You may have asked yourself:
What is a Christian?
What does “born again” mean?
Am I saved?
Will I go to Heaven if I don’t go to a church?
Will I go to Hell for bad things I’ve done?
This is for Readers who want to be SURE you are saved and to know where you stand with Jesus, as well as for you who are considering these questions for the first time.
Many people do not have assurance concerning their salvation. Assurance is the awareness that you belong to Christ and have complete confidence in Him. Maybe the only thing you are sure about is that you have doubts. Maybe you don’t know if you have ever received Christ. You may have professed in a gospel meeting at some time in the past, but you not be sure you have invited Jesus into your heart and life and made Him your Lord and Master. Maybe you do not know if He has come in. You know you love God and want to serve Him.
In private, you can follow these simple steps to make sure of your eternal destination.
Take your Bible and go to a quiet place where you can be alone and uninterrupted.
Pray and ask God to speak to your heart and to reveal His will.
Be ready to listen to what the Holy Spirit will say to you.
Consider these questions and suggested steps, prayerfully:
(1) FIRST, you must BELIEVE, or recognize what God did: that He loved you so much He gave His Son to die on the cross. Read John 3:16 and substitute your own name for “the world” and “whosoever”.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(2) SECOND, ACKNOWLEDGE that you have sinned, admit all the sins you can think of; and promise you will turn away from your sins and not sin any more. This is called “repenting of your sins.”
Acts 3:19: REPENT ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…
Rom 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”
1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrightousness”
What is Sin?
The word “sin” in Hebrew is [chattath], from the root [chatta], and in Greek it is [hamartia]. Both these words mean ‘to miss the mark.’ They are words that illustrate something is off target. Regarding God’s laws, they mean that one has failed to meet the standard (missed the mark) set by God for us. God’s mark or standard is His law. Thus sin is the transgression of any of the laws of God. 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” This is the biblical definition of sin. It is man not holding to the standards which are set by God. There are some misguided Christians who believe that the law of God consists primarily of the ten commandments. But in truth, the laws of God encompass anything and everything which the Lord declares. You must repent.
(2) ADMIT to God and yourself: “I am a sinner who will perish (John 3:16) and go to Hell if I do not believe that Christ bore my sins and died for me.” You must understand that the Blood of Christ cleanses you because Christ died in your place—it was you who deserved to die for your sins. He was your substitute. Your sins are either on you or on Jesus–it’s up to you–it’s your choice. If we believe and receive the cleansing of Christ, God says we are justified in His sight (“justified” means “just as if you had never sinned”)
Rom 5:9: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.“
(3) THIRD, RECEIVE Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. To receive Jesus is to receive God’s FREE gift of eternal life. To receive Jesus, you must invite Him to come into your heart to stay. You must open the door to Him. This is what is meant by being “born again” of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8).
Eph. 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Are you ready to do this? If you really wish to receive Jesus, then sincerely pray this prayer:
Our Father,
I acknowledge that I have sinned against you. I am sorry for my sins, and I am willing to cease and turn from my sins. I believe the death of Jesus paid for my sins. I ask that you wipe away my sins through the precious Blood of Jesus. I openly receive and acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Savior. I claim Him as my Lord. I invite Him into my heart. From this moment on I want to live for Him and serve Him. Thank you for your precious gift of eternal life.
In Jesus’ Precious Name I ask,
Amen
(4) FOURTH, CONFESS Christ publicly. Your confession is a sign that you have been converted. If you have made this decision and have received Jesus Christ as your own Lord and Savior, then you have become a CHILD OF GOD, in whom Jesus dwells. You ARE born again. You ARE His! You are ALIVE in Christ! And your sins have been wiped clean. You now belong to the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings! He is your LORD and Master.
Rom 10:9: That if thou shalt CONFESS with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
REMEMBER-FAITH is a CHOICE! You can have full ASSURANCE of salvation NOW. You can be assured of having ETERNAL LIFE!
If you have made this decision and have received Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, then you have become a CHILD OF GOD, in whom Jesus dwells. You are a Christian. You ARE born again. You ARE His! You are ALIVE in Christ! And your sins have been wiped clean. You now belong to the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings! He is your LORD and Master. Your “born again” state goes with you wherever you go, much like a marriage relationship. Your salvation does not rely upon what group you choose (if any) to assemble with to worship Jesus Christ, who your ministers are, where you assemble, how often you assemble, etc. Your personal relationship with God is within YOU, and is between you and Him.
Now you may like to sing this Hymn with assurance:
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine
by Fanny Crosby.
1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
CHORUS:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.