What must I do to be saved? How can I gain peace of mind today and heaven “tomorrow”? We must come to God for the answer to these questions. Here is what the Bible says about God and how to find salvation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD

God is supreme. He is the creator of the universe. He is also an affectionate father who loves his children and wants their obedience and devotion. He disciplines them when they disobey, but is ready to forgive when they repent.

GOD IS:

CREATOR—In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Revelation 4:11, Hebrews 11:3, Colossians 1:16-17

LOVING—I have loved thee with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Exodus 34:6, 1 John 4:8, Romans 5:8

HOLY—Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy (Psalms 99:9). 1 Samuel 2:2, Exodus 15:11

RIGHTEOUS—For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness (Psalm 11:7). Revelation 15:3, Psalm 145:17, Acts 17:31

CHARACTERISTICS OF MAN

God created man in his own image, giving him a free will—free to obey or disobey his laws. Human nature is inclined to disobey, and this is sin. God holds us responsible for making the right decisions.

MAN IS:

CREATED IN GOD’S LIKENESS—So God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27).

SINFUL BY NATURE—All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). 1 John 1:8, Romans 5:12, James 1:14-15, Galatians 5:19-21

SUBJECT TO DECEPTION—There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). Jeremiah 17:9

SEPARATED FROM GOD—But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).

GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NOT OVERLOOK SIN

Since God is perfectly good and man by contrast is sinful, a barrier has come between us and God. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin (Deuteronomy 24:16). Romans 14:12

SIN MUST BE PUNISHED BY DEATH—The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). Romans 6:23, James 1:15, Matthew 25:31-33

THE PUNISHMENT PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO SIN—Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Matthew 3:7, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 13:40-42, Mark 16:16, Mark 3:29, Luke 3:17, Luke 12:5, Luke 16:23

HOW CAN WE BE FORGIVEN

The judgments of God are sure, requiring the punishment of all who sin. God sent his beloved son, Jesus, who was without sin, to die in our place. God’s judgment was satisfied only through the shedding of Jesus’s blood. By rising again, Jesus triumphed over sin and death. If we repent of our sins and truly believe on Jesus as our Savior, we can have a new life now, and eternal life in heaven.

GOD LOVES US AND WANTS TO SAVE US—In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9-10). Matthew 11:28, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16

WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN—Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:7-8).

GOOD WORKS ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH—Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us (Titus 3:5). Matthew 5:20, Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:9

SALVATION IS AVAILABLE ONLY THROUGH JESUS—Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). 1 Timothy 2:5-6, John 1:12, Matthew 1:21, Romans 1:16, Acts 4:10-12

WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH—For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Romans 3:22-24, Luke 7:50

THE WAY OF SALVATION

When a sinner turns away from sin and completely surrenders to God, there is a transformation of the heart and life. His desire for the ways of God now means more to him than the desire for his own pleasure and satisfaction. There is a new birth—a new life!

Following are Scripture references to help one understand the new birth experience:

CONVICTION—Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2:37). Psalm 51:3, Psalm 73:21, Daniel 9:5

SORROW—For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). 2 Samuel 12:13, Psalm 51:5, Matthew 5:3-4, Matthew 26:75

CONFESSION—If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). James 5:16, Psalm 51:3

BELIEF—But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Acts 9:6, Acts 11:18

RESTITUTION—Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found (Leviticus 6:4). Exodus 22:1, Luke 19:1-10

OBEDIENCE—And he [Saul] trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do (Acts 9:6).

TRANSFORMATION—Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Galatians 5:19-23

THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God (Romans 8:16). 1 John 4:13, Acts 2:38, Romans 8:9

The joy and gratitude of the saved soul inspires him to obey the Word and the Holy Spirit. Obedience to the Lord brings blessing and satisfaction that far exceeds all that the world may offer. Faithfulness to his commandments is well rewarded. But he that endureth to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:22).

All Have Sinned

Many people today are like the man who said, “I am not good enough for heaven and not bad enough for hell.” They think they are pretty good and God will somehow give them a home in heaven.

What does the Bible say about man? It says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. I have—you have. We are like the man who was lost in the woods. He was finally so confused that he had to sit down and wait for someone to find him. Are you lost? Do you know where to go?

There Is Hope for You

You need not be lost and live in sin. You need not despair. Jesus Christ has opened the way for all to live a happy life. He has opened the door of heaven for you. Whether you are poor as a beggar or rich as a millionaire, whether you are highly respected or not, you have the opportunity to come to the Lord Jesus. He says in his Word, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). There is hope for you. You can come to the Friend of all men and be saved from your sins.

