Do You Know The 3 Steps To Eternal Life?
Where Will You Spend Eternity?
There are 3 principal themes that dominate the Scriptures and determine the destiny of every human. They are: 1) God loves us. 2) We are sinners. 3) Jesus came to save us. Our personal knowledge and reaction to each theme will determine where we spend eternity.
God Loves Us
From the heart of Jesus, we are told in John 3:16 that God’s amazing love for us caused God to send Jesus to rescue us and give us eternal life.
For 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.
God’s attitude toward us is one of loving-kindness, though we are undeserving of His love. We, humans, are flawed and full of corruption—oh wait, that’s the other guy. No, my friends, it is you and I who participate in corruption and must recognize that our sin has separated us from God who loves us.
God’s love for us is not based on our past behavior, if it were we would be judged as undeserving. We have a flawed moral nature that practices both good and evil, and this corrupt nature is what keeps us from experiencing God’s love. Because of God’s amazing love, Christ came to suffer our punishment for sin on the cross. Romans 6:10 and 1 Peter 3:18 tell us Jesus “died for sin once and for all…, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God…” God loves us so much that he willingly took our place on the cross to suffer for the sin of every human. However, knowing God loves you and experiencing His love are two distinct things.
We Are Sinners
The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned,” and in Romans 6:23 we are told that “the wages [penalty] for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What we have earned through our sinful behavior is punishment and eternal separation from God. What God offers us is mercy, grace, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Without God’s intervention, we would remain separated from His love. While we are naturally inclined to follow the wrong basic instincts of our corrupt nature, God wants to give us a new nature, a spiritual nature that will lead us into righteous living.
All of us are sinners but not all sinners are alike. The most notorious sinners such as murderers, robbers, drug dealers, rapists, mass murderers, and those who commit violent assaults are obviously sinners, and their sins are obvious to everyone. However, most of us do not practice those horrible sins. Most sins are often committed in secret and concealed from others, creating the appearance that we are respectable honest decent, and God-fearing people.
The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. (1 Timothy 5:24)
The secret sins of the heart such as hatred, unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, lust, lying, greed, selfishness, conceit, contempt, malice, haughty pride, and many other sins can be concealed within our hearts. Many people are highly skilled at hiding the secret sins of their hearts from public exposure. They masquerade as good decent people while deep within their hearts wickedness reigns. As humans, we judge the outer appearance while God sees our hearts, Hebrews 4:13; 1 Samuel 16:7. Whenever God’s word is shared or we read the Bible it illuminates our hearts, and God’s Holy Spirit reveals who we really are. When we see ourselves as God sees us we will understand that we are sinners without excuses and in need of redemption. If our reaction is one of self-denial, thinking, I’m not that bad, our hearts only grow harder and colder.
Jesus Christ Came To Save Us
Knowing God loves us and understanding we are sinners separated from God’s love raises the question “what must I do to be saved?” Through Christ, God has made it possible for you to obtain complete forgiveness of sin and receive the gift of eternal life. What is required is you hear the message, believe the message, and then turn to God in “repentance.” Let’s consider what the apostles Peter and Paul preached.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. (Acts 26:20)
There can be no salvation apart from repentance. Scripture references calling for true repentance include: (Luke 5:32; 15:7; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 17:30; 26:20). The word “repent” (Gr. metanoeo) and (Gr. metanoia) “repentance” refer basically to a “change of mind.” It is a change of mind accompanied by regret and a true change of heart toward God. The combination of the Greek words “noieo” to know or comprehend, and “meta” after, “to know after the fact,” conveys that one has comprehended that his former behavior, life, ideas, philosophy, religious views, and relationship with God are wrong. Through repentance one is saying, I have been living wrong, separate from the Lordship of Christ. I have not submitted my life wholly and completely to His will, but today I have come to a decision. There can be no other way of life for me, but to give myself in total, absolute, unconditional surrender to God. Repentance then is a revolution in one’s thinking that overthrows the old way of thinking against God and submits one’s life to God’s will. Without repentance, you cannot be saved from your sins and sin’s penalty.
God has been very patient with us because He loves us and is waiting for us to repent. Forgiveness of sin and eternal life is only obtained through Christ. Jesus is the only way to Father God.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
God loves you and wants you to truly repent, believe in your heart, and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
How to Turn to God
Perhaps at this very moment, you have realized that you need the Lord in your life. Maybe you drifted away or need to be born again? If so, you can stop right now and begin talking to God. Ask Him to forgive you for being a sinner and for the life you have been living outside of His love. Surrender your life to Him, unconditionally. Call Him Lord and make Him Lord of every thought, attitude, and action. You can say, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins and come into my heart and take full control of my life. I am your child from this day forward. Change my heart and mind to be Christ-like in every way. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior forever.
