John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life”.
Q: Why is eternal life (in heaven) so important?
A: Because the other alternative is eternity in Hell
Luke 12:5
“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.”
It begins with a healthy fear of God and honoring Him. The one and only God of this universe is infinite and holy. God holds the power of life and death and He can throw us into hell if we choose not to have a relationship with him, because of our sins. We are all sinners, even those of us who think we are good.
Q: Everyone is a sinner?
A: Yes, the bible says we are all sinners.
Romans 3:23
“….for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Q: Why is it so bad to be a sinner, for example, to tell a “little” lie?
A: Because even the “smallest” sin is not so small to a Holy God. God tells us that when we sin, the wages of that sin is death.
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Q: What can you do?
A: You must repent and change your mind about your sin.
Luke 13:3
“But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Q: How do you repent?
A: To repent, you must change your mind about how you think about Jesus and how you think about your sin. Trust in the sufficiency of the finished work of Jesus – in His life, death, & resurrection. Ask God for forgiveness, turn away from your sin and by faith, turn to Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) as Lord and Savior.
Romans 10:9
“…..if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Q: Why should God forgive you and save you from eternity in Hell?
A: Because our merciful God CAN and WILL forgive sins when we seek His forgiveness. It’s a gift of God’s grace!
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Q: Why would God give you this gift?
A: The answer brings us back to the beginning of the circle! Because…
“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
Summary
God loves us and wants an eternal relationship with us. Jesus died for our sins so that we can have that right relationship with God. Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross so that we can have access into the Kingdom of God. This was ordained before the foundation of the world by God (Matthew 25:34).
Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today!
If you have made a decision to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior of your life, congratulations! You have made a life-changing decision! Now what? Find a good bible-teaching church to attend, get involved with a bible study, and fellowship with Christian friends so that you may strengthen one another and grow in your new life with Christ. Set aside some time each day to pray and be in the Word (the bible). Finally, be baptized. Baptism does not save you, but is a way to publicly proclaim your faith in Christ alone for salvation.
John 3:16 Circle 