Do you know Jesus?
Maybe you've heard this question many times before or maybe this is the first time you have heard it. In all your life it will be the most important question asked of you. The answer you decide will make a difference for the rest of your life. The rest of your life on this earth and the rest of your life forever after your time on this earth is over.
1.WHY DO PEOPLE ASK YOU THIS QUESTION ANYWAY?
Because we care about you. No we don't know you personally, what your name is, what you look like, what your problems and needs are. But Jesus does. And the Jesus in me and the Jesus in others is reaching out to you. Yes Jesus has singled you out. He is reaching out to you because His love for you is unending, it is beyond measure. It's not his will that any should perish.
2 Peter 3:9 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. KJV
REPENTANCE: Refers to "repentance" from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God.
SIN: "a missing of the mark"
Every single life is precious to Him. So precious he died a physical death and rose from the dead so you can be spiritually alive. You are bought with a price. The highest price ever. The life of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:20 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. KJV
He loves you. He has the answers to your needs and problems. Jesus is not just 'so when you die you go to heaven'. Jesus is for now. For your good times and your bad times. You need wisdom, peace, joy and answers. He has all the answers for you now. Do you feel alone, like no one cares or understands? Jesus can fill that void in your life. He says He'll never leave or forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. KJV
This doesn't mean you will never have any more problems. But it does mean you will have Jesus with you to help you through your problems. We can go boldly and directly to the throne of God and ask for and receive help.
Hebrews 4:16 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. KJV
2. MAYBE YOU FEEL YOUR LIFE IS GOOD. YOU DON'T NEED JESUS. YOUR HAPPY, DON'T BOTHER ANYBODY, YOUR BASICALLY A GOOD PERSON, AND YOU HAVE NO REAL NEEDS OR PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE. BUT YOU DO HAVE A VERY BIG PROBLEM, A VERY BIG NEED. ONE YOU CAN'T FIX AND ONLY JESUS HAS THE ANSWER TO.
Romans 3:23 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; KJV
Sin - missing the mark - we have all missed the mark. No one is completely perfect. We have no goodness of ourselves. The Bible says our goodness is as filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:6 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. KJV
The only goodness in us is through Jesus. He took our sin on Himself on the cross. When we stand one day before God it will be Jesus in us that God sees if we have acknowledged our sins - the fact that we have missed the mark- and put our trust in Him. The following scripture explains this.
2 Corinthians 5:21 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. KJV
3. MAYBE YOU ARE ONE TO SAY "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I HAVE DONE AND THE THINGS I HAVE THOUGHT AND SAID. JESUS COULD NEVER LOVE ME AND FORGIVE ME FOR ALL I HAVE DONE."
The following few scriptures explain that Jesus came to this world to draw people who have sinned to himself. Not to condemn or punish. He came out of love to bring people back to himself. Sin separates us from God and Jesus came to bring us back to God's family. There is no greater love. No greater act of love. Put your focus on God's love for you and your need for Jesus and His forgiveness not on your past. You have an awesome future from this moment on with peace and joy in your heart. Read these next few scriptures and put them deep into your heart and let the love of Jesus draw you and help you to accept His love and forgiveness. He offers it willingly. Accept it willingly.
John 3:17 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. KJV
1 Timothy 1:15 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. KJV
Matthew 20:28 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. KJ
Romans 5:6 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. KJV
1 John 4:9-10 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. KJV
PROPITIATION hilasmos (hil-as-mos'); atonement, i.e. (concretely) an expiator:
KJV - propitiation.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
THE FOLLOWING ARE SCRIPTURES USING THE SAME SCRIPTURE AS ABOVE 1JOHN 4:9-1O IN DIFFERENT BIBLE VERSIONS TO HELP EXPLAIN WHAT IT MEANS FOR JESUS TO BE A PROPITIATION,
1 John 4:9-10 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through his death. 10 In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God but his love for us when he sent his Son to satisfy God's anger against our sins. TLB
1 John 4:9-10 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. NIV
1 John 4:9-11 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. RSV
4. MAYBE YOU SAY "WELL I BELIEVE THERE IS A god."
That is not enough. It doesn't include acknowledgement from you of the fact that you have sinned and need forgiveness and accept Jesus as your substitute. He took your place and punishment for your sin. If you do not except it you will have to except your own punishment when you stand before God.
Romans 10:9 9 That 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. KJV
Matt 10:32-33 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. KJV
1 John 4:2-3 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. KJV
5. I HEARD IT SAID ONCE THAT IF YOU DIE AND GO TO HELL BECAUSE YOU HAVE REJECTED JESUS THEN CHANCES ARE YOU WILL TAKE SOME ONE WITH YOU. LIKE WISE IF YOU CHOOSE JESUS YOU WILL TAKE SOME ONE TO HEAVEN WITH YOU AND HELP THEM LIVE A HAPPIER LIFE WITH HIM ON THIS EARTH NOW. WE ALL HAVE A SPHERE OF PEOPLE WE INFLUENCE IN OUR LIVES. FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, NEIGHBORS. WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS IN OUR LIVES THEY NOT ONLY INFLUENCE OURSELVES BUT OTHERS ARE EFFECTED BY OUR DECISIONS.
One day we will stand before God alone and hear one of two things from Him.
1. Matthew 25:34 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: KJV
2. Matthew 25:41 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: KJV
Hell was never made for man as we established in the scripture above. God is not a God who sends people to hell. It's our choice. He made a way to keep men out of hell when He sent Jesus. Now the choice is up to you. Open your heart now and let Jesus in. It's not His wish for you to perish.
2 Peter 3:9 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. KJV
