Heaven

Your answers can be found in the Bible. This ministry is not going to ask you to repeat a "quicky prayer" and make you think you are saved, and then go to the next poor soul and do the same thing. If you are serious, REALLY serious about wanting a change in your life. I have laid out to the best of my ability the facts regarding Salvation and how to attain it.

Without a doubt, the Bible that God wrote for you and I and every other person on the face of this earth, is indeed the true and ever living Words of God! It has been written for a reason! The Ancient of Days would in no way waste His precious time writing the Bible if it wasn't necessary for you to know these facts. Think of it. The very God that created Heaven and Earth loves you so much that He put His very thoughts into a book for you to read! This Word of God is actually a treasure map to the greatest prize of all time! HEAVEN!

  • Matthew 13:45-46, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Even more is His love displayed when you understand that this very same God sent His only begotten Son to die the death you and I deserve! He loves us so much that He does NOT want us to die, for all that commit sin must die for that sin. Some may think they are without sin, but the truth is there are NONE righteous, no not one! (Romans 3:10) You are a sinner, I am a sinner, we are all sinners. Since we are all sinners, we ALL deserve to die because sin is NOT allowed in Heaven. Revelation 21:27 says, that when it comes to the city of Heaven, "..there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

  • Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Think of it. If sin was allowed in Heaven, it wouldn't be Heaven would it? If sin was allowed in Heaven, all the problems associated with sin would be in Heaven as well. Since the "wages of sin is death," all that is in Heaven would die as it does on Earth. That is not Heaven. Heaven is a place of eternal life, no death can reign there. (1 Corinthians 15:55)

The Bible holds the key. It has the answers you are now looking for. Still, some will say that the Bible is impossible to understand. That is a lie from Satan to keep you out of that Holy book as you will soon see. Be honest with yourself for a moment and ask yourself this simple question. Do you truly believe the Lord that created all that is in the Universe was unable to write a book you could understand? Think about how easy it is to expose those liars that say the Bible is impossible to understand. They are saying that the Creator that made all that you see on this world with all it's trees, birds, animals, fish, oceans, lakes, rivers, flowers, insects, stars, the moon, the sun, the sky, the air you breath, and mankind himself, would be unable to write a book that His own children could understand? Sounds pretty ridiculous now doesn't it? Still, some will LIE and say the Bible is not for the Christian, especially the unlearned Christian or non-believer. They believe the Bible needs to be TAUGHT to you by them because they are a "special" breed of human or have a higher learning. Yet the Word of God says the Creator is NOT a "respecter of persons" in Acts chapter 10 verse 34. They are lying to you. Plain and simple! Even a child can understand that which the Lord has written.

For example. The Roman Catholic church which has been proven to be the church of Antichrist has MANY statements regarding the Bible. They seek to tell all that the Bible is impossible to believe. And because they are considered, "holy men" most people fall for their lies. Here are just a few documented quotes from this evil church. (The only reason I share these quotes is to make you aware that these very same excuses are used by people from all different churches today because as prophecy predicted they are influenced by Rome.)

  • The Bible does not contain all the teaching of the Christian religion, nor does it formulate all the duties of its members." (The Faith of Millions, pp. 153-154).
  • "Now the Scriptures alone do not contain all the truths which a Christian is bound to believe, nor do they explicitly enjoin all the duties which he is obliged to practice." (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 72)
  • "Can you learn to save your soul just by reading the Bible? No...because the Bible does not have everything God taught." (A Catechism for Adults, Q. 1, p. 52).
  • "...a competent religious guide must be clear and intelligible to all, so that everyone may fully understand the true meaning of the instructions it contains. Is the Bible a book intelligible to all? Far from it; it is full of obscurities and difficulties not only for the illiterate, but even for the learned." (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 70).
  • "We must, therefore, conclude that the Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith...because they are not of themselves clear and intelligible even in matters of the highest importance..." (Ibid., p. 73).
  • "Secondly, the Bible is not a clear and intelligible guide to all." (The Faith of Millions, p. 152).
  • "How can you get the true meaning of the Bible? You can get it only from God's official interpreter, the Catholic Church. ' (A Catechism for Adults, p. 10).
  • "The Bible does not pretend to be a formulary of belief, as in a creed or catechism. There is nowhere in the New Testament a clear, methodical statement of the teaching of Christ" (Question Box, p. 66).
  • "The very nature of the Bible ought to prove to any thinking man the impossibility of its being the one safe method to find out what the Savior taught." (Ibid., p. 67).
  • "Again it has ever been practically impossible for men, generally, to find out Christ from the Bible only." (Question Box, p. 70).
  • "...The Bible nowhere implies that it is the only source of faith." (Ibid., p. 77).
  • "The Bible was not intended to be a textbook of Christian religion." (Catholic Facts, p. 50).

