I would like to extend an invitation
to you to take a few minutes and look over something that is
very important to me. This page is on-line for one
purpose--and that is to share with as many people as possible
the Good News of Jesus Christ.

So, sit back and follow along. I promise that what I
am about to share with you will change your life!

If you want to know what Jesus has to share with us,
there is only one place to go--THE BIBLE! So let's take a
look and see what He has to say . . . .

In John 3:3 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commanded us to be born
again. In this time that we have together you should learn
the following:

A. Why we need to be saved.
B. How God has provided for our salvation.
C. How we can have that salvation personally.

Before we go any further, PRAY. Ask God to open your
heart and mind, so that you can fully understand how to apply
His word in your life. Here we go!

SIN - what is it? Disobedience. When we fail to obey
God and His commandments, we sin, plain and simple. As a
matter of fact, 1 John 3:4 says, "Everyone who sins breaks
the law: in fact, sin is lawlessness." Romans 3:23 says "For all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God;" When we
sin, we fall short of God's standard of righteousness.

Now that we know how the Bible defines sin, let's see
what the result of sin is. Romans 6:23 states, "For the
wages (results) of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life..."

To better understand the effects of sin, think of death
as a form of SEPARATION:

A. Spiritual death - Your sins have separated you from God.
B. Physical death - Separates the spirit and soul from the body.
C. Eternal death - If you remain lost in your sins they
will separate you from the mercy of God forever.
(This is the worst kind of punishment, an eternity in Hell)

Now that we know about being "lawless," let's take a
look at being "righteous." To be righteous means to do
right: to be totally innocent before God when you obey His
commandments. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? Well...
let's see what the Bible has to say.

Romans 3:10 tells us that "there is no one righteous,
not even one..." And in verse 23, "for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God." All of us are sinners, and
that's a fact. But God knows that and has provided a way for
us to escape the wages of sin.

Jesus tells us in John 3:16, "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." You may be
wondering why God would do something like that for you. The
key word in this verse is "loved." As much as sin displeases
God, He still loves the sinner. Romans 5:8 says, "But God
demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us." He didn't say, "No, I
think that I'll wait till they're good enough." He had to
send Jesus to die in our place. There was no other way that
we could be saved.

1 Timothy 1:5-6 tells us, "For there is one God and one
mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave
Himself as a ransom for all men..." In Acts 4:12 we learn
that, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved." And in John 14:6 Jesus tells us that, "I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me."

God has told us that sin causes death. Jesus took that
penalty upon Himself in our place.

What must we do to be saved from the penalty of sin?
Romans 10:9 tells us, "That if you confess with your mouth,
'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved." Isn't that great!

The Bible also tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9, "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." Grace is getting something we don't
deserve at all. By God's grace (not of our own doing) He
sent us His Son. Faith is accepting as truth things which
cannot be proved by the senses. Faith, pure and simple, is
trusting God.

In Romans 2:4 we learn what the result of God's goodness
and kindness to us should be. It asks, "...Do you show
contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and
patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward
repentance?"

Repentance means that you have a change of mind. It is
a thorough change in the heart of man, away from sin and
toward God. It should include:

A. A genuine sorrow for our sins.
B. Ceasing from continually sinning.
C. A desire to submit to God's will.

When we repent, did you know that the angels in heaven
get absolutely ecstatic? Jesus tells us in Luke 15:10, "In
the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

When was the last time you had a party of that magnitude
thrown in your honor? Have the angels rejoiced over you?
All it takes is just one little prayer to get the party
going. It's all up to you... Just pray this simple little
prayer and mean it in your heart: In Romans 10:13 it
says "For whosoever (that is you) shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I know that you died for
my sins and rose from the dead three days later to live
through me and for me. Forgive me of all my sins and
take control of my life. I want to live for you. I
confess you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for loving
me enough to save me. Amen."

If you prayed this prayer for the first time,

CONGRATULATIONS!
Welcome to the family of God!

Or maybe you have prayed this prayer before, and now you
wanted to pray it again, just to remove any doubt that you may
have had. Welcome to you, too!

If you didn't, or even couldn't pray this prayer, maybe you
still have some unanswered questions that you would like to have
answered? If I can help you find the answers you are looking
for, let me know. Just leave me an email message
and I'll be glad to help you in any way I can.

If you did pray this prayer, I want to hear from you too,
so that I can rejoice with you. Why let the angels have all of
the fun! I would also like to encourage you to become involved
with your local church. If you're already attending a church,
then I encourage you to contact your pastor and share with him
your decision so that he may help you on your new found path.

What to do next
1: Find a Bible believing church and go forward at the invitation time,
confessing your faith in Jesus Christ. "For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." - Romans 10:11
2: Be Baptized "Then they that glady received His Word were baptized." - Acts 2:41
3: Pray every day "Let us therefore come bodly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16
4: Read your Bible every day "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not
sin against thee." - Psalm 119:111
5: Claim God's promise in the time of temptation "There hath no temptation taken
you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you
to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a
way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13
6: Tell someone else about Jesus "That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

Thank you for letting me
share with you the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Travis Congdon

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