Jesus Will Give You Peace

The teacher held out his gold watch, saying, “The one who comes here to take this watch can have it.” None of the children came forward except the smallest boy in the classroom. To the surprise of the others, he got the watch. They just hadn’t believed the teacher. The offer was too good to be true, they thought. Now the opportunity was gone. The little boy had the prize.

Jesus holds out a greater prize. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Many people have already accepted this call. Have you? He is calling you now. These words are for you. If you are tired of sin, if your heart is troubled, come to the One who will give you rest. He will forgive your sinful past. He will carry your load of worries away. You can put on Him all your troubles because He cares for you. He is now reaching out his arms to help you.

You May Accept His Gift Now

The little boy believed his teacher, stepped up to the desk, and got the watch. In the same way you can receive the gift that Jesus offers you today.

“What shall I do?” you say. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” says God’s Word, “and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). As you look to the Lord you see how sinful you are, and you say, “There is no hope for me. I cannot come to the Lord this way.” Listen again to the words of Jesus, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28). He does not tell you to get rid of your sins, to clean up your life and then come. No, come as you are. Tell Him your sins, tell Him your troubles, and apologize to those you have wronged. Believe that He hears you. Reach out, believing like the little boy, and He will give you peace of mind and rest for your soul.

Let’s see what else Jesus says. “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Notice the last part, “is passed from death unto life.” It need not take long. The price is paid, and you can be free right now. He paid the debt when He died on the cross. There your sins were paid for. But you must look in faith to Jesus who died on the cross in your stead.

Can you believe this? Can you take Jesus at his word and leave your load of sin and trouble to Him? Pray to Him now, repent of and confess your sins, and receive that free gift of peace—be born anew, be a child of God. Jesus says in the third chapter of John, “Ye must be born again.” That is, born of the Spirit.

You Can Enjoy Living with Christ

When you are born again, your old desire for sin passes away. Sin does not look so attractive anymore. Your heart is filled with peace, and you do not enjoy the foolishness of the world.

Now you love to pray. You enjoy God’s Word. You read it, listen to it, and study it. You even love those whom you did not like very well before. At home or in church you commune with God in prayer and receive strength to say no to the tempter. When trials or temptations come, you know that God is always near, ready to help you over the rough places. And as you grow in your Christian life you find that prayer is your vital breath—you cannot get along without it.

You Can Work for Jesus

Knowing that the Lord has saved you makes you want to do something for Him. You start by telling others of your experience with the Lord. Your heart overflows with joy, and you want others to have the same experience.

As you learn to know God’s Word better, you can reach out farther and help those who are in sin. Or you can help with other work in the Church. You can help in Sunday school, in Bible classes, and in church services. You can testify for the Lord in public. God will lead you into an active Christian life. In this way you can honor God and show your appreciation for what He has done in your life. God calls every Christian to serve Him.

The apostle Paul gives us some good instructions along this line. He says, “M y beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

One thing we need to remember is to be obedient to the Word of God and to the Holy Spirit who leads us in the right path. Jesus emphasizes it very strongly that we must be doers of the will of our heavenly Father (Matthew 7:21).

God Will Reward You

How does God reward you? Actually there are two stages of reward. One is here in this life; the other is in the life to come.

Let’s look at the words of Jesus again. He says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The peace He speaks of here is for those whose sins are forgiven, whose hearts are washed with the blood of Christ. It is for those who have completely given their lives over to Him. He gives that peace to men so the Christian life will be worthwhile. You can have peace in your heart as you turn to Him in all your problems. That is part of the reward.

He helps you to resist temptation. He hears your prayers when you call to Him for help.

If you remain faithful to the Lord you will have a reward in heaven. In this life you will have disappointments, but in heaven you will have eternal happiness. When you get to heaven, all the troubles and cares of this life will have vanished. You will be with God and the angels and all the faithful Christians forever and ever. That will be the eternal reward.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

The Bible tells us that Jesus will return again. He is not coming as a loving Savior as before. This time He will come as a judge, and He will “reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). The sinner will go to the place “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). There hope is gone. No one will be able to turn to God for forgiveness. The Bible describes it as “outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). Jesus warns us about the place “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44).

As a child of God you need not fear the coming of the Lord. Jesus is coming to take his children home to heaven. He says, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13:33).

It is the nature of parents to love their children. When children are small, parents diligently attend to their needs, giving them the best of care. They rejoice in their steady growth and happiness. When children become sick, a mother spares no efforts day or night to nurse them back to health. Parents delight to see their children achieve worthwhile objectives in life. All this and much more is the privilege and duty of parents toward their children.

