The Simple Truth
  (by Steve Thrash)

   "Speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15)

Where are we:

God is real.  God is holy.  God is sovereign.
   "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'." (Psalm 14:1)

All fall short of God's standards.  It does not matter...
   -  if you are "basically a good person"
   -  if you have "tried to live a good life"
   -  if you attend church every Sunday.  

    "All our righteous deeds are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6)
    "There is no one who does not sin." (1Kings 8:46)
    "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Where are we going:

When Jesus returns in glory, all will be judged.  
   "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement." (Hebrews 9:27)

God can not look upon sin.
   "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)

The punishment for falling short of God's standards is eternal separation from God (i.e. Hell).
   "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)

What did God do?

God provided a means for us to meet His standards.
   "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

In ancient days God required the Jews to sacrifice animals to receive forgiveness for their sins.  

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
   "I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me." (John 14:11)
   "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)

When Jesus died on the cross His death was sufficient punishment to cover all the sins of mankind (past and future).
   "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18)

This is God's free gift to mankind.
   "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

What must we do?

Although Jesus' death was sufficient to provide forgiveness for everyone's sins, it is only given to those who become children of God.
   "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)
   "For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

The only way to become a child of God is to be born again.
   "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

In order to be born again a person must admit that they are a sinner, that Jesus is Lord, and that His death was sufficient to cover their sins.
   "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
   "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him." (John 3:36)

Then, they must repent (which means turn away from their sins) and follow Jesus.  If God has chosen them, they will be "saved" and will become children of God.
   "Having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent." (Acts 17:30)
   "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24))

Then where do we go?

After being saved, a new believer must continue to grow in their faith by...
  - reading God's Word (the Bible)
  - praying daily
  - getting plugged into the Body of Christ (the church)

The Gospel of John is a great place to start in the Bible.

Finding a solid Bible-believing church is fundamental.

Page created 7/31/02 by Steve Thrash