God's Plan for You

God’s Plan for You 

Many people wonder aimlessly through life wondering what their purpose is. “Why am I here?” “Why am I living this life?” “Who am I? What have I become?” These are tough questions that are very important to each and every human being alive today. The good news for you is that there is an answer to each of them, and they are found in a life lived by faith in Jesus Christ.

Step 1: God’s Purpose: Peace and Eternal Life

God loves you, and He wants you to live in peace with Him and to receive eternal life.

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 whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” –John 3:16
• “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 6:23

Since God planned for us to be at peace with Him and to have eternal life, why are many people not enjoying this experience?

Step 2: Our Problem: Sin & Separation

God didn’t make us mindless robots programmed to love and obey Him. Instead, He gave us a free will- the freedom of choice to love Him and obey His will for our lives.

But like Adam, the first human being created by God, we often chose to disobey God and go our own selfish ways (check out Genesis 2-3). This side of our human nature is called sin, and it separates us 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…” –Romans 6:23
• “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden…” –Genesis 3:23a
• “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” –Isaiah 59:2

Step 3: God’s Remedy: The Cross

Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of sin and separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin- completely bridging the gap between us and God.

The Bible says…

• “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” –Romans 5:8
• “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” –Acts 4:12
• “…God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together…” -1 Timothy 2:5
• “I tell you the truth, whoever bears my word (Jesus) and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” –John 5:24

God has provided the only way…and we must make the choice…

Step 4: Our Response: Receive Christ

We can receive Jesus Christ when we believe in His message and trust in Him alone to save us.

The Bible says…

• “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.” –John 14:1
• “All the prophets testify about Him that every one who believes in Him (Jesus Christ) receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” –Acts 10:43
• “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

How to Receive Christ:

1. Admit your need (“I am 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 your Savior).

What to Pray:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am sinful and I need your forgiveness. I believe that You died to pay the penalty for my sin. I want to turn from my sin nature and follow You instead. I invite You to come into my heart and life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

God’s Assurance: His Word

If you sincerely prayed this prayer and asked Jesus Christ to take control of your life, do you know what He has given you?

Your New Life

When you receive Christ, you are born into God’s family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within every believer. This is called regeneration, or “new birth” in Christ. Once you have invited Christ to take control of your life, the next step is to connect with a church family where you can grow in your faith and serve God and others and to follow the Lord in baptism (see more about this on our “What We Believe” page). If you are in our area and are able to join us, we certainly would be thrilled for you to come and share your decision with the people of SCBC and to talk with our pastor about joining our fellowship!

If you would like to talk with our church or our pastor about your decision to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, we invite you to use our “Contact Us” page and get in touch with us. We would be thrilled to hear from you and will gladly do all we can to encourage, strengthen and equip you in your new life in Jesus Christ!