Such As I Have …
In Acts, the Bible relates the story of Peter and John arriving at the temple to find a man, who had been lame from birth, begging at the temple gate. Peter said to him, “look at us,” and the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something. At that, Peter continued, “Silver and gold I do not have, but such as I have, I Give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk” … and the man was healed.
I am sure that many of you have lingered on this website because you know something of Christianity and you may be willing to consider living a Christian life. Perhaps all you need is for someone to explain how one gets a “Christian life” off the ground. For that reason, I offer you the most valuable gift that I can give to anyone. It is a short, step-by-step approach, to beginning a new life; rooted in the Christian faith. The process is simple, and it is forever. While few things are actually “forever”; the decision to follow Jesus is one of them.
In the next few paragraphs, you will see what God says about man’s hopeless situation and you will learn His plan for our escape:
First, You and I need to acknowledge that man is, by his human nature, sinful.
In the Romans 3:23 the Bible says, “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” I don’t know about you, but I have no problem agreeing that I personally fall far short of God’s holiness and glory (otherwise, I would be a God and, if that were true, I am certain that, by now, someone would have noticed).
We need to understand too, the ultimate result of our sinfulness.
In Romans 6:23 the Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” This speaks of both physical and spiritual death. We cannot have an eternal life in heaven, with God, if we choose to remain unchanged, living in our sin.
God made a plan, however, that promises a different outcome. Exercising God’s plan is totally dependent on free will; we choose it, it cannot not forced upon us.
The remainder of Romans 6:23, tells us this, “The wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Why Jesus? Because Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is God’s plan to rescue us from our sinful situation.
That plan is again described in Romans 5:8, “God showed his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us.” The essence of Christian salvation is that Jesus took the punishment for our sins, even before we were born.
Following Jesus brings us a new life! Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “I am come that they (that is you and me) might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.”
How, exactly, does that work then? What must I do to become a Christian; to follow Jesus?
Please look at what is perhaps the best-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not parish but have everlasting life! All you must do is honestly believe that God’s plan is real and accept the fact that it was put in place to pay for (provide forgiveness for) your sins.
And, how do you tell God that I choose to Believe in Jesus; that I want to be His follower, to become a “Christian?”
For that, we will go to the Bible again, Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” So it is that simple; you must simply ask … tell God that you believe, and that you want this!
But you ask, “Can’t I just decide, right now, to live a good life and then get into heaven because God will see all the good things that I have done?” Many people think that by being a good person they can earn God’s favor and eternal life. The problem is that you were born a sinner, the existence of your human nature separates you from God’s Holiness; there is absolutely nothing that you can do on your own that will bridge that gap. The Bible says in Ephesian 2 that “it is by God’s Grace (that is God’s love and Mercy) that we are saved, through faith (believing), and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works so that no man can boast. God does not want us going around saying how good we are. Nothing you can do, no matter how good, will get you into heaven.
How does one “opt in” and become a Christian; a follower of Jesus? You simply pray and tell God that is what you want to do. That is possible because God always hears the prayer of a sinner who is asking for His gift of eternal life. That lifesaving prayer goes like this:
Dear God,
I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ, your Son, came to earth, lived a perfect life, and then died in my place for the forgiveness of my sins. I believe that you can and will save me from spiritual death and guarantee my eternal spiritual life … if only I believe. I do believe that Jesus Died for me and was raised from the dead. I accept your gift of eternal life. Forgive my sins and lead me daily in my new life as a Christian; as a follower of Jesus.
In Jesus name I ask these things
Amen
If you prayed that prayer, then you have become a newborn baby in the Christian faith. Like most new babies, you will need care and nourishment. That is the job of your local church and of other Christians. I suggest that you begin right now to read your Bible. Start with the Gospel of John (John is the fourth book in the New Testament). I also suggest that, if you are a first-time reader, you try to obtain a New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. Any version will do, but the NIV is translated into today’s English. For me, stories that I had previously read and heard, took on a whole new character when I first read them in the NIV.
Also, if you have made this commitment based on the information found in this website, then I invite you to drop me an email at info@youmeandalifetime.net. Tell me of your decision and tell me where you live. I will try to help you find a church and other Christians who will help you grow; most importantly, I will pray for you!