If parents are Christians and live the Bible, they will live an exemplary life before their children, a life they wish their children to pattern after. Since "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21), it is necessary that training and teaching be done early in life. It is said, "a child learns more by observation than through instructions."

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). To a great extent, the future happiness and destiny of children hinges upon the teaching and instruction they receive. Living and teaching the Ten Commandments is not a matter we can face with indifference. Parents who live unconcerned and ungodly lives will have an effect upon their children. On the other hand, there are blessings that follow generations of God fearing parents.

What a man sows, he will reap (Galatians 6:7). Sin leaves a trail of sorrow in this world and the sinner reaps sorrow and suffering in hell forever. However, the judgment on sin is removed when the sinner repents and the Lord forgives him. Many children suffer physically and mentally because of the sins of ungodly parents.

The influence that parents have for good or evil is much greater than they often realize. Parents who are not Christians, who do not worship God, who do not read the Bible, and do not have family worship in their homes are not doing their duty before God and their children. Fathers and mothers should be faithful and unwavering in their Christian lives.

Parents need to be alert to evil spirits that influence children. Evil spirits are subtle and destructive, and will seek to control a heart that is young and tender. When these become established in a child's life, they are difficult to root out.

The spirit of rebellion is rampant in the world today. We read in 2 Timothy 3:1-2 that there will be disobedience to parents in the last days. The spirits of pride, anger and envy become evident in a child's heart at an early age. It is important that parents possess the spirit of God so they can discern Satan's work and deal with their children as the Lord directs.

Power to resist these spirits will only come through earnestly seeking the Lord in prayer. Failure to successfully accomplish this by God's grace will leave the child with many frustrating disadvantages.

A child often manifests a stubborn self-will. When teaching and pleading in love and gentleness will not convince him, stricter methods of discipline must be applied. This will be for the future good and salvation of the child. The home and God's kingdom will be blessed and society will benefit.

In Proverbs 13:24 we read, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15). Oftentimes a lack of love for the child prevents parents from taking the right course in discipline.

These scripture quotations from the book of Proverbs do not approve nor encourage child abuse. The "rod of correction" has proven effective when administered with love. The pain the child feels causes the parents to suffer also. When a pure love for the child and his soul is alive in the heart of the parents, the punishment given will bind parents and child closer together. Parents who discipline with anger are apt not to achieve good results because confidence between the child and parents will be greatly strained or broken. Oh! That all parents would use the Bible method of training their children, and God's blessing will surely follow.

Providing an atmosphere where children are taught by love and example is essential. Give children a consistent example of love, tolerance and compassion and you have given to them guidelines to constructive and consistent living. Show them that unbecoming language and behavior does not need spite or ridicule to correct it, and you have demonstrated to them the heart's capacity for warmth in a trying situation. Teach them that sorrow and misfortune can befall anyone and that everyone merits compassion and understanding in the name of Christ, then you have given them the key to the heart of their fellowmen.

Demonstrate to your child that God loves all men equally, and he will see the white fields of harvest our Saviour saw (John 3:16, John 4:35).

Show your children by example that the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:20), and you will have begun to lead them into the realm of man's insufficiency and God's sovereignty. God will conduct the affairs of all men according to His perfect will.

Show kindness and impartiality to those who are least and you have shown them the door to greatness.

Teach them that the redeeming grace of God is God's remedy for sin and failure in every human heart, and you will have bequeathed to them the true reason for thankfulness. This will open doors of blessing and faith to them. If they acquire an unfeigned love for the truth they will be led to the door of eternal life.

Family Beatitudes

Blessed is the family that honoureth the Lord;

That loves to worship side by side with hearts of one accord.

Blessed are the parents who will ever lead the way,

And bring the children to His House upon the Lord's Day.

 

Blessed is the family that finds no greater thrill,

Than joining hands in Christian love to do the Master's will.

Blessed is the family that daily bows in prayer,

And from the increase of their toil, will give the Lord His share.

 

Blessed is the family that taketh great delight,

In making of their home more than a shelter for the night.

Blessed is the family, whose circle is complete:

That find in one another companionship so sweet.

 

Blessed is the family that bears a common load;

Rejoice and prays together as they travel on life's road.

Blessed is the family where peace and joy abound;

And where distrust and greediness are never found.

 

Blessed is the family that maketh God their choice;

In whatever plans they draw will listen for His voice.

So that finally, when they, God's will on earth have done;

They, with God and Angels, in Heaven will have a home.