WHO IS JESUS?
"Jesus said unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'"
Why is Jesus Christ the most central figure in all of human history?
What is so important about Him?
Why do Christians make such a big deal about knowing Jesus?
Unlike what religion teaches, you and I have no ability to reach heaven, and no ability to avoid hell. But God loves you, and Jesus made a way; “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
5 Things You Need To
1
The Bible is the Word of God.
The first thing you must know to go to heaven, is the Bible is not just another religious tome written by man, but it is indeed the Word of God. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
2
Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible.
People will often say that Jesus was a great man, a wise teacher, or even a prophet of God. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus either is what He claimed; “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”, or He was a madman, a lunatic. The second thing you need to know to go to heaven is that there is only one God, and Jesus clearly claimed to be that very God; “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
We are all sinners and can't get to heaven.
The third thing you need to know to go to heaven is that we are all sinners (me, you, your best friend, your favorite aunt), and because of that, none of us can ever earn our way to heaven. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Because all of us are sinners, we all share the same fate: “the wages of sin is death.” Whether you grew up in church or never stepped foot in a church before, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
3
4
God loves you and sent
Jesus to pay for your sins.
The fourth thing you need to know to go to heaven is that despite our sin, God loves us and made a way for us to be in heaven with Him. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” That word commendeth means that God showed and proved His love for us “while we were yet sinners.” The love that so many of us are familiar with can be fleeting or conditional, but Jesus says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” God absolutely loves you, and He proved it.
Jesus rose from the dead proving
His victory over death and hell.
The last thing you need to know is that Jesus not only paid your debt, but He also has power to give eternal life. “How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once.” We saw the beginning of this verse earlier, but let’s see the rest; “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
5
1 Thing You Need To Do
Well, if you believe #1 that the Bible is the Word of God, #2 that Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible, #3 that you are indeed a sinner and can’t make your own way to heaven, #4 that Jesus loves you and died to pay for your sins, and #5 that He rose from the dead and can give you eternal life; what then?
As we just saw, eternal life is a gift from God, and just as with any other gift, you must personally receive it. The Bible says: “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”. If you believe those 5 things you need to know, here’s the 1 thing you need to do:
“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 righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The work has already been finished by Jesus Christ on the cross, all that’s left is for you to personally claim the free gift of eternal life. I’d invite and encourage you to do that right now, and He promises to receive you; “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” “he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” He has already accepted you; will you receive Him today?