An Invitation To Life

“... I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

- John 10:10 -

 

   Have you discovered the joy and peace of personally accepting Jesus’ invitation to life?  Perhaps you have believed in the existence of God and His Son and have tried to live a good life, but have never consciously invited Him to be your Saviour. 
 

   No matter who you are, or what you have done, at this very moment, you can make the decision of a lifetime.  Right now, Jesus offers you the same wonderful life, which millions through the centuries have received with life-changing results.
 

   He has already paid the penalty for your sin.  He is asking you, in the very depth of your heart, to put your trust in Him.  Here are four thoughts to consider that will help you discover how to know God personally.

 

God loves you,
and wants to have a genuine relationship with you.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

- John 3:16 -

 

“And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

- John 17:3 -

 

   God wants you to know Him.  Why is it that most people do not have a personal relationship with God?  Because…

 

Our sin cuts us off from God,

so we cannot have an intimate relationship with Him and experience His love.

 

We have all sinned. 

“... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...”

 - Romans 3:23 -

 

   We were all created to have a personal relationship with God.  Yet, because we all choose to go our own independent way, our relationship with God was broken.  The fact that we are generally selfish and self-centred is obvious because we either rebel against God or don’t really care about Him.  This is evidence of what the Bible calls “sin.”

 

We are cut off from God.

“For the wages of sin is death...”

[spiritual separation from God]

- Romans 6:23 -

 

   God is holy (pure & sinless) and we are sinful.  An incredible gap cuts us off from God because He cannot tolerate sin.  People often try to find a full and meaningful life through their own efforts, trying to live a good life, or be religious.  But, the Bible clearly teaches that there's only one way to bridge this gap.

 

Jesus Christ is God’s only cure for our sin. 

Through Him, you can know God personally

and experience His love.

 

Jesus died in our place. 

“... but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

- Romans 5:8 -

 

Jesus rose from the dead. 

“... Christ died for our sins… He was buried…

He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Then He appeared to more than five hundred…”

- 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 -

 

Jesus 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 except through Me.”

- John 14:6 -

 

   God has done the work to bridge the gap which cuts us off from Him.  He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sin.   But it is not enough just to know these truths.  We must take the next step… and “cross the bridge.”

 

We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Saviour;

then we can know God personally

and experience His love.

 

We must believe Christ. 

“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God...”

- John 1:12 -

 

We must receive Christ by personal invitation. 

   Receiving Him involves turning to God from anything else (repentance) and trusting Christ to forgive our sins so that we can begin our personal relationship with Him.   Just to know in your mind that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross for our sins, is not enough.  We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

 

  Would you like to know God?  Would you like to accept Jesus’ invitation to life?  You can receive Jesus Christ right now by faith through prayer.  God knows your heart, and is not so concerned with your words as much as He is with the attitude of your heart.  Many people all around the world have already found new life in Christ. 

 

  Here is a suggested prayer which can help you express your desire to trust in Jesus, too:

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

   I want to know You personally.  Thank-You for dying on the cross for my sins, and for rising from the dead so that I may have hope. 

   I come to You, and welcome You into my life.  I believe in You, and receive You as my Saviour.  I confess my sins, and I trust You now to forgive my sins, and to grant me eternal life.  Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

   Amen.

 

Dear Friend,

If you prayed along the lines of this prayer, and believed and received Jesus as Saviour, would you kindly contact us?  We would love to encourage you and bless you in this wonderful decision!