We Need Jesus

Jesus is by far the most controversial, most loved and most hated man who ever lived. The name from the Old Testament that means 'Yahweh God is salvation' is also the most popular cuss word in all of Western society. He never traveled more than a few hundred miles from home, never held a political office, never wrote a book, never married, never had sex, never attended college, and never visited a big city.¹

Yet this man from Galilee fulfilled hundreds of prophecies and performed countless miracles in order to show that he is exactly who he said he is. Which is, God who put came to earth in a human body (John 1:1, 14) in order to save sinners (Romans 5:8) by living a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5) and dying on the cross (Luke 23:33) only to rise three days later (Luke 24:6-7) to show that not even death can stop him.

His death served as the sacrifice that was needed in order to turn away the wrath of God from us (1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 2:24). It is only by believing in him and receiving his gift, that our sins will be forgiven so that we may come to the Father (John 1:12-13; 3:16; 14:6) and inherit eternal life (John 3:36).

We are Sinners...

The Bible tells us that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23), but is that really true? Whether or not we are makes all the difference in the world. In order to find out, ask yourself the following questions. Have you ever:

• Lied? Even the white ones count.
• Stolen? Taking the good pens from work is considered stealing.
• Disobeyed your parents? You knew the curfew was 11:00 PM.
• Used God's name in vain? God's last name is not dammit.
• Worshipped any other Gods? How man hours a day do you play video games or watch tv?
• Lusted after someone? It's still wrong, even if she's a 10 out of 10.
• Had sex outside of marriage? Yes, I know everyone else is doing it. You shouldn't be.
• Hated someone? How bout that driver you gave the finger to today?
• Broken the law? How fast were you driving again?
• Cheated? That test wasn't meant to examine your stealth skills.

If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you have broken laws that were set in place by God himself; and just like when we break the laws set in place by our government, there is a penalty we must pay. With our judicial system, if we are found guilty, the consequences may include a fine, time in jail, or in extreme cases being put to death. With our God, we will be found guilty and the sentence is much more severe and results in us spending eternity in hell.

The Gospel Offer

The Gospel is not a collection of books, or even a type of choir which includes a bunch of excited people in long robes swaying back and forth while clapping their hands in unison. It is the message which tells the story of God who inserted himself into human history as the man Jesus. More to the point, it is the story of his life, death, and resurrection which alone can save us from what we deserve, by offering us what we can never earn.

Jesus alone is the only person in all of history who is not guilty of breaking the laws of God. As a result, he is the only one who can intervene in our guilt, and this is exactly what he did when he died on the cross and rose three days later.

To put it into an analogy, imagine you are guilty of treason and on the day you are to be sentenced to execution, Jesus walks into the courtroom and offers to take the punishment in your place. After a brief of exchange of words, the judge turns to you and says, "I am willing to allow this if you are willing to accept it, otherwise it's death for you."

You look over to Jesus and ask, "how can I ever repay you for this?"

He simply replies, "there is nothing you can give, so what I offer, I offer for free. You only have to accept it."

If you would like to receive the gift of salvation that only Christ has to offer, you may pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I have sinned against you. I am in no way perfect and therefore cannot please you as a result of my own efforts. What I deserve is judgement for my sins and not rewards for my attempts to be good.

Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me and make me right before your eyes. I accept and trust in what you have done for me on the cross. I receive you as Lord of my life and the savior of my soul. Save me Jesus. Amen.

If you just prayed the above prayer, welcome to the family! Please contact us to let us know about your decision to follow Christ and to answer any questions you may have.

There Is No Other Way

In closing, it is important to note that faith is only as good as who you put it in. The false definitions of Jesus by groups such as the Mormons (Jesus is the half-brother of the devil), Jehovah's Witnesses (Jesus is an angel who was made into a man), Muslims (Jesus was just a prophet), and New Agers (Jesus was a man who was in tune with the divine consciousness) cannot save you from your sins. Only faith in Jesus as he is described in the Bible - the original record - can save you from the consequence of your wronful actions (John 14:6).