Now, what must our response be?

A

• We must place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to be our Savior (the one who rescues us). This means giving up any notion that we are able to spiritually help ourselves in any way.

"Yet some people accepted Him and put their faith in Him. So He gave them the right to become children of God. They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God Himself was the One who made them His children." (John, chapter 1, verses 12, 13)

"God saved you by His special favor when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."  (Paul, in Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8,9

• We receive Jesus Christ by personally asking (inviting) Him to become our Forgiver and the Leader of our lives. It is not enough to agree intellectually that Jesus is God’s Son who died on the cross for our sin. It is not enough to have some emotional experience (and there may be no emotional experience). We receive Christ by faith. Other belief systems require that people "do." Faith in Christ is based on what He has already done. It is an invitation to receive His gracious gift, which we could never earn. Yes, it does mean that we make a decision– a decision to take a step and cross the line of faith. A decision to turn away from self and toward God. But even this is made possible because God, by the Holy Spirit, urges and helps you do so.

A prayer to receive Christ would contain these elements (in your own, heartfelt words):

...IF THIS IS OUR HONEST RESPONSE, WE ARE PROMISED THAT:

• Jesus will come into our lives.

"Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear Me calling and open the door, I will come in...."  (Jesus, in Revelation, chapter 3, verse 20)

"God Himself was the One who made them His children." (John, chapter 1, verses 12, 13)

"God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free." (Paul, in Colossians, chapter 1, verses 13, 14)

"...He can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away." (1 John, chapter 1, verse 9)

"God has also said that He gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from His Son. And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life." (1 John, chapter 5, verses 11-13)

"Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through Him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf." (Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 25)

"Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know I belong to Him. (Paul, in Philippians, chapter 3, verse 8, 9a)

"God is the One who began this good work in you, and I am certain that He won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns." (Paul, in Philippians, chapter 1, verse 6)

• We experience what the Bible refers to as "new life" and God’s transforming power.

"Any person who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. God has done it all!" (2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17, 18)

Remember:

• Receiving Christ is not simply a matter of saying the right words, or reciting some outline or following some routine. It may or may not be accompanied by a release of emotion– you cannot rely on feelings. It must be an authentic response of faith and trust to what He has already accomplished for you.

• It’s not about religion, it’s about life– a new way of living with Jesus Christ at the center, integral to everything you are. It’s about growing and changing; it’s about being an agent of change, a positive influence in your world; it’s about growing in your love for God and others.

• It’s not about what you can do. It’s about what He can do through you. Yes, there will always be decisions to make. But if you rely on God’s work in you and His Word, the Bible, it will be a matter of trusting, not trying. You will not be perfect in this life. You don’t have to change things in your own power. Just let God change your heart.

• Crossing the line of faith and inviting Jesus into your life is a one-time decision. But then comes a process as you follow Him, and learn to grow in faith and obedience. We all have a lot to learn and lots of room to grow. When you receive Christ, your life just begins, so don’t keep it to yourself. Get connected with people who can help you along.