1. God Wants to Have a Relationship with You. There is One who loves you as His child, and wants you to enjoy a relationship with Him. He is the answer to your search for that ultimate relationship. He will fill the hole in your heart, help you overcome your loneliness and your faults, give you peace here and now, and eternal life with Him in Heaven. He is the one Creator of the universe and all it contains, including you. You won't be complete inside until you have a personal relationship with the God who created you. How Do We Know This? God is also the Author of the most important Book of all time, The Bible, His "Owner's Manual" for a Human Life. In His Book, He says: John 3:16: - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Romans 8:16: - "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God..." 2. The Problem - Separation Being at peace with God is not automatic, because by nature you are separated from God. This separation is the "something wrong" that is at the root of our selfishness, loneliness, and dark feelings. Through many immoral and amoral acts, thoughts and attitudes, we continue to grieve the One Who cares for us most. That is ALL of us, no matter how moral and upright we may seem on the surface. If you search your own heart honestly, you already know this is true. This has caused a split between us and the One Who made us and loves us. This split is called sin. How Do We Know This? Isaiah 59:2: - "But your iniquities [wrong doings] have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you..." Romans 3:23: - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Psalm 53:2-3: - "God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one." 3. God's Remedy - The Cross Because He loves us, God cannot stand to allow this split to remain. But because He is perfect, He cannot allow our sin to go unpunished without ceasing to be perfect, because he would then cease to be God. The sin-bill must be paid. Religion and good living cannot pay it. So He paid for our evil thoughts and deeds Himself. He came to Earth as a human, Jesus Christ. He came to suffer the punishment you and I deserve so we won't have to. Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The most important decision you will ever make is what you do with Him... How Do We Know This? 1 Peter 2:24: - "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed." Isaiah 53:4-6: - "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed [considered] Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities [sins]; the chastisement [punishment] of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes [wounds] we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 4. You Have to CHOOSE This Relationship with God You cross the bridge into God's family when you turn to God by asking Christ to be part of your life. There's no such thing as a one-way relationship. God has done His part when His Son died for you, now it's your move. Turning to God means you are also turning from something. If you turn to the west, you must turn from the east, since you can't face two directions at the same time. It's the same with Jesus and sin. As you turn to Him, you "repent", which means you realize you cannot give yourself to Jesus while hanging onto the sin He died for. That means turning your back on "my way" choices such as lying, sexual immorality, anger, etc. to begin doing things God's way. To choose this relationship, do 4 things: 1. Admit your spiritual need. Admit you are a sinner. 2. Repent and be willing to turn from your sin. 3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for YOU on the cross. 4. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart and life, by choosing this relationship over your current life of sin and separation from Him. How Do We Know This? John 1:12: - "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Romans 10:13: - "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." How do I ask Him? Pray - Prayer is simply talking to God, not magic words. You can belong to God from today on if you will tell Him with all your heart. Your prayer should be your own, from your own heart. If you're not in the habit of praying though, you may need an example. Such a prayer may go something like this: Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I was made for You, but I've been living for me. I want to begin a relationship with You now. I believe that You died in my place, to pay the penalty for my sin, and rose again for my salvation. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen. Here's what to do from here... Confirming Your Decision You prayed, committing your life to Christ. What does the Bible say happened? 1. You are saved - Jesus said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved..." (John 10:9). 2. You are a child of God - The Bible says: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). 3. You have everlasting life - The Bible says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Follow-up Steps 1. Let us know of your decision. We would love to talk with you and be able to assist you. You may call the church or school at 724-887-7169, or email us. 2. Read and study God's Word, the Bible. 3. Pray - Talk to God. Pray daily. 4. Fellowship - The difficulties of living as a Christian in a sinful world are many. It is essential that you seek other sincere, Bible-believing Christians to help you sustain your resolve. Both individual Christian friends and a solid, Bible-based Christian church are essential. 5. Tell Someone else - Take a stand for Jesus Christ; make your life count. Someone you know needs to hear this Good News. |
| Do you know for sure that you are going to Heaven? Learn what God's Word, the Bible, says... |
| M T. C A R M E L C H R I S T I A N S C H O O L |
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| Mt. Carmel Christian School 1231 Mt. Pleasant Road Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666 (724) 887-7169 mccs@zoominternet.net |