You may not have come looking for Him, but He has been waiting for you. And He is so excited you are here.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is God’s Son. Two thousand years ago, He left heaven and came to earth. He was hated by the religious elite, denied by the religious followers, and loved by few. But He truly loved all, and He proved it at the cost of His life.
Why did Jesus die?
He did not have to. He chose to.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth - all perfect and without sin. Adam and Eve eventually ate the one fruit God forbade (Genesis 2:16-17). Because of their disobedience, sin entered into their heart, and ultimately, the heart of all mankind.
The sin of one man separated us all from God, so it is fitting that one perfect man was required to restore us back into His family. No person on earth could measure up, so God sent His Son to do what we could not—live a perfect life.
But living a perfect life was not enough; a blood sacrifice was required. A perfect sacrifice. Jesus gave Himself for us, yielding His body and shedding His blood for all mankind. He was beaten until unrecognizable before He was crucified on a Roman cross—a slow, cruel, and agonizing death. Out of Jesus’ great love, He chose death to give us the opportunity to choose life.
Because He died, we can be forgiven and restored back to the family of God:
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)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1a)
Our restoration is made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice, but it is not automatic.
Jesus wants you.
Jesus wants to be your hope, your helper, and your healer. He wants to be your love, your life, and your Lord. He wants to be your everything. And He can be if you simply ask.
”But you don’t know what I’ve done.”
Ever have a thought like that? You’re not alone. It doesn’t matter what you’ve said, done, or thought. It doesn’t matter how bad you think you are or have been. It doesn’t matter how hopeless your problem or situation might seem. Jesus loves you with a depth you literally cannot comprehend. He cares more about your future with Him than your past without Him. Therefore, the only person holding you back…is you.
Invite Him in.
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. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:9-10, NLT)
Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is! Jesus already did the heavy lifting. If you would like to be restored back into the family of God, just ask Him. Your heart’s cry is more important than the words you use, but it might go something like this:
Jesus, I believe You died for my sins, rose from the dead, and offer eternal life to all who ask. Right now, I choose you. I invite You to come into my heart and life. Forgive me of my every wrong. Wash me clean. Make me new. Thank you for saving me! Thank you for leading me and helping me learn to love and follow you. Amen.
And you will be free indeed.
When you give your life to Jesus, you are totally set free:
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)
You are freed from an uncompromising law that sees the smallest of imperfections and declares you guilty. It is by grace you have been saved, and it is by grace though faith you are kept—not perfect living.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7)
What now?
Invite the Holy Spirit into your life. Like right now. This is the single most important thing you can do following salvation. Why? Because we all need a teacher, and our teacher is the Holy Spirit. He will guide you into all truth.
For an in-depth dive into this topic, check out Excluded God by Daniel Key.
And then…
- Tell someone about your experience.
- Read the Bible frequently and regularly. I cannot overemphasize this enough. The Bible introduces you to God (your Heavenly Father) and is nourishment for your spirit just like food is nourishment for your body. It infuses your life with spiritual strength and stamina. Personally, I prefer a printed Bible, but the YouVersion Bible app is a great option, and I recommend starting with the Gospel of John.
- Talk to God regularly, and give space for Him to talk to you by removing distractions and listening to your thoughts. (This is prayer.)
- Find a church to attend. A healthy church is a wonderful place to learn, grow, and meet other believers to do life with.
If you made a decision for Christ…
I would love to hear about it! Send me a short message at hello@johnnydroberts.com.