Two of my favorite quotes about the voluntary sacrifice that Jesus made by dying on the cross for humanity's sin are:
<> "It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross; it was love."
<> "One time a young boy asked Jesus how much He loved him. Jesus replied, 'This much' and stretched out his arms as wide as possible and died on a cross."
Sometimes love sheds blood. Sometimes love lays down its life. Sometimes love gives everything. That's how much God loves you... loves me... loves us. His love is as soft as velvet, and it's as tough as nails.
His love which He demonstrated through His brutal sacrifice ushered in the greatest free opportunity offered to mankind: forgiveness of sin, intimate friendship with God, eternal life, and unending meaning & purpose.
For those who have wholeheartedly received it there aren't enough words to describe its value & impact. We wouldn't trade it for anything (or everything) in this world.
For those who haven't received it there is no better time than right now to embrace the free gift from God of eternal life. We aren't promised that we will be here tomorrow. All we have is the present. All we have is right now.
We can't earn His salvation through any amount of good deeds. It's a free gift that can only be received.
This free gift of grace is accepted through faith simply by wholeheartedly transferring your faith from self-reliance to the finished work of Jesus' life, death on a cross, & resurrection (the Easter story!). Jesus took care of all the work for us!
The most common way we place our faith in Jesus is by praying a simple but significant prayer of humility like this, "Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die on the cross and rise from the dead to remove my sin. I'm not perfect. I've missed the mark. I've done wrong against You, against others, against myself. I can't save my soul. I can't do what only You can do. I need Your help. I need a Savior. I ask you to forgive me. I ask You to come into my life and make me whole. I ask You to be my Savior and Lord. I give you the throne of my heart, mind, body, and soul. I give You my life. I commit to seeking You, Your kingdom, and Your righteousness first in my life. I commit to following You and letting You use my life for Your glory. Thank You for hearing my prayer. Thank You for saving my soul. Thank You for becoming my Best Friend. Amen."
If you sincerely prayed that prayer then the Bible says that you were just spiritually born-again. You are a new creation in Christ! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! That is the best decision you can ever make! Spiritually speaking you are now like a newborn baby.
Like any newborn you have to eat, drink, learn to crawl, interact with others, and so on in order to grow and develop. Spiritual food and drink comes from: reading the Bible, applying what you learn, talking to God about whatever is on your mind & heart, finding a healthy church that teaches the truths found in the Bible, and starting a journey with God to live out your full God-given potential.
There is no greater road than the road that leads to Heaven! Welcome to the greatest adventure in life!
Happy Good Friday!!!
- "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
- "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" - 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
- "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.'" - John 3:3
- "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15:13
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