiveness. You do this through a prayer
reflecting your desire for Christ to change your life. You don't
need fancy words--only an honest heart. You can pray something
like this:
Lord
Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have displeased You in many ways.
I believe You died for my sin, and only through faith in Your
death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my
sin and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From
this day on, I will follow You by living a life that pleases You.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.
Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a
wonderful adventure with God! Get to know Him better in a number
of ways: Begin a daily personal worship experience with God where
you study the Bible and pray. Follow Christ's example in
baptism. Join a church, like ours, where you can worship God and
grow in your faith.
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