Susan Bottger Ministries

SALVATION

John 3:16-17 "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

STEP 1: God's Purpose: Peace and Life

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

The Bible says ...

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

John 3:16 "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." (NIV)

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

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

STEP 2: 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 ...

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

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

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

The Bible says ...

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

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

No bridge reaches God ... except one.

STEP 3: 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 ...

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

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

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

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

STEP 4: Our Response: Receive Christ

We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.

The Bible says ...

Revelations 3:20 "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." (NIV)

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

Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (NIV)

Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Will you receive Him right now?

Here is how you can receive Jesus into your heart:
1. Admit you are a sinner..
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

How to Pray

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my wicked ways and. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name Amen.

God's Assurance: His Word

If you prayed this prayer,

The Bible says ...

Romans 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (NIV)

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in the Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth." This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ.

To deepen this relationship you should:

1. Read your Bible everyday to know Christ better.
2. Talk to God in prayer every day.
3. Tell others about Christ.
4. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where the Good News of Jesus Christ is preached.
5. As Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.

Congratulations! You have just taken the most important step in your life.
If you have just prayed this prayer and asked Jesus to come into your heart,
please contact us.

ved@susanbottgerministries.com