Have You Heard the Good News from the Bible?

Do you know for sure (beyond the shadow of a doubt) that you have eternal life?

If you are not sure, wouldn't you like to be absolutely sure that your relationship with God is right? God's written Word, the Bible, says you can know for sure, even today: "Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2b). Perhaps you have heard the gospel before but you haven't responded by putting your trust in Christ as your own Savior. Maybe you've never understood about the salvation God has provided through His Son. Read the message of Christ's offer of salvation and think about receiving his amazing offer of free salvation.

1. God loves people and wants to have a personal relationship with them—now and for all eternity.

Jesus said:

"I came that they might have life and have it in abundance." (John 10:10, HCSB)

"For God loved the world in this way*: He gave His One-and-Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, HCSB; *Or to this extent; Gk = thus [footnote added])

2. All of us have rebelled against God and are separated from a relationship with Him.

God’s Word, the Bible, calls this rebellion "sin". Sin is doing what we want instead of what God wants—in thought, word, or deed. All of us have sinned against God—either by doing what He says we should not do, or by not doing what He says we should do.

"There is no one righteous, not even one; . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  (Romans 3:10, 23, HCSB)

". . . for the person who knows to do good but doesn't do it, it is a sin." (James 4:17, HCSB)

Even the good things that we do don’t measure up to God’s standard. His standard is perfection, and no one is perfect.

"All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment . . ."  (Isaiah 64:6, HCSB)

Because God is holy and just (or righteous; just = right and fair in all He is and does), He must punish sin. Just one sin during our entire lifetime is enough to keep us out of Heaven!

"For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of [breaking it] all."  (James 2:10, HCSB)

Because He is holy and just, our sin has hurt, angered, and offended God and separated us from Him.

"But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you."  (Isaiah 59:2, HCSB)    

God’s Word also tells us that the penalty for our sin is death. This separation is not only physical death, but also spiritual death—separation from God forever.

"For the wages of sin is death,* but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 6:23, HCSB; *In this verse, death = spiritual separation from God)

As the above diagram illustrates, all attempts that SINFUL PEOPLE make to connect with a HOLY and JUST GOD (by their own Self Effort) will always fail in reaching Him. God's standard is absolute perfection. No amount of our personal effort, good works, or religious deeds can earn us a relationship with God.

3. God has provided the only way to give us an eternal relationship with Himself: through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6, HCSB)

Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. He is God the Son. Jesus proved that He is God the Son by: living a sinless life, fulfilling numerous Messianic prophecies, performing miracles, claiming to be God, and rising from the dead.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . The Word became flesh* and took up residence among us." (John 1:1, 14, HCSB; *this refers to when Jesus Christ became a human being)

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, HCSB)

Why is Jesus our only way to God? Because Jesus is the only one qualified to pay for our sins and die in our place on the cross. Three days after His death and burial, Jesus Christ arose from the grave, proving that God’s promise of eternal life can be ours:

"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures . . . He was raised on the third day."  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, HCSB)

Why did Jesus have to die to pay for our sins? Because God says that sin must be paid for by the death of a perfect (sinless) substitute (Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

The above diagram illustrates that God has to reach us (God's Effort) since SINFUL PEOPLE can never reach a HOLY and JUST GOD. The only way that He can reach SINFUL PEOPLE is through the death of JESUS, who died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

4. God’s free gift of eternal life can be yours by putting your complete faith in Jesus Christ Himself. In other words, believe He is the Person He claimed to be—the Son of God—and that He Himself has the power to save you. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved . . ." (Rom. 10:13).

Faith means trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only One who can bring us into a right relationship with God. Faith means depending on Jesus and His substitutionary death on the cross to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life*; instead, the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36, HCSB; *not see life = not experience eternal life)

"Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved . . ." (Acts 16:31, HCSB)

This free gift can never be earned by doing good works. It is free to us, but it was costly to God, who gave His beloved Son. Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sin!

"... the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, HCSB)

"For by grace* you are saved** through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift— not from works, so that no one can boast."  (Ephesians 2:8-9, HCSB; *grace = undeserved favor; **saved = rescued from hell, a place of eternal separation from God)

You cannot give anything to God to earn salvation. You must give up your trust in your own efforts to please God and place your complete trust in Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross. You need to stop trusting in your own good works, attempts to obey or follow God, or your pride in thinking you are a good enough person to face God, and instead rely 100% on what He did for you on the cross, where He suffered the punishment that you deserved to receive.

