(Click on the image to read what is on the back of the card.)
"For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey;
while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step."
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
"God hath given to man a short time here upon earth,
and yet upon this short time eternity depends."
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)
"How strange that people should spend years preparing for retirement
and not take so much as five minutes to prepare to meet God."
Billy Graham
What is the Gospel? Jesus Christ. Everything else follows.
What is the Christian life? The Christian life is the life of Christ being reproduced in the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit through the teaching of the Word of God invading every area of the believer's life.
What is a Christian? Just because you're not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., doesn't mean that you are a Christian. People are not Christians by default. Attending a Protestant or Catholic church does not make you a Christian.
There is a difference between a "cultural Christian" and an authentic Christian. An authentic Christian is one who had placed his faith and life in the hands of Jesus Christ, receiving salvation through the grace of God. A cultural Christian may attend a church, follow general Christian morality, and in general be a 'good citizen', but is not one who believes in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Jesus is God born as Man, who lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, was resurrected on the third day, and sits at the right hand of God. He will return to judge every individual, including you! There is a literal heaven, a literal hell, and a righteous judgement by God.
Christians worship a risen, living Savior. Other religions worship dead persons and/or inanimate objects without the ability to redeem you from your sins and deliver you to heaven.
"There are only two religions in the world.
In one, invented by men, man supposes he can save himself by ceremonies and good works;
the other is that one religion which is revealed in the Bible,
and which teaches men to look for salvation arising solely from the free grace of God."
Robert Olivetan, c. 1523
"We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out
our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself. ...
That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed."
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1 (NASB)
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. - 2 Peter 1:16 (KJV)
Christianity is not a "blind faith", but a reasonable faith. At the same time, opinions are not faith, just your own ideas whether justifiable or not.
How can we have faith in matters that are untestable? By trusting the Bible in matters that are testable.
"Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the nonexistent."
A.W. Tozer
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
1 Timothy 2:5-6 (KJV)
"But I'm a good person", you might say. "I'm better than those folks in prison, or those folks who've been cheating on their finances." And so on...
Consider: What does it mean to be 'good'? How good is 'good enough'? How much 'good' do you have to do to offset the 'bad' that you do? Who sets the standard for goodness? Who measures you against the standard for goodness? Who determines whether you're 'good enough' to be allowed into Heaven? A lot of 'good' people don't get to Heaven.
After this life, non-believers get what they want - a self-centered existence without God; an eternal existence without God or any of His daily blessings, or anything good at all. In fact, the Bible speaks of eternal punishment and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" for those who have not accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Nothing good, only eternal suffering.
Sin will keep you from Heaven! Your acceptance of Jesus' payment for your sins is all that will allow you into Heaven. Nothing you can do for yourself will give you righteousness before God. You cannot work or earn your way to Heaven.
In fact, Jesus says there is only one work that counts: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" - John 6:29 (NASB)
For believers, life on this earth is the worst they will experience; for the non-believer, it is the best.
Belief is the key to truly understanding the Bible and the Gospel message. Before belief, the Bible seems foreign and foolish. But after belief in Jesus as personal Savior, the Gospel becomes meaningful and real! Then, Heaven itself is opened up to you!
Right thinking about God and His Word leads to right thinking;
Right thinking leads to right actions;
Right actions will take care of your emotions.
"Feelings come and go, and when they come a good use can be made of them:
they cannot be our regular spiritual diet."
C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night and Other Essays
You can be sincere about your faith;
but you may also be sincerely wrong.
You have the right to believe what you want;
you also have the right to be wrong.
But when it comes to a decision about your eternal future,
you can't afford to be wrong!
"Intellectual brilliance is no guarantee against being dead wrong."
David Fasold
You also can't claim ignorance of God's message through Jesus Christ, since non-believers are already condemned to judgement. Read the book of Romans, noting chapter 1 in particular. But also take note of Romans 8:1 (KJV), "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Are you making an honest, diligent, and humble inquiry into what God says about Himself, and His Son, Jesus Christ? Are you inquiring with an open mind, or just making excuses for going your own way? Look at what God and Jesus say, not what I or others say about God. Are you looking for faith in an honest way, not just "playing around"? If so, God will reward your efforts.
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." - Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13 (NASB)
We are accountable not just for the things we know,
but also for the things we could have known
had we cared enough to find out.
