Want a Free Gift?

How about an eternity in Heaven?

You may have been hearing a lot about all this God, Jesus, Christianity stuff, and wondering what it's all about. We're not talking about a "religion." Religion itself can be a good thing, or a very horrible thing. People have been killed in the name of a religion. And this is the kind of "religion" that God hates.

But God wants a relationship with everyone. This is the difference between a religion and a true relationship with God: Religion binds and hurts people. But a relationship with God, through His Son Jesus Christ, truly frees. Religion often requires work, but this relationship that God desires is truly a free gift. When your parents got you gifts for Christmas or birthdays, did you have to work to get them? Of course not, they gave it to you because they loved you and wanted you to have it, just because you were their child. This is the same way it is with God. He sent the Gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can have a relationship with Him, and He did it just because He loves us.

There is a problem that separates us from God, though... it's called "sin." No one is above having faults; the Bible says, in Romans 3:23, that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Sure, there are a lot of good people in the world, but no one on this earth is totally perfect. God is perfect, and because we aren't, we can never measure up to His standard. And because of that, we would all have to go to hell. Something had to be done to bring us into that relationship with Him and rescue us from Hell.

This is where Jesus Christ, God's Son, came in. He came to earth as a man, and went through the exact same stuff we go through. He had emotions, and He faced temptation. The difference was that He never sinned. Because of our sin, it would take someone who was fully God and yet fully man to bridge that gap between God and man. Jesus was that bridge. He died on the cross, so that we wouldn't have to die eternally but instead could have a relationship with God. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

God has made the way that we can have this personal relationship with Him. But God loves us so much that He isn't going to force Himself on anyone. We must choose to receive Christ as our Savior, and have that relationship with God. But it's not something we have to work for. In the Bible, Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." And Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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."

And this gift is available to anyone. God isn't mad at you; He loves you, and wants to have that relationship with you. And you can receive Him right now. Just pray this prayer, and mean it...

"Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I've failed You. But I know that You died for me and rose again, and I ask you to come into my heart. Forgive me for my sins. I receive You now. Thank You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

If you prayed that prayer... You're now a child of God! Welcome to the family. Christ is NOW in your life, your sins are forgiven, you have eternal life, and when you die, you WILL go to heaven. There is nothing else you have to do to be saved.

But remember that God wants this relationship with Him to grow. We suggest praying (simply talking to God) every day, reading the Bible (start with John), getting into a church led by the Spirit of God, and trusting God in every area of your life. It's not a matter of being "religious," but of growing in this new relationship and getting to know God better.

Maybe you prayed that prayer and want to know more about this new relationship with God. Maybe you didn't pray this yet but are just checking all this Jesus stuff out and want to know more about it. Maybe you just need someone to talk to about all this. Please feel free to get in touch with us. E-mail us, or contact us on AOL Instant Messenger.