God offers forgiveness for your sins and assurance of eternal life through faith in His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?  (See “Sin is What?“)

• “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18 NLT)
• “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” (John 17:3, NLT)

You may ask the question: “How can I know God?” Man is able to know the true and living God through His Word, that is, the Bible. The Bible reveals God’s character and His plan for mankind. It is through reading His Word that we come to a knowledge of the righteousness of God and that which He requires of us. What is it that prevents us from personally knowing God? Our sin has separated us from God — our corruption is to such a degree that we cannot know Him personally and cannot experience His love. God’s Word says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  (Romans 3:23 NLT) Man was created to have fellowship (right relationship) with God, but because of his sin (i.e., anything that is against the righteousness revealed in God’s Law) he is prevented from that fellowship. This includes anything less than perfect obedience to God’s commands.

• “For the wages of sin is death…” — (Romans 6:23 NLT).

The ultimate result of this death is an eternity in Hell. (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). This spiritual death forces a separation from God. Man is sinful and God is holy. This creates a gulf unbridgeable by man making that intended fellowship impossible. God’s eternal plan was to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and take on our punishment (Romans 5:8; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:10). He knew no sin and yet became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He died in our place. This removed our burden of sin and allowed us to enter into that desired fellowship through faith in Jesus Christ, and Him alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). It is not just enough that you know these truths. We must individually place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This means repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus Christ as God’s Son who came to earth as a human to die for our sins so that we might have everlasting life with Him. Placing our trust in Jesus requires faith, which is a hope-filled belief in Jesus even though we don’t see Him face to face (John 20:29; Hebrews 11:1). And salvation is by faith alone, not by any works we could do to please God (John 6:28-29).

• “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” — (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT).
• “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” — (John 1:12, NLT).

Those who place their trust in Jesus become God’s children; and as heirs to heaven are promised the eternal pleasure of glorifying God (Rom. 8:16-17; Gal. 3:29). As our life here on earth progresses, God will continue to work in our hearts, daily changing and conforming us into the image of Christ, Himself (1 John 3:2). We will begin to live lives of righteousness. Obedience to God will not be a burden to us, but rather a joy. The invitation to place your trust in Jesus Christ by faith is open to all. Friend, if you are not a child of God, we pray that today would be the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

• “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” — Romans 10:9-10, NLT

If you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ by faith, you may be wondering “What next?” Our greatest recommendation for believers, new and old, is fourfold:

• Locate a Bible-based church that soundly preaches the Word and rejoice in the fellowship of other Christians.
• Study the Bible for that is where we learn of the greatness of God and His plans.
• Pray to God, asking Him to strengthen your faith and increase your love toward Him.
• Enjoy the blessings given by God in the heavenly ordained sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

All of these are meant to encourage and build up your faith as well as the faith of those around you. If you have any questions, search the Scriptures (BlueLetterBible), ask your Pastor, send your question to BlueLetterBible.org, or email Gracefull Ministries. BLB Frequently Asked Questions