A. W. Tozer (approximate quote)
We have a moral obligation to seek out God. He is our Creator, and we are all required by Him to decide what will be our relationship with Him. Will you seek Him and take Him at His word by faith, or will you reject Him? You must decide, one way or another. A default decision not to seek Him is still a decision against what God has said. And that is a rejection of the Truth, for John 17:17b says, "Your word is truth."
Rejecting God also means calling Him a liar, and putting yourself higher than God. "[B]ut you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified." - Daniel 5:23
As sinners, Jesus calls us to repent. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, 'Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" - Matthew 4:17 (KJV)
"How can we know that what Jesus has shown us of God is the truth; or
how do we know when we look into the face of Jesus that we are looking
into the face of God? The answer is so plain and simple that it is a
marvel how intelligent men can manage to miss it as they do. Look at
what Christ has done for the soul of man: that is your answer.
Christianity is just Christ - nothing more and nothing less. It is a
way of life, and He is that way. It is the truth about human destiny,
and He is that truth."
R. J. Campbell, "The Call of Christ"
"It is curious that people who are filled with horrified indignation whenever
a cat kills a sparrow can hear the story of the killing of God told Sunday
after Sunday and not experience any shock at all."
Dorothy Sayers, quoted in "God in Pain", by Barbara Brown Taylor
"This Christian claim [of universal validity] is naturally offensive to
the adherents of every other religious system. It is almost as
offensive to modern man, brought up in the atmosphere of relativism,
in which tolerance is regarded almost as the highest of the virtues.
But we must not suppose that this claim to universal validity is
something that can quietly be removed from the Gospel without changing
it into something entirely different from what it is... Jesus' life,
his method, and his message do not make sense, unless they are
interpreted in the light of his own conviction that he was in fact the
final and decisive word of God to men... For the human sickness
there is one specific remedy, and this is it. There is no other."
Stephen Neill, "Christian Faith and Other Faiths"
"The gospel is not served, it is not
confessed - indeed, the gospel is eviscerated - when
Jesus Christ is presented as one of many options from
which to choose on a smorgasbord of spirituality."
Rev. Charles Henrickson, a Lutheran minister in St. Louis, July 2002
"Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its trust not in the
living God, but in dying men. The unbeliever denies the self-sufficiency of
God and usurps attributes that are not his. This dual sin dishonors God
and ultimately destroys the soul of man."
A. W. Tozer
"Remember that believing a thing does not make it true, and denying it
does not make it untrue. ...
Nor will your believing certain things in any degree affect the facts."
William Fraser McDowell
For skeptics and others with questions regarding Christ and Christianity, I recommend starting with two books that answer many of those questions. Other books listed will also help answer questions you may have.
Lee Strobel has a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School and was the legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and an investigative reporter. He was an atheist and is now a professing follower of Christ. Strobel interviewed some of the most prominent scholars in various areas of Christian studies for their answers to some hard questions about Christ and Christianity, based on current research, science, and archeology.
Following is another summary of the Gospel (the "Good News" about Jesus Christ). Many Bible verses are given later demonstrating some of God's Truth regarding salvation and eternal life.
What about salvation? Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) says, "For by grace are ye [i.e. believers in Jesus Christ] saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." We can't earn our way to Heaven.
And we are told in 1 John 5:11-12, "And the testimony is this, that God has given us [i.e. again, believers in Jesus Christ] eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life."
And also Jesus is recorded in John 5:24 (KJV) as saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.'"
We can have an eternal life with God after our physical death here. We continue to exist beyond our earthly body. We need to believe God's promises. John 10:27-28 (KJV) records Jesus as saying, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." And Jesus says in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
The choice and decision are simple. In John 14:1-6, Jesus says "'Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the Way where I am going.' Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'"
How can this be? Romans 5:6,8 (KJV) speaks of the love of God. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 6:4 (KJV) continues, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
The Apostle Paul also says the choice is simple. In Romans 10:9-13 Paul writes "... if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the scripture says, 'whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches, for all who call upon Him, for whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
These are simple, but key, truths. God cares for us even more than we can know. Matthew records in 10:29,31 (KJV) Jesus saying "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."