Does the Word of God address the lies of Rome? YES IT DOES! See here what the Bible says. It actually proves the Roman prelates are lying about your God.

  • The Bible has recorded all necessary things which Jesus did.
    Acts 1:1-2, "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:"
  • Scripture does contain the certainty of Christ's actions and teachings!
    Luke 1:3-4, "It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."
  • The Scriptures declare they can teach us to believe in the name of Jesus.
    John 20:30-31, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
  • Scriptures bluntly proclaim it does have the instructions to salvation!
    2 Timothy 3:15, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
  • The commands of the Lord are found in His Word.
    1 Corinthians 14:37, "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."
  • The proper conduct is emphasized within the Word.
    1 Timothy 3:14-15, "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
  • Every good work is brought forth in His Word.
    2 Timothy 3:15-16, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
  • The knowledge of the Word is our protection against sin.
    1 John 2:1, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
  • And yes we CAN have assurance of eternal life!
    1 John 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
  • The Scriptures ARE the standard by which Bible teachers are tested.
    Acts 17:11, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
  • The Scriptures also declare the standard by which we cannot go beyond.
    1 Corinthians 4:6, "And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another."
  • We also receive blessings by merely reading His Word.
    Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
  • For joy that is complete, look to the Word!
    1 John 1:3-4, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
  • Most important, the Word is in fact the standard of judgment.
    Revelation 20:12, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

So... you ask, how do I get saved?

Many are asking this same question today as did the multitude on the day of Pentecost after they were convicted of sin by the sermons preached that day. They cried out; "What shall we do?" Peter answered and declared; "Repent" (Acts 2:37-38.)

Repentance is a MUST! If you do not repent, your sins will never be forgiven, and then you must die for them since you won't trust Christ to pay the penalty of death for you.. Proverbs 29:1 says, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

If you keep ignoring the Lord, you will eventually die in the flames of hell and be dead forever. You need to get serious about this because you can die today. No one knows for sure when they shall die. So I ask... are you POSITIVE you will not die in a car crash? Are you positive you will not have a heart attack? Slip and hit your head? Get hit by a stray bullet? Get bit by a mosquito that has a deadly disease? Are you 100% positive you WILL wake up tomorrow morning? Now be honest with yourself. It's your life we're talking about here. You can die just as suddenly and unexpectedly as many have died before.

  • Luke 13:2-5, "And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Luke relates that Jesus spoke of some Galilaeans that died very suddenly back then. Everyone thought at that time that they were great sinners because of their sudden deaths. This was a common belief among the people back then that if disease or sudden tragedy came upon someone they were guilty of some great sin. However, Jesus said that we should be more mindful of our own lives, because we can die just as suddenly as did they! Therefore… we need to repent NOW! Today is the day of salvation!

How often do we hear of strange accidents, earthquakes, or plane crashes where large numbers of people die suddenly in one day? Do you suppose they KNEW they would die that day? Do you suppose that before they left their house they decided to ask their wife or husband or mom or dad for their best clothes to be laid out for them because today is the day they shall die? NONE OF US can say we won’t die today in a sudden accident! Absolutely none of us know that for sure. Life is fragile! So why chance it!? With a reality check like that, some do finally come to the realization that salvation is NOT only for the old and sick like they always thought. Everyday fact of life is that many young people die daily. You are a sinner, and you do need a Saviour! Sinners are destined to die if they have no one that will take their place in death for them. If they have no Saviour, then they must be the ones that die instead.

It is written...

YOU ARE A SINNER:

  • Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

We all have sin in our hearts. We were born under the power of sin's control. We all need to admit we are sinners. NO ONE is special here. ALL of us are guilty! The apostles were sinners, all the men of God mentioned in Scripture were sinners, even Mary the mother of Jesus proclaimed she needed a Saviour. (See Luke 1:47) The rich, the poor, the kings, the queens, the young the old, the fat, the skinny, the sick, the healthy, all of us are in the same place when it comes to SIN. And ALL of us are slated for death because…

OUR SINS HAVE SIGNED OUR DEATH WARRANT:

  • Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."

