Where are you headed?
Each person journeys through life. At death he reaches his eternal destination. Most people would like to go to heaven, but they aren’t sure how to get there. How good do you have to be to go to heaven when you die?
As you compare yourself to other people you may feel that you are a pretty good person. You probably do many kind things for others. You’re not nearly so bad as some people you read about in the paper. You may think that surely God will accept you the way you are.
Many people think that if we do more good than bad in our lives, God will accept us. But God’s standard of behaviour is much higher than society’s standard. God is perfectly holy and good and right. He has never sinned or done anything wrong. He can never sin. It is His nature to be holy and without sin. He can’t let sin go unpunished either.
How can we ever live up to such a perfect standard? We can’t. But that’s only part of the story.
The Bible tells us God is a Spirit. He exists everywhere. He has all power and knows everything that has happened and will happen. He is one God but He shows Himself to us in three persons or beings—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God created our world and every living thing in it. He provides all we need to sustain life. God loves every person and wants every one to live with Him in heaven after death. But every person sins. This separates him from God.
Romans 3:23 — “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (NKJV)
God had a problem. He loved people, but He couldn’t overlook their sin and still be perfectly holy.
God also had a solution. Jesus was the solution. Jesus is God the Son Who has always existed with His Father and the Holy Spirit. About 2000 years ago Jesus took on a human body and was born on the earth. Then Jesus was a person and God at the same time. He looked like an ordinary person as He grew up, but He never once sinned or did anything wrong. Jesus came to earth to provide salvation.
Romans 5:8 — “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NKJV)
As Jesus became an adult He continued to do His Father’s work. Jesus taught about God. He healed people and raised dead people back to life. He showed He was God by doing miracles that no ordinary person could do. Though Jesus never did anything wrong, some people hated Him. Jesus allowed them to take Him and nail His hands and feet to a cross. He hung there until He died. This was crucifixion, a common method the Roman government used to kill criminals. Jesus didn’t deserve to die. He let people kill Him because He was dying in the place of every person on earth.
Romans 6:23 — “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJV)
Each person deserves to be separated from God forever. We are God’s enemies. Our sin separates us from a holy God Who cannot let sin go unpunished. But Jesus died in our place to take our punishment. Through Jesus, God offers us the wonderful gift of salvation.
Acts 16:31 — “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (NKJV)
What does it mean to “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?” It means that you recognize that you have done wrong and offended God. You are sorry for your sin and you want God’s forgiveness. You accept God’s gift of salvation by believing that God will forgive you because His Son Jesus took your punishment for sin.
If you want to have your sins forgiven and become friends with God you may want to pray words like these: God, I know that I have done wrong. I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place and take my punishment. Please forgive me for my sins. I believe You do forgive me.
If you prayed that prayer and you really believe the words you prayed, God has forgiven your sins and given you a new beginning. Now you need to learn more about God and begin living a new life for Him.
We would be happy to help you.
