"So how do I become God's friend?"
He wants to be your friend and a father to you, someone you can tell anything to, and someone who will help you through every situation that life throws at you. He's been waiting your whole life for you to ask Him to be your friend.
Have you ever heard the expression, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" I have something here I'd like to show you ...
Take a look at this picture. Here's a cross and we're looking at it from behind. We can see the feet a little bit on the other side, so we know that someone is on it. That's Jesus. Notice the people gathered around the cross, looking up at Jesus. What do you notice about them?
"Well, they look sad; some of them look pretty shaken up, but they all look sad."
And did you notice that some are holding hammers, and there are big spikes on the ground?
"Yeah. I see those. These people must have nailed Jesus to the cross."
Look at their clothes. They're not from Jesus' time. They're not Roman soldiers. They're dressed in modern clothes. This picture reminds me that Jesus didn't die for just the people who were alive in His time. He died for me - and you! - knowing about our sins even back then. And see this guy right here, with the hammer? I identify with him. It's as though it was my hand pounding the nails in. It could just have easily have been me. Who among us wouldn't have done it to escape that same fate? If we had been told we were to be crucified - and we deserved it - but then some guy said he would die in our place, we would change places with him in an instant, even if the soldiers told us we had to drive the nails into his hands and feet. We would do anything to not have to die.
Jesus felt that same thing. He prayed to God to take away the need for Him to die if it was at all possible. He knew what was coming, and because He was truly fully human, He did not want to go through with it if it wasn't necessary. But the only way to save the world was through His sacrifice. Some have said it wasn't nails that held Him to the cross: it was LOVE. He could have called ten thousand angels to take Him down and whisk Him away. He could have asked God to kill everyone there for having the audacity to hurt Him. But He didn't. He took it all.
He took the pain and agony, but not only physical torture. He bore our sins and the penalty for our sins - death - on top of it all. And God couldn't look at it. When Jesus took all our sins - the sins of everyone for all time, the sins of billions of people! - He could no longer commune with God. God and sin cannot co-exist. Jesus had to bear it alone. He cried out from that separation. It was the first time in His life that He had ever been cut off from God. He became like us more than ever. He was alone, without God, the way we are until we accept His sacrifice in our place.
You see, even though Jesus died for our sins, it's not automatic. It's like there is a present in a room for me, with my name on it, but I never unwrap it. I never claim it for my own. I never thank the giver of the gift. That's all that separates us from God and Heaven now: our own mouths and hearts.
Remember the verse from Romans 10:9? - "If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord" - that He died for us and we want Him to take over and guide our life - "and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved."
"But I don't deserve it. I haven't done enough good things ..."
None of us deserve it, but Jesus gave us this present anyway. Paul told the Ephesians "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." It's all God! It's not by anything we can do. If it was, we'd be walking around bragging about how we saved ourselves.
"So ... what do I have to do?"
It's as simple and easy as the A, B, C's. A - admit you are a sinner. B - believe Jesus died for you and that He died and was raised again by God. C - confess with your mouth that you want Jesus to live in your heart. You just have to say a little prayer from your heart and mean it. If you'd like, I can lead you and you just have to repeat what I say.
"I've never been very good at praying, so if you want to do it, that would be good."
Ok, just repeat after me:
Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have displeased You in many ways.
"Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have displeased You in many ways.
I believe You died for my sin ...
"I believe You died for my sin ..."
and only through believing in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven.
"and only through believing in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven."
I want to turn from my sin ...
"I want to turn from my sin ..."
and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and Lord.
"and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and Lord."
From this day on ...
"From this day on ..."
I will follow You by living a life that pleases You.
"I will follow You by living a life that pleases You."
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.
"Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."
That's all it takes. You are a superman! When you prayed with me just now, Jesus filled up that hole in your heart and sent the Holy Spirit to live inside you and guide you and help you. You have joined your heart to His and now you are a new creation. You have access to God because when He looks at you now, He sees His Son in you! This is a great day, man. You'll want to write this down so you can always remember when it happened. Not only that, but I can call you brother.
"Brother, huh? I always wanted a brother."
Well, now you've got a whole lot of them. This is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God.
Since you have asked Jesus for forgiveness, you have become a Christian and have eternal life. You are now God's child. You are also a member of God'’s family. Your feelings may change, but God'’s Word never changes. By faith, believe what God has said.
In I John 5:12 the Bible says, "He who has the Son has life. These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." God wants you to believe Him. He wrote the Bible to assure you of His love and forgiveness.
Your new spiritual life needs care just like your physical life. Just like a new baby in a family, you may need help in beginning your Christian life. I know you were concerned about going to church and all, but you may find that your attitude about that has changed, too. The good thing about going to church - well, just one of the good things - is that you will be with others who have done what you just did: ask Jesus into your heart. And there is strength in numbers. They have gone through the process of following God and can help you. And I'll be there, too.
I know your wife will be happy to hear that you have accepted Christ. Why don't we go tell her together?
"Yeah. That'd be ok, I guess."
Telling someone helps to "seal the deal," if you know what I mean. It makes you accountable, and more importantly, it says that you are not ashamed of Jesus. Before we tell your wife, let me show you another verse in the Bible. In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said, "If anyone acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before My Father in heaven. But if anyone denies Me here on earth, I will deny that person before My Father in heaven." That's pretty serious. He said almost the same thing in Mark 8:38: "If a person is ashamed of Me and My message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels." If He is ashamed of us, that means that we are going to be lost.
But do you know what the angels in heaven are doing right now? They're singing and dancing and rejoicing over you! In Luke 15:10 Jesus says, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." When you prayed with me to receive Jesus, the angels started a big party!
"Well, let's go tell my wife, then. Maybe she's got some cake for our party."
(Together) Angel food cake!!
No comments:
Post a Comment