who is Jesus?
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 3:23
your story.
The earth and all we see around us has a beginning. In Genesis 1:1, in the Bible, it says 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...' The earth began with God's Word.
God created humankind in His image to live in the world that He had created. He declared that all that He had created was good. In Genesis 1:31, it says, 'God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' The world began with God and humans being in perfect relationship.
But soon after, we chose to ignore His instructions; choosing our own path, putting ourselves first rather than Him. The Bible calls this 'sin'. In Romans 3:23, it says, 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' From this point on, the relationship between God and humans was fractured and in need of repair!
This wasn't just a story at the beginning of time but one that has continued in each of our lives until this day. We all choose our own path, ignoring God's and are in need of a repair in the relationship.
And that's where Jesus enters the scene...
God's story.
God needed a plan to reconnect humanity with Himself. So He created a rescue plan. He humbled Himself and become a human so that He could reconnect with us. He came as Jesus, both fully man and fully God. This is what we celebrate at Christmas time.
Jesus came to connect with us and ultimately to die for us. In John 3:16, it says, '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.'
God's plan meant sending His son, Jesus, to take the punishment for the sin we committed by rejecting Him.
In Jesus, God Himself took on all human sin and suffered death so that you and I might be forgiven, escape eternal death and have life forever with God.
But that's not the end of the story!
On the third day after Jesus' death, He rose from the dead, defeating the power of death. In 1 Corinthians 15:55, it says, 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' Because of what Jesus did through the cross and in His resurrection, we can be assured that death is not the end for us. We can live a life of hope with Him!
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Jesus said: “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
John 10:10
our story.
As a result of what God did through Jesus, we can experience His grace. We can't earn this through 'doing good things' but we have to accept His grace through faith.
In Ephesians 2:8, it says 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.'
The Bible talks about 'repentance'. This means to have a 'change of heart and mind' or that we make a complete turn around. Changing what we think, what we say and what we do are the real results of a truly repentant heart.
When God commands us to repent and be converted (Acts 3:19), He is asking us to do just that. To turn around from the way we used to think and behave and turn towards Jesus in faith, obedience and trust.
We are accepting what Jesus did for us through the cross and resurrection and we are choosing to step into a new life following Him. Our story is connected with His story and we get to walk together into the future.
what now?
1. ADMIT your sin - Acknowledge that you have been out of relationship with God and that you have allowed a barrier of sin to separate you from Him. Talk to God and let Him know that you are sorry.
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2. EMBRACE God's forgiveness - Accept that God has forgiven you and wants to be in relationship with you. You can be totally forgiven for everything you have ever done or will ever do wrong. That is what Jesus has done for you.
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3. CHOOSE to follow Jesus - Make a decision to step into a new way of living; have Jesus as your number one and seek to get to know Him.
Commit to give your whole life to Him and to be shaped by the words you read in the Bible.
If you are choosing Jesus, you can say this prayer or use your own words to speak to Him:
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Thank you, God, for loving me before I ever loved you. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me and for resurrecting so that I can be connected to you today. I admit that I have lived my life without you and have messed up. I ask for your total forgiveness and I choose to follow you. Help me to submit my life to your teaching from now on. I receive you into my life and ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Amen.
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4. STEP forward into a new life with Jesus - One of the best places to start is by getting a Bible. We believe the Bible is God's words, that help us make sense of how to follow Him.
Start Praying! Prayer is simply talking to God. Your words don't have to be fancy or complex. You can be real with God and tell Him however you are feeling.
When you become a Christian one of the best things you can do is find other Christians who believe what you do and can help you on your journey. We would love to help you connect into our community at ECHO Church.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 10:10
