A Free Gift

Mankind's Situation

Everything in God's creation He called "very good" (Gen. 1:31). At the apex of His creation were man and woman, male and female, made in God's image (Gen. 1:27). God gave man and woman the mandate to live in and be stewards of the creation and to work and to build community while in a good and perfect relationship with God, with each other, with the creation, and each with himself (Gen. 1:28).

But mankind rejected God and the ways of God and decided to go his own way. Man and woman decided they wanted to "be like God" deciding good and evil for themselves (Gen. 3). When God and the ways of God are rejected, when we attempt to live life outside of God, because God is holy and just and perfect and the source of life itself, there are consequences. The resulting life is plagued with disease, pain, suffering, loss of identity and death, eternal separation from God. So Paradise was lost and mankind now experiences alienation in his relationship with God, with the rest of mankind, with the creation, and even with self. And all of mankind is affected since this condition is passed on to all men and all repeat the original rejection (Rom. 5:12; Rom. 3:23).

God's Solution

But God was not willing that mankind should perish, so in love He reached out with the life of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died in mankind's place to take upon Himself the penalty for mankind's rejection of God (John 3:16; 2Cor. 5:21). Jesus Christ was uniquely qualified to die for mankind because He was not only a perfect man, but He was God in the flesh: He was God for man in His divinity and man for God in His humanity (Heb. 4:15; Rom. 9:5). And Jesus Christ not only died for mankind, He also was resurrected from the dead, and then ascended into heaven (Phil. 3:10; Eph. 4:8).

A New Situation

When a person by faith accepts Christ's death in his or her stead, when a person calls upon Jesus Christ to be saved, that person is forgiven and declared justified by God (2Cor. 5:21; Gal. 2:16; Acts 2:21). And that person is not only justified, forgiven, and saved from an eventual eternity without God, he or she by the Spirit of God is brought into and becomes part of a new community, a universal assembly that Christ calls His church (Matt. 16:18; 1Cor. 12:13).

A person who is saved is also brought into God's kingdom, the reign of God that is partial and spiritual now, but will come in its fullness in the future when Jesus Christ returns and when God brings into being the new creation (Col. 1:13, 14; Phil. 2:9-11). This kingdom, both present and future, is made up of people from every people group and nation ("every tongue, nation, and tribe") and every layer of social status (Col. 3:11; Rev. 7:9). The future kingdom will be a place where mankind will no longer be alienated from God, others, the creation, or self. It will be a place where people will no longer experience the results and consequences of mankind's original rejection of God, a place where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4).

A Personal Decision

Everything said above is theoretical until you put it into practice. By that we mean, until you take that step of faith (John 1:12). What is required?

• Admit your need for a Savior-that you have fallen short of God's design for you and that you can't save yourself.

• Believe that Jesus Christ is who He said he is, Son of God, Son of Man, the God-Man, and that He died in your place.

• Place your faith in His sacrificial gift, and that alone, for your salvation, your right-standing with God.

You can do just that through a simple prayer that is prayed from your heart:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe you are the Son of God who died and rose again to forgive me of my sins. I want to turn from and repent of my sins right now. I now invite you to come into my life. Thank You for forgiving me of my sin. Thank You for giving me new life. Give me the power to live my life for you."

If you prayed this prayer, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us at 972-370-4GOD (4463) or harvestlife@theharvestchurchinternational.com.