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The Gospel
God Made You “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you." (Jeremiah 1:5)
The Bible says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God knew you before you were born, and has a plan for your life. The reason He made you was for Himself, that your life, your heart, would be turned to Him.
All Have Sinned"The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it....and gave to her husband." (Genesis 3:6)
When Adam sinned, all died. This sin is still in the heart of every man from birth. Because of this sin, the Bible says you are an enemy of God, and that your natural desires are just like Adam's. Your core desires are steeped in selfishness. The natural man is after only what looks, tastes and feels good. Left in this state of sin, no man can enter Heaven no matter the good he does. "For all Have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
There Is a Hell "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23
In order to know God, the sin account must be dealt with. The debt of sin must be paid. But because of our sinful nature, we are guilty before God and have nothing to offer in payment for this sin. Therefore we stand condemned before a holy God and will be sent to Hell. But God had a remedy before time began. God's plan was that the truly innocent would die in place of the guilty. The account of an innocent sacrifice must be placed on the account of the guilty, removing the debt, and making peace with God.
There Is a Savior "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord." Romans 6:26
Every man will exist forever, but not all will live in Heaven. Beyond this life is eternity, and only those who place their trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him, will receive eternal life. This is a gift. It is not earned, or deserved, but simply received by the truly humble. Only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ will man stand clean and innocent before God on the day of Judgement.
Believe"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life."John 3:16
Jesus came to earth because God loves you so much. He came as an offering, a doorway to the Kingdom of Heaven. He is the only way to be forgiven and cleansed from your sin. Through belief in His name you will live forever and never be judged for the wrong you've done. Your sin was placed on Jesus as He hung upon the cross in your place. If you truly believe, then Jesus says you will truly follow Him no matter the cost.
Follow"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.' " Matthew 16:24
Jesus died to make you a new creature. If you have truly believed the gospel then you will not stay the same. He wants to change your life from the inside out. This is a life long process that begins with looking to Jesus. Consider what He did for you. Consider the blood-stained cross and the nail-pierced hands, on your behalf. This now is your example for the rest of your life. A life of discipline, a life of denying your own desires for the sake of God and others, a life of following the savior no matter where He leads you.
Grow"You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18
As a Christian, you are now on a glorious journey of growing in the grace that saved you. The Apostle Peter encourages us to "grow in grace and knowledge." Paul tells us that we are to build our lives on the foundation which is Christ Jesus. Jesus said "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." For this growth we have been given four pillars, without which, our lives will crumble. Acts 2:42 says "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles teaching (the Bible), fellowship (spending time with others who believe), communion (remembering the death of our Lord), and prayer (talking with God). These 4 things should be a continuous part of your life, so that you will mature, and grow in love for Jesus, and become effective witness of our Savior, all for His glory in this fallen world.