Whether you’re trying to make sense of your
past, trying to overcome something in the present, or trying to make changes
for a better future, the Lord cares about you. He loves you. No matter what
challenges you or your loved ones are facing, no matter the pain or difficult
feelings you may be experiencing, no matter what you’ve done or what’s been
done to you, there is hope. And that hope is
found in Jesus Christ.
God has a plan for your life, and it begins
with a personal relationship with Jesus. The most important decision you can
ever make is whether you will accept His invitation. If you have never made
that decision, these four simple truths can help you start your journey
together with Him.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’
declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah
29:11)
4 Points of God’s Plan
God’s Purpose for You: Salvation
What was God’s motivation in sending Jesus
Christ to earth? To express His love for you by saving you! The Bible says “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him.”
(John
3:16–17)
What was Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth? To
forgive your sins, to empower you to have victory over sin, and to enable you
to live a fulfilled life! Jesus said “I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full.” (John
10:10)
The Problem: Sin
What exactly is sin? Sin is living
independently of God’s standard – knowing what is wrong and doing it anyway –
also knowing what is right and choosing not to do it. The apostle Paul said …
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that
is, in my sinful nature.
I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is
good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”
(Romans 7:18–19
NLT)
What is the major consequence of sin?
Spiritual death, eternal separation from God. The Bible says, “Your iniquities [sins] have
separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Scripture also says
“The
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.” (Romans
6:23)
God’s Provision for You: The Savior
Can anything remove the penalty for sin? Yes!
Jesus died on the cross to personally pay the penalty for your sins. The Bible
says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
What is the solution to being separated from
God? Belief in (entrusting your life to) Jesus Christ as the only way to God
the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John
14:6). The Bible says
“Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”(Acts 16:31)
Your Part: Surrender
Give Christ control of your life, entrusting
yourself to Him. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my
disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for
me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:24–26).
Place your faith in (rely on) Jesus Christ as
your personal Lord and Savior and reject your “good works” as a means of
earning God’s approval. The Bible says “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)
A Prayer of
Surrender
Has
there been a time in your life when you know you’ve humbled your heart and
received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior – giving Him control of
your life? You can tell God that you want to surrender your life to Christ in a
simple, heartfelt prayer like this:
“God, I want a real relationship
with you. I admit that many times I’ve chosen to go my own way instead of your
way. Please forgive me for my sins. Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to
pay the penalty for my sins. Come into my life to be my Lord and my Savior. Change
me from the inside out and make me the person you created me to be.
In your holy name I pray. Amen.”
What Can You Now Expect?
When you surrender your
life to Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit who empowers you to live a life
pleasing to God. The Bible says, “His divine power has given us
everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus
assures those who believe with these words “Truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has
crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)
Source: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/gods-plan-for-you/
