Hello again,

Today's topic in entitled Steps to Christ.  Many Bible texts are printed here but those cf. are for you to look up.  If you don't have a Bible and need them listed please let me know.

The Bible says that we can know that we have eternal life.  If we believe -- and continue to believe in Jesus' name -- He has promised that we have eternal life.

1 John 5:13

New International Version (NIV)

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Can being good save us?  No.  We are saved by God's grace (unmerited, undeserved favor) as a gift -- not by our works.

Ephesians 2:8-9

New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

No one is righteous in himself or herself.  Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's ideal.  We see why salvation must be by God's grace and not by our works when we understand what the Bible says about our sinful human nature.

• cf.  Romans 7:21-22.  Evil struggles in our human nature against the good.
• cf. Romans 6:23.  The wages of sin is death.
• cf. Romans 5:12. Death has come to everyone, because everyone sins.
• cf. Jeremiah 13:23. We cannot change our natures by our own efforts.

Romans 3:10

New International Version (NIV)

10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

In spite of our sinfulness, God loves us and wants to give us eternal life.  In fact, Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:6-10

New International Version (NIV)

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

God loved us so much He gave His only Son Jesus so that everyone who believes on Him should not die, but have everlasting life.

• cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21.  Jesus became sin for us so that we might become righteous in Him.
• cf. Isaiah 53:6. God laid on Jesus the sins of all human beings.
• cf. John 14:6. Jesus is the only way to salvation.
• cf. 1 Peter 2:24. We are healed by His stripes.  He bore our sins on the cross.
• cf. 1 John 5:11. God has given us eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ.
• cf. Acts 4:12. There is no other name than Jesus by which we may be saved.

John 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

16 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.

Our part in salvation is to exercise faith in Jesus as our Savior.

• cf. Ephesians 2:8, 9. We are saved by grace through faith.
• cf. 1 John 5:12. We have life as long as we have Jesus

                                                        Our Part

Repent                                                            cf. Acts 3:19

Believe                                                            cf. Romans 1:16

Confess/Forsake                                             cf. Proverbs 28:13

Obey                                                              cf. 1 John 2:3-5

                                                                      cf. Hebrews 5:9

                                                                      cf. 1 John 3:24

                                                                      cf. 1 John 5:2, 3

                                                                      cf. John 14:15, 21

                                                      God's Part

Forgiveness                                                    cf. Isaiah 1:18

Cleansing                                                        cf. 1 John 1:9

New heart                                                      cf. Ezekiel 36:26, 27

New life                                                         cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Power                                                            cf. John 1:12

Winning life                                                    cf. Romans 6:6, 14

Eternal life                                                      cf. 1 John 5:11

John 1:12

New International Version (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

The most important part is to accept.  If we will open the door of our heart, Jesus will come in to live with us.

• cf. Romans 8:1. There is no condemnation to those who are in Jesus.
• cf. John 6:47. He who believes in Jesus has everlasting life.  

Revelation 3:20

New International Version (NIV)

20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I'll see you again in a few days.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Kathy