Finding a church is important, but...
…other things are more important!
If you are looking for a church, we pray that God will direct you to a fellowship where you can serve and grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. Finding a church is an important decision and we would love to see you make a connection at FBAC.
As important as that decision is, there are other decisions that are infinitely more important – decisions about where you’re going to spend eternity. Another would be figuring out how the devastating impact of sin be removed and how to arrive at the assurance that you have been forgiven and have God’s gift of eternal life.
Here is an important decision and it comes in the form of a simple question. “Have you come to the point in your spiritual life where you know for certain that you are going to go to heaven?” We can try to ignore it, but it is a question that all of us must consider.
There is another question that we need to think about: “If you were to stand before God and He asked you ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?” Usually, we want to fall back on good deeds that we have done, things like “Well, I’m a good person. I try to do what is right.” In addition to these, there is the common, “well, at least I am not as bad as some people.”
Truth is, “being good”, or “being better than others” is not what God requires. Even our best efforts fall well short of what God requires. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) It is not about working hard to be a good person and it is not about trying harder the next time after you fail. It is about realizing that we are helpless to meet God’s standards of absolute perfection and sinlessness.
To make matters worse, the penalty of our sin is spiritual and eternal death. The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) While it may sound harsh, God is holy, and He will not allow sin to unpunished. No matter how hard we try, we are hopelessly ensnared in sin and there is no way we deliver ourselves. But there is good news!
The good news is that there is a way of salvation and deliverance,
and that way is through Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Unable to save ourselves, God made a way through Jesus Christ. Jesus took our sins and bore their penalty on the cross. God placed all of our sins on Jesus. He died in our place and took the punishment that we deserved.
Ready for some good news?
Earlier, you read that “the wages of sin is death.” But there is more to that verse. The full verse says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Through His son Jesus Christ, God made a way! God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
Because of our sinfulness, we can do nothing to save ourselves. God, however, provides salvation as a free gift to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says ““That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) And this salvation comes with full assurance of the faithfulness of God. God assures has that “having be justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
“What should I do?”
If God is speaking to you, prompting you to respond, your next few decisions are very important.
- First is admitting you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. It is making a conscious decision to repent (turn from) your sin and asking God to forgive you.
- Second is placing your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross for you. It is believing and fully accepting that what Jesus did for you is enough.
- Finally, the scriptures tell us that “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” A first step would be confessing to God in prayer that all these things are true; the sorrow you feel for your sin, the need you have for Jesus’ salvation, and your desire to follow Him as Lord and Savior.
Sometimes putting all of that into a prayer is difficult. You know what is in your heart but putting it into words might be challenging. Here is a simple prayer that may help you.
Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner. I make no excuses; I have no explanations. I am guilty of offending You and I deserve Your punishment.
I ask that You forgive me based only on the merits of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. He died in my place – gave Himself up for me that by His death my sins could be forgiven, and that by His resurrection I would have a new life.
I repent of my old sinful ways and ask that Jesus Christ would take control and be the Lord of my life. I also ask that your Holy Spirit would guide me into Your truth.
I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen
We have very good news for you!
If this prayer reflects the sincerity of your heart, you can be assured that God has heard your prayer, that He saved you from your sin, has given you the gift of eternal life, and that His Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your heart. The fancy Bible term for all this is “being born again.” In the eyes of God, you now have a new life and a new beginning.
The Bible says “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Welcome to the family of God!
What’s next?
- Click on the Resources tab above and use the Prayer Request form to tell us a little more about what happened today. Someone from the church will follow up with you very soon.
- Click on the Resources tab above and download a copy of “Best Day Ever!” This will explain in more details all that God has done for you on this very special day.
- Find someone who you can talk to about what you experienced today. Sharing your experience will give you confidence and maybe even help someone else draw closer to God.
- Join us for worship services this Sunday. Make sure you tell one of the pastors or elders what happened. (The pastors and elders will be the guys on the platform.) We want to hear about your experience and find ways to help you grow spiritually.
- Finally, If you don’t live close to Faith Bible Alliance and need help finding a church, make note of that in the information you provide in your prayer request as noted above. We can help get you connected with a fellowship that will encourage, bless, and support you.