Steps to Peace with God

Step One
God's Purpose: Peace and Life

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life--abundant and eternal.

The Bible says...

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

"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." John 3:16

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Why don't most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?
 

Step Two
The Problem: Our Separation

God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice.

We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.

The Bible says...

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Our Attempts to Reach God

People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God...

The Bible says...

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2

No bridge reaches God...except one.
 

Step Three
God's Bridge: The Cross

Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.

The Bible says...

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." 1 Timothy 2:5

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." 1 Peter 3:18

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.
 

Step Four
Our Response: Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior

We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him through humble submission to His will.

The Bible says...

"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 him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

 “While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts , as in the provocation”. Heb 3:15

How Can I Become a (Child of God) Christian?

Hear the Word of God.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Rom 10:17

 Believe in God!

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he rewards them that diligently seek him”.   Heb 11:6-7

Repent (turn away) of your sins

  “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish”.  Luke 13:3

Confess the Name of Jesus

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.   Rom 10:9-10

Jesus Says: You must be Baptized

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned”.  Mark 16:16

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Acts 2:38

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ”. Gal 327-28

 

Repenting of your sins and being baptized are commandments from Jesus. If we love him, we will obey him.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments”.  John 14:15

 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love”.  John 15:10