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How to Receive Forgiveness and Eternal Life
What the Bible teaches us about the following truths:
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Isolation-
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 We were created for communion with our Creator. This union ended when Satan successfully enticed Adam and Eve to step out of God’s will for them, to act independently from God. The decision catapulted our race into a state of spiritual death. Another word for death is separation: Physical death is the separation of soul from body. Spiritual death is separation of a human spirit from God. Before Satan sidled up to Eve in the garden, casting doubt upon God’s character, he had first challenged his Maker’s authority. Isaiah describes him, as Lucifer, lifting his clenched heart to God “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High”. Isaiah 14:13,14 The biggest barrier to the Christian life is the divine imperative that God is given back access to the helm of our lives. Our treasured control and independence is threatened by thoughts of such surrender. We respond, “this is my life and I choose to live it my way…” So in every individual, what begins as inherited sin invariably becomes sin by ‘choice’ and practice. "Missing the mark" is another way of describing how far short we all fall from the original perfect union designed for us by our Creator. The site: hebrew4christians do a great job of explaining this in more detail. |
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Restoration-
"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him." II Corinthians 5:21 The triune Creator God went to unimaginable lengths to reintroduce union and intimacy with Himself. It was accomplished when the second member of the Trinity, the perfect eternal Word of God, having stepped into time and flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, willingly submitted Himself to an agonizing death by crucifixion. His sacrifice, followed by the Father's resurrecting Him, became the only acceptable and sufficient covering for every sin ever committed. It satisfied in one judicial transaction, both the eternal justice of God and His incomprehensible love for the hearts and souls of His creatures. The reason this covering for sin does not unilaterally save every soul is because He also placed within us volition, the ability to choose. |
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Possession-
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the Father except by Me." John 14:6 "...I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 Although the bill for sin was paid in full at the cross, it is not applied to my debt until I humble myself and come to God on His terms; asking forgiveness for my sin, believing that Jesus died for me personally and recognizing God's right to take over the control of my life. This transaction is an act of faith. The fabric of Christian faith is one of both commodity and currency. a) Faith is a commodity, as it cannot stand alone. It must be placed correctly to have substance and value. "...this is the record, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life." I John 5:11-12 ...“He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 b) Faith is currency, as its what God requires for my personal reception or acquisition of the salvation He has already provided. "...without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God, must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb 11:6 |
Asking-
There is no 'formula' prayer for salvation. God listens to the heart behind the words. It may be something like this...
"Lord I am a sinner and eternally lost apart from You! Thank You for the lengths to which you have gone to save my soul. I don't understand this fully, but I choose in faith to open my heart and life to You, asking Your forgiveness, I repent and turn away from my sin. Heavenly Father, take the reins of my life as Lord. Please control and direct my decisions from now on and give me eternal salvation."
There is no 'formula' prayer for salvation. God listens to the heart behind the words. It may be something like this...
"Lord I am a sinner and eternally lost apart from You! Thank You for the lengths to which you have gone to save my soul. I don't understand this fully, but I choose in faith to open my heart and life to You, asking Your forgiveness, I repent and turn away from my sin. Heavenly Father, take the reins of my life as Lord. Please control and direct my decisions from now on and give me eternal salvation."
Confirmation-
The man answered, “..one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25
An invisible but profound change takes place when an individual becomes a Christian. He or she becomes a member of God's family. The Spirit of Jesus, also called the Holy Spirit, comes to indwell them. Life, appearing outwardly the same, changes on the inside; where, within the new believer's heart, there is a resident peace, a profound joy and a new kind of love that cannot be described. When I take this step, I begin to discover what it means to 'walk with God' and find what the scriptures say of me in my new identification in Christ.
"Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." I John 4:13
"He that believeth on the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, has made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." I John 5:10
The man answered, “..one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25
An invisible but profound change takes place when an individual becomes a Christian. He or she becomes a member of God's family. The Spirit of Jesus, also called the Holy Spirit, comes to indwell them. Life, appearing outwardly the same, changes on the inside; where, within the new believer's heart, there is a resident peace, a profound joy and a new kind of love that cannot be described. When I take this step, I begin to discover what it means to 'walk with God' and find what the scriptures say of me in my new identification in Christ.
"Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." I John 4:13
"He that believeth on the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, has made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." I John 5:10