The Bible teaches that God loves everyone and wants them to have a personal relationship with him, but mankind is separated from God and his love.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1: 27)
Why is mankind separated from God and his love?
Because Mankind has sinned against God.
But your sins have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59: 2) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3: 23)
What is sin? Sin briefly, is living for oneself and not living for God.
What can we do about this separation?
People try to bridge this separation by doing good – think that this will make them acceptable to God. But however hard we try, we cannot overcome the root of our own sinfulness.
Therefore no-one will be declared right in his sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3: 20)
So where does this separation lead?
This separation leads only to death and certain judgement.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this judgement… (Hebrews 9: 27)
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord… (2 Thessalonians 1: 8-9)
But, there is a solution.
Jesus Christ, unlike any other man, committed no sin, and therefore did not deserve death. But he took on himself the punishment of our sins, dying on the cross so that we could escape the judgement due to us.
He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5: 15)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all mankind..(1 Timothy 2: 5-6)
Does this include everyone?
Yes. But only those who repent and believe in Jesus Christ can cross this bridge.
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel. (Mark 1: 15)
What does this mean?
To repent means to admit to God that you have been living in rebellion to him and to be willing to turn from your sins. To believe means to trust that Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, died bearing the guilt of your sin.
If you are willing to turn from your sin and to believe that Jesus Christ died to purchase your forgiveness, you are now ready to become a Christian.
“Lord Jesus, I admit that I have been living in rebellion to you, and I am very sorry. I believe that you died so that I might be forgiven of all my sin. Please forgive me now. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit and help me to live in a way that pleases you. Be my Saviour, my Master and my Friend all the days of my life. Amen.”
If you have prayed sincerely, you can know that God has forgiven you; you have become born again and have received the gift of eternal life. You will now need to tell others about Jesus Christ and do the following:
