An Investment More Precious than Gold or Silver and it’s Free…
Written by Jimmie Burroughs with helps from every student.com.
The infinite value of eternal life is free to all who will receive it. It’s easy to go through life and avoid the most valuable things, focusing instead on things which are temporal and fleeting away. The apostle Paul said: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I could gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8, New Living Translation (©2007)
It is astounding at what lengths people will go to today to make more money, and to get more things, hoping that they will satisfy the longings of their soul only to discover that they won’t. So they continue to search for that one thing or things that will fill the void in their heart, many times missing it entirely, and eventually dying with neither satisfaction nor hope. A relationship with God is the only thing that will quench our soul’s longing. Jesus Christ said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Until we come to know God, we are hungry and thirsty in life. We try to “eat” and “drink” all kinds of things to satisfy our hunger and thirst, but yet they remain.-[1]
It isn’t my intention to try and intimidate anyone, but the truth is that dying without Christ is a scary thing anyway you couch it. The most urgent question of all in life is: “If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?” The Bible is clear that it will be either heaven or hell. I’ve known Jesus as my savior for more than 60 years, and not one time has there been any regret for that decision. There is no peace on earth that compares to knowing that you’re right with God and that you are prepared for eternity.
It literally shakes me to the core to read or hear of someone dying who apparently never made arrangements for the moment they stand face to face with God. It is so easy to speculate on the reality of God and heaven or hell. Actually, there are only two alternatives: Either there is a God or there isn’t. Eternity is too long to be wrong on which option you choose. There have always been skeptics concerning the reality of an all powerful, all knowing God. In order to explain our existence, the theory of evolution was invented which attempts to explain the existence of everything. May I say that it takes far more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe in God, because evolution is so radical. If there was a third alternative, no one would believe in evolution at all. But since there are only two alternatives, you must select one of the two. If you choose God and it turns out there is no God, you have nothing to lose. If you choose evolution and it turns out there is a God, then you are lost for all eternity.
What does it mean to be lost? It means that a person is separated from God. If a person dies in that condition, it means that they are separated from God and His love forever, through all eternity. Why is a person separated from God in the first place? Sin, our sin, separates us from God. Sin bears a penalty, which is death, eternal separation from God. But God in His love offers a remedy for sin. He came to earth and died on the cross in the form of Jesus Christ, therefore, paying the penalty for sin and redeeming all who would accept his offer of redemption. If we choose God’s redemption, we receive the gift of eternal life in heaven. If we reject God’s redemption, it results in eternal separation from God, and eternity in hell.
You may think what I’ve said is convincing and that you will think about it and possibly accept Jesus on another day. Don’t! Today is the only accepted time. What if I wait until tomorrow? Wouldn’t it also be the acceptable time. Yes, but there is no guarantee that tomorrow will ever come, so today is the only acceptable time, right now, this instance is the only guarantee that we have to secure our eternal destiny.
What must I do?
How to Know God Personally and have a relationship with Him
What must I do to know God? The following will explain to you how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now.
Having a relationship with God is not what some would think. It is not a matter of devoting yourself to some religious dogma. Nor is it by trying to be good so God will accept you. No it isn’t anything we can do of ourselves. God has provided all we need to have a relationship with him; he explains it all in his Word the Bible. Just follow each step below and you can have a relationship with God beginning right now.
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Step # One: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”1 We all belong to God; he created each of us. God has an everlasting love for us and wants us to spend eternity with him in his heaven… Only thru Jesus and him alone can we come to know God and have a personal relationship with him. Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life and no man cometh to the Father but by me.” John 14:6 What keeps you from accepting Jesus today? … |
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Step # Two: All of us have sinned and our sin has separated us from God. The Bible says that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We sense that void in our heart because of the sin that separates us from God. As much as we want that feeling to go away and let us live in peace, it will not until we have Jesus to fill the void… The consequences of sin are death. Death – the spiritual death which separates from God. Our personal efforts to get close to God will fail because Only one way has been designated by God and that is through his son, Jesus Christ.
There is only one way to bridge this gulf between God and us…
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Step # Three: Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Only through Jesus can we know and experience a relationship with God and receive his plan for our life. God did not have to send his son to die for us; by justice we deserve to pay the penalty for our own sin. But because God loves us, and he provided redemption for us. No one needs to die and be separated from God forever, nevertheless the choice is ours; God will not force us to receive his pardon and eternal life. There is no other method of atonement for sin other than the cross of Christ. Jesus took our sins on himself. “In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Jesus paid the penalty for our sin in full.”For Christ also died for sins…the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God.”… We are not saved because of the goodness we have done, but by His sacrifice. Now all that remains is to believe in him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16) The full gospel of Jesus is than he died and he rose from the dead. Here was no other way that he It is impossible for us to ever reach God other than by the cross of Christ. It is his cross that bridges that gap that separates us. You can have a relationship with God today if you are willing to accept Jesus as your savior. The frequent saying of that great preacher Adrian Rogers was, “Come to Jesus.” Why don’t you come to him now? He wants to love you, and at the end of your life on earth he wants to take you to be in heaven where he is. Just having knowledge of God and saying you believe in God is not enough. Jesus said “Ye believe in God believe in me also…” In order to have a relationship with God we must trust in his son. |
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There is no need to wait, you can begin your relationship with God right now. Jesus is listening for your voice and is ready to come into your life. “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”
If you want to begin a relationship with God now, you can.
The decision is solely yours. There is no coercion. But if you have a desire to have a relationship with God and receive his forgiveness and promise of eternal life, you can do that right now today. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. He who hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him [or her].” If this is your desire but don’t know how to word your request, this may help:
“Jesus, I believe you died for my sins and rose from the grave. I want to turn from my life of sin and receive your forgiveness. Please come into my life right now and forgive me. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”
When God comes into a person’s life it is permanent. Jesus Christ said, “I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” -[2]
You have made an extremely wise decision to receive Jesus. Would you like to receive some help in your new found relationship Jesus? If so, click the link below to confirm that you have prayed the prayer above and received Jesus as your savior, and I will send you some material which you will find to be very helpful I believe:
I just asked Jesus into my life (some helpful information follows)…
I may want to ask Jesus into my life, please explain this more fully…
[1] EveryStudent.com
[2] (Gospel presentation from Every Student.com)www.EveryStudent.com
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is an author, motivational speaker, and child of God who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website (Website Contents ) in your personal growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via Contact me.
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