Accepting Jesus Christ As Your Personal Savior

Do you long to know God — to experience His comforting presence, power, and wisdom? That’s a beautiful desire, and it’s no accident: God loves you and wants a personal relationship with you, forever.

The problem: sin separates us from God

One thing stands between us and a relationship with God — sin. We all sin whenever we fall short of His holy standard. As Scripture says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” — separation from God forever (Romans 6:23). No matter how hard we try, we cannot save ourselves or earn our way to heaven by being good, going to church, or being baptized (Ephesians 2:8–9).

God’s answer: Jesus

Because He loves us and doesn’t want us to be punished for our sins, God made a way for us to be forgiven (John 3:16). He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins (1 John 4:10) — to suffer the punishment we deserved (Isaiah 53:4–6), though He Himself was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay our penalty (Romans 5:8), and three days later rose from the dead, triumphing over sin and death once and for all. To be forgiven and receive eternal life, we simply accept the salvation Christ has already made possible.

How you can know God today

It begins with accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Whoever you are and whatever you’ve done, the One who created you loves you and wants you to know the depth of His care.

If you’re willing to trust Him for salvation, simply tell Him so — in your own words, or with a prayer like this:

Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive my sins and save me from eternal separation from God. By faith, I accept Your work and death on the cross as sufficient payment for my sins. Thank You for providing the way for me to know You and to have a relationship with my heavenly Father. Through faith in You, I have eternal life. Thank You also for hearing my prayers and loving me unconditionally. Please give me the strength, wisdom, and determination to walk in the center of Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you just prayed that prayer — congratulations!

Welcome to the family of God. This is the most important decision you will ever make, and we rejoice with you. We’d encourage you to find a Bible-believing local church, begin reading God’s Word (the Gospel of John is a wonderful place to start), and talk with Him daily in prayer. And if we can pray for you or simply celebrate with you, we would be honored — just reach out to us.