Know Jesus | Calvary Ventura

Dear Friend,
You are very near to God, and He is there with you right now, perhaps knocking on the door of your heart. God loves you, wants to forgive you, and wants you to have a relationship with Him. So read on! Open your heart! The next few minutes may change your life and you will never regret it!
– Pastor Don

Would you like to know Jesus Christ personally? You can! As presumptuous as it may sound, Jesus is so eager to establish a personal, loving relationship with you that He has already made all the arrangements. The major barrier that prevents us from enjoying this relationship is ignorance of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Realize You Are a Sinner

First, you must realize, no matter how good a life you try to live, you will still fall short of God’s standards for being holy. Even if you try to justify yourself with thoughts like, “I live a good, moral life,” the Bible tells us in Romans 3:10, “There is none righteous, no, not one.’” Further, the Bible says in Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Everyone has sinned in the eyes of God and everyone stands guilty before Him. What price are you willing to pay for your sin? Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death…” Therefore, since all have sinned, all are subject to the penalty of sin and an eternity in Hell separated from God.

Recognize Jesus Died on the Cross

God’s remedy for our situation was allowing His Son Jesus, to pay the penalty for us. The Bible says in Romans 5:8 that, “…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the message of the Gospel, that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place when we least deserved it. John 3:16 says, “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.”

Repent of Your Sins

Salvation is God’s solution, but our decision. No one can choose eternal life for you. You must make the choice yourself, and your choice starts with repentance. The word “repent” means “to change your direction”. The Bible tells us, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). God commands us to repent. You must be willing to turn away from the things that displease God.

Receive Jesus Christ as Your Savior

Becoming a Christian is not merely following a bunch of “do’s” and “don’ts”. It is having Christ Himself take residence in your heart and life as your Savior. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door (of your life) and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in…” (Revelation 3:20). It is essential that you come to Jesus as you are. Open the door of your heart and let Him come in. Don’t try to “clean up your life” before you come to God. Instead, receive Him and allow Him to do the “cleansing.”

If you would like to have a relationship with Christ, I would invite you to pray this prayer. Prayer is simply talking with God, so simply pray this prayer in your heart:

Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe you died for my sins. Right now, I repent of all my sins and ask You to forgive me. I open the door of my heart, and I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I ask you to change me on the inside. Help me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live life in a way that would honor You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you just prayed that prayer, Jesus Christ has forgiven you and taken residence in your heart. The Bible tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Also, the Bible tells us in 2 Cor 5:17 that “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Imagine that, you have been given the chance to start all over with a new life…eternal life!