Who is Jesus?

Who is this Jesus? Why do I need a savior? How must I respond to Him?

If you're like many people today, you've heard the name of Jesus. You may think of Him as a religious leader or perhaps as a really good man who lived 2,000 years ago. But have you ever wondered if He could possibly make a difference in your life today?

What God Wants

Did you know that God loves you and wants to have an ongoing relationship with you - one in which you both talk to and listen to Him? One in which you allow Him to be a part of your life decisions? He wants you to experience an abundant life [John 10:10], which He knows can be found only in Him. He wants you to be set free - free from your past, from guilt and shame, from bondage to sin, from addiction, from selfishness.

God's Plan

God has a plan to accomplish all of that. That plan is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the spotless, sinless Son of God. He came to earth to "rescue" us from sin. You already know that wrong-doing has a penalty. Well, the penalty for our sin is death - eternal separation from God. But since God loves us so much, He Himself took ownership of that penalty. He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was crucified by people who didn't understand who He was or why He had come. Jesus willingly died on the cross in our place, fulfilling God's plan to redeem mankind - even the very people who nailed Him to the cross! Though He was perfect and sinless, He took our sins upon Himself so that we might have a restored relationship with our Creator [1 Peter 2:24].

But the story doesn't end with Jesus' sacrificial death. The Bible says that just three days after He was crucified on a hill outside Jerusalem, God raised Him back to life! Jesus is no longer in the grave - God raised Him from the dead just as He will raise us at the close of history. There is a day coming when time shall come to an end and all people will stand before God in judgment [Revelation 20:11-12].

You Choose

You can either accept Jesus' substitutionary death on your behalf, or reject it. If you reject it, you will stand alone before God on the day of judgment and give an account of your life. You will fall short of God's standards [Romans 3:23] and will have to pay the penalty yourself [Romans 6:23] by spending eternity in hell [Revelation 20:15], forever separated from God. But if you accept Jesus as your personal savior, God will accept His sacrificial death on your behalf. It's not a choice you can make on that final day - it's a choice you must make today - either to accept Jesus or reject Him.

God loves you and wants you to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Make the decision today to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and savior. Here's how simple it is.

1. Come to Him just as you are (don't wait until you feel "good enough")
2. Admit your need (I am a sinner)
3. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent)
4. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for you and was raised back to life (accept Him as the only way to God)
5. Talk to Jesus and invite Him to come into your heart and life and save you from your sins (receive Him as personal savior)

Here's what to pray:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am sinful and in need of Your forgiveness. I repent of my sinful lifestyle and I want to turn from it and follow You. I believe that You died to pay the penalty for my sins and that You rose from the grave. I invite You to come into my heart and become my Lord and Savior. I ask this in Your name. Amen."

A New Creation

If you sincerely meant what you just prayed, you have received the forgiveness of God and been accepted into His family [Ephesians 1:15]! You are a new believer in Christ Jesus. We are so thrilled that you have made this decision, and we want to be part of helping you get to know God better. There are many simple yet extremely important things you need to know now that you are a believer, and we want to email you some free information that will help you. Please take a moment to let us know of your decision so that we can send you this information right away. We will protect your privacy and will not share your email address or other personal information with others, and you will not be placed on a mailing list.

Be sure to check out Now What? Living Out Your Christian Faith