When Adam and Eve made the decision to defy God and take a chunk out of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, they caused quite a string of events that continue to affect us to this day. God had created the perfect paradise and placed the first human beings in it to enjoy and to care for it. They only had one command, and that was to not eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Once they gave in and took the bite, things would never be the same. Their one sin resulted in separation from God, guilt, shame, and death, not just for them, but for all of mankind. (Read Genesis 3 for more details of the story.)
The sinful condition that the first humans introduced to the earth has been passed down to all of us. Every one of us has a sinful nature that is contrary to God’s flawless nature. Every single person who has ever lived has sinned and defied God’s perfect standard. As a matter of fact, there is no way possible on our own that we could ever be good enough, not sin enough, or do enough good works to make up for it or to earn His favor. We are hopeless in our sin if we are relying on ourselves to make things right.
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Romans 5:18 NLT
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 NLT
Unfortunately, the consequence of sin is death. That goes for all of us. However, we do not have to suffer that consequence. That penalty was paid for us so that we can be free from sin and death once and for all. God offers us the free gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus, instead.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NLT
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT
What is so awesome is that the price for our sin has been paid in full for us! Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to take our sins away once and for all. (For more information about sacrifices for sins, read Hebrews 10.) Jesus, who never sinned, took the penalty for our sin in our place when He died on the cross. As a matter of fact, He died for us while we were still sinners. He didn’t wait for us to clean up our act, but He showed ultimate love for us even when we were at our worst.
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. Romans 5:8-9 NLT
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Hebrews 10:10 NLT
He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:14
The question then remains of how we receive this free gift. Here are the ABC’s:
· A – Admit: We must admit that we have sinned and ask for forgiveness, and He has promised to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:8-9).
· B – Believe: We must believe in our hearts that Jesus died for our sins and rose again (Romans 10:9).
· C – Commit: We are also to speak aloud that He is Lord (Romans 10:9). Calling Him Lord is a commitment to live your life for Him, to allow Him to be the Lord of your life. It is a matter of turning away from our old lives and choosing instead to follow Him
Understand that it does not mean to keep a list of laws or rules in order to be right with Him, because that is impossible. We will not be perfect either, and He does not expect us to be. However, God promises to give us a new life and right standing with Him through Christ.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9 NLT
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 NLT
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:21-24 NLT
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3:7 NLT
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 NLT
Now that you have an understanding of what it means to be saved, or to commit your life to the Lord, let us pray together. I will give you a guide, but you may use your own words.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I believe in You. I believe that You created the heavens and earth, and You also created me. Everything you made was perfect, but because of disobedience, mankind fell away from You. That includes me. I understand that I am a sinner and in need of your grace to save me. I ask you to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You died to pay for my sins, and you rose again from the dead to triumph over death once and for all. I choose today to turn away from my old life and to follow You. I ask You to be my Lord and give me a new life. I commit today to live for You as Your Spirit leads and enables me. Help me to grow in a relationship with You. Thank You for saving me and for the assurance that I have of eternal life with You. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
So, where do you go from here? God does not merely want a prayer from you and then to never hear from you again. He desires a relationship with you more than anything. Bible reading, prayer, and going to church are great places to start and to grow in your relationship with God. He will give you the desire and the power to live for Him.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NLT
I recommend learning all that you can from God’s Word so that you will not easily be deceived as you grow in your faith. Everything you need is right there in the Bible. Learn how to read it for yourself. When you listen to teaching or preaching, check it out for truth from the Bible. Begin reading it every chance you get. If you have a smart phone or tablet, try using a plan through YouVersion.comor ThroughtheWord.org. That will help you get started and stay on track. If not, I recommend starting with these books from a printed Bible: Luke, Romans, Philippians, Colossians, and Galatians.
Also, choose an easy to understand translation. I chose New Living Translation here because it is true to the meaning of the original transcripts yet in modern, simple English. Pray and ask God to help you understand and to teach you as you read.
Talk to God throughout the day too. It does not have to be formal, nor is prayer merely a daily “give me” list. It is a conversation with God. Learn how to pray by using Jesus’ example as a guide in your own words (Matthew 6:9-13 See alternate translations.)
Lastly, to help you along the way, I recommend finding a Bible-based church with which to get involved. You will be strengthened by the encouragement of other Christians. God does not intend for us to do this all by ourselves. His plan is for us to help each other along the way.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT
I tried to be thorough and answer all the basics here, yet still keep it simple enough to understand. You may still have questions. You are welcome to drop me an email, or I encourage you to speak to a mature Christian to guide you on your journey. If you have made this commitment, I would love to hear from you. Post a comment below about your decision to follow Christ, and I will be praying for you. May God bless you in this new life!
Love in Christ,