And Luke records Jesus as saying "but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him." (Luke 12:9-10)
As believers, in Heaven we will have a new, perfect, eternal body. 1 Corinthians 15:42b-44 (KJV) says this about our old and new bodies: "It [i.e. our body] is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
We can rejoice in that heavenly Kingdom that God offers to each of us who believes, and trusts, in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4 KJV)
You can experience the life and power of Jesus Christ today. In Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV), Jesus says "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
One day all of us will bow before Christ - believers and unbelievers alike. For it is written "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11 KJV)
Everyone will have to acknowledge who the Lord is and kneel before Him. We can either bow now before our Savior, or we'll bow then before our judge. Get to know the Lord know while He is your Lord and Savior before you get to know Him as your Lord and Judge.
Are you willing to bet your eternal life on your opinions?
"In Hades he [a rich man] lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'" (Luke 16:23-26)
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"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36 (KJV)
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The Bible speaks of a literal Heaven and a literal Hell.
... for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness
shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but
rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal.'"
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,
'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world'"
"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire;
so shall it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out
of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
... So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth,
and sever the wicked from among the just,
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
But everyone, including you, lacks a natural inclination to believe.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man,
but the end thereof are the ways of death.
"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' saith the LORD.
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God," They are corrupt, and
have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually appraised.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
in whose case the god of this world [i.e. satan] has blinded the minds of the
unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory
of Christ, who is the image of God.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty
deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary
principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise
in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
For it is written, "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
And again, "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain."
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they
have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.
The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there
are any who understand, Who seek after God.
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no
one who does good, not even one.
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE
CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this
age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come
to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message
preached to save those who believe.
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles
foolishness,
but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power
of God and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God
is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise
according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and
God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are
strong.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them;
for God hath showed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;
so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like
to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,
to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires,
and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them,
I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
However, you and all other people have sinned and are worthy of judgement.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and
who never sins.
Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
... as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one;
there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God;
all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none
who does good, there is not even one."
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
... If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous
deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our
iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits
sin is the slave of sin."
Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His
ear so dull That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And
your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
The penalty for sin is death and judgement.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and
righteousness and judgment"
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he
will also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
"Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of
punishment would be forever."
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of
the dead and of the living.
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard
your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat
of God.
For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up
the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
You cannot save yourself before God.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes
to the Father but through Me."
Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in
righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Jesus died for you as payment for your sins.
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under
heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father but through Me."
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have the life.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
The next day John [the Baptist] seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but
that the world might be saved through Him.
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been
judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
"And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed
with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you
upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls:
for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so
that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but
made alive in the spirit.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
which He lavished on us.
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess
also before my Father which is in heaven.
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny
before my Father which is in heaven.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from
the law of sin and of death.
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for
sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He
entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with
hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood,
He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling
those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?
For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a
death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were
committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive
the promise of the eternal inheritance.
And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed
with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Each person must trust Jesus Christ as Savior in order to obtain
an eternal life in Heaven.
Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, 'Ye must be born again.'"
I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I
will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of
my sin.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and
with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE
DISAPPOINTED."
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is
Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," saith the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
...God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus,
who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
"It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.'
Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life."
Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I
will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the
way here to draw."
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes
in Me will live even if he dies,
and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe
this?"
She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ,
the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE,
A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey
the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
And Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh
to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this
life is in His Son.
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have the life.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of
God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness
toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our
transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion
on those who fear Him.
What would stop you now from trusting Christ?
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the
disciples, which are not written in this book;
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect,
but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was
laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to
what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if
in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also
to you;
however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk
according to the pattern you have in us.
For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even
weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory
is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for
a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with
the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even
to subject all things to Himself.
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If you weren't satisfied with any of the above explanations of salvation through Jesus Christ, you might try reading Life's Most Important Questions or God's Plan for You.
Better yet, read the Gospel of John, or the other 3 gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and Romans, Philippians, Ephesians, Genesis, and other books of the Bible.
Search the Bible for yourself with the
Bible Gateway.
Bible Gateway searching instructions are available.
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
"Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Mark 8:36-38 (KJV)
The contents are copyright © 1999-2002 by Michael L. Cook. All rights reserved. Additional copyrights apply.
Thanks to Pastor Ed Bateman for his definition of the Christian life.
Scripture marked KJV is from the King James Version of the Bible.
Bible passages marked NASB® are from the New American Standard Bible translation.
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (http://www.Lockman.org)
Unmarked passages are also from the NASB.
How Can I Share My Faith Without An Argument? is booklet Q0709 in the Discovery Series from RBC Ministries.
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