A Father's View of Salvation

If I knew my children were in danger, there's no limit to what I would do to make sure they were safe and protected. No matter the distance, I would cross it. No matter the obstacle, I would overcome it. Nothing would stand in my way. Nothing.

This is the same attitude God has about us. We are his children. He is our father. But there is something that threatens our eternal, spiritual safety. Sin.

Sin entered the world when Adam rebelled against God. It corrupted a perfect creation, and destroyed a perfect relationship between God and man. As the descendants of Adam, we have inherited this sin condition. It is a condition not encoded in our DNA, but encoded within our souls.

What hope is there for us?

God sent Jesus, his only begotten son, from heaven to earth (that's some distance!). Jesus lived a sinless life, then died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Three days later he arose from the grave, effectively defeating sin and death (that's some obstacle!).

Through Jesus Christ, we can receive forgiveness for all our sins, and enjoy a renewed relationship with God, our heavenly father.

How is this possible? Through a simple, three step plan:

  1. Admit that you're a sinner.
    For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

    • In any kind of rehabilitation program, whether it be for alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc., they will tell you that the first step to healing is to admit you have a problem. After all, if you don't have a problem, why are you in the program?
    • The Bible tells us that we have a sin problem. It's a problem that everyone has, regardless of who they are. It's also a problem that we must come to terms with, and admit.

  2. Understand that we deserve punishment for our sins, but God offers us grace through Jesus Christ.
    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

    • A wage is payment owed to you for something you've done.
    • The payment we deserve for our sin is death. Not physical death, but spiritual death - eternal separation from God.
    • But instead of giving us the death we deserve, God offers us the gift of eternal life.
    • How do we get it?

  3. Accept Jesus as your savior and ask Him to forgive you of your sins.
    For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).

    • It doesn't have to be an eloquent prayer filled with "Thees", "Thys" and "Thous". All it has to be is a heartfelt prayer where you admit your guilt and ask God to save you.
    • All It Takes Is Something Like This:
      "Lord, I'm a sinner. I know that sin separates me from you, and keeps me from having the relationship with you that you desire. Please forgive me. I ask Jesus to come into my heart, to come into my life, and change me from the inside out. Thank you for offering me this wonderful gift. Amen."

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, congratulations! I encourage you to contact a local church, and let the pastor know about your decision. Even though I'm a Southern Baptist, you don't have to contact or attend a Southern Baptist church. Just make sure the church is reputable, and that it teaches the word of God.

One last thing. If you've made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, please take a few moments and email me to let me know.



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