Adult & Teen Sunday Schools 9:30 a.m. // Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
Eternal Life
GOD LOVES YOU AND CREATED YOU TO HAVE AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM
God has demonstrated His love for you
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" John 3:16
"In this love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins." 1 John 4:10
Why is it that most people do not experience God's love?
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BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY AND MAN IS SINFUL
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 2:23 - (Sin is either active rebellion or passive indifference toward God.)
"And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." II Thessalonians 1:9
"For the wages of sin is death" (separation from God). Romans 6:23
We try to reach God through our own effort, but it won't work no matter how hard your try or how good you are!
The separation from God shown above is not necessary.
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GOD SENT JESUS CHRIST TO DIE ON THE CROSS IN OUR PLACE TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS
He Died For Us "For Christ also died for sins once and for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18
He Rose From The Dead "God furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:31
He is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." John 14:6
It is the Cross on which Jesus died for us that bridges the gap between man and God
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23)
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Believing in Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord as an act of our will.
The Bible speaks of this as receiving a gift
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
Notice the two different people pictured below:
This man has not accepted Jesus
This man has opened his heart to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior
This person has never responded to Christ's offer of eternal life
If this person were to die today, he would pay the penalty for his sin
His destiny would be eternal separation from God
: : : : : : : :
This person has responded to Christ's offer of eternal life.
If this person were to die today, Christ has paid for his sins.
His destiny would be eternal life with God.
Which person best represents your life?
Which person would you like to represent your life?
What happens when you put your trust in Christ?
When you ask Christ into your life as Savior and Lord, many things happen, including these:
Jesus Christ has come into your life and He will never leave you. Revelations 3:20; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Hebrews 13:5
Your sins have been fully forgiven. Colossians 2:13,14
You have been born into God's family. He is your Father and other believers are your brothers and sisters. Galatians 2:13,14
You have begun the eternal relationship for which God created you. John 17:2,3; John 10:10
For questions concerning these statements or anything in our website, contact us at whs803@hctc.com
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Question: "What is the sinner's prayer?" Answer: A person prays the sinner's prayer to God when they understand they are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Saying the sinner's prayer will not accomplish anything on its own. It is only effective if it genuinely represents what a person knows, understands, and believes about their sinfulness and need for salvation.
The first aspect of a sinner's prayer is understanding that we are all sinners. Romans 3:10 proclaims, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned. We are all sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness from God (Titus 3:5-7). Because of our sin, we deserve eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). The sinner's prayer is a plea for grace instead of judgment. It is a request for mercy instead of wrath.
The second aspect of a sinner's prayer is knowing what God has done to remedy our lost and sinful condition. God took on flesh and became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1,14). Jesus taught us the truth about God and lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life (John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus then died on the cross in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve (Romans 5:8). Jesus rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin, death, and hell (Colossians 2:15; 1 Corinthians chapter 15).
Because of all of this, we can have our sins forgiven and be promised an eternal home in Heaven - if we will just place our faith in Jesus Christ. All we have to do is believe that He died in our place and rose from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). We can be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Ephesians 2:8 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
Would you like to put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord right now? If so, You can express your faith through a simple prayer. (Prayer is simply talking to God).
Focus on God and pray the following prayer with sincerity of heart and Christ will forgive you of all your sins and give you eternal life. God knows your every thought and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Say this suggested prayer and mean it:
Lord Jesus,
I believe you are God. I believe you came to earth and died on the cross as my substitute. I believe your death completely washed away my sins past, present and future. I believe you rose again as proof that God was satisfied with the payment you made. Right now, I want to trust you alone to give me eternal life.
I now stop trusting in my ability to make it to Heaven by my good works. I receive you as my personal Savior and Lord. Please take control of my life Lord, and help me to be the kind of person you want me to be. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, and for cleansing me and adopting me into your spiritual family. Amen
If you don't already belong to a church whose primary focus is God's word in the Bible, find one! Bridge Community Church is ready to help you become a fully devoted follower of Christ through worship, study and service. People at that church will welcome you with open arms as a fellow brother in Christ. Place your trust God and through the help of His Holy Spirit and you will become the person He intended you to be.
If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us at: whs803@hctc.com
Bridge Community Church - Loving God and Loving People
