_________________________

The most famous verse of the New Testament, John, chapter 3, verse 16, quotes Jesus saying, “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.”

What does it mean to “believe in him”? It means you agree and believe:

— Jesus was a real person in history, and he claimed to be the Son of God (John 20:30-31).

— Jesus had no sins of his own (John 8:46).

— The punishment you and I deserve for sinning is physical and spiritual death, separation from holy God (Rom. 6:23).

— The point of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross was to take the punishment you and I deserve for our sins, in our place, because sins require punishment (Romans 3:22-24).

— Three days after he died, Jesus was alive again, having paid for our sins and having conquered death. He was seen multiple times after his resurrection, and once by more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). His resurrection proves his divinity as the Son of God .

— Lastly, believing in Jesus means we are each trusting in Jesus, the Son of God, to be our personal Savior, rescuing us from the penalty our sins deserve (John 3:16-17).

If you aren’t sure you believe all six points above, pray and ask God to show you the truth. Then, read the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are called “Gospels” (which means “good news”). They are all biographies of the life of Jesus, written either by a disciple of Jesus (Matthew and John), a close associate of a disciple (Mark), or from a combination of the other gospels and source material from the apostle Paul, to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection (Luke). While much of the material is similar, each book offers unique insights on the life of Jesus. This will give you more information on which to base your decision.

If you do believe the things mentioned above, and would like to place your trust in Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, you can do so at any time, through prayer. Any sort of prayer will do. “Dear God, I believe in Jesus.” Or, “Jesus, please be my Savior.” Or, “Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me and saving me from the penalty my sins deserve.” Etc.

As soon as you believe, you will have received God’s forgiveness. Through faith, you have eternal life and you are forever his child (John 3:5-7). Some people refer to this rescue from the penalty of our sins as having been “saved” by God’s grace (undeserved favor). We are saved from eternal separation from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

If or when you sin again, confess it to God right away and thank Him for His forgiveness. Ask God to help you avoid that sin in the future. Being in community with other Christians in a good church, and having an accountability partner, can help you live a life that is pleasing to God.

Faith alone secures our entrance into Christ’s eternal kingdom. Isn’t that amazing? Also, humbling? So, if Jesus is now your Savior and Lord, what gifts of kindness, generosity and service toward others in this world, will Jesus acknowledge and praise you for when you finally arrive in Heaven—at the end of your life? (Matthew 25:14-30.)

Consider the emotional, physical and spiritual agony Jesus suffered before and while being nailed to a cross, in order to pay for our sins and save us from an eternity separated from God! He had no sins of his own. He died in our place, out of love for us (1 Peter 3:18). He deserves all our best efforts to show our gratitude to Him.