Jesus Christ
Do You Know Him?
We'd like to introduce you to the greatest Friend you could ever know.
We want to help you learn more about Him and become all He created you to be.
We are also here to serve you and to help you serve others. May the Lord bless
you as you worship, study and grow with us!
It is our desire to help lead you into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
and to encourage you to grow in the knowledge of Him. Do you know Him? Have you
heard the Good News (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ? If you have not, please keep
reading. This is THE most important decision you will ever make.
The Problem
God created human beings to be with Him, to fellowship with Him. Unfortunately,
we as human beings have a natural tendency to try to do things our own way. Many
times our own way is in conflict with the way God wants us to be. When we do
things our own way and not God's way, it is called sin. The Bible says in
Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Everyone
on earth has sinned. This sin separates us from God. Romans 6:23 tells us that
"the wages of sin is death". The price that has to be paid for sin is death.
Everyone is accountable for his or her own sin. Ezekiel 18:20 puts it this way:
"The soul who sins shall die".
The Solution
Again, God never intended for us to be separated from Him. But we as human beings
chose to sin. However, don't worry! God has a plan. His plan gives us life.
This life comes through Jesus Christ. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved".
The Promise
Because the wages of sin is death, and the soul who sins shall die, God sent
His Son Jesus Christ to die in your place. Jesus' death on the cross paid the
price for your sin and mine. Because the cost has been paid, we no longer have
to pay it ourselves. Isn't that great? But understand this: we must go to God
to ask forgiveness for our sin.
When we quoted Romans 6:23 above, we only quoted the first half of the verse. The
rest of the verse says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord". Even though we deserve death, God wants to give us life.
He is holding a gift in His hands, and He is holding this gift out to you. This
gift is Jesus Christ. Because Jesus came to Earth and died on the cross in your
place, you no longer have to be separated from God when you die. Because Jesus
rose from the grave and conquered the power of sin, He can wash away your sin
that you have committed. You can't earn this gift; it's free. Have you ever
paid money for something that is free? If you have, you paid too much. What do
you have to do to receive this gift?
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Recognize that you have sinned.
Do you see a pattern in your life of rejecting God and all that He has done
and wants to do in your life? You need to realize the fact that you can't
do it on your own, and that God has a plan for your life.
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Recognize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came and paid the
price of your sin for you.
Hebrews 7:27 says, "for this He did once and for all when He offered up
Himself". Jesus' death was what it took to pay for the sins of the world
and our sins as individuals.
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Recognize the need to change your direction.
You have probably heard the word "repent" before. It may even seem like a
negative thing to you. But in reality, all that the word "repent" means is
to change direction 180 degrees, from your own way to God's way. Turn around
and walk away from your sin. The Apostle Peter said in Acts 3:19, "Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times
of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord".
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Recognize that you need to receive God's free gift of eternal life
in Jesus Christ.
Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me". Jesus is
the only way to renew your relationship with God. God is reaching out to you
through His son, Jesus Christ. He wants you to have new life through Christ.
The Prayer
Do you recognize these things in your life? Do you want to do something about
it? 2 Corinthians 6:2 says "Behold, now is the appointed time; behold, now
is the day of salvation". There really is no time like the present. The first
step in doing something about it is to simply come to God in prayer. Admit to
Him that you are a sinner, that you need Jesus to save you from your sins. Tell
God that you want to turn away from the direction you have been going, and come
to Jesus. There is no magic formula, simply talk to God. If you aren't sure what
to say, here is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I am sorry for my
sin. I thank you for dying on the cross for me. I turn from my sin and I turn to
you by faith right now. Forgive me for all of it. Fill me with the power of your
Holy Spirit. I want to be Your disciple. Help me to follow You from this time
forward. Thank You for Your offer of forgiveness. I gladly accept it now. In
Jesus' name I pray, amen.
If you have just prayed that prayer, you are saved! You have not only been forgiven
of your sins, but you have new life in Jesus. Go and tell someone about it. We
would love to know about it here at Northside. Call Pastor Adrian Dixon at Northside,
(919) 261-8929, or you can send Pastor Adrian an
.
He will be happy to talk with you about the decision you have just made. If you
live in the Eastern Wake County area, we would like to come alongside you to help
you start growing in your new faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you do not live
in our area, we will help you find a good, healthy church to plug into that is
close to you, a place where you can grow in Christ.