 Are You Saved?
Having been a well traveled person who lived literally around the world, I have talked to people from many lands and many cultures. The human condition varies little wherever you go. We all have an innate sense of what is the right thing to do and what is the wrong thing to do, and most people try to do right by other people. At least, that has been my experience. However, we have all at one time or another gone down the easy path, at least we think it is. It is when we care more about our own self-interest than others that we tend to do the wrong things. The reason for this is that we have all sinned. You see, that is what sin is – doing the wrong thing. God likes it when we do the right thing, but as humans, we all have sinned against Him.
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That brings me to a point. Have you ever felt lonely in your life or felt like you needed something? Some go as far as to say they are depressed. That feeling is as natural as anything. Believe it or not, you do not need drugs to fix it. Guilt and depression are a symptoms of sin. Let's take a better look at sin.
You see, when Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were always in the presence of God. God gave them the light and they did not know sin. However, when they were tempted to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were removed from the presence of God. We as humans have been removed from God’s presence since that day. However, God sent His Son so that we might once again have a relationship with Him. All we need to do is accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. That is the Good News! Let me show you with actual scripture from God’s Word in a way that can help you understand. We call it the G.O.S.P.E.L., which means Good News.
G – God loves you and created us to be with Him.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
O – Our sins separate us from God.
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
S – Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
P – Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Romans 5:8 – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
E – Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
Romans 10:13 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
L – Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
Romans 10:9 – That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Right now, don't put it off!, I want you to go to a quiet place and pray to God. OK, if you haven’t done it by yourself before, it is not anything to be worried about. You speak, He will listen. If it is quiet where you are, pray to God right where you are. Here are some words for the important parts, but you can tell Him in your own words:
God, I know that I have sinned. I want to do better. I believe that Jesus died for my sins on the cross and was raised from the dead just for me. I want to accept Jesus here and now. I believe that because, if I accept Jesus, I can once again feel Your presence and Your love through the Holy Spirit who will guide me to live a better life. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Amen.
How do you feel? Many times, just this step can lift a huge load from a person. If you truly mean the words you speak, you may at some point soon receive the spirit and the fruits of the spirit which are all the things that a Christian needs and wants: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Your whole life will change now and that's what it means to be saved. However, you are not done. You need to join other Christians and worship the Lord with them in church. Until then, you can learn more about the bible and worship with other Christians. Learn how to be a better disciple of Christ at The Church of Grants Mill, and we hope you will eventually join us in baptism and membership.
If you would like one of our members to talk with you about what you have read and seen here, contact us. If you wish that we pray for an important need for yourself, family or friends, request it by contacting us. Prayer is a powerful tool Christians have. As the song says, "Just have a little talk with Jesus." God is all powerful and He will give you an answer. The answer may be "No", but what I have found in my life is that He will always give you what you need, if not always what you want. Often times, the answer is "Yes!"
God Bless!
Larry McDowell
Member,Black Creek Baptist Church
Dean, McDowell Bible College
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