Kingdom of Life

Are you genuinely sorry for the wrong things you have done, for your sin, and wish to put it behind you?

Do you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of your sin for you, so that you could be forgiven?

Do you want that forgiveness, want to be cleansed from sin, to be right with God?

Do you believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead and that He is Lord, and are you willing to say that out loud?

If your answer to the above questions is “yes”, then tell God those things you answered “yes” to, in your own words. Maybe you are not used to talking to God, or think He will not listen. It is called prayer, and He will listen if you are serious. Closing one’s eyes may help to focus on God but is not absolutely necessary. Getting on one’s knees is an appropriate thing to do when talking to the creator of the universe. But if you prefer not to, fine. Prayer is not a physical position, it is an attitude of earnestly seeking God.

If you prayed those things, and genuinely, sincerely meant them:

1. Your sins are forgiven! God now looks at you as if you have never done anything wrong. You and He are no longer enemies; you have peace with Him.

2. He has sent His spirit, the Holy Spirit, into you to transform your heart and mind. By doing this He is adopting you into His family as a son or daughter, and as a brother or sister of all other believers in Christ. He is enabling you to leave the old life behind and experience life to the fullest. And He is providing a deposit, an assurance, regarding the next thing, #3.

3. Jesus is interceding for you in heaven, and He is preparing a place for you so that someday, when your body wears out, you will go to be where He is, for eternity.

It is not that we have earned these things by going through some sort of religious ritual. We have held out our hand and received the gift of life that God, in His grace, has offered us.

Congratulations on your decision! The Christian life is not always easy, but it is worth any and all difficulties we may face along the way. Be baptized and let people know about your decision; publicly acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of your life. Get a Bible or some other access to the Word of God and regularly spend at least a little time familiarizing yourself with what it says. The Word is our life, just as necessary for our spiritual well-being as food and water are for our physical well-being. Join a local group of Christians and participate in worship, study and other activities with them. Being a Christian is not a ‘Lone Ranger’-type thing. We need each other; we need to help, teach, pray for, and encourage each other. Also, God has work for us to do that we need to work together to accomplish. And spend time with God in prayer regularly. Prayer is a vital part of our communion with God. It plays a crucial role in expressing our love to Him, receiving good things from Him, and loving others as He has loved us. Just as we have prayed for salvation from death, we also pray for everything else we need to be His people.

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:9-11, NIV)