If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
- Romans 10:9 (NIV)
This Scripture tells us how to be saved. It's simple. People make it complicated. Many think they have to clean up their life before they can come to Christ, which is far from the truth. You can come to Christ as you are, repent of your sins, & do as instructed above (you can do this right now, wherever you are- but if anyone has questions, I'm willing & eager to help with no judgement). THEN, Jesus will help you clean your life up & give up the things in your life that fail to please Him. He doesn't expect you to do it in your own strength, but by relying upon His Strength. Now I know many of you are already saved, and you are welcome to pass this message along. But some of you are not: God knows which ones. Don't be ashamed, just make the change. :) some people say this life is hard, but life is much harder without Christ.. With Christ, you can have peace, love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation & healing. He will strengthen you in every situation & be your constant helper. He will fulfill that void no one or nothing else ever can. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. Some argue that it's too hard to leave a life of sin & live for Jesus, but I challenge them with this: What is more difficult? To live for Jesus & go to Heaven? Or to live any way you want & go to hell? "Good people" with "good morals" & "good intentions" go to hell every day. God extends the invitation to Heaven to everyone, with one condition alone: A personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
If you're not saved or if you're not sure you're saved, you can pray this simple prayer:
(note: you don't have to say this word for word. This is just an example.)
Father, I repent of my sins. I ask You to help me turn from all sinful ways. I believe You sent Your Son, Jesus, to the cross to die & be resurrected to wash away all my sins. Jesus, please come into my heart & be my Lord & Savior.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
-- if you just prayed that prayer, you may be wondering what's next. Find a Bible in a translation you can understand. A great place to start is in the Gospel of John. Begin to live according to what the Word of God instructs. We all make mistakes sometimes, but His grace is sufficient & we must focus on doing what pleases Him instead of focusing on the things we cannot do when we live for Him. This will make us much more successful in living joyfully & fulfilled in Him. Obeying His commands is how we show our love for God (1 John 5:3).
Some people plan to get saved right before they die. You don't know if you will have the time. Some people die instantly in an accident & there's no time to make things right with God. Don't take that chance. Make things right now & begin to live your life to fullest by living for Christ.
Also, don't feel like any sin is too bad for you to come to Christ. God forgives even the prostitutes, thieves, murderers, liars, & adulterers, etc. Jesus didn't even condemn the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Instead, He told her "GO AND SIN NO MORE (John 8:11)". He forgave her & simply told her to leave her life of sin. Yes, it really is that simple.
for, “EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
- Romans 10:13 (NIV)
In His Love & Mercy,
Rachel Marie
