Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Ephesians 2:8&9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
In other words, this is saying that no one is good enough. We cannot go through life trying to do it on our own, we all need a savior!
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Every person has sinned as Romans 3:23 says, and the wages or penalty for sin is death. But God made a way for us!
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Someone had to pay our debt, so God sent His own Son to set us free. Jesus has paid it all; as a gift for us, for you and for me! All we have to do is receive that gift! It 's there, we just have to accept it. God will not force us to take it...we have to willingly accept the gift of salvation...and here is how to do it:
Romans 10:9-13
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, 'whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
So to sum it up:
We need to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead.
Here is a simple prayer you may want to pray. Basically we are doing just what the above scriptures say, we are believing and confessing our belief.
God, I am a sinner, and I know that I cannot save myself. I know that You sent Your Son to pay the price for me. And I thank you for making a way for me, when there was no other way. I believe what You say in Your Word; Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a perfect life, so that He could die in my place and pay my debts, and I also believe that it didn't end there...three days later He rose from the dead conquering death, and setting me free. Today, Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and make me a new person. Lead me as I start out on a new path and help me as I strive to live everyday in a way that shows Your love to the world around me. I love you Lord! Amen!
If you just prayed this prayer for the first time, you should know that there is a celebration going on in Heaven. And God loves you more that you can ever imagine. Trust in Him...this new path you are walking on may not always be easy, or the most convenient. However, it is the only way to truly live!
Please find a local group of believers to connect with...it is important for everyone to study God's Word on their own and with other followers of Christ.