Sin has an ending. It results in death. When Heaven starts, eternal life begins for those residents of Heaven. No person with sin will be allowed into Heaven. For if they were allowed, then that which Christ did on Calvary would have been a waste of time. And if sinners are allowed in Heaven, then death must reside their too, and then Heaven would no longer be "eternal" now would it?

Speaking of Heaven the Bible says...

  • Revelation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

All that go to their graves sinners, will NOT be allowed in Heaven because Heaven is not for those things that must die, and Heaven is not for those things that defile. Heaven is for those that must live. Sin begets DEATH, and death is not allowed in Heaven.

We all face physical death already, which is in fact a result of sin in the world now. Truth is, before Adam and Eve sinned, not even the leaves on the trees died. There was no death at that time anywhere! No sin = no death. Adam and Eve were eternal human beings in a perfect place. All the flowers were perfect in their eternal youth and Adam and Eve would never age as long as they stayed loyal to God. The birds and animals, including man had no signs of death or aging upon them at all because they never sinned. The grass was perfectly new, in fact every aspect of life as we know it was eternally youthful without the slightest signs of death or aging on any of it! Eden was a perfect reflection of Heaven itself. That is UNTIL SIN entered into the picture.

  • Genesis 2:17, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Directly after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and took of the tree He specifically said not to touch, they sinned. At that very moment death entered into a controlling power by the permission they gave it to be in their lives. They chose sin, over the Father's protecting love. At that moment, Adam and Eve contracted a fatal disease that ALL of us now have. It's called... AGING! The very day they ate of that tree they started to die. It was as certain as life and death today.

Death is now everywhere. Trees die, birds die, flowers die, all the animals and even man himself dies every single day on this planet because of SIN. But that's not the worst of it. What can be worse you ask? Is there something sin has to offer that is worse than all this? Yes! Worse than physical death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and THAT will last for all eternity. You need to completely understand that you deserve death for your sin. THAT is something none of us can get around. Your sin has already separated you from a God that cannot stand together with sin and sinners. He represents LIFE, and sin represents DEATH. When it comes to eternity, opposites do NOT attract!

But, we worship a merciful God. He has created a way for us to get around this fatal problem. You truly need to focus and understand something very important now. The Lord has blessed you with a way out of this mess. Plus, also understand there is nothing YOU can do to get out of it because you ARE guilty of sin and can't explain any of the sins away. You have to trust the Lord 100% now, He's your only hope. It's as if you're walking in front of a speeding train and the only one that can save you from certain death is Jesus Christ. The only way to get out of eternal death is by the mercy of the very God that created you. His mercy is in fact a GIFT!

SALVATION IS A GIFT:

  • Romans 6:23b "...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Salvation is a free gift from God to you! He knew we couldn't do anything to gain it, so He GAVE it to us! We can't even earn this gift. However, we must at least reach out and receive it if we want what it has to offer. That being, ETERNAL LIFE.

UNDERSTAND IT IS A "GIFT":

Let me ask you this... Have you ever PAID someone for a gift they gave you? Have you ever had to WORK for a gift? Of course not! It wouldn't be a GIFT if you had to work or pay for it right? Salvation is a gift mainly because the Father knows there is nothing we can say or do that would be enough to pay for eternal life in His Kingdom. Our sins have separated us very far from Him. No matter how good you think you are, no matter how much you try not to sin, Isaiah 64,6 bluntly states that, "...all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags... " Even if we tried, we have nothing but filthy rags at best to offer the Father in Heaven as payment for Salvation. The wonderful truth about this is.. HE KNOWS THIS! So, because He is such a loving Father He chooses to GIVE it to you, if you simply do one thing.

ASK FOR IT:

  • Matthew 21:22, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
  • Acts 2:21, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

When Jesus died on the cross He paid your penalty for sins you committed. The "wages" of sin = DEATH! Jesus paid that price so YOU wouldn't have to die for the sins you committed. He died in your place! That's the gift! All He requires is that you believe He did that for you and ask Him to count His death as payment for yours. All you need to do is ASK.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Fact is, Jesus paid the price for all sin. And when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on that cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death as well! We are bought with a price, and that price was HIS LIFE!

