Where
Are We Going and Where Did We Come From? (cont'd)
In Genesis, the first book of The
Holy Bible, God says He created man out of the dust of the ground
and breathed into him the breath of life. God created man to have
fellowship with Him. Mankind, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God and
in doing so brought sin on all mankind. In Romans chapter 5 and verse
12 of God’s Holy Word it says, “Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned.” And in Romans 3:23
it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God.”
Sin separates us from God and if it is not cleansed will separate
us from God forever.
This eternal separation from God is described in Revelation 20:14-15
where it says, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Surely no-one wants to spend eternity in a lake of fire. How then
do we get our name in the book of life? There needs to be payment
for our sin. How can we pay for our sin? God
is not interested in our money, nor is there anything we can do to
earn our name being placed in the book of life. Romans 3:10-12 reads,
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: there
is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
But God has provided a substitute for us. His Son Jesus has provided
payment for our sin. Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth (sent)
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.” Jesus Christ, God’s Son and God the Son, became
a man, lived a perfect life, died on the cross shedding His precious
blood, and arose from the grave on the third day to pay for our sins
and provide a way for us to get our name in the book of life. Paul
in writing to the church at Corinth wrote in I Corinthians 15:3-6,
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once.”
Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” To get our name written
in the book of life and have all our sins forgiven and washed away,
we must first believe that God created the universe and all life,
mankind sinned and became separated from God, Jesus is God and God’s
Son, Jesus died on the cross and arose again the third day from the
grave, and that Jesus did so to pay for our sin and provide a way
for us to get our name written in the book of life.
If you believe these things you can receive God’s gift of eternal
life and have your name written in the book of life by simply turning
away from your own efforts to get to heaven and asking God to forgive
you and write your name in the book of life. God
says in Romans 10:9, “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.”
And in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved.” You can receive this right now.
First turn from your own self efforts to earn your way to heaven and
then pray to God asking for forgiveness and to have your name written
in the book of life. Simply pray the following prayer, talking to
God just as you would to someone in the room.
“Dear God, I believe that You created all life and the universe.
I believe that I am a sinner and deserve to spend eternity separated
from you in hell. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again
the third day. I turn away from my own efforts to earn my way to heaven
and put my trust in what Jesus did for me to pay for my sins. Please
forgive me of my sin and put my name in the book of life. Thank you.
Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer click here.
