You Must Decide

What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Christ? What kind of change will it make in my life? How do I make that commitment?

You can have a close, personal relationship with Jesus. He is alive, and enriches the lives of all those who trust and obey him. Through Christ, our sins are forgiven and our debt is paid.

Throughout the ages, millions have acknowledged the worthiness of Jesus Christ, including many who have held great influence in the world. French physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal spoke of our need for Christ when he said, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which only God can fill through His Son Jesus Christ."

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can enjoy a personal relationship with God. When we could not go to where God was, He instead came to us. What mankind was powerless to do, God has done it for us. Our righteousnesses were as filthy rags. But God made His Son, who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21). The veil in the temple that symbolically separated God's dwelling place from mankind was torn in half from top to bottom when Jesus died, forever opening the way into God's presence, and bridging the gulf that separated us from God.

Before we continue to the next step, let me pause quickly to urge you to examine yourself, to examine your motives - and to those readers who may already profess Christ - I urge you also to examine yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Jesus Christ did not die upon a bloody Cross to make you happy. He died to make you righteous. If you are looking for happiness and you've tried everything and it hasn't worked, so now you're thinking of "giving Jesus a try," then you are coming for the wrong reason. Sure, the fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy, and Jesus did come to give us abundant life. But He is more concerned with our holiness than with our happiness. When the reality of life comes crashing in on you and your happiness fades, so too will your desire for Christ. But those who have been truly converted will remain true, rooted, and solid through every storm.

The person with the most wealth and happiness doesn't get into Heaven, but only the person whose sins have been forgiven, and who has been made the righteousness of Christ. Let's not mince words - You are not in need of a new lifestyle, but a new life. You are a sinner in desperate need of a Savior to save you from an eternal Hell.

So let me urge you to count the cost before we go to the next step. Examine your motives. Real life Christianity is not the glittering television evangelist speaking of prosperity and riches and happiness. Real life Christianity is the apostle Paul lying in a cold dungeon chained to a Roman guard, his back bloodied with stripes, beaten and bruised, and yet his heart full of peace and joy in Christ. Staggering to his feet, he can look you square in the eye and say, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Philippians 3:8).

Jesus has paid the price for you on Calvary. Now it is up to you to accept what He has done for you by faith. You need to understand that.....

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

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

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18)

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

"Christ died for our sins... he was buried... he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures... he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that called on His name" (John 1:12)

"That is 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 whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9,13)

Do you feel the Spirit of God touching your heart right now? Do you feel Him drawing you to Him? Do you acknowledge you are sinner in need of a Savior? If you do, don't turn Him away. You don't know what tomorrow holds. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Pray this prayer...

Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I know that you died on the cross for my sins and have risen from the dead. I open my heart to receive You as my Savior and Lord. Forgive me of my sins. Change me, and make me into the kind of person You want me to be. Help me to live for You and to share Your love with others. Amen.

Simply repeating this prayer will not save you. But, if you prayed this prayer with all your heart, we want to rejoice with you. Please take a moment to e-mail us at Tel-A-Care Ministry and let us know. Again, congratulations on accepting Jesus as your Savior!