What does Jesus’ resurrection mean to you and me today?
The apostle Paul, who had also initially been a skeptic of Jesus’ resurrection, explains its impact on our lives.
“For Christ has completely abolished death, and has now, through the Gospel, opened to us men the shining possibilities of the life that is eternal.” (2 Timothy 1:10, J. B.Phillips)
The Gift of Heaven
But wait a minute, you say, “Don’t I have to do good deeds to go to heaven?”
Since eternal life is a gift from God, you and I can’t do anything to earn our way into heaven. Paul explains God’s amazing grace in his letter to the Ephesians.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
For a gift to be ours, we need to actually receive it. Like any gift, you can choose to accept or reject Jesus Christ’s pardon for the penalty for your sins. This was made clear by the apostle John.
“This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12, NCV)
It’s Your Choice
To become a Christian and be forgiven you must place your faith in Jesus’ death for your sins on the cross, and trust in his resurrection for your eternal life. It is a choice that you alone must make. No one else can do it for you.
You must honestly admit you have sinned and want the forgiveness Jesus Christ offers you. The apostle John tells us that,
“If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable—he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.” (1 John 1:9, J. B. Phillips)
John tells us that whoever receives Jesus Christ becomes his child.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12, NIV)
You can receive Jesus right now by asking him to come into your life and forgive your sins.
If you haven’t ever invited Jesus into your life, simply pray the following words. But remember, it’s not the words you say but the attitude of your heart that is important.
“Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for all my sins—past, present, and future. Thank you for giving me eternal life. I receive you as my Savior by faith, and desire you to be Lord of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.”
Click here to read page 7 of 7 about “Why Does God Permit Evil to Exist?”
