ABC of Evangelism
You Have Offended God
The first thing to know is that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says that we are all sinners and have fallen short of God's glory, which is His infinite perfection in all He does and is.
Another way to say that is that we can't stand back-to-back with Jesus and precisely measure up to his moral and spiritual height. That's a huge deal. Romans 6:23 says death is the penalty for not meeting that standard. We have a problem.
God Substituted Jesus' Death for Yours
The second thing to know is that Jesus died on the cross in your place and for your benefit (Romans 5:8). God showered His unmerited favor upon you, doing more than you could reasonably expect.
God, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, took your place and paid your death penalty (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He was buried and rose from the dead to prove that God is satisfied with His payment on your behalf.
Justice has been served. The penalty is paid in full. The guiltless took the place of the guilty.
God Requires You to Make a Spiritual U-Turn
The first thing to do is turn from living according to your values, priorities, and agenda. The U-turn to go God's way is what the Bible calls repentance. To repent is to acknowledge that you have been going in the wrong direction and now want to go in the right direction. In Mark 1:15, Jesus commands us to repent and believe the good news (that He died in our place on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead).
Give Jesus the Driver's Seat of Your Life
The second thing to do is to open the door of your life to Jesus and invite Him to come in and take the driver's seat of your life. He promises that if you open the door, He will come in (Revelation 3:20). He always keeps His promises. Those who receive Him into their lives become children of God (John 1:12).
You can open the door to Him by the following prayer, which has no magic words but merely expresses the attitude of a heart that is willing to go God's way:
Lord Jesus, Thank You for dying on the cross in my place and taking my sin, death, and judgment upon Yourself. I open the door of my life to You. I want You to come into my life and take control.
Thank You for forgiving my sins and making me Your child. I want to be like You. Amen.
Now what? The next step is to follow Jesus and grow in your faith.
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