You can know.

First of all, God loves you. He wants you to have everlasting life with Him in heaven and a new life in Him now.

The problem is, we rebel against God. Isaiah 53:6 says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each one of us has turned to his own way".

When we live our way, we disregard and disobey His commandments; this is sin. God's law and His way of living can be summed up as "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37), and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:39).

Our sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have been a barrier between you and your God, and your sins have made Him turn His face and refuse to hear you".

Although God is love, He is also a righteous judge. God judges sin.

The good news is that God loves you so much, that He gave His only Son Jesus to be your scapegoat and sin offering (John 3:16). Isaiah 53:6 also says, "... and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all". "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins..." (1 John 2:2). "It was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer..." (Isaiah 53:10). He endured an agonizing death on a cross to satisy our debt to God's righteous law, so God might have mercy on us.

Jesus left heaven and came to earth in the form of a man. He didn't come as a king, nor a judge, but a servant. He showed us God. He was the fulfillment of the law - love personified. He was life. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He was tempted in every way, as we are, but was without sin. Although He created the world and fulfilled the prophecies that were spoken of Him, the world did not recognize Him. In fact, they crucified Him, because He claimed to be the Son of God.

He did not stay in the grave. Three days later, God raised Jesus from the dead to signify that He was satisified, and appointed Him to be an eternal high priest and advocate for us before God. He is alive!

In John 11:25, Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies". Romans 10:9 says, "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".

Repent of your sin and believe the good news (Mark 1:15)!

John 3:18 says, "Whoever does not believe stands condemned already."

If you die in your sin, you will live in eternal torment (Isaiah 66:24).

If you are choosing to trust in Jesus, pray a prayer similar to this:

"Dear God, I haved sinned against you. Thank you for sending your only Son Jesus to die for my sins and raising Him from the dead. I repent of my sins and forsake my way of living. Please forgive me. I place my faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. I will live to honour and serve you. Thank you for cleansing me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Fill me with your Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen."

If you prayed this prayer, share your decision with a Christian friend or pastor. If you are not already attending church, find one in which you can worship and grow in your faith. Following Christ's example, ask to be baptized in water as a public expression of your faith. Water baptism is a visual representation of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. You identify yourself with Christ when you are baptized. It also symbolizes what has happened in your life. You have died to your way of living, buried your sin in Christ's death, and are now living to honour and serve Him.

I'd love to hear about your decision to trust Christ. Please let me know by sending me an e-mail at david@westbrooksoftware.com.

Related Sites:
Can I Really Trust The Bible?
Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