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God loves you
and offers a wonderful plan for your
life.
God’s Love
"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 NIV)
God’s Plan
[Christ speaking] "I
came that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly" [that it might be full and
meaningful] (John 10:10)
So, why is it that most people are
not experiencing the abundant life? Because…
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Man is sinful
and separated from God. Therefore, he
cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his
life.
Man Is Sinful
"All have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23)
Man was created to have fellowship
with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he
chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with
God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an
attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is
evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated
"The wages
of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God]
(Romans 6:23)
This diagram illustrates that God
is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the
two. The arrows illustrate that a man is continually
trying to reach God and the abundant life through his
own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or
religion — but he inevitably fails.
The third law explains the only
way to bridge this gulf...
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Jesus Christ is God’s
only provision for man's sin. Through Him you
can know and experience God's love and plan for your
life.
He Died in Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us" (Romans 5:8)
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins…He was
buried…He was raised on the third day, according to the
Scriptures…He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred…" (1
Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way,
and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father,
but through Me’” (John 14:6)
This diagram illustrates that God
has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by
sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in
our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know
these three laws…
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We must individually RECEIVE
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and
experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
“As many as received Him, to them
He gave the right to become children of God, even to
those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one
should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9)
When We Receive Christ, We
Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8)
We Receive Christ by Personal
Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand
at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation
3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning
to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to
come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us
what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on
the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough
to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus
Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
Two Kinds of Lives
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The Self-directed life
Self is on the throne.
Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord
and frustration. Christ is outside the person's
life.
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The Christ-directed life
Christ is on the throne. Self
is yielding to Christ. Interests are directed by
Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan.
Questions
- Which circle best describes
your life?
- Which circle would you like
to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can
receive Christ:
You can receive Christ right now
by faith through prayer:
God knows your heart and is not so
concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of
your heart. The following is a suggested prayer: Does this prayer express the
desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray
this prayer right now and Christ will come into your
life, as He promised.
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You
for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of
my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You
for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take
control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of
person You want me to be."
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