At the end of each of my books is a prayer that goes something like:
|
God, I need You in my life. I need you to forgive my sins and help me to live a life that is dedicated to You. Lord, I believe that Your Son Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my benefit and right now I want You to come into my heart and make me the person You want me to be. God, I thank You for Jesus and I thank You for Your love and grace and mercy. Amen
|
Why would I take the time to include this in each book?
Salvation is important and it is always my hope that the faith of my characters or the overall evidence of faith in the book will help someone turn their life over to God. It is every Christian's duty to help lead others to Christ. The Bible tells us in Mathew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
What is salvation?
If you died today would you go to heaven or would you go to hell? Many people, when asked this question are unsure. They would like to think they would go to heaven, but they are unsure if they have been good enough. They begin to weigh out their good against their bad in order to make a determination.
The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, All have sinned and fall short of the glory or God. How many sins does it take to make someone a sinner? One. If everyone has sinned, then everyone falls short of God's expectations. In the book of Genesis, we learn about all the things God made--the heavens, the earth, the oceans, the plants, animals, everything. Finally He made man. Why? Why would He make a world full of sinners? It is not because He needs man. He was not lonely, and He doesn't need us to take care of the Earth. God, has so much love to give, that He created man to love. I have created you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:1 God is love. 1 John 4:8 In return for God's love we should, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5.
In the Old Testament, in order to make amends for sin, an animal had to be sacrificed. The blood of the animal would cover the sins of the person. Later, in the New Testament, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. John 3:16 tells us, 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. In order to have everlasting life, which is life in heaven, one must believe in Him. In order to be saved we must believe that Jesus died to save us from our sins. Jesus is the way to salvation. Those who do not believe will perish.
If you died today would you go to heaven or hell? The question really is, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who was sent to earth to die for your sins? If your answer is yes, then your final destination is heaven. If you answer is no, your final destination is hell.
What about my sin, you ask? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. We are sinners by nature. We cannot really sin less frequently until we develop an awareness of the life God wants us to live. God's Word is written in the Bible. In order to know how to live a life that pleases Him, we must live according to His word. A life that pleases Him will also be a life well-lived, so it is important to start living this way sooner than later.
In the book of Luke, we read about Jesus's crucifixion. There were two criminals also being crucified on that day. One of them says to Jesus, we believe in jest, "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! (Luke 23:39) The criminal on Jesus's other side said, "We are getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong." He then asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus responds, "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Both men were sinners, both broke the law and both were suffering the earthly consequences. One, however, truly believed Jesus was the Son of God and Jesus promised him a place in heaven's paradise. This story, written in the scriptures, is a great illustration of the fact that it's not our deeds that determine our ultimate fate. It is, instead, our heart that determines where we will spend eternity. Mark 12:30 advises that we, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, All have sinned and fall short of the glory or God. How many sins does it take to make someone a sinner? One. If everyone has sinned, then everyone falls short of God's expectations. In the book of Genesis, we learn about all the things God made--the heavens, the earth, the oceans, the plants, animals, everything. Finally He made man. Why? Why would He make a world full of sinners? It is not because He needs man. He was not lonely, and He doesn't need us to take care of the Earth. God, has so much love to give, that He created man to love. I have created you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:1 God is love. 1 John 4:8 In return for God's love we should, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5.
In the Old Testament, in order to make amends for sin, an animal had to be sacrificed. The blood of the animal would cover the sins of the person. Later, in the New Testament, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. John 3:16 tells us, 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. In order to have everlasting life, which is life in heaven, one must believe in Him. In order to be saved we must believe that Jesus died to save us from our sins. Jesus is the way to salvation. Those who do not believe will perish.
If you died today would you go to heaven or hell? The question really is, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who was sent to earth to die for your sins? If your answer is yes, then your final destination is heaven. If you answer is no, your final destination is hell.
What about my sin, you ask? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. We are sinners by nature. We cannot really sin less frequently until we develop an awareness of the life God wants us to live. God's Word is written in the Bible. In order to know how to live a life that pleases Him, we must live according to His word. A life that pleases Him will also be a life well-lived, so it is important to start living this way sooner than later.
In the book of Luke, we read about Jesus's crucifixion. There were two criminals also being crucified on that day. One of them says to Jesus, we believe in jest, "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! (Luke 23:39) The criminal on Jesus's other side said, "We are getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong." He then asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus responds, "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Both men were sinners, both broke the law and both were suffering the earthly consequences. One, however, truly believed Jesus was the Son of God and Jesus promised him a place in heaven's paradise. This story, written in the scriptures, is a great illustration of the fact that it's not our deeds that determine our ultimate fate. It is, instead, our heart that determines where we will spend eternity. Mark 12:30 advises that we, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
Are you ready to receive salvation? Pray this prayer.
|
God, I need You in my life. I need you to forgive my sins and help me to live a life that is dedicated to You. Lord, I believe that Your Son Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my benefit and right now I want You to come into my heart and make me the person You want me to be. God, I thank You for Jesus and I thank You for Your love and grace and mercy. Amen
If you prayed this prayer, I would love for you to tell me.
I will pray for your continued walk with Jesus. |
