THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

If you have come to this portion of our site, the Holy Spirit of God our Saviour may be leading you - urging you to want to know how to be saved and receive the free gift of eternal life which Jesus Christ alone offers. A desperate man long ago asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And the Christians he was asking replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, ..." (Acts 16:30-31).

There are two things we must know to be saved: the bad news, and the Good News!

First, the bad news —

The first thing we realize when we come to faith in Jesus Christ is that we are sinners and that God is perfectly just and holy. The Bible teaches us that, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God" (Romans 3:23; 11). We cannot save ourselves by our own abilities or efforts. We cannot earn our own salvation by works that we do either. Because we are sinners and unable to save ourselves, we are enemies of God and are condemned to His just judgment. Unless our sinfulness is somehow removed, we are condemned to an eternity in the torments of hell. In Exodus 34:7, God describes Himself as one "who will by no means clear the guilty." He is completely pure and hates sin. What then can we do? Is our situation hopeless? No, for with God all things are possible. God has graciously provided an answer.

The Good News (the Gospel) —

The answer is that salvation from sin and receiving eternal life are the free gift of God! Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." God sent His one and only Son, so that, "whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16-17).

"Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners," and that means that the Son of God came to save people like you and like me. When Jesus came into this world, he became like one of us, yet without sin. He lived a perfect life and then died on a cruel Roman cross in order to take our place. "For our sake, he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God the Father accepted Jesus' death upon that cross in the place of those who believe. Christ took the punishment that believers deserved and also washed our sins away at Calvary. The proof that Jesus' work was accepted by God is that the Father brought Christ His Son back from the dead after three days and later received Him back into heaven to sit at His right hand.

Accepting the Gift — Receiving Eternal Life through Jesus Christ

We believe that God has set His gracious, loving heart upon those He desires to save in Christ. Perhaps the Holy Spirit has shown you the truth of the 'bad news' of sin and the amazing 'Good News' of salvation through Jesus Christ. If that describes you, we invite you to pray to God, through the name of Jesus Christ. Tell God that you realize you are a sinner, without any hope for salvation and freedom from sin, unless He does it for you. Tell God that you believe Jesus Christ came and died upon the cross and rose again from the dead. And that you trust in Christ alone for forgiveness of sin and for eternal life. Tell Jesus that you receive and recognize Him as the Lord and Master of your life from now on. Ask the Lord to continue to help you, by His Holy Spirit within you, to turn away (repent) from your sins and your sinful habits. Thank God for His mercy and love for you in Christ and pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

After the Gift

If you prayed a prayer something like the one outlined above, you may be asking yourself, "What happens now?" In the first place, if the Lord has truly brought you to faith in Christ His Son, then you are a 'new creation,' your heart has been transformed and your body is now a dwelling-place for God's Holy Spirit. And yet, you are like a newborn baby in the sense that you need to be fed in order to grow in your faith. There are five very essential things you should now do:

1. Let us at Hope know what God has done for you in Christ. We have pastors and resources in order to help you grow in your new faith.

2. Continue to pray often to God, who is your heavenly Father. Seek Him at all times and He will answer your prayers. Visit our prayer sections of this site for more help with prayer or call our church.

3. Begin to read God's Holy Word, the Bible. If you do not have a Bible at this time, we suggest you get a version of the Bible known as the English Standard Version (ESV), or a New American Standard Version (NASB). We have found these to be excellent, readable, and literal translations of God's Word. It is very important for you to get to know God's Word.

4. Become involved with a good Bible-focused church family. If you are living in the Marietta, Woodstock, Acworth, or other area communities, we invite you to come visit us and join with God's people in worship and fellowship. Whether you worship with us at Hope or some other local body of Christ, it is extremely important for you to become a part of Christ's visible Church on the earth. You will be encouraged, challenged, and fed through the preaching and teaching of God's Scripture, through the prayers of believers, and through the loving fellowship enjoyed by men, women, and children, who like you, have been saved - adopted into the family of God as His sons and daughters.

5. Finally, don't be afraid to share your faith with those you love. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, and your neighbors are likely to notice the change God has worked in you through Christ and the Spirit. Let them know what has happened in your life and that you want them to know the joy and the deep peacefulness you have experienced through faith in Jesus.