• Intro to Christianity

God, being God, has the right to set standards about what is right and what is wrong. The Bible teaches that everyone, even the person who lives a good life, falls short of God’s perfect standard. We all do things that God has declared that we should not do. In the Bible, this is called sin. The Bible declares that, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Bible also tells us that the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because God is perfect, He cannot tolerate sin. In effect, our sin creates a great canyon between us and God. So, because of our sin, we cannot go to God and He cannot come to us. But God is a loving God and was not content to let our sin separate us from Him. So, God sent Jesus, His son, to restore the relationship between Himself and man. Jesus restored the relationship between God and man by living a sinless life and then being put to death in our place. You see, Jesus did not deserve to die because He had no sin. He was not guilty, yet He took the punishment. Because of this, God has accepted the death of Jesus as a substitute for all of those who will accept Him as Lord and Savior and Master. By His sinless life and His death, Jesus bridged the canyon that separated us from God. God completed this process of redemption by raising Jesus from the dead. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, the gap between you and God still exists. Only by accepting Jesus can the bridge to God be opened. The first step to coming into a right relationship with God is to believe the message of salvation that God has offered us through Jesus (John 5:24). Do you believe that God sent Jesus so that you might be saved and forgiven from your sin?

If your answer is yes, the next step is to ask for forgiveness in His name and invite Him into your heart (Rom. 10:13). If you have not done this, we suggest you go to God and say the following prayer, commonly called “The Sinner’s Prayer.”

God, the Bible says that I am a sinner in your sight and I understand and accept what the Bible says. I am guilty of sin because I have done what I wanted instead of what you said to do. Because of my sin I am worthy of death and a great gulf exists between me and you. God, I am sorry for what I have done. I want to change my ways. I ask that you forgive me for what I have done. I accept your son Jesus as Lord, Savior and Master. God, I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead. I commit to live the way Jesus lived and the way the Bible says that I should live. Jesus, please come and live in my heart and teach me your ways.

If you said “The Sinner’s Prayer” you have begun a new relationship with God. Please call us at (505) 865-4722 and tell us so we can celebrate with you. If your commitment to God is sincere, there are several things which will now begin to happen in your life. The Bible teaches that we should repent from our sin (Acts 3:19). To repent means that with God’s help you will quit sinning and begin to live as God has commanded. As a new Christian, you are going to need the help of God and other Christians to change the way you have been living. We suggest you seek out a LIFE Group leader and commit to attend their group in addition to attending Sunday morning worship. Another change that should take place in your life is that you begin to tell others about the change Jesus has made in your life. The word the Bible uses to describe this process is “Confession” (Romans 10:9-10). The confession the Bible is talking about here is not confessing your sins to a Pastor or someone else, it means to confess to your friends and associates that you now believe in Jesus and have accepted him as Savior.