This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.

The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

He Died in Our Place
'God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us' (Romans 5:8).

He Rose From the Dead
'Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred...' (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

He Is the Only Way to God
'Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me"' (John 14:6).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these three laws..

We Must Receive Christ
'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).

We Receive Christ Through Faith
'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, that no one should boast' (Ephesians 2:8,9).

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
'Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."' (John 3:3).

We receive Christ by personal invitation

[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

• Which circle best describes your life?
  
• Which circle would you like to represent your life?
  

Praying to receive Christ...

If you believe the above things to be true of yourself, then we would urge you to come to Him and give your life to Him. This can be done anytime, anywhere...but needs to be sincere. If you feel ready, why not pray a prayer like the follwing one: (Remember, God is much more concerned that you mean what you say than how you say it)

I believe in you Jesus:

• I believe that you came to earth and experienced life just like me;
• I believe that you were perfect and didn't deserve to die, but that you were punished in my place for all of my sin. I couldn't pay the debt I owed to God, but you paid it for me!
• I also believe that, after 3 days, God raised you back to life and you now sit at the right hand of God in heaven...and that because you are alive, I can know you NOW and be with you forever!

I'm sorry for my sin (ignoring God, living my own way, doing things that I know are wrong). Please forgive me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to live life your way from now on.

 

Jesus, please come into my life as my Lord (my boss), my Father and my best Friend. I want to follow you for the rest of my life. Start to make me more like you in everything I think, say and do.

 

Thank you Lord Jesus for loving me and rescuing me from the consequences of my sin.

 

Amen.

If you prayed a prayer similar to that, and meant it, you have become a Christian (a Christ-follower). God has forgiven you sins and given you a new life...congratulations! You are a brand new creation...you have been given a clean sheet, a new beginning. There is a celebration going on in heaven right now because of you!

The next steps...

Becoming a Christian is just the beginning of an exciting, and sometimes difficult, journey that will last a lifetime...and beyond! As you start this journey with God, there are a few things you should do to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Tell someone. Christianity isn't an add-on to the rest of your life. Don't be a Sunday-only Christian...go public! Don't be afraid of what people might think.

 

2. Pray. This is simply talking to God - there aren't any special words, places, or rituals you need to use to make prayer effective. Be yourself. Prayer is all about building your relationship with God - tell him what's on your heart. Say sorry when you make mistakes, ask him to meet your needs, pray for people and situations. Pray anytime and anywhere - God loves to hear us talking to him.

 

3. Read the Bible. Get hold of a nice modern translation (New Living Translation and New International Version are good). This is the Maker's manual for life! Maybe start by reading Mark's gospel in the New Testament. This book is God's Word and changes lives!

 

4. Join a good church. God created Christians to live in vibrant community with other Christians. Find a church where they love God, love people, teach the Bible in a relevant way, and care enough to tel others about Jesus. You would be most welcome to join us...but it is vital that you put roots down somewhere as soon as you can!