How to know Jesus

There’s a lot to unpack in this post, so if you just want the high points, read the bold parts. However, giving your heart to Jesus is the most important decision you’ll ever make in your life. Your decision will affect you for ETERNITY. Choose wisely.

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Have you ever been asked, “Are you saved?”

Do you know what is meant by “saved”? Or maybe the question was, “Are you a Christian?” You may have even heard it termed “born again,” as odd as that may sound.

Many people say they’re Christians, but often that’s because of the culture they grew up in. To be a “Christian” in the United States (where I live) often means they believe in God and try to live a moral life.

But in reality, being “saved” or a true Christian means you’re a follower of Jesus Christ — that you’ve accepted God’s free gift and have put your faith and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

OK, but what exactly does that mean?

The Bible says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8*).

And Romans 3:23 tells us that no one is righteous on his or her own. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What’s “the glory of God”? Simply put, it’s his perfect righteousness.

We all fall short of God’s standard of righteousness. He is holy and just, and we are not, apart from Jesus. When we sin, we erect a barrier between us and God. And we do sin, all of us — all the time, every day.

We cannot keep God’s holy standard of righteousness on our own.

We need Jesus, who came from heaven to earth in bodily form (the baby born in Bethlehem). After living a perfect, sinless existence on earth, Jesus took our sins upon himself and laid down his life for us.

With his death on the cross, he became our righteousness and paid the penalty for our sin.

After his crucifixion, he was buried in a tomb and rose from the grave on the third day.

He CONQUERED DEATH for us.

Because of his great love for us — for you — he died a brutal, horrible death to pay for all the ways we’ve done wrong so that we could live for eternity with him in heaven.

But death couldn’t keep him in the grave. He rose again to life so that we could have life through him! “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV).

But you have to accept his free gift of eternal life by turning to him in faith, repenting of your sins, and relinquishing control of your life to him. Jesus, take the wheel!

The apostle Paul, in Acts 16, was asked how to be saved. Paul’s response was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (verse 31).

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.“

Many people stop reading there, but verse 10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Works (good deeds) will not save you. Only God’s grace through your faith can do that. But once we’ve accepted his free gift of salvation, we show our love for him by doing good in the world.

That’s my goal with Christmas Giving. To do good by telling you the Good News of Jesus. By helping you know him as your Savior and encouraging you in your faith.

He’s the “reason for the season,” as they say. And if you noticed my website’s tagline, you’ll recognize him as “the Greatest Gift.”

Jesus loves us so much that he wants every single one of us to accept his gift; after all, he gave his very life for that purpose.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).

If you haven’t put your faith and trust in him, now is the time.

The alternative is eternal separation from God, an eternity — that’s forever! — in the Lake of Fire, as the Bible terms hell.

I don’t want that for you. I wouldn’t want it for my worst enemy. After you die, it’s too late to choose.

Choose now.

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I’ve tried to give you the facts as simply as I could, but if anything I’ve said is unclear, please let me know by filling out my contact form to send me a message. I’ll reply as soon as possible. God bless you on your new journey of faith in Jesus.

*All the scriptures I’ve quoted above are from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible.

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