|
| |
What does it mean to be a Christian?
|
|
Just as there
are physical laws that govern
the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws
that govern your relationship with God.
God
loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God's
Love
"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NIV).
God's
Plan
[Christ speaking] "I came
that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be
full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
Why is
it that most people are not experiencing that abundant life?
Because...
Man is sinful
and separated from God.
Therefore, he cannot know and experience
God's love and plan for his life.
Man is
Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Man was
created to have fellowship with God;
but, because of his own stubborn
self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was
broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive
indifference,
is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is
Separated
"The wages of sin is death"
[spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
|
 |
This
diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great
gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually
trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts,
such as a good life, philosophy, or religion
-but he inevitably fails.
The third law
explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
|
|
Jesus
Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
Through Him you can know and experience
God's love and plan for your life.
He Died
In Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He Rose
from the Dead
"Christ died for our sins... He
was buried... He was raised on the third day,
according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians
15:3-6).
He Is
the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way,
and the truth, and the life, no one comes to
the Father but through Me'" (John 14:6).
|
 |
This
diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us
from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our
place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these three laws...
|
|
We must
individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord;
then we can know and experience God's
love and plan for our lives.
We Must
Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them
He gave the right to become children
of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
We
Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as result of works that no should boast"
(Ephesians 2:8,9).
When We
Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We
Receive Christ Through Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand
at the door and knock;
if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"
(Revelation 3:20).
Receiving
Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting
Christ to come into our lives to
forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.
Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He
died on the cross
for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional
experience.
We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
These two
circles represent two kinds of lives:
|
Self-Directed
Life
S-Self is on the throne
 -Christ
is outside the life
-Interests
are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration |
Christ-Directed
Life
-Christ
is in the life and on the throne
S-Self is yielding to Christ, resulting in
harmony with God's plan
-Interests
are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan |
|
Which circle best represents
your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The
following explains how you can receive Christ:
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer
(Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your
heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude
of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
|
|
Lord
Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I
open the door of my heart and my life and I receive You as my Savior and Lord.
I ask you to forgive my sins. And I thank
You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of
the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
Amen.
|
|
Does this
prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray
it right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised. If you want
someone to pray with you, you can call KCIC Ornaments: 1.877.591.0325
or, the 700 Club: 1-800-759-0700. May God bless you according to His plan for
your life and your choices! :-)
©Copyrighted 1965, 1968 by
Campus
Crusade for Christ, NewLife Publications.
All rights reserved. For information or additional copies of
this product,
check out Campus Crusade's web site.
Permission for use from the publisher,
NewLife Publications, P.O. Box 593684, Orlando, FL 32859.
|
Read
about the birth of Jesus Christ
|
