Allow me to introduce you to the Creator of the person who writes this blog.

He’s your Creator, too. In fact, He’s the Creator of this planet and everything on it. There’s nothing in existence that He didn’t create.

He’s the Almighty One, the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Most High, the Everlasting Father, our Healer, our Provider…

…God Himself.

The One who spoke universes into existence, and yet who notices when even the smallest sparrow falls to the ground.

The One who created the vast, starry Milky Way, and also the tiniest flower.

The One who knows the number of hairs on your head, and who knew you when you were still in your mother’s womb. The One who knows your past, and also your future.

This awesome Being loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.

Imagine that!

But how can humans, with all of our baggage and sins, stand in the presence of such power and majesty and holiness?

We can’t. We’d probably burn up. Let’s face it: our sins deserve judgement. And don’t kid yourself: we’ve all sinned.

It seems there’s no hope for sinful humans to spend eternity with a holy God.

Unless…

Unless God Himself took care of our sin problem.

What if He, the eternal and limitless God, entered time and space via His son Jesus? What if Jesus, the only sinless human, bore the judgment for our sins so that we could receive His perfect record of righteousness in return?

Guess what? He already did.

God loves us so much that He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to Earth 2,000 years ago. The sinless Saviour died on a cross, bearing our sins for us. He took the punishment that we deserve. Then He rose from the dead on the third day, sealing forever His victory over death and securing the gift of eternal life in God’s presence for those who would believe in Him.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

This unimaginably precious gift is offered freely to you. All you have to do to accept it is to believe in Jesus’ atoning work on the cross and ask His forgiveness for your sins.

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1: 19)

If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord, you can pray a simple prayer like this one:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner, and I can’t save myself. I ask for Your forgiveness, and by faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day, providing for my forgiveness. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I will trust and follow You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen.”

The important thing is not so much the specific words you say. It’s not the prayer itself that saves you, but the faith and repentance behind the prayer.

Faith means having complete trust or confidence in what Jesus did for you.
Repentance simply means to have sincere regret for your sins and a commitment to turn away from them. It means having a change of heart and turning to God instead.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, congratulations! I hope you’ll follow these next steps on your Christian walk:

Read the Bible: it’s God’s “instruction manual,” so to speak. In the Scriptures you can learn more about the life of Jesus and His teachings, and God’s love for you. Find a translation that works best for you (I like the New Living Translation). You can also listen to the Bible spoken aloud on apps like YouVersion. How about starting with the Book of John in the New Testament?

Find a Bible-believing church in your area and start attending regularly. Getting involved in a Christian community will help you grow in your faith. Believers are all part of the same family, and are there to help and encourage one another.

Get baptized as a public declaration of your faith. The pastor of your church can give you guidance in taking this step.

Pray. Prayer is simply a conversation with God. Come to Him with any problems you have, to offer praise and thanksgiving, or just to chat (don’t forget to listen, too). He always loves hearing from His children!

Welcome to the family!

© 2019 Lori J. Cartmell