Now here is a key question: Are you born again?
If you know you are not or if you are not sure, this is your chance. Don't allow this opportunity to pass you by; neither postpone it any further as you cannot be too sure what the next moment holds for you.
Just four steps to take and you would have settled this most crucial issue.
Step 1. Recognize That You Are A Sinner
That is the starting point. You don't need to be ashamed to acknowledge this but you need to be sorry and repent, The scripture says 'ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God' (Rom.3:23). 'ALL' means there is no exception and that includes you.
This awareness should awaken in you a deep concern to find a way out of the life of sin because of God's impending judgment upon all sinners.
God has said in His word, ‘Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.’ (Ezek.18:4).
The death referred to here is more than the mere physical death of the human body. It is the unending torment of the human soul in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone (Rev. 21:8; Mat.25:41). This was why God in His great love and mercy had to send a saviour to rescue man from impending doom.
Until a person sincerely admits his sinful condition, the saviour has nothing to do with him for He says, 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance' (Lk.5:32). So, the self righteous ones are excluded!
It is not what you feel or think that matters but rather, what God says in His word because salvation is strictly on God's own terms.
Refusal to acknowledge that you are a sinner does not relieve you from being one, it only robs you of the gracious pardon which God has made available for penitent souls.
Step 2. Admit That You Cannot Save Yourself.
Being morally good and religious or trying to do the best you can to be 'upright' can't save you. This is what you must understand.
Salvation cannot be achieved, it can only be received as a gift from God.
The word of God says: 'The wages of sin is death but THE GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord' (Romans 6:23).
'Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saved us...' (Titus 3:5).
Only the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can wash away our sins, nothing else will do.
Dear friend, admit that you can't save yourself, you need help.
Step 3 . Believe That Jesus Christ Took Your Place And Died To Pay The Price For Your Sins.
Here comes the good news. Jesus Christ the Son of God took our place and died on the cross of calvary so that all who believe in Him should no longer perish but have everlasting life!
Hear what the word of God says: ' But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8).
‘Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’ (Isaiah 53:4-6).
Jesus Christ paid the awful price for our sins. All we need to escape the wrath of God's righteous judgment and be saved, is to believe, acknowledge and appropriate by faith this supreme sacrifice that was paid on our behalf by the Son of God.
Step 4: Repent And Invite Jesus Christ Into Your Heart (by faith) To Be Your Personal Saviour And Lord.
Quite often when I ask people what they think of Jesus, immediately the same answer comes -'He is our saviour, He died for all of us'. That is correct but that is not what we are talking about here. Such a generalized statement lacks the touch of personal application.
When it comes to salvation, it has to be personalized. Many of those who give that kind of answer have never at any time made a personal commitment of their lives to Christ. Is He your Saviour? That is the question.
Now that you have realised your condition, you need to take the final step and that is to repent of your sinful lifestyle and invite the Lord Jesus Christ into your life to be your Saviour and Lord.
That has to be specifically done. You should be able to look back and remember the day you decided for Christ. This is the step that will bring Jesus into your life.
The decision to receive the Lord Jesus into one's life is the greatest decision any man can ever make because the whole of one's eternity depends on what he does with Jesus now.
It is this same decision that will make the difference between who goes to heaven and who does not. The Lord is very willing to come into your life even now if only you will invite Him in.
Hear what He is saying to you through His word: ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Mat.11:28). ‘….and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.' (John 6:37)
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.’ (Rev.3:20)
Also in Isaiah 1:18 the Lord says: Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. '
Won't you open the door of your heart now and invite Him in?
If you sincerely desire to do so, then you can pray this simple prayer aloud meaning every word you utter with all your heart:
Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I repent of my sinful lifestyle - please forgive me of my sin. Wash me and cleanse me. Set me free. Lord Jesus, thank you that you died for me. I believe that You are risen from the dead. Right now I ask You to be my Saviour and my Lord. Give me the power to live the rest of my life for you. Write my name in the book of life. Based on your word, I believe I am now forgiven. I am saved. I am now born again. I am now on my way to heaven. Thank you Jesus for saving my soul right now, amen
If you have sincerely prayed the above prayer and meant it with all your heart, I can assure you, based on the authority of God's unfailing word that you are now saved.
'that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation’. (Rom.10:9-10).
You are now born again. Praise God, Hallelujah!!
You now have the new life - the life of God implanted in you just as the word of God says: 'When someone becomes a christian, he becomes a brand new person INSIDE. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun' (2 Cor.5:17 - The Living Bible).
This experience may or may not be accompanied by any special feelings. You need to understand from the onset that salvation is not based on feelings. You could be saved and feel a great excitement; yet you could also be saved without much feelings.
Provided the prayer of repentance and surrender to Jesus that you prayed was from a sincere heart, your sins are forgiven and based on God's word, you are saved.
You must believe that God, being faithful to His promise, has not only forgiven you, but also accepted you as His own Child. (John 1:12)
As you grow in the knowledge of the Lord, the realities of this new life will become more apparent in you and to you. Congratulations!