Have you put your faith in Christ?
If you have never put your faith in Christ, then you are probably tired of searching for fulfillment and a sense of peace. The truth is that we all hunger for something that we spend our lives trying to satisfy, but it’s a longing only God can fill.
We were each created by God to know and worship Him. God loves you and desires a personal relationship with you.
The Bible teaches us that we are all sinners.
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23, NIV
God is holy and righteous and good. He created the world and all that is in it. But we are all born with a sinful nature because He made us with a free will–the opportunity to choose whether or not we will follow Him. Left to ourselves, we will fall short of His glory and righteousness. This sin separates us from God and leads only to death.
“for the wages of sin is death.”
Romans 6:23a
But because God loves us so much, He made a way for us to know Him through His Son.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
God sent His only Son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life, to die on the cross for us as payment for our sin. He took the punishment on Himself so that we could be free from sin’s penalty.
The rest of Romans 6:23 (above) says this:
“…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 6:23b
We are sinners, and yet through Jesus and the gift of God, we can have eternal life. The truth is that we really can have a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus.
What must you do to be saved?
It’s a question many have asked, from the psalmist in Psalm 15 who questioned, “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” to the jailer who asked Paul and Silas when confronted with the mercy and power of God (Acts 16:25-34).
Romans 10:9-10 tells us
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10
But this confession and belief are more than just acknowledging your sin and believing in Jesus. The faith the Bible speaks of is having a repentant heart (change of heart and mind) and trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross to set you free. It’s a decision to turn away from your former way of living and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Salvation is a believing faith that changes us from the inside out and calls us to a life of denying self and following Christ. The psalmist describes a life of one whose walk, words, and will have been completely transformed (Psalm 15).
The rich young ruler who posed this question to Jesus in Luke 18 was told that saving faith would change his priorities from self to others (18:22). But Jesus assured him it was something only God could do in and through him.
“Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God.'”
Luke 18:27
You can’t save yourself. But you can make a decision to surrender to the Lordship of Christ and follow Him and His ways. It’s the best decision you will ever make because you will be made right with the God of all creation. And that is the only way to have true peace.
If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart right now, respond to Him as He leads. If you have questions or want to talk with someone, you can email me at jennifer@jenniferhyates.com.