TEN SCORE AND FIFTY YEARS AGO, AMERICA was BORN when it DECLARED:
“We hold these TRUTHS to be SELF-EVIDENT that ALL men are CREATED EQUAL,” and “ENDOWED by their CREATOR with certain unalienable rights” to “LIFE, LIBERTY, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
The Declaration of Independence
These principles were not inspired by humans, because humans are sinful, and selfish. By our NATURE, we put OURSELVES FIRST:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked”
Jeremiah 17:9
“There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”
Romans 3:10-12
Our Founding principles were inspired by God, who created each of us in HIS image, and placed a HIGH VALUE on every LIFE. He gave us blessings to enjoy, and free will, so we can choose to love Him or choose to reject His love.
But even though God showed us the way to live right, we rebelled, and chose our OWN WAY. Even though we are SOMETIMES good, we still have that selfish sin nature that satisfies our OWN DESIRES and PLANS:
“For all that is in the world–the LUST of the FLESH, the LUST OF THE EYES, and the PRIDE of LIFE–is not of the Father but is of the world.”
1 John 2:16
This rebellion, even if we think we are BASICALLY GOOD, we approve of ourselves by OUR standard, comparing ourselves to OTHER PEOPLE. But this is not GOD’S Standard. By God’s standard, the only way to get into heaven is to be perfect.
Are you perfect?
Not according to the BIBLE:
“For All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”
Rom 3:23
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8
The Lord declared:
“Behold, all souls are Mine; … The soul who sins shall die.” and “The wages of sin is death”
Ezekiel 18:4 & Romans 6:23
But God proved His love by paying the price to SET US FREE from sin and death:
“For thus says the LORD: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.”
Isaiah 52:3
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
Therefore, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose to life again, you can be saved by your faith in Him alone. Just pray and tell Jesus you accept His gift of Eternal Life, and begin your new life with Him. You can pray something like this:
Dear Jesus, I know I have sinned, and I am so sorry. I want to go to heaven. I know you died and paid for my sins, and I accept your gift right now. Please forgive me. I want to TRUST You with my life. Help me to KNOW You. Help me to FOLLOW You. And the best way I know how, I want to GIVE my life to you. Thank you, in Jesus’s name.
If you do that, then the Bible says you HAVE eternal life:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,not of works, lest anyone should boast.For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has foreordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8
If you have accepted Jesus’s payment for your sins, you’ll need to ARM yourself for the Battle. The Bible says that we are AMBASSADORS for Jesus. So we need to grow in our relationship with God:
READ the Bible. Get yourself a WHOLE Bible in a good translation. New King James Version is good
Start in the New Testament, where Jesus comes to fulfill all the PROMISES in the OLD TESTAMENT
After that, start in the Old Testament, and read the most accurate history of the world even written, and learn about God’s eternal promises
Pray every day. Just talk to God. Ask Him to teach you, to be WITH you, to Guide you with wisdom, and to help you understand the Bible
Find a Christian Church that will teach the Bible. Calvary Chapel affiliates are good.
Jesus asks us to get BAPTIZED to show our faith, and our commitment to Him
Pray about sharing your New Faith. Tell someone, so that God is glorified, and so that the people you tell might start thinking about trusting in Jesus also
For 2,000 years, TRUE FREEDOM has come by in TRUSTING in JESUS as your Savior: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” John 8:36.
