Attitude
Like any other subject we have decided to learn, our attitude determines where we begin. For example, if our minds are already made up on what the Bible says or doesn’t say, or what we believe or don’t believe, and we are basically closed to new understanding, there is no real reason to study the Bible further. Openness to learn is the first key in studying the Scriptures. Openness is an attitude that says, “I am teachable because I do not know everything, but I want to consider that there might be more to learn.”
First Step
The first step to accepting God’s word is to have faith. Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 (NIV): “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Understand that God’s word is a living word even thousands of years after it was written: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV).
Rick Warren, author of “God’s Power to Change Your Life,” wrote “The Spirit of God uses the Word of God for the children of God to be more like the Son of God (Jesus Christ).” So when you feel alone, depressed, or disconnected, you can instantly connect with God by reading his Word in the Bible because the Bible is the living Word.
If you’ll begin by spending about 10 minutes a day by reading one chapter in The Book of Proverbs (lessons in wisdom), followed by one chapter in the Book of John (what Jesus Christ is all about), you will experience a new found wisdom and begin a new lifestyle. You will also find a greater peace coming into your life. God’s power to change your life begins with your acceptance of the free gift of his son, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior.
How To Get Into Heaven
There is nothing you can do to earn your way into Heaven, no matter how good you are. Only God can save you from yourself. Click here to read a Checklist for Biblical Tests of Genuine Salvation.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
And Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:16–17 NIV).
Accepting Christ begins with God first drawing you to Him; no pastor or other person can do that for you. Our natural inclination is to do what WE want to do, not what somebody ELSE wants us to do. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44 NIV).
The Unforgivable Sin
Rejecting Jesus Christ as the one and only Savior leaves an unbeliever without any hope for salvation. Therefore, rejecting the one and only pardon is the unpardonable sin. John 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
If you have not already accepted Christ, the fact that you are even reading this message and considering Christ is probably a very strong sign that God is drawing you.
Charles Spurgeon once said:
“I think I hear some of you saying, “I don’t know if I’m chosen. I can’t confidently say that I’ve received divine messages, or that I follow Christ, or that I’ve accepted the Word with joy.” If you’re feeling that way, let’s set that question aside for now. Let’s consider a different question instead: “Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Are you willing to trust Him to save your soul?” Regardless of who you are or what state you’re in, if you come to Christ, commit to Him, and entrust your salvation to Him, He will save you – both in life and beyond.
The moment you believe, you are saved. This act of faith, through Christ’s redemptive sacrifice, will wash away all your sins. You won’t merely be put on the path to salvation, you will be saved, instantly and wholly. You might say, “I wish I could trust Christ.” Is that so? The message is clear: “Whoever is willing, let them accept,” let them trust in Christ. May God help you in doing this. Trust in Jesus, and you’re saved. This message is for everyone here, as the scripture says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.”
May the Lord help you trust in Jesus, and then you can continue your journey with joy, knowing that you are chosen by God.”
The Only Way to Get Into Heaven
The ONLY way into Heaven is to accept the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ. You will have a guaranteed entry into the kingdom of Heaven that nobody can take away from you, no matter what you have ever done in life. All of your sins are paid for — past, present, and future when you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior…yes, even your future sins are paid for!
How do you know your salvation is guaranteed when you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior? Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10: 27–29).
Why would Jesus pay for our sins that He did not commit and do so on the cross? John MacArthur said, “And although you’re not righteous, He treats you as if you are because on the cross God treated Jesus as if He had lived your life so that He could treat you as if you had lived His.”
The moment you accept Christ, you will instantly have the Holy Spirit in you to lead you and guide you in your everyday life’s challenges. You will still have the same problems that you currently have, but the BIG difference will be how you react to the those problems and what you do about those problems moving forward with the power of the Holy Spirit residing in you.
Your Next Step
Get baptized in a Bible-based Christian church. Baptism is your public proclamation that you have died to your old self (when you are immersed down into the water, it is symbolic of “washing away” the old you) and that you now have a new self, a new life (symbolized by when you come up out of the water) with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
*Let Us Know If You Have a Prayer Request, Feedback, or a Question