| Placing
your faith in Jesus for your soul's salvation is much more important than
determining whether or not you are a Baptist. Any good Baptist will
tell you that. |
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Long before any Baptist will
want you to understand their heritage, doctrinal convictions, or even those
things that make them distinct from other Christian communities, the message
that salvation is available to all who believe is their priority.
Becoming a Baptist has never
entitled anyone to God's gift of eternal life. Being a Baptist simply
identifies what doctrines you believe or the kind of congregation with
which you fellowship. However, becoming a Christian by trusting Jesus
Christ as your personal Saviour is what brings one into that wonderful
place where man's faith meets God's mercy and forgiveness. |
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| Well,
yes, I do admit that I'm not perfect. |
| Most of us, when asked about
our spiritual condition, will respond by stating that we are not perfect.
In truth, that is a very good answer. In fact, the Bible verifies
that same response... |
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"As it is
written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" ~ Romans 3:10
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| Since everyone is imperfect,
it only follows that God must have provided some way for us to be brought
into a right relationship with Him. However, we might need to consider
that we are even less perfect in His eyes than our own. |
| I
wouldn't go so far as to say that I am a sinner. |
| Although most of us would
not readily admit it, can there be any doubt that we don't sin? Although
much different in scope and consequences, wouldn't a little lie or intentionally
hurting someone's feelings qualify as being a sin as would any marital
unfaithfulness or taking the life of another human? |
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"For all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" ~ Romans 3:23
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Well, there you have it. Sin results in our falling short of God's
glory. In fact, it separates us from Him as he is sinless.
We are all sinners and it seems that we have a problem; a very serious
problem.
There's
a major gap between us and God. We need some way to bridge the gap
if we are to be prepared for all that comes after deatih. |
| Now,
what am I going to do? |
Nothing. Absolutely
nothing. There's nothing you can do about it.
The Ten Commandments only
prove that man is sinful. We break them. Claiming that we are
good is easily disproven the moment we do something bad. Man keeps
coming up with his own way to justify himself to God. None of them
seem to meet his approval. Since He is in charge, we would be wise
to consult His mind on the matter. |
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us." ~ Romans 5:8
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord." ~ Romans 6:23 |
There's your answer.
We're going to need some help and it's going to have to come from the only
One in the universe who is sinless.
Christ Jesus came to this
world with a singular mission; to provide we who sin with a way to be reconciled
to God. Jesus filled the gap when he died for us. |
| How
then can I personalize this most important spiritual truth? |
Receiving God's gift of eternal
life demands no good works. Gifts are free and they are given in
love. Eternal life is no exception. God offers it to all freely.
All he asks is that you acknowledge
his gift. Once you can admit your need for his forgiveness and are
ready to place your trust in the Lord Jesus for your soul's salvation,
you can receive His gift of eternal life. |
| "That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation." ~ Romans 10:9&10 |
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| I'll
pray this prayer of faith when I go to church next Sunday? |
"For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
~ Romans 10:13 |
Why wait?
Since you don't have to go
to a funeral home to die, you certainly don't have to go to a church to
be saved.
Where is God? Is He
limited to being found only inside the walls of a church building?
No, the truth is that He's only a prayer away.
Right now, no matter
where you are, you can go to God in prayer and speak directly from your
heart.
Tell Him that you admit
you are a sinner and realize that His Son, the Lord Jesus, died for your
sins and rose again from the dead.
Declare your faith
in Jesus and ask him to save your soul.
Receive the gift of
eternal life. |
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