The Free Gift…

You’ve probably heard “God is love.” Well it's true, God is love. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:8

He loves us even though we are sinners. But God is also perfect and just, He cannot allow sin to be in His presence. So this is what He did. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to take all of our sin upon Himself and die in our place. His death paid the penalty for ALL of our sins.

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:6

Jesus now intercedes on our behalf to God the Father and God the Father now sees us as being His own sons and daughters. When we believe in Jesus we become adopted into the family as God's own children.
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" - John 1:12
"For 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 (a very famous verse!)

You see, all we have to do is accept the gift of salvation. We just have to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he paid the price for our sins on the cross. It's that simple, Jesus came to earth and sacrificed his life for us. All who believe in him will be saved. The bible talks about this throughout the New Testiment. This is why the New Testiment is the Good News of Great Joy.

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." - John 3:36

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved — you and your household." - Acts 16:31

Isn’t that a great gift? Eternal life with God in His Kingdom. Its actually pretty huge when you think about eternity (forever and ever). This is something we didn’t deserve and could never earn. It had to be given to us by God’s grace. Jesus sacrificed himself willingly to save us from the eternal fire of Hell.

So what should you do? Well of course, accept the free gift!

The only thing you have to do is believe. And if you believe in Jesus, you should pray to God right now. Tell God that you understand you are a sinner and not worthy of His kingdom. But that you believe in Jesus and you want to be forgiven for your sins and to be accepted as one of His children! Tell God that you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and you believe he died on the cross for your sins and that you want to follow him the rest of your life instead of following your sin nature.

"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." - Ephesians 2:8

It is your faith (your belief in Jesus) that ensures your salvation.