Fact One: Everyone, absolutely everyone has fallen short of God's glorious holy standards for their lives. You might not have murdered but you probably have lied. You may not have slept with someone else's wife or husband - but you probably have hated someone or been unjust or cruel. Sin is not just sexual sin or murder, it includes being greedy, jealous, and envious. It includes our thought life too! All that we think in our imaginations is known to God. That is why Paul the apostle can write: (Romans 3:23 KJV) "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". All includes me and it also includes you.

Fact Two: God is holy and just therefore He punishes sin. The Bible says: (Romans 6:23 KJV) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Sin carries the death penalty. There are two kinds of death referred to in the Bible - physical death and eternal spiritual death. Eternal spiritual death means going into torment in Hell forever and ever, it means separation from God, from goodness, from truth, from sanity, from happiness and light. It is eternal torment forever. When we refuse to follow God and obey Him we are rebelling against our Creator and the Source of Life. If we rebel against the Creator we are the losers. It is God who sustains us, not the other way around! When we tell the Source of Life to stay away from our life and not to interfere we are actually saying "don't supply me with life". To sin, to disobey God, is to attack ourselves in the long run. Its like speeding - fun until you have to stand before the Judge. Unfortunately the sentence for a life of sin is not a speeding ticket - it is eternal death.

Fact Three: Jesus took our punishment for sin when He died upon the Cross. God prepared a way for sin to be dealt with - through special sacrifices. In the Jewish sacrificial system this was a perfect animal without spot or blemish. Jesus was sinless and was the perfect sacrifice for all the sins of all people for all time. 

The Bible tells us that God saw that everyone had sinned and was in danger of Hell. He decided to rescue them by sending Jesus to die in their place. Jesus died on the cross, took our punishment fully and was raised from the dead three days later. 

Our sins were "nailed to the cross" and dealt with when Jesus died. (Romans 5:8 KJV) But God commends (shows) His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus' sacrificial death has provided THE WAY OF FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION for all who will come to Him. 

Some people are too proud to want God's forgiveness. They think they can get to Heaven without the help of Jesus.  But as we saw before they can't- because they, like you and I, are guilty before God. And the thing about guilt is that it takes only one crime to make you guilty and deserving of punishment. A thief cannot say "but I did not kill" and a murderer cannot say "I did not steal" - their one crime makes them guilty. So it only takes one sin to make us guilty before God and no-one can say they are good enough for heaven.

 God takes sin seriously and (Acts 17:30 KJV) "commands all men every where to repent" No sin will enter Heaven. There is only ONE WAY to be forgiven and find Salvation that will allow us into Heaven. Jesus said: (John 14:6 KJV) "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." If you want Salvation, you must receive it through Jesus Christ.

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP CANNOT SAVE YOU

Sin is the problem, and belonging to a church will NOT take it away. Jesus said, (John 3:3 KJV)"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

GOOD WORKS CANNOT SAVE YOU
You could never do enough to earn Heaven. Salvation is by faith in Christ, and is not earned by any good works you could do. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

THE BIBLE CALLS FOR "REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD"
"Repentance" is a change of heart which causes you to turn from your way of life toward God, accepting the Bible facts that you are guilty as a sinner before Him, and that you are unable to deliver yourself from the punishment of hell, due you because of your sin.

THE BIBLE ALSO CALLS FOR "FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST" Faith is putting "complete trust in Jesus Christ" as your only means of clearing our guilt and delivering your soul from the punishment of hell. The Bible says, (Acts 16:31 KJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.."

Fact Four: YOU CAN BE SAVED RIGHT NOW If you will come with a repentant faith and receive Jesus Christ into your heart, by trusting Him to save your soul, you will become a son of God and spend eternity in heaven. (Romans 10:9 KJV) "..If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED." Jesus is saying to you right now...COME UNTO ME!

SEEK CHRIST NOW!

If you will call on God in prayer right now, and really mean business please pray this prayer with all your heart:

Dear Lord Jesus, I now realize that I am a sinner, I now know that I need You to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that You died on the cross for me. I believe that You rose again. I confess and turn away from my sins. I am sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me and give me a new life. I open my heart to You and ask You to take full control of my life. Help me to be the kind of Christian You want me to be. AMEN.