When you trust in Jesus alone as your Substitute in dying (that He died for your sins in your place), God will then give you eternal life as a gift. To put it another way, He will save you with an everlasting salvation from sin, Satan, and hell—without costing you a cent. It is hard to believe, it's so amazing, but God's gift of salvation IS ABSOLUTELY FREE.

WHAT ARE YOU TRUSTING IN FOR ETERNAL LIFE?

Most people fit into one of the above three circles. They are either trusting in their WORKS, or in CHRIST PLUS something, or in CHRIST ALONE for eternal life. However, only faith in CHRIST ALONE will guarantee eternal life for you. Failure to receive His wonderful offer will deprive you of the greatest gift ever given.

"Anyone who believes in Him* is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God." (John 3:18, HCSB; *Him = Jesus)

"But to all who did receive Him,* He gave them the right to be [Or become] children of God, to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12, HCSB; *Him = Jesus)

Will you now receive God’s free gift of eternal life? Will you now place your faith in Christ and His death alone to save you? God is speaking to you right now through this gospel message. He says through the book of Hebrews: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts ..." (Heb. 3:15). Don't refuse God's offer, "for the Lord is a great God, a great King ... (Ps. 95:3). Say "yes" to His offer by trusting in His Son and receiving His eternal life salvation. "Honor the Son, or He will be angry, and you will perish in your rebellion" (Ps. 2:12). This verse is a stern warning but is based in love. God wants everyone to come to repentance (faith in Christ) and escape eternal judgment separated from Him:

Pray this simple prayer now to receive the offer of eternal life in Christ:

God, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died to pay the penalty for my sins on the cross. Jesus, I now put my complete trust in You to save me by Your death on the cross. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me free eternal life. Help me to follow You and teach me to understand and obey Your Word. Thank you, Jesus. In Your name I pray this. Amen.

5. Many wonderful things occur when you receive Jesus as God’s free gift to you.

If you have trusted in Jesus alone for your salvation, God says that these five things are now true of you (regardless of your feelings or circumstances):

1. You have become a child of God. (John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:1)

2. Jesus is in your life, and He promises to never leave you. (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 13:5)

3. All of your sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. (Colossians 1:13-14; 2:13-14; Hebrews 10:15-18)

4. Jesus has given you a new life. (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:4-5)

5. You have eternal life, forever. (John 5:24; 10:27-30)

God says that you can know for sure that you have eternal life! In the future, you may disobey and fail God; and you may doubt that He has really forgiven you. When you have such doubts, read back over these truths and memorize this promise in God’s Word:

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."  (1 John 5:11-13, HCSB)

(See also John 5:24 and Romans 8:31-39.)

After having trusted in Christ alone for salvation, is there anything a Christian could do to no longer have eternal life? No. God will not take back the free gift of salvation. Salvation is eternal, not temporary (John 6:37-39; 10:27-30; 2 Timothy 2:13).

6. You can demonstrate your new faith by saying "Thank You" to God for what He has done for you.

He is pleased when you express your gratitude to Him for:

• allowing you to become His child;
• coming into your life and promising to never leave you;
• forgiving you for all of your past, present, and future sins;
• giving you a new life; and
• allowing you to be certain that you have eternal life.

Would you like to thank God for what He has done for you? If so, take a minute to pray right now, thanking God that the above five points are true of you.

7. You can also express gratitude to God by getting to know Him better through growing spiritually.

• Talk to God (in prayer) about everything. (John 15:7)
• Allow God to talk to you; read His Word. (Acts 17:11) (The Gospel of John is a good place to begin reading.)
• Obey what God shows you in His Word. (John 14:21)
• Talk to and spend time with others who have received Christ. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
• Talk to those who have not received Christ; tell them how they can receive the free gift of eternal life. (John 15:8)

Everyone in God’s family must receive spiritual "food" and nurturing to "grow up" as a Christian. You need to be trained to be a disciple of Jesus to: (1) obey God, (2) introduce others to Christ, and (3) make disciples of others.

We encourage you to get involved in a church that:

• believes that the Bible is without error;
• teaches the Bible; and
• practices what the Bible teaches.

To help you better understand God's Word, the Bible, you may like to listen to our on-line Bible Study Lessons or read our extensive Bible Study Notes, which are free reading! If you have come to know Christ through reading this gospel presentation or through listening to the audio lessons of Sonic Light, please let us know by sending an email to "special2@soniclight.com" ; it will be a blessing to us to know you've found Christ as your Savior.