  • 1 Corinthians 6:20, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us. Understanding as well that we are now joined with Him, and that He is the controlling factor in our life from this day forward. And we gladly and gratefully allow Him to guide us to righteousness, because He truly loved us and gave Himself for us!

GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD:

His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and a change for the better in life. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love bought you out of eternal damnation. His love is what saves you from the fires of hell. Not religion, or church membership. or good works. The Lord loves you, and reaches to you where you are right now!

  • Romans 10:13 "Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!"

The word, "whoever" truly means WHOEVER calls upon the name of Jesus WILL BE SAVED! The Lord is not a respecter of persons. It doesn't matter what stage in life you hold, YOU NEED HIM. Call out to the Father in the name of Jesus right now. Please.

  • Romans 10:9-10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto (resulting in) righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto (resulting in) salvation."

You know that God is knocking on your heart door right now don't you? If He wasn't, why are you still reading this page? You would have stopped along time ago if you "didn't believe" any of this. So why not ask Him to come into your heart RIGHT NOW? And before you think your sins are far too evil to be forgiven think again. Sin is sin to the Lord. Whether you are a liar or a murderer it makes no difference. Sin is sin. And don't think the Lord has never heard sins like yours. At present there are over 6 billion sinners on this planet. And that's just THIS generation! Plus keep in mind, He KNOWS you committed them anyway! It's not like your going to surprise Him with anything you say. So confess those sins and get it over with! Start your new life today with Jesus Christ as Lord!

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Again... It's by no accident that you are reading the Truth laid out on this page my friend. The Father is proving His love to you this day. Right now! His Word is TRUTH in its highest form.

Jesus said,

  • Revelation 3:20a "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”

Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door right now? Believe in Him. Let Him in your life. Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to show you His love for you in your life. Ask Him for the peace He has promised in His Word and you WILL have it! God will help you. He truly loves you that much. Aren't you hungry to know the truth? It's there for you to receive it 100% free of charge. It's TRULY that easy!

So many people are searching to fill the void in their lives and it is right their on their bookshelves the whole time. It is called the living Word for a reason. Truth has a powerful effect on people that truly want it. Open that Bible today and let Him speak to you. Let Him love you. Let Him give you the peace of Himself within your heart. Aren't you sick and tired of the hassles? The paranoia? The problems that seem hopeless? The sadness? Hasn't all these problems in life gotten old yet? Don't you crave peace in your heart that you know Christians have? READ what He has written for your heart in His Word! And while you are reading, allow for the Lord to direct you to salvation.

  • REPENT of your way of sinfulness.
  • REALIZE that you are a sinner.
  • RECEIVE Jesus as your Savior.

To repent is to change your mind, which will change your heart, agreeing with God that He is right. That He is who He says He is, and that we are what He says we are; sinners, deserving of hell, in need of our Saviour.

Believe with all your heart that Jesus is Lord God, and humble yourself before Him. Admit you are a sinner standing naked before a God that sees all the way to the most secret regions of your heart. You cannot hide a thing from him. Even if you lie to Him, or yourself, He knows that too! You must truly realize how absolutely hopeless your condition is. Jesus is truly your only hope.

Finally you must receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You must understand and believe what it is He actually did for you on the cross 2000 years ago. He paid in full for all your sins with His very life. There is nothing you or any person can do to merit your salvation. It is God's gift to you! His only begotten Son

If you truly understand now and believe that Jesus is the only way you can be saved from eternal damnation...

  • Romans 4:21
    And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Then pray in your own words and ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you, RIGHT NOW!

  • Romans 10:13
    For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
  • Romans 10:11
    For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Please, put into your own words a prayer that will tell the Lord that you are genuinely sorry for your sins, and that you understand what Jesus did for you when He died on the cross 2000 years ago. Then all that's left is to let Him know you accept, believe, and receive Jesus, as YOUR Lord and Saviour at this time.

I earnestly pray that you have received Jesus as Lord of your life at this time.

By the way... For those of you reading that think your sin is too embarrassing to confess, or you're too ashamed to speak of your sins. Think about it this way. The Lord already knows you committed the sins. He SAW you do it. The embarrassing part is in the past. So why not confess the sin and be cleansed from it? It's a lot quicker to confess it then commit it anyway.

  • 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Not only does He forgive us of the sin, He cleanses us from the act of doing it! What a loving God!!

If you have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Then I say WELCOME to the eternal family of the Living God. If you need some encouraging words for the days ahead, READ HIS WORD! You faith needs to grow now, and "...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Not only does your faith need to grow so as to better understand your God, but now that you have left Satan's side and have chosen Christ as Lord, Satan will then try to draw you back to your old sinful desires in many ways. See this page for a collection of Bible facts that should help you combat the coming attacks Satan WILL send to get you back. You will see words of encouragement from the Word of God that are perfectly designed to give you hope during all the crud the devil sends your way. And one last thing. No matter what happens, no matter what the devil tries to tempt you with, no matter how small or how big, you CAN handle it! For it is also written...

  • 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

That means, if the devil want's to tempt you in a certain manner, he must FIRST get permission from the Father. If the temptation is too strong, the devil is NOT allowed to use it on you! If it is not too strong, the Lord allows it to not only prove the devil is lying about you, but to test your faith as He tested Adam and Even in Eden. Obedience is the key! But FIRST, before the temptation is allowed at all, the devil must still allow for an easy way to get out of it at the same time!

So no matter what the problem, trial, tribulation, or temptation the devil is using on you. Remember three things...

  1. It is something you CAN overcome! The Father KNOWS you can. He never would have allowed it if you couldn't handle it.
  2. Whatever it is, it WILL help your faith grow when you deny your flesh this temptation. For with trial also comes victory over whatever crud you still have in your life. And at the same time it makes you realize where your weak areas still are.
  3. Most important... You can NOT catch Lord off guard. No matter how rough the trial is, the Lord KNEW it was coming well in advance, and He KNEW it would help you grow stronger, and He KNEW you could handle it. In other words He NEVER abandons you! For it is also written...

Matthew 28:20, "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Know Jesus… Know Peace!

No Jesus… No Peace!

As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in bondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him--what can you do to obtain it?
It is peace that you need--Heaven's forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, "without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1. It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you." Ezekiel 36:26.
You have confessed your sins, and in heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised. This is the lesson which Jesus taught while He was on earth, that the gift which God promises us, we must believe we do receive, and it is ours. Jesus healed the people of their diseases when they had faith in His power; He helped them in the things which they could see, thus inspiring them with confidence in Him concerning things which they could not see--leading them to believe in His power to forgive sins. This He plainly stated in the healing of the man sick with palsy: "That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." Matthew 9:6. So also John the evangelist says, speaking of the miracles of Christ, "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." John 20:31.
From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." The sick man might have said, "Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word." But, no, he believed Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.
In like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,--believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.
Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, "I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised."
Jesus says, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24. There is a condition to this promise--that we pray according to the will of God. But it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1.
Henceforth you are not your own; you are bought with a price. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold;... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son.
Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, "I am Christ's; I have given myself to Him;" and ask Him to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostle says, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." Colossians 2:6.
Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.
Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die.
God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. He says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins." Isaiah 55:7; 44:22.
"I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." Ezekiel 18:32. Satan is ready to steal away the blessed assurances of God. He desires to take every glimmer of hope and every ray of light from the soul; but you must not permit him to do this. Do not give ear to the tempter, but say, "Jesus has died that I might live. He loves me, and wills not that I should perish. I have a compassionate heavenly Father; and although I have abused His love, though the blessings He has given me have been squandered, I will arise, and go to my Father, and say, 'I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son: make me as one of Thy hired servants.'" The parable tells you how the wanderer will be received: "When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." Luke 15:18-20.
But even this parable, tender and touching as it is, comes short of expressing the infinite compassion of the heavenly Father. The Lord declares by His prophet, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3. While the sinner is yet far from the Father's house, wasting his substance in a strange country, the Father's heart is yearning over him; and every longing awakened in the soul to return to God is but the tender pleading of His Spirit, wooing, entreating, drawing the wanderer to his Father's heart of love.
With the rich promises of the Bible before you, can you give place to doubt? Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and He gave Himself in the person of Christ, that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us? He declares, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Isaiah 49:15.
Look up, you that are doubting and trembling; for Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Thank God for the gift of His dear Son and pray that He may not have died for you in vain. The Spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may claim His blessing.
As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion. "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Ephesians 1:7. Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.

-a concerned child of God