Receiving Jesus

He is the greatest gift ever given to mankind.

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)

What does this mean and how does this affect me?

The truth is we are all in need of salvation. Why? All of us are either consumed, influenced, affected or deceived by sin in our lives. Jesus came to free ALL from sin and to reconcile us back to God through a living relationship with Him.

God desires more than anything to be in relationship with you – to forgive you, nurture you, protect you, provide for you, live in you and heal you. You see it’s not your ‘sin’ that will keep you from heaven but rather the fact that you haven’t accepted God’s free gift of eternal life.

He gave Christ to die for us, paying the price for our sin, making forgiveness and salvation available to us and most importantly building a bridge that reconnects us with God.

So what do I do to receive salvation?

The Bible says... "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

First you must believe. God is interested in your heart because it’s out of your heart that true life flows. Once you believe what Jesus has done for you and you acknowledge that you are in need of salvation, you can then turn your heart towards God through Jesus Christ. You can do this by confessing what you believe in your heart and by confessing your sins to Him; the Bible says you will be saved – this simply means you have put all your faith in Jesus and not in yourself, in any other created being or even in this world.

What next?

Well, the Bible literally says once you have made this decision you become born-again. This means that you are a brand new creature of which your inner most part, your spirit, has been re-created. Now the challenge is to work what is inside of you, out of you so that you and even others can experience this new life God has given you. Don’t be anxious or fearful if there are areas in your life that you initially struggle to change or even don’t want to change. As you continue to grow in your relationship with God, He will empower you, teach you and encourage you on your road to holiness and freedom.

If you would like to make a commitment to God and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then pray this simple life-changing prayer from your heart:

“God, I realise I have no real life without You. I realise that You love me and You gave Your Son Jesus to die for me.  Jesus, I need everything Your death and resurrection has made available to me including salvation. Jesus save me right now; forgive me for all my sin and wash away my sin and shame with your blood; make me brand new! Thank you for saving me. I declare that I am now Your child and I now call You Father.”

Where to from here?

Receiving Jesus into your heart is only the first step to your new life in God. It’s important that you take the next couple of steps to ensure that you grow in your new relationship with God:

1. Start by reading your Bible on a daily basis – start from the book of John in the New Testament.
2. Spend time praying everyday - even if you start with five minutes a day.
3. Find a good Bible-believing church in your area where the Word of God is taught and attend every Sunday.
4. Get involved in a weekly Bible study or home group in your church – this will be an awesome place where you can meet new friends and really grow as a Christian.

If you have prayed this prayer we would love to hear from and send you some material in the mail to encourage you. You can contact us on (+2711) 673-6372 or email .