Just as there are physical laws that govern
the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws
that govern your relationship with God.
God loves you and
offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God's Love
"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NIV).
God's Plan
[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly"
[that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
Why is it that most people are not
experiencing that abundant life?
Because...
Man is sinful and
separated from God.
Therefore, he cannot know and experience
God's love and plan for his life.
Man is Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Man was created to have fellowship with
God; but, because of his own stubborn
self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference,
is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans
6:23).
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This diagram illustrates that
God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates
the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the
abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion
-but he inevitably fails.
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The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
Jesus Christ is God's only
provision for man's sin.
Through Him you can know and experience
God's love and plan for your life.
He Died In Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He Rose from the Dead
"Christ died for our sins... He was buried... He was raised on the third day,
according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
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).
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This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by
sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our
sins. |
It is not enough just to know these three laws...
We must individually receive Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord;
then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children
of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as result of works that no one should boast" (Ephesians
2:8,9).
When We Receive Christ, We
Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ Through Personal
Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation
3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God
from self (repentance) and trusting
Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.
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 receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
These two circles represent two kinds of
lives:
Self-Directed Life | Christ-Directed Life
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S | Self is on the throne |
 | Christ is in the life and on the throne |
 | Christ is outside the life |
S | Self is yielding to Christ |
 | Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration |
 | Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan |
Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive
Christ:
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer (Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your heart and is not so
concerned with your words as He is with the attitude
of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I
need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my
life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and
giving me eternal life.
Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. |
Does this prayer express the desire of your
heart? If it does, I invite you to pray this
prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.
Now that you have received Christ
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Copyrighted 2007 by Bright Media Foundation and Cru.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Permission for use from the publisher,
Cru, 665 Highway 74 South, Suite 350, Peachtree City, GA 